《The Chief Minister's Ferocious Wife》


 Chapter 1

    Kill the Evil Woman!


    ¡°Set! Fire! Burn!¡±


    ¡°The court has ordered for any vige with more than half its people infected to be burned down!¡±


    The cries rang in Zhao Chuchu¡¯s ears. The pungent smell of kerosene wafted into her nose, causing her to open her eyes.


    She found herself surrounded by a group of frail, ancient-looking people. They were all tied up, and their bodies were sshed with kerosene.


    A group of court officials stood in front of them, looking cold and arrogant. Their noses and mouths were covered with a piece of cloth.


    They were about to set fire to those people whom they had bound and sshed kerosene on.


    Kerosene was a highlybustible kind of crude oil that could easily cause a fire when ignited.


    Zhao Chuchu suddenly stood up. All she could see in front of her was a patch of darkness. Her legs felt weak, and she almost stumbled onto the floor. Gritting her teeth, she mustered all her strength to shout, ¡°Wait!¡±


    Her voice sounded hoarse, as though she had not spoken for a long time. All eyes were on her.


    The boy beside her, looking dazed, turned to one side to look at her. A bewildered look swept across his handsome face.


    Zhao Chuchu did not know why she was there.


    But she knew that if she did not try to save herself, she would soon be nothing but a burned body.


    Earlier on, in her stupor, she had heard the word ¡°gue.¡± The people around here all looked unwell. Some were even coughing hard.


    ¡°Can I give it a try instead? I have the prescription.¡± Zhao Chuchu felt that all she could do was take a gamble. She felt as if her throat had been slit by a knife. Trying to hold back her difort, she spoke with much difficulty. ¡°Maybe I can cure everyone.¡±


    The boy next to her looked shocked beyond words.


    The leader of the officials, Li Jiang, stared at her with his cold sharp eyes.


    Just then, a young girl who had just woken up found herself among the crowd of vigers. She looked around nkly before pinching herself hard. She stared in disbelief and joy.


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°Give me two days! If the vigers don¡¯t recover in two days, I don¡¯t need anyone to punish me, I will kill myself as a punishment. My lord, look at the state we¡¯re in. We can¡¯t possibly run away...¡±


    ¡°My lord, Zhao Chuchu doesn¡¯t know anything about medicine. She was the first to be infected with the gue in the vige!¡± The girl who had just regained consciousness interrupted Zhao Chuchu. ¡°If she can cure us of the gue, why did she wait for all of us to be infected before saying so? She¡¯s out to kill all of us!¡±


    Another voice spoke up. ¡°I¡¯m her cousin Zhao Zhizhi. She was already dead. Before her death, she was a mute. How can she get up and start talking now? She must be an evil spirit!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu turned to look in the direction of the voice. She was met with a pair of eyes filled with hatred.


    Even if Zhao Chuchu was stupid, she was smart enough to realize that she had traveled through time. She had no memory of what happened. Hence, she did not know she was supposed to be mute and had exposed herself.


    Zhao Zhizhi continued, ¡°My lord, if you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask the vigers. They can confirm that when Zhao Chuchu was brought here, she was already dead. Only when she dies can the gue be destroyed.¡±


    The vigers seemed to have suddenly regained their senses. They regarded Zhao Chuchu fearfully and moved away from her. ¡°My lord, Zhao Chuchu came back from the dead. She must be an evil spirit!¡±


    Li Jiang looked intently at Zhao Zhizhi.


    Zhao Zhizhi straightened her back and looked forward boldly.


    Soon, the vigers started pleading in unison. ¡°My lord, please put her to death. We will all recover once she¡¯s dead.¡±


    One of the officials whispered to Li Jiang, ¡°My lord, that woman indeed appeared to be dead just now. Can it be that she¡¯s really an evil spirit?¡±


    Li Jiang did not say a word. His gaze fell on Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Zhizhi lowered her eyes, concealing the sinister look in her eyes. In her previous life, Zhao Chuchu had died. How did shee back to life?


    Zhao Chuchu must die. Only then would all the wealth and power belong to Zhao Zhizhi.


    Zhao Zhizhi cast a look at Xie Heng and his brother. She vowed to protect them and would not let him die.

 Chapter 2

    Kill the One Who Was Reborn (1)


    Just as Zhao Zhizhi was deep in thought, a strong gust of wind blew across them. The clear blue sky turned gloomy at once.


    Ominous dark clouds gathered overhead, foreboding a thunderstorm.


    Zhao Zhizhi eximed excitedly, ¡°This is a punishment from the gods. They want to destroy the evil spirit. Look, I¡¯m telling the truth. The gods are my witnesses. Zhao Chuchu is the evil spirit. Otherwise, how did the weather change so suddenly?¡±


    The vigers thought that they had seen hope in her words. They had initially looked so weak and frail. Now they were shouting and demanding Zhao Chuchu¡¯s death with much gusto.


    Zhao Zhizhi looked at Zhao Chuchu as if she was looking at a dead person. She thought, ¡°You are dead, for sure! ¡±


    As the sky grew darker, the officials drew their knives and inched closer toward Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°Zhao Chu Chu is a jinx. We should kill her so that peace will prevail again.¡±


    ¡°Only when Zhao Chuchu is dead will the gue disappear!¡±


    ¡°The evil spirit must be burned alive. We will have hope when she is dead!¡±


    The vigers worked themselves up in a frenzy.


    Those standing close to Zho Chuchu were all ready to pounce on her.


    Zhao Chuchu struggled to dodge them.


    Zhao Zhizhi smiled jubntly when she saw how pathetic Zhao Chuchu looked.


    ¡°My lord, quick, get someone to tie Zhao Chuchu up. The older folks have a saying that an evil spirit should be burned alive. Otherwise, she will cause harm to more people when she escapes.¡±


    But Zhao Zhizhi did not see the malicious glint in Zhao Chuchu¡¯s eyes.


    All of a sudden, a crisp and clear voice was heard. ¡°She is not an evil spirit.¡±


    The young man used his frail body to shield Zhao Chuchu from the vigers¡¯ blows.


    Zhao Chuchu turned to look at his magnificent side profile.


    ¡°Chuchu was able to speak long ago. She¡¯s not the first person to be infected with the gue.¡±


    ¡°She had been feeling weak and dizzy since she fell sick. She never regained consciousness since then. How is it possible that she can harm others?¡±


    ¡°Also, shouldn¡¯t I know best if she¡¯s dead or alive?¡±


    It took a lot of effort for the young man to speak the three sentences coherently. Soon, he felt breathless.


    Zhao Chuchu raised her eyebrows slightly. He looked feeble but he was not sick at all.


    She was puzzled why the man was pretending to be sick, and why he was speaking out for her. He did not even know what had really happened.


    Zhao Zhizhi was deeply pained to see him defending Zhao Chuchu. ¡°Xie Heng, why are you still protecting her? Don¡¯t you remember how she¡¯s treated you ever since you were married a year ago?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu smiled when she heard that. She looked up at the gloomy sky as a smile shed across her face.


    She was a little confused earlier as she did not know the facts. As someone who possessed supernatural powers, she would not let anyone who wanted to kill her get away scot-free.


    ¡°The sky is crashing down with thunder. Zhao Chuchu must die. Otherwise, no one else will be able to live.¡± Zhao Zhizhi continued, ¡°If she¡¯s not an evil spirit, why did the sky change so suddenly? This is clearly a sign from the heavens.¡±


    ¡°Where did you see rain? How do you know that there will be a thunderstorm? Don¡¯t sprout nonsense and mislead the people.¡± Zhao Chuchu sneered.


    She gestured her hand slightly. At that instant, the dark clouds dispersed and the sun shone brightly overhead again.


    Zhao Zhizhi¡¯s smug look was wiped from her face. Her face turned ashen.


    ¡°How could this happen?¡± she thought.


    Zhao Chuchu pointed at Zhao Zhizhi and said sternly, ¡°Zhao Zhizhi, where are the signs from the heavens? I said I can cure everyone. Yet you used me of being an evil spirit.¡±


    ¡°In my opinion, you are the evil spirit who is bent on destroying the entire vige.¡±


    The vigers who were at first, full of hope, sank back into despair. They redirected their frustrations at Zhao Zhizhi. ¡°Where is the rain? Why isn¡¯t it raining? Evil spirit! You are the evil spirit!¡±


    Zhao Zhizhi shook her head furiously. ¡°No! I¡¯m not an evil spirit. The heavens must have kept the sky from raining because Zhao Chuchu is here. Quick, someone! Kill Zhao Chuchu.¡±


    Visible but colorless water droplets started to fall onto Zhao Zhizhi¡¯s lips, flowing into her mouth.


    Zhao Zhizhi froze for a moment as she felt the water droplets entering her mouth.


    Zhao Chuchu then squeezed her right hand hard.


    The water droplets exploded inside Zhao Zhizhi¡¯s body.

 Chapter 3

    Kill the One Who Was Reborn (2)


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    Zhao Zhizhi suddenly felt such intense pain that she screamed out loud, her face contorted in agony.


    The official was stunned.


    He instinctively waved his knife and charged at Zhao Zhizhi, stabbing her.


    Zhao Zhizhi stared with her eyes wide open. She lowered her head in disbelief. The knife pierced into her heart and blood was gushing out from the wound.


    She had a chance to be reborn. Yet, she died again without even stepping out of Lengshui Vige.


    Feeling bitter and resentful, she fell to the ground.


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s face was expressionless. She did not regret killing Zhao Zhizhi, the foolish woman.


    Why should she keep this woman alive? She was the one who was bent on killing Zhao Chuchu in the first ce.


    The official who killed Zhao Zhizhi stared in astonishment. ¡°My lord...¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s been talking nonsense and misleading everyone. It¡¯s not wrong to kill such a person.¡± Li Jiang looked on indifferently.


    Zhao Zhizhi had attempted to incite the vigers to stir up trouble. She was up to no good. He decided that if the official had not killed her, he would also have taken her life personally.


    The vigers hushed at the sight of a dead Zhao Zhizhi.


    Li Jiang looked at Zhao Chuchu and asked in a cold voice, ¡°Did you see what happened to her? She was not able to escape her fate eventually.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu had recovered a little of her energy. ¡°Please give me a chance, my lord.¡±


    ¡°You must die.¡± Li Jiang was nowpletely devoid ofpassion after what he had witnessed in Zhao Zhizhi. ¡°Just like her, you must perish!¡±


    If there was further trouble, he would instead be the one who had to die.


    ¡°I won¡¯t try to save all of them.¡± Zhao Chuchu was no saint. She only singled out those who had not asked for her life earlier. ¡°Give me two days. If they don¡¯t get well after two days, you can kill me. We can¡¯t escape from here anyway. Please, my lord, let me give it a try.¡±


    Li Jiang¡¯s face darkened. He turned to ask the vigers, ¡°What is her name? Does she know how to heal people?¡±


    The vigers had their hope turn into disappointment. Filled with intense bitterness, they stared at Zhao Chuchu grudgingly. ¡°Zhao Chuchu can¡¯t even read and write. She doesn¡¯t know anything. She¡¯s lying, my lord!¡±


    ¡°This jinx grew up on a farm and has been working in the fields all her life. How can she know medicine? Don¡¯t fall for her lies, my lord. I¡¯m her grandmother. I know her better than anyone else.¡±


    There was a murderous light in Li Jiang¡¯s eyes. ¡°Kill Zhao Chuchu first.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord!¡±


    ¡°She knows how to read and write. I taught her.¡± The young man grabbed Zhao Chuchu¡¯s hand and spoke out.


    Zhao Chuchu was about to brush his hand aside when fragments of obscure memories shed across her mind. She froze for a moment.


    In her previous life, she was a military doctor who had perished in the apocalyptic world. She was reborn into a post-apocalyptic world where she had amassed a huge amount of supplies in space. In her new life, she had unearthed her supernatural powers, only to have her life taken away again when she was struck by something thrown above her.


    This time, she had traveled through time andnded in the era of the Wei Dynasty when the country was struck by gue. She was now reborn as a young girl, bearing the same name. The girl had died after being infected by the gue. Her parents had died when she was young, causing her to lose her ability to speak.


    She had juste back to life and was almost burned to death. Now after trying so hard to preserve her life, she was faced with a Zhao Zhizhi who was bent on taking her life.


    Most importantly, her space had apanied her to this new life. Although it only had a storage function, it contained supplies worth billions of dors.


    However, she was not able to use her supernatural powers that freely now. She was only allowed to use them twice a day. Otherwise, her body would not be able to endure the stress and she might die.


    As Zhao Chuchu recalled the memories, she turned to look at the young man.


    The heavens really loved to y jokes on her.


    She had been single in both her past lives. Now she had skipped the process of falling in love and became a married woman.


    The young man who was named Xie Heng was now her husband in her present life. He was pretending to be blind.


    Previously, before she was exposed to the memories of the original owner of the body, she had let exposed herself unwittingly. Now she had to cook up an excuse to convince everyone about her identity. She did not want to risk beingbeled as an evil spirit and being burned to death again.


    ¡°How did a mute like her start to talk now?¡± Madam Yang demanded to know. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you healed her? Xie Heng, you are only a schr. You¡¯re not a doctor. Otherwise, why can¡¯t you cure yourself of your blindness?¡±

 Chapter 4

    You Are All Pretending


    ¡°I was the one who taught her how to read and write. She withheld the fact that she¡¯s been reading medical books from me. What¡¯s so strange about that?¡± Xie Heng retorted. After a pause, he held up both his sped hands. ¡°We¡¯ll have to die sooner orter. My lord, please give Chuchu a chance.¡±


    Li Jiang looked at Xie Heng.


    He knew who Xie Heng was.


    Xie Heng became a schr at the age of twelve. Even though he was blind, he never stopped studying. He was a child prodigy.


    It was not unusual for a schr to have medical books at home.


    ¡°How is that possible?¡± Madam Yang shrieked. ¡°My lord, don¡¯t believe her lies. She should have been the first one to die. She¡¯s definitely an evil spirit. In the past, she will hide whenever she sees people. How can she change so drastically?¡±


    ¡°Because I don¡¯t want to die. I want to continue living. Is there anything wrong with that?¡± Zhao Chuchu stared hard at Madam Yang. ¡°In the past, all of you mistreated me. If I try to resist, you will beat me up. Now that I¡¯m going to die, why should I be afraid of you?¡±


    ¡°If not for my husband¡¯s encouragement and love, I will never have the courage to stand up and say that I have the cure. Is that right, darling?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu pinched herself hard so that her eyes would redden.


    Xie Heng was at a loss for words.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I will protect you.¡± Xie Heng pulled Zhao Chuchu behind him, shielding her from the angry crowd. ¡°I will not allow anyone to hurt you.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was moved beyond words.


    One was pretending to be blind while the other was pretending to be dumb. They were only married in name. They had never touched, let alone gotten intimate with each other. Zhao Chuchu would always ask her brother-inw to take Xie Heng out for meals.


    Now she was pretending to be affectionate toward him and he was acting like he was loyal to her. He was protecting her even though he knew she was not the real Zhao Chuchu. All of them were brilliant actors.


    However, he did not appear when she was about to be burned alive. Zhao Chuchu wondered what he was thinking then.


    Zhao Chuchu cast aside those doubts. She pretended to wipe away her tears pitifully. ¡°My lord, just give me two days. I promise I will not try to escape. Please let me try and treat them. We are going to die anyway. Maybe there¡¯s a chance that the cure works.¡±


    Li Jiang hesitated for a moment. He suddenly remembered that his sister and mother were also infected with the gue. At that instant, he made up his mind.


    He turned around and instructed his subordinates, ¡°Go to Xie Heng¡¯s house and bring the medical book here.¡±


    Xie Heng said, ¡°I¡¯ve already burned it. I was worried that Chuchu might not understand the book and may end up hurting others. Chuchu should know the cure by heart. I can ask her to write it out for you.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu had checked her own pulse. The gue was actually the influenza in the modern world. In the olden times, medical technology was primitive, and most people had lower levels of immunity. Such serious conditions caused by the gue were exactly like the influenza.


    Zhao Chuchu could not use any more of her supernatural power today. She was relieved that she had stored somemon medicine in the space. They could be used to cure the vigers of the gue. Although the amount was notrge, they were sufficient for the vigers she wanted to treat.


    Of course, the cure was handy. However, the effect of the medicine which had to be brewed was slower. She only had two days. She could not afford to dy any further.


    Li Jiang looked at the frail-looking girl, who stood upright and looked fearless. He said sternly, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll give you two days. If your cure doesn¡¯t work, then I¡¯ll tear you into pieces and feed your body to the dogs.¡±


    How ruthless!


    However, Zhao Chuchu still gave him a grateful look. ¡°Thank you, my lord.¡±


    ¡°My lord, don¡¯t believe her lies. If her prescription works, why didn¡¯t she cure herself earlier?¡±


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu is lying. She¡¯s stalling for time so she can run away.¡±


    ¡°She was the first one in our vige to be infected with the gue. She¡¯s the one who started it.¡±


    At the instigation of the Zhao family, all the other vigers who felt aggravated started kicking up a ruckus. They red at Zhao Chuchu viciously. They could not wait to tear her to pieces.


    Xie Heng raised his voice and spoke calmly, ¡°My lord, since these people are afraid that we¡¯ll cause trouble, why don¡¯t you kill them first. Then you¡¯ll be able to focus on keeping an eye on us. You can also see for yourself if the cure works.¡±

 Chapter 5

    Do You Wish to Die?


    When Xie Heng said that, the vigers stopped talking immediately.


    ¡°Kill them?¡± Li Jiang thought he had made a mistake and heard Xie Heng wrongly.


    ¡°My lord, your original intention was to kill these people. Everyone in Lengshui Vige must die. Since this is the case, even if you keep both of us alive to test the medicine, they will still have to die two dayster if the medicine is not effective. Why don¡¯t you just kill them now to save yourself the trouble?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu looked at Xie Heng in surprise.


    He did not sound like he was joking.


    He did not think twice when the officials wanted to kill the vigers. Now, he was even encouraging them to do so.


    ¡°He¡¯s really ruthless!¡± Zhao Chuchu thought.


    ¡°Schr Xie, you are all from the same vige.¡±


    ¡°Chuchu had pleaded with you to let her try using her prescription to treat the viges. Yet, these people insisted that Chuchu is out to harm them. I don¡¯t care to live for another two days. My lord, you don¡¯t have to make them do anything against their wishes.¡±


    Xie Heng¡¯s voice was not loud, but he spoke every word deliberately and clearly. The vigers looked around nervously.


    ¡°Xie Heng, how can you be so vicious?¡± Madam Yang shouted.


    Xie Heng¡¯s tone was light and casual. ¡°Chuchu has the cure. Since you want her to die, doesn¡¯t it mean that you all want to die as well?¡±


    Madam Yang was dumbfounded.


    ¡°Chuchu, we trust you. We trust Schr Xie too. We¡¯ll ept it if the cure is ineffective. We¡¯ll take it that these two days are a bonus.¡±


    ¡°We are willing to give Chuchu¡¯s prescription a try.¡±


    ¡°Please, my lord, please give Chuchu a chance. Please also give us a chance.¡±


    The vigers who had not vented their frustrations on Zhao Chuchu earlier knelt and bowed with their heads on the ground.


    Li Jiang did not say a word. He was, after all, not a heartless person. He instructed his men to separate the vigers into two groups. He then found some paper and gave them to Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu wrote out two prescriptions. As she did not know if the names of the herbs in the Wei Dynasty were the same as those in her previous life, she had to describe each one of them to Li Jiang.


    Li Jiang was shocked but did not show his astonishment outwardly.


    A young girl like Zhao Chuchu knew so much about the herbs. He was convinced that she had to be be well-versed in medicine.


    Once Li Jiang got hold of the prescription, he instructed his men to keep a close watch on the vigers of Lengshui Vige before making his way to the town center. He wanted to buy the herbs personally.


    The owner of the pharmacy was shocked when he saw the two prescriptions. ¡°My lord, where did you get these two prescriptions? Don¡¯t be fooled by anyone. These herbs are not to be used for an epidemic.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense. Do you have these herbs? If so, just give them to me. If you don¡¯t have them, return the prescriptions to me.¡± Li Jiang mmed his hand on the counter impatiently.


    The owner¡¯s face turned pale and he hurriedly went to get the herbs.


    ¡°Give me whatever you have.¡±


    If the prescription worked, then everyone would be saved, including his family. If it was not effective, he was doomed.


    He wanted to take a gamble when he saw how confident and determined Zhao Chuchu was. However, he would admit defeat if they lost. He was willing to perish with his family.


    After Li Jiang took the medicine, he rushed back to Lengshui Vige, to the two separated groups of vigers. One group consisted of those Zhao Chuchu had personally named, and the other group consisted of the ones who had used Zhao Chuchu.


    Li Jiang watched closely as Zhao Chuchu prepared the medicine, refusing to let her leave his sight.


    Zhao Chuchu was not bothered.


    While Zhao Chuchu was watching the medicine brew, she mentally pounded the medicine that she had stored in the space into powder. When the medicine was cooked, Li Jiang went to send for the vigers. During this time, she poured the powder into the brew ording to the stipted proportions.


    The two types of medicine could be consumed together. It would not produce any side effects.


    When the vigers arrived, Zhao Chuchu had already prepared the soup.


    She looked at the vigers empathetically. A small illness like the influenza had cost them a big part of their health.


    ¡°Everyone will get a bowl of medicine each.¡± Zhao Chuchu pointed to the bowls of medicineid out on the table. There was a total of sixteen bowls.


    ¡°Why are there two extra bowls?¡± Li Jiang frowned.


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°There are for my husband and his brother.¡±


    It was only then that Li Jiang remembered that Zhao Chuchu was already married. He ordered his men to bring Xie Heng and his brother over.


    After the vigers drank the medicine, they tried to find a ce to sit in the yard where Zhao Chuchu brewed the medicine.


    ¡°Da Lang, drink the medicine.¡± Zhao Chuchu did not want to expose Xie Heng¡¯s pretense of being blind, so she helped him to take a seat and fed him the medicine personally.

 Chapter 6

    We Do Not Want to Die


    Xie Heng looked awkward.


    ¡°I can eat by myself,¡± he said softly.


    Zhao Chuchu coaxed, ¡°The medicine should be drunk while it¡¯s hot. It won¡¯t work after it turns cold, Da Lang.¡±


    Xie Heng felt something was odd with the term ¡°Da Lang¡±.


    ¡°When the officials arrived at the vige, Zhao Chuchu was already dead. How did shee back to life?¡± He thought.


    Zhao Chuchu had never spoken a word since she married Xie Heng. He also did not teach her how to read and write. She was supposed to bepletely clueless about medicine.


    His eyes swept over Zhao Chuchu. ¡°Who is this Zhao Chuchu?¡± he wondered.


    Xie Heng felt a warm spoon on his lips, interrupting his thoughts.


    Xie Heng looked intently at Zhao Chuchu and decided that she meant him no harm. He then tucked his suspicions back into a corner of his mind.


    He decided to allow her to feed him.


    Zhao Chuchu was surprised that Xie Heng becamepliant all of a sudden.


    When Xie Heng finished drinking his medicine, Zhao Chuchu fed the medicine to Xie Heng¡¯s ten-year-old brother, Xie Jun.


    Xie Jun was so sick that he was already delirious.


    Zhao Chuchu could only pry his mouth open and feed him the medicine a little at a time through his teeth.


    By the time she finished feeding him, she waspletely exhausted.


    After all, she was also unwell.


    ¡°My lord, can you find a pot to cook some porridge?¡± Zhao Chuchu looked at a confused Li Jiang. ¡°Everyone is so weak now. They should eat something. in porridge is fine.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Li Jiang did not turn down her request. He turned to his men and ordered them to cook the porridge.


    Zhao Chuchu also drank a bowl of medicine. Feeling drowsy, she found a ce to sleep in the yard.


    Zhao Chuchu was woken up by Li Jiang who was calling out to her.


    ¡°The porridge is ready. Quick, eat something.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, my lord.¡± Zhao Chuchu smiled gratefully at him.


    She immediately felt better after taking a nap.


    The other vigers who had taken the medicine were also in high spirits.


    ¡°Chuchu, that medicine of yours is really useful. I don¡¯t even feel dizzy anymore.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t have a fever too.¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, can your prescription really cure us of the gue?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu nodded. ¡°If you are feeling better, it means that the medicine is effective. We should continue to take the medicine.¡±


    The news filled the vigers with inexpressible joy.


    Xie Heng drank spoonful after spoonful of porridge. His face was expressionless.


    The temperature of the porridge was just right. It was not too cold and not too hot. Zhao Chuchu raised her head and finished it up in a few gulps.


    She walked up to Xie Heng and used her hand to touch his forehead. ¡°Do you feel better?¡±


    Xie Heng avoided Zhao Chuchu¡¯s touch discreetly. He nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    He did not have much to say to Zhao Chuchu who also did not want to force him to chat with her. She stood up and went to take a look at Xie Jun.


    Xie Jun¡¯s fever had also gone down.


    ¡°Junjun, wake up.¡± Zhao Chu Chu nudged Xie Jun.


    Xie Heng heard Zhao Chuchu and moved closer toward them. ¡°How is Junjun?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu took a nce at Xie Heng and replied, ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious. Let¡¯s wake him up so he can eat some porridge.¡±


    Xie Jun woke up and saw Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng beside him.


    Xie Jun¡¯s face was anxious and sorrowful. He asked in a weak voice, ¡°Brother, are we dead already?¡±


    If they had not died, how was it possible that his sister-inw could speak? Also, she was now with his brother. It all seemed unbelievable to Xie Jun.


    Zhao Chuchu was at a loss on what to say.


    She helped Xie Jun up. Xie Heng held on to him as she fed him the porridge.


    ¡°Eat the porridge. You won¡¯t die.¡±


    Xie Jun did not know how to conceal his astonishment. Still reeling from the shock, his mouth opened wide.


    He must be dead.


    ¡°Brother, didn¡¯t Dad and Mome to receive me?¡± Xie Jun looked around. He started crying when he did not see his parents.


    Xie Heng¡¯s face was calm. ¡°We are not dead. Eat the porridge.¡±


    After a long pause, he added, ¡°It was Chuchu who saved us.¡±


    On hearing what Xie Heng said, Xie Jun was stunned for a long time. He ate the porridge in a daze, like a robot.


    Zhao Chuchu then left them alone and went to cook some medicine again.


    When she left, Xie Jun tugged at Xie Heng¡¯s sleeve as he turned to look at his brother. ¡°Brother, if we¡¯re not dead, how is she able to talk now?¡±


    Xie Heng pondered for a while before replying, ¡°She has always been able to speak. It¡¯s just that she doesn¡¯t like to talk.¡±


    However, he was sure Zhao Chuchu was not the same person as before.

 Chapter 7

    Forget It


    ¡°Who the hell is she?¡± Xie Heng wondered.


    Xie Heng looked nkly around him. No one knew what he was thinking, including Zhao Chuchu.


    Two days passed in the blink of an eye.


    The young and strong vigers who drank the soup had mostly recovered. The weaker vigers, like Xie Heng and Xie Jun, were still coughing.


    Li Jiang was ecstatic.


    ¡°Chuchu, your prescription really works!¡±


    ¡°Yes, those who have taken the medicine have recovered. With a few more days of rest, they should be able to get back to their normal lives.¡±


    ¡°I n to submit this prescription to the court. As for the rest of the people in your vige, what do you intend to do with them?¡±


    ¡°You can let them have the prescription, but they have to pay for it.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was never a saint.


    Those people had kicked up a big fuss, demanding her life. She was already doing them a great favor by sharing the cure with them. However, she could not possibly give it to them for free.


    No way was she going to let them have it so easily.


    Li Jiang understood what Zhao Chuchu meant.


    Li Jiang apologized to Zhao Chuchu, ¡°Previously there were many prescriptions which were of no help at all. The court had to be cautious in dealing with this. I ask for your forgiveness, Chuchu.¡±


    ¡°My lord, you¡¯re not to me. I¡¯m already very grateful that you¡¯re willing to trust me. How can I possibly me you? You¡¯d better submit the prescription to the court since it¡¯s effective. Spring is approaching soon, and the vigers have to start harvesting. Don¡¯t dy any further, otherwise, things will get moreplicated.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go back now. But no one should leave Lengshui Vige freely even now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know.¡±


    The vigers already knew that Zhao Chuchu¡¯s prescription could save their lives. When they saw Zhao Chuchu appear in front of them, they went berserk. All of them rushed up to her, crying, ¡°Chuchu, give me the cure!¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, quick, give me the medicine. I don¡¯t want to die!¡±


    ¡°I want the cure. Quickly, give it to all of us.¡±


    ¡°We are all from the same vige. How can you be so selfish and keep the prescription for yourself?¡±


    Among the cries, Madam Yang¡¯s voice was exceptionally shrill and loud. ¡°Zhao Chuchu, this cure belongs to the Zhao family. Quick, give it back to us. If you don¡¯t hand it over to us, you¡¯ll be an unfilial child. I¡¯ll go to the courts and sue you.¡±


    Li Jiang¡¯s face darkened and he hollered, ¡°I will kill whoever shouts again.¡±


    On seeing that Li Jiang was using force instead of trying to cate them, the vigers immediately stopped shouting.


    Zhao Chuchu stood in front of them. She looked around and smiled. ¡°Now you want the prescription? Now you want the medicine? Very well, it costs each family two pieces of silver.¡±


    She scoffed inwardly, ¡°Why should I offer them the prescription when they want to kill me?¡±


    The vigers smoldered with resentment.


    ¡°What do you mean by that? How dare you ask for two pieces of silver for a mere prescription?¡±


    ¡°Are you still a human? Aren¡¯t you afraid of retribution? You¡¯re making money in such a cold-blooded way.¡±


    ¡°My lord, Zhao Chuchu wants all of us to die. Please fight for us. Make Zhao Chuchu brew the medicine for us.¡±


    ¡°Why should I? Why should I save you for nothing in return?¡± The girl¡¯s voice was clear and crisp.


    She spoke again, more determined and with a stronger using tone. ¡°Two days ago, you wanted to put me to death because of what Zhao Zhizhi said. You can¡¯t wait to tear me to pieces. Why should I save you now? I remember what all of you did back then. I will never forget what happened.¡±


    She continued, ¡°You want to kill me as you wish. And now you want me to save you as you please. What justice is there if I allow this to happen? I can give you a chance to save your life. But I will not save you for anything without asking for any payment. Either pay me with money or give me food ornd in exchange for the medicine. I¡¯m a very easy-going person. Once you pay me, I am willing to help you. But don¡¯t force me to save the people who wanted to kill me in the first ce. That¡¯s not possible.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯sst sentence sounded firm and forceful.


    When Li Jiang saw the look in Zhao Chuchu¡¯s eyes, he could not help but shudder slightly.


    ¡°Why does this girl have such a strong murderous intent?¡± he wondered.


    Everyone was so silent that one could hear a pin drop on the floor.


    A few momentster ¡ª

 Chapter 8

    Waiting to Die


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu, I am your grandmother. How dare you demand money from me? Aren¡¯t you afraid of being struck by lightning? The heavens will punish you. It¡¯s your duty as a granddaughter to be filial to me.¡± Fury overcame Madam Yang as she roared in anger.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, I am your uncle. Not only must you give us the prescription, but you have to brew the medicine and send it to us.¡±


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu, don¡¯t forget that your surname is Zhao. You are from the Zhao family. The prescription is given to you by the Zhao family as your dowry.¡±


    As soon as Madam Yang spoke, all the vigers with the surname Zhao concurred with her. They wanted to force Zhao Chuchu to give in by using the family name.


    Before Zhao Chuxhu could say anything, Xie Heng spoke up. ¡°Chuchu is married to me. She is now part of the Xie family. She had nothing to do with the Zhao family.¡±


    ¡°Although I am blind, I am not deaf. When Zhao Zhizhi ndered Chuchu out of malice, all of you from the Zhao family followed suit and used Chuchu of being an evil spirit. What right do you have to say that Zhao Chuchu belongs to your family?¡±


    Xie Heng stared straight at the crowd.


    His nk gaze terrified the vigers.


    Xie Heng walked slowly toward Zhao Chuchu and pulled her behind him. ¡°The medical book belongs to the Xie family. I am the one who taught Chuchu to read and write. None of you in the Zhao family are literate. Chuchu married me with nothing to her name. How is it possible that you gave the prescription to her? Chuchu¡¯s parents are no longer around. But she has her husband and that¡¯s me. Even though I am blind, I am still able to file a letter with the magistrate¡¯s office in the county. I can sue you for plotting to take her prescription and her life!¡±


    The people at Lengshui Vige never bothered themselves with Xie Heng. Although he was a schr, he usually kept to himself.


    Now that Xie Heng was in a rage, none of them dared to argue with him.


    Zhao Chuchu was surprised that Xie Heng had stood out and spoken out for her.


    He even helped to cover up the reason for her medical knowledge.


    She wondered if he already knew that she was not the real Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°At the very least, I am her grandmother. How...¡±


    ¡°If Chuchu is willing to save you, it is because of love. However, it¡¯s also her right not to save you. Do you want me to tell you again why she married me?¡±


    Madam Yang immediately kept quiet.


    Back then, the family had set a trap for Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng. They made Xie Heng pay 15 pieces of silver and forced Zhao Chuchu to marry him. In order not to be implicated by the Xie family, Madam Yang had specifically announced on the wedding day that Zhao Chuchu now belonged to the Xie family. She would have nothing to do with the Zhao family.


    ¡°Did you hear what my husband just said? Don¡¯t bully me just because I am an orphan. My husband is a schr.¡± Zhao Chuchu became bolder and used Xie Heng¡¯s title to justify their actions.


    She figured that since Xie Heng was willing to help her, she would not reject his good intentions.


    Zhao Chuchu had called Xie Heng her husband so naturally not because she really treated him as her husband. She found herself reborn in this life for no rhyme or reason. Hence, she might as well treat this life as though she was in a virtual reality game. Now that she had a husband, she should put him to good use.


    However, Zhao Chuchu also knew for a fact that Xie Jun was not sick. He had been poisoned. She decided that she would help him to neutralize the poison in his body after he recovered from the gue. She would get a letter of divorce from Xie Heng in exchange for Xie Jun¡¯s health. She would be free then.


    During the olden days, she would not be able to get on in life without a household registration.


    Xie Heng gripped her hand tightly but loosened it shortly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have that much money.¡±


    ¡°Then give me some crops in exchange for the medicine.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any crops.¡±


    ¡°Well then, just sit here and wait for death toe upon you.¡±


    ¡°Why are you so vicious?¡±


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you equally vicious when you insisted on killing me?¡¯


    The vigers tried to negotiate with Zhao Chuchu but she refused to budge.


    Madam Yang was seething with anger. She stomped her foot. Nevertheless, she was in so much pain from the gue that she paid Zhao Chuchu grudgingly.


    There were thirty-eight households in Lengshui Vige. Other than the six families which Zhao Chuchu singled out earlier, thirty-two families were remaining.


    Although not all of them were infected with this gue, every household had at least one person that was infected. They all paid Zhao Chuchu so they would not die.

 Chapter 9

    I Want a Divorce


    After two days of rest, with her supernatural power to heal herself, Zhao Chuchu hadpletely recovered.


    After they had paid her, she checked the pulse of every single viger. She then went to town to get the cure after ascertaining their symptoms.


    The herbs that she used for the prescription did not cost much. During those times, one piece of silver was equivalent to one thousand cents. A batch of medicine cost around twenty cents.


    The level of medical knowledge in that era was much lower than what Zhao Chuchu imagined it to be.


    Perhaps due to the epidemic, most of the other shops, other than the pharmacies, were closed.


    The gue was considered a fatal disease during those times.


    Two officials had apanied Zhao Chuchu to town to purchase the medicine.


    As Zhao Chuchu was unable to get any information that she wanted from the townspeople, she tried to fish for information from the officials.


    The officials behaved very respectfully toward Zhao Chuchu as she was able to cure people of the gue. They shared with her whatever they knew and did not hold back anything.


    Zhao Chuchu now knew quite a bit about the Wei Dynasty from the officials.


    However, since the most important thing now was to deal with the gue, she decided to push everything else to the back of her mind.


    When Zhao Chuchu returned to the vige with the herbs, she got those vigers who first drank the medicine to help brew them.


    When the soup was ready, they distributed it to the other infected vigers.


    The next day, those vigers immediately felt better after drinking the medicine. The pain of parting with two pieces of silver was somewhat eased.


    At least they managed to save their lives with the money.


    It was the fourth day that Zhao Chuchu had traveled to this era.


    For the past three days, she had never been able to find an opportunity to speak to Xie Heng.


    That day, she finally had some free time. Xie Heng looked her up first.


    On seeing Xie Heng hesitate when he saw her, Zhao Chuchu spoke up. ¡°Do you have something to say to me?¡±


    Xie Heng nodded and pointed to the yard outside.


    Zhao Chuchu understood what he meant and helped him out to an open space where no one could hide and eavesdrop on their conversation.


    ¡°You¡¯re not Zhao Chuchu.¡± Xie Heng said directly. ¡°She can¡¯t read or write. Nor can she understand medicine. She can¡¯t even speak.¡±


    ¡°My maternal grandfather was a doctor, it¡¯s nothing unusual for me to learn medical skills...¡±


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu is dead. Who the hell are you?¡± Xie Heng interrupted her curtly.


    ¡°I am Zhao Chuchu.¡± Of course, Zhao Chuchu knew that the real person had died. Her death had nothing to do with Xie Heng. She had passed on because of an illness.


    Xie Heng shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re not her. I just want to know, what is it that you want?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu looked at him in surprise. She asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that I will kill you?¡±


    ¡°If you can ask this question, it means you won¡¯t kill me.¡± Xie Heng turned his gaze in Zhao Chuchu¡¯s direction, as though he was looking at her. ¡°What exactly do you want?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu rubbed her chin. ¡°You¡¯re putting up a really good act like a blind man. It¡¯s not easy to pretend. But then again, you became a schr at the age of twelve. You must be really clever.¡± she thought.


    Zhao Chuchu did not beat around the bush. She went straight to the point.


    ¡°If I cure your brother, I want you to give me a divorce letter.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡±


    Xie Heng agreed without hesitation.


    ¡°Do you have any more questions?¡±


    ¡°No, they are none of my concern.¡±


    Ever since Xie Heng sensed that Zhao Chuchu was a different person, he always had one question in his mind,


    If this Zhao Chuchu could cure Xie Jun, what would he be able to give her in exchange?


    He guessed that because she had nothing to her name, thus the thing that she wanted the most would be the divorce letter.


    ¡°I will give you the divorce letter once I get back home.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that I¡¯ll go back on my words?¡±


    ¡°I know you won¡¯t.


    If Zhao Chuchu dared to harm Xie Jun in any way, Xie Heng vowed to make her suffer a life worse than death.


    Zhao Chuchu looked at Xie Heng intently.


    His old and torn clothes could not take his good looks away. His only w was his dull-looking eyes. However, itplimented the look on his face as it added a certain air of coolness.


    If those eyes shined brightly and lively instead, his looks would be perfect.


    Zhao Chuchu looked away. ¡°Why are you pretending to be blind?¡±

 Chapter 10

    The Guards Took Her Away


    Xie Heng was stunned momentarily. He denied it vehemently. ¡°No, I did not.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu inched closer and whispered into Xie Heng¡¯s ear, ¡°I¡¯m a doctor.¡±


    Xie Heng blushed as he felt her hot breath under his skin.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it good? We each have a hold over each other. We should be able to cooperate well, Da Lang.¡± Zhao Chuchu smirked. It was fun to see Xie Heng looking so shy.


    Although Xie Heng did not admit openly that he was pretending to be blind, a smart person like Zhao Chuchu knew when to stop probing.


    She was not worried that Xie Heng would plot against her, although she did not know why he was pretending to be blind.


    ¡°Right now, our top priority is to suppress the gue. We¡¯ll have to dy treating Junjun.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. We need to know what is most urgent on hand. Junjun¡¯s illness can wait.¡±


    Xie Heng did not ask Zhao Chuchu to start treatment on Xie Jun immediately.


    As Zhao Chuchu¡¯s prescription was proven to be effective, other than leaving the vige, the guards allowed the vigers to move around freely.


    Zhao Chuchu helped Xie Heng home. Xie Heng took out his pen, ink, and a piece of paper. He wrote a divorce letter for Zhao Chuchu as a sign of his sincerity.


    ¡°Your handwriting is very pretty.¡± Zhao Chuchuplimented him. Just when she was about to ept the divorce letter, she heard the thundering of hooves and it seemed to be approaching the vige.


    Startled, Zhao Chuchu immediately turned to walk out of the house. She had no time to take the divorce letter.


    Xie Heng¡¯s house was at the tip of Lengshui Vige. One could get a bird¡¯s eye view of the entrance of the vige.


    Zhao Chuchu saw hundreds of horsemen charging into Lengshui Vige. Soon, they surrounded the area.


    She frowned.


    ¡°Soldiers?¡± Xie Heng followed Zhao Chuchu out of the house. He turned to face her. ¡°They must be here for you.¡±


    ¡°How do you know?¡± Zhao Chuchu turned to look back at him.


    ¡°Li Jiang didn¡¯te back.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not necessarily bad news. I¡¯ll go and have a look. You should stay home.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say anything that you ought not to say. Otherwise, they¡¯ll burn you to death.¡± Xie Heng reminded her in a low voice.


    Zhao Chuchu gave a dismissive wave of her hand and strode toward the entrance of the vige.


    ¡°Where is Zhao Chuchu? Who is Zhao Chuchu?¡± the military officer asked gruffly.


    ¡°Off... officer, you¡¯re looking... for Zhao... Chuchu? What¡¯s the matter?¡± Madam Yang mustered all her courage to ask the military officer.


    They were all stuck within the vige grounds and were not allowed to leave the vige. Madam Yang gloated secretly when she heard that soldiers were looking for Zhao Chuchu. She could not wait for Zhao Chuchu to get into trouble.


    There were two military doctors among the soldiers.


    With their mouths and noses covered, they went to every single viger to check their pulses, and they were struck dumb with amazement.


    Zhao Chuchu soon appeared at the entrance of the vige.


    ¡°My lord, I heard that you are looking for me?¡±


    ¡°Are you Zhao Chuchu?¡±


    The military official eyed Zhao Chuchu with interest.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Take her away.¡±


    The military officer waved his hand as he ordered his guards.


    Zhao Chuchu instinctively took a step back. ¡°My lord, what do you mean?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not your ce to ask me questions. Men, take her away.¡±


    Madam Yang rejoiced to hear what the military officer said. She sneered, ¡°Hahaha, the officer must have discovered that this b*tch had fooled them. He must be here to settle the score with her. The heavens have finally opened their eyes, this is...¡±


    The military officer turned to give Madam Yang a stern look. She hastily stopped talking.


    ¡°Miss, would you please.¡± The soldiers were more amiable than the military officer.


    Zhao Chuchu looked at the military officer. Although he looked fierce and stern, she felt that he did not look like an evil person.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Zhao Chuchu obediently agreed to leave with them.


    There was a military camp nearby, and Li Jiang was part of the team.


    Zhao Chuchu was led to the horse carriage. She was the only one inside the carriage. It seemed like they hade especially for her. The military officer¡¯s hostile and curt tone had made everyone think that Zhao Chuchu was in trouble.


    More than a hundred soldiers were at the vige. Only around ten of them left with the military officer. The rest of the soldiers remained in Lengshui Vige.


    There was an uproar among the vigers.


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu is a jinx. She¡¯s done us great harm. She¡¯s also cheated all of us of two pieces of silver each.¡±


    ¡°This b*tch has caused a great cmity to fall upon us. She deserves to die.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s make our way to the Xie family. We¡¯ll find them to settle this score. We¡¯ll force them to cough up the silver they stole from us!¡±

 Chapter 11

    You Only Bully the Weak


    One of the soldiers drew his sword as he bellowed, ¡°Whoever dares to raise their voice again will be chopped into pieces and fed to the dogs.¡±


    As soon as he said that, the other soldiers followed suit and brandished their swords.


    Frightened, the vigers¡¯ faces turned pale. They remained rooted to the spot and did not dare to move. They were only able to curse Zhao Chuchu in their hearts.


    Meanwhile, Zhao Chuchu was taken to the inn located in town.


    There were soldiers standing guard all around the inn and inside it.


    ¡°There is an epidemic going on. Are they not afraid that the gue might spread further if they gather so closely together?¡± Zhao Chuchu thought.


    When she got off the carriage, the military officer escorting her to the inn asked coldly, ¡°Can your prescription really cure people of the gue?¡±


    ¡°Epidemic diseases can be cured with a prescription. For other diseases, we¡¯ll need to use the appropriate medication. I¡¯ll need to check peoples¡¯ conditions first.¡± Zhao Chuchu nced at the military officer, looking very sure of herself.


    Without waiting for the military officer to respond, Zhao Chuchu walked straight into the inn.


    ¡°We should avoid having people crowd around since there¡¯s a gue going on. Do you want everyone to get infected in one go?¡±


    ¡°How dare you!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m being honest, yet you don¡¯t wish to listen. You only bully the weak.¡±


    When the soldiers heard that, they turned to stare at Zhao Chuchu.


    The military officer¡¯s face darkened. However, he knew he could not direct his anger at a girl. He could only vent his frustrations on his soldiers. ¡°What are you looking at? If you stare again, I¡¯ll gouge out your eyes.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu suddenly turned around. ¡°Where¡¯s the patient?¡± she asked, her eyes blinking.


    The military officer stiffened. After pondering his response for a while, he looked away, face flushed. ¡°He¡¯s upstairs.¡±


    With that, he strode past Zhao Chuchu and led the way upstairs.


    Zhao Chuchu let out a chuckle. The man¡¯s bark was worse than his bite.


    She followed the military officer to the room. The patient¡¯s hair was white. Although he had a sickly countenance and his face seemed drained of blood, he appeared to be a righteous man.


    Li Jiang was standing guard by his side. When he saw Zhao Chuchu, he said urgently, ¡°General Gan¡¯s condition suddenly took a turn for the worse. The doctor did not know how to help him. Chuchu, please go and take a look at him.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu nodded as she gestured for Li Jiang to stay calm. She sat by General Gan¡¯s bedside and checked his pulse.


    The Wei Dynasty had troops stationed in all its prefectures. These troops were called Weisuo (5600 men). First, there was the Thousand Battalion (1120 men). Under it was the Hundred Battalion (112 men). The Hundred Battalion was further divided into toons (50 men) and squads (10 men).


    General Gan was the chief of the Thousand Battalion. There were around 50 soldiers in Lengshui Vige. Hence, Li Jiang was likely the leader of a toon.


    The epidemic had spread rapidly. Even a skilled fighter like General Gan was not spared from the disease.


    Fortunately, he was a strong martial artist. Since he was rtively healthy, his life was not in danger.


    After Zhao Chuchu checked General Gan¡¯s pulse, she said confidently, ¡°I can cure him.¡±


    The stern-looking military officer immediately asked, ¡°Are you serious? If you¡¯re lying, I will kill you immediately!¡±


    Li Jiang hurriedly exined, ¡°General Lin, if Ms. Chuchu says she can treat General Gan, I¡¯m sure she can do it. She¡¯s only a young girl. Please don¡¯t scare her, General Lin.¡±


    General Lin nced at Li Jiang and snorted.


    ¡°What if I can cure him?¡± Zhao Chuchu shot back at General Lin. ¡°What will you do?¡±


    ¡°If you can cure General Gan, I will bow to you and apologize.¡±


    ¡°Deal. Follow me to get the herbs.¡±


    Just as Zhao Chuchu was about to leave the room, General Lin raised his sword to stop her. ¡°Are you trying to run away?¡±


    An exasperated Zhao Chuchu retorted, ¡°My lord, how do you expect me to treat General Gan if you don¡¯t let me go out to buy the herbs? Where do you think I can run off to?¡±


    Perhaps General Lin realized that he had been too harsh towards Zhao Chuchu, as he withdrew his sword and followed her to the apothecary.


    After purchasing the herbs, Zhao Chuchu proceeded to brew the medicine herself. When General Lin was not looking, she quickly added crushed pills from the space into the medication.


    By the time she brought the medicine upstairs, General Gan had already woken up.


    His razor-sharp eyes studied Zhao Chuchu intently like a hawk, regarding her with suspicion.

 Chapter 12

    Please Save Them


    Zhao Chuchu was used to people giving her strange looks.


    Even Li Jiang had doubted her in the past.


    Zhao Chuchu did not like having to exin herself to people who would never believe her. She would sooner prove her capabilities with her medical skills instead.


    ¡°Please drink the medicine, General Gan.¡± Zhao Chuchu moved to hand the bowl of medicine to General Lin.


    ¡°Who is she?¡± Gan Maosheng looked at Lin Xiang, bewildered. ¡°Where did you find this girl?¡±


    ¡°General Gan, Ms. Chuchu is the divine doctor who saved the people of Lengshui Vige. Her prescription is very effective!¡± Li Jiang tried to exin on behalf of General Lin.


    ¡°Her?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Although he felt weak, Gan Maosheng did not like anyone treating him like an invalid. He took the bowl of soup and drank it in one gulp.


    ¡°Miss, do you know what would happen to you if you try to deceive the military?¡± Gan Maosheng gave Zhao Chuchu a piercing look.


    Zhao Chuchu pretended to look nervous. ¡°General Gan, my prescription is effective against the virus. I have no intention of deceiving anyone. I hope you can look into this carefully.¡±


    General Gan continued to fix his gaze on Zhao Chuchu, but he could not detect any fear or guilt in her expression. He then instructed his men to bring her out.


    Lin Xiang asked, ¡°My lord, when I went to Lengshui Vige, I noticed that the vigers looked better. This girl¡¯s prescription is indeed effective. Should we submit her prescription to the magistrate so he could dispatch it to other ces?¡±


    Gan Maosheng pondered over his words for a moment. ¡°The court has already issued orders to burn down viges where more than half the poption has been infected with the gue. Currently, only Lengshui Vige in Yuanjiang County meets this criterion. But if the gue rages on, a second or even a third vige may be affected. The county authorities have always been slow to act. In addition, this magistrate is timid and afraid of trouble. If we send him to dispatch the prescription, I¡¯m afraid Yuanjiang Country will soon be a piece of barrennd. Currently, viges with a high infection rate will most certainly be wiped out. Other than myself, most of the troops from the Weisuo in Guangqing Province have been sent to Yuanjiang County.¡±


    ¡°Then what should we do?¡±


    ¡°I hope this girl¡¯s prescription really works. If I make the trip personally, I may be able to save some of the viges.¡±


    Gan Maosheng¡¯s words were met with silence.


    Guangqing Province was the biggest province in the southern part of the Wei Dynasty. There was a dedicated Weisuo in Guangqing Province, whereas the other Weisuos were shared among several provinces simultaneously. However, now that the situation in Yuanjiang County had gotten worse, the court and Guangqing Province authorities were on the verge of abandoning this county.


    Unknown to them, Zhao Chuchu had overheard their entire conversation.


    She realized that the situation was far worse than she had expected.


    She figured that the authorities must have prevented the news from spreading. Otherwise, there likely would have been unrest among the people. That could be why she did not get much information about the situation of the gue from Li Jiang¡¯s men the other day.


    ¡°Fortunately, only Lengshui Vige had more than half its vigers infected. The other viges should be safe for now. I still have a chance to save them.¡± Zhao Chuchu consoled herself.


    After recuperating for several days, coupled with nutritional supplements, Zhao Chuchu felt that her health had improved by leaps and bounds since the day she arrived in this era.


    Although she could only use her supernatural powers twice a day, she could sense that they had grown stronger.


    While Zhao Chuchu was staying at the inn, she also helped treat some infected soldiers.


    She was very busy until nightfall.


    Just then, Gan Maosheng suddenly appeared in front of Zhao Chuchu.


    He no longer eyed her with suspicion. He looked more sprightly, unlike the frail-looking man Zhao Chuchu had first met.


    ¡°Ms. Chuchu, your medical skills are remarkable. Thank you very much for saving my life.¡± Gan Maosheng sped his hands together to thank her.


    Zhao Chuchu hurriedly stepped away. ¡°General Gan, you tter me.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Chuchu, I would like to discuss something with you.¡±


    ¡°My lord, feel free to speak your mind.¡±


    ¡°The gue is rampant in Yuanjiang County, and I¡¯m sure you know the court¡¯s order. I don¡¯t wish to see these innocent people lose their lives. I¡¯m asking you to help to save them.¡±

 Chapter 13

    Tempted


    ¡°I am not a well-learned person. I¡¯m afraid I may not be able to undertake such great responsibilities. I¡¯m sorry I cannot help you, General Gan.¡± Zhao Chuchu did not want to agree to Gan Maosheng¡¯s request immediately.


    It was inconceivable for a girl, once mute, to suddenly possess such extraordinary medical skills. Xie Heng had helped her exin herself to the people, but her secrets could be revealed when the others regained their senses and thought about the matter more carefully.


    ¡°Official Li must have told you I chanced upon the prescription while reading a medical book. Besides, I learned my skills through self-study after my husband taught me how to read and write. I¡¯m afraid...¡±


    Zhao Chuchu lowered her head and fiddled with her fingers uneasily.


    Lin Xiang raised his eyebrows, scoffing inwardly, ¡°I thought she was bold when she first came here.¡±


    Gan Maosheng raised his hand to pat her shoulder and reassure her. On second thought, he put his hand down, embarrassed. It would not be appropriate for him to instigate physical contact with ady. ¡°Even if the medicine cannot save everyone, as long as you can prevent the disease from infecting more than half the vige poption, you will still be able to save them. Ms. Chuchu, please don¡¯t worry. I will bear all the responsibility. I will not implicate you in this matter.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was taken aback.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t trust me, I can write a letter of assurance for you and state that you are innocent.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu thought, ¡°I¡¯m only a vige girl. How can I go against a general who holds great military power?¡±


    Even if he onlymanded a thousand men, they were still soldiers.


    ¡°General Gan, what is it you need me to do?¡±


    ¡°Do you dare toe with me to Yuanjiang County?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu pretended not to understand what Gan Maosheng meant.


    ¡°Since the gue is spreading mostly in Yuanjiang County, I need you to make a trip with me around Yuanjiang County and provide them with the cure. If you could help contain the virus, I would ask the court to reward you for your great contribution.¡±


    Reward?


    Zhao Chuchu was a little tempted.


    She had nned to leave this ce after treating Xie Jun.


    It would be helpful to have the court¡¯s backing.


    Since Zhao Chuchu had initially nned to save the infected vigers, she agreed to Gan Maosheng¡¯s proposal.


    However, she had one request.


    ¡°General Gan, can you please let my husband apany me on this trip?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu figured that if Xie Heng followed her, there would be a lesser chance of her identally exposing her situation.


    Gan Maosheng looked at Li Jiang, who hurriedly exined that Zhao Chuchu was already married. ¡°Her husband is Xie Heng. He wasbeled a child prodigy a few years back.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Xie Heng.¡± There was a tinge of sadness in Gan Maosheng¡¯s voice. ¡°I feel such pity for him. Ms. Chuchu, can you cure him of his blindness?¡±


    ¡°At the moment, there is no cure. My husband taught me how to read and write and also encouraged me to read medical books so that I can find a cure for him.¡± Zhao Chuchu¡¯s voice grew softer. ¡°But he doesn¡¯t want anyone to know about it. Hence, he told everyone I was secretly reading the medical book.¡±


    Li Jiang understood everything at that moment.


    Gan Maosheng thought it must be difficult for a young girl to be married to a blind man. He did not want to press further lest it would upset her. He instructed Lin Xiang to bring Xie Heng over and sent Li Jiang back to Lengshui Vige.


    By the time Xie Heng arrived at the inn, it was already nighttime.


    Since Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng were supposed to be husband and wife, they were arranged to sleep in the same room.


    Zhao Chuchu smiled. ¡°Sorry for getting you involved in this.¡±


    Xie Heng looked at Zhao Chuchu and quickly withdrew his gaze. ¡°It¡¯s all right. We¡¯re in the same boat.¡±


    ¡°Will he kick me out of the boat? Hmm... I know he won¡¯t do that,¡± Zhao Chuchu muttered to herself.


    Xie Heng then pointed to the bed. ¡°You¡¯ll sleep there tonight.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡± Zhao Chuchu looked around the room. There was no other ce he could sleep.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just make do with whatever there is for the night,¡± Xie Heng replied nonchntly. He took a seat by the table.


    Although Xie Heng was pretending to be blind, he still had the body and desires of an ordinary man.


    Worried that he might fall sick again in the morning, Zhao Chuchu said decisively, ¡°Forget it. Let us dispense with the formalities. We¡¯ll sleep on the same bed.¡±

 Chapter 14

    I Cannot Obey Your Orders


    Xie Heng was stunned.


    Just then, Zhao Chuchu realized that she had made an inappropriate suggestion.


    During olden times, such a proposition was unheard of. Zhao Chuchu had meant to say that the bed was big enough for both of them.


    She hastily tried to exin herself. ¡°Uh, I mean, you should sleep on the bed.¡± She then added, ¡°You are not in good health.¡±


    ¡°I can handle this. Go and sleep.¡± Xie Heng recovered from his shock.


    Zhao Chuchu raised her eyebrows. ¡°You should know that we are now on a very vital mission. I won¡¯t be able to take care of you if you fall sick.¡±


    Xie Heng was silent for a moment. He took the two bowls on the table and filled them with water before cing them in the middle of the bed.


    ¡°You can sleep on the outside. These two bowls will separate us,¡± Xie Heng said.


    ¡°All right.¡± Zhao Chuchu nodded.


    Xie Heng then took one side of the nket to cover himself. He huddled to the side, leaving most of the bed for Zhao Chuchu.


    He thought that he would not be able to get any sleep.


    However, shortly after heid down, he dozed off.


    Zhao Chuchu smiled. Blowing out the candle, she took some sedatives before falling asleep.


    A guard was knocking on the door as soon as dawn broke.


    ¡°Ms. Chuchu, General Gan sent me to ask if you¡¯re awake.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be out in a minute.¡±


    ¡°Can I bring the water to you?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu got up and opened the door for the guard.


    The guard smiled as he said, ¡°Breakfast will be served in a moment. General Gan said we have to set off early this morning.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Zhao Chuchu nodded.


    The guard then left the room.


    Xie Heng was also awake.


    Both of them had slept well on the bed. The water in the bowls had not spilled.


    ¡°Go and wash your face first,¡± Zhao Chuchu said as shebed her hair.


    Fortunately for her, the real Zhao Chuchu normally just wrapped a scarf around her head. She figured she would go crazy if she had to wear her hair in some intricate style.


    Shortly after, the guard came into the room with hot buns and porridge.


    After breakfast, Zhao Chuchu helped a ¡°blind¡± Xie Heng downstairs.


    Gan Maosheng and Lin Xiang were already waiting for them.


    Gan Maosheng had ordered his men to buy the herbs listed in Zhao Chuchu¡¯s prescription the night before. The herbs were loaded into the carriages so they could be delivered to the towns Zhao Chuchu was traveling to.


    Gan Maosheng was d that Yuanjiang County was not thergest county in Guangqing Province. Otherwise, it would take them much longer to get to all the viges and towns.


    The first ce Zhao Chuchu traveled to was Zhang Vige, where the situation was almost as bad as it had been in Lengshui Vige.


    Guards were standing at all the gates leading to Zhang Vige.


    ¡°Stop right there. Who are you? What are you doing here?¡± Before they could get closer to the vige entrance, Zhao Chuchu and her group were stopped by a guard. ¡°We are acting on the court¡¯s order. No one is allowed to enter the vige.¡±


    As the guard was not from Yuanjiang Thousand Battalion, he did not know who Gan Maosheng was.


    Gan Maosheng got down from the carriage and showed him proof of his identity.


    The guard hurriedly sped his hand respectfully. ¡°Greetings, General Gan.¡±


    ¡°Dispense with the formalities. Where is your toon chief?¡±


    ¡°The toon chief is in the vige.¡±


    ¡°Please ask him toe here. I have something important to tell him.¡±


    ¡°Yes, General Gan.¡±


    The guard asked hisrade to send for their chief.


    Shortly after, the toon chief appeared.


    ¡°May I know what instructions General Gan has for me?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu had also gotten off the carriage by that time.


    Gan Maosheng pointed to Zhao Chuchu and said, ¡°This girl has the prescription to treat the virus. The infected people at Lengshui Vige are now almost recovered.¡±


    The toon chief stared at Zhao Chuchu in disbelief.


    He looked doubtful as he turned to Gan Maosheng. ¡°General Gan, she looks like she¡¯s only 15 years old. I have been ordered to cordon off the vige. I cannot risk having anything go wrong. I won¡¯t be able to bear that responsibility.¡±


    ¡°I will take all the ountability. You only need to let us in and bring us to where the infected people are being held.¡±


    ¡°General Gan, I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°Do you want the people of Zhang Vige to die?¡±

 Chapter 15

    Doubted Once Again


    ¡°Please don¡¯t make things difficult for me, General Gan.¡± Since the toon chief was not Gan Maosheng¡¯s man, he was not afraid to defy orders. However, he also did not wish to cause unnecessary trouble for himself.


    If General Gan had sent someone older, he might believe that the girl possessed the medical knowledge to treat the sick vigers. However, she looked too young to have any healing skills.


    Zhao Chuchu saw the doubt in the toon chief¡¯s eyes. With feigned courage, she spoke up. ¡°My lord, does your shoulder feel sore often? Do you find it difficult to draw your sword at times?¡±


    The toon chief looked incredulously at Zhao Chuchu. No one but him knew about his condition.


    ¡°How did this girl know?¡± he wondered.


    ¡°What nonsense. There¡¯s nothing wrong with me.¡± The toon chief denied it vehemently.


    Zhao Chuchu continued, ¡°My lord, you don¡¯t have to admit it. But if this issue persists, I¡¯m afraid you may one day lose the strength to lift your sword. Why don¡¯t you let me treat you with acupuncture?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you learned medical skills from reading books and self-study? How do you know acupuncture?¡±


    ¡°She has been practicing her acupuncture skills on me all this while,¡± Xie Heng said calmly. ¡°My lord, you refuse to let Chuchu help treat the virus. Now, you¡¯re even stopping her from utilizing her medical skills. If her prescription turns out to be effective, won¡¯t you live to regret it?¡±


    The toon chief was a little shaken by Xie Heng¡¯s words.


    He also had his misgivings about killing so many people. But it was an order issued by the court. He could not defy it.


    ¡°Are you still unconvinced of Ms. Chuchu¡¯s medical skills? Did you know I was also infected by the virus?¡± Gan Maosheng was starting to get impatient. He had brought far more guards than the toon chief had in the vige.


    If the toon chief continued to stop him from entering the vige, he would not hesitate to fight his way inside.


    Just then, a guard whispered to the toon chief, ¡°General Gan was indeed infected with the gue. It seems he has subsequently recovered. Chief, why don¡¯t we let them give it a try? General Gan is here. He will bear the responsibility if anything goes wrong.¡±


    The toon chief pondered for a moment before asking, ¡°How can you prove that the prescription works? If it doesn¡¯t work, what will General Gan do? I am only a toon chief, with dozens of soldiers under me. I cannot implicate all of them.¡±


    Gan Maosheng smiled coldly. ¡°If I use force on all of you, what can you do to me?¡±


    The toon chief¡¯s face darkened, but he finally relented, allowing General Gan and his troops into the vige. However, he asked to have Xie Heng brought to him.


    Zhao Chuchu was deeply angered by his request. ¡°Can¡¯t you see he¡¯s blind? How can you use him as a hostage? You don¡¯t trust my medical skills at all. I might as well not treat these vigers. General Gan, let¡¯s go to another vige. He¡¯s turning down an effective prescription. We¡¯ll see how the court punishes himter.¡±


    Xie Heng was surprised at how protective Zhao Chuchu was toward him.


    On seeing how infuriated Zhao Chuchu was, the toon chief did not dare to make things any more difficult for them.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve been too rude.¡±


    The toon chief thought, ¡°Since Gan Maosheng has recovered, perhaps this really works? The Imperial Court looks at the evidence and never gives unreasonable orders.¡±


    The toon chief figured that if the prescription helped treat the virus, he would be in trouble if the court found out he had rejected it.


    ¡°My lord, General Gan would not have brought us here if we were not sure. Besides, isn¡¯t it wonderful to stay alive? Why would we want to create trouble for ourselves?¡± Zhao Chuchu gave the toon chief a knowing smirk.


    ¡°Chuchu, you need to control yourself. Don¡¯t talk so much.¡± Xie Heng tried to warn her.


    ¡°Everyone thinks we can be easily pushed around. If I don¡¯t say all this now, I won¡¯t have a chance to do so in the future. I won¡¯t let them bully us like before. Give them an inch, and they will take a mile.¡±


    After saying that, Zhao Chuchu walked into the vige in a huff.


    The toon chief¡¯s face turned pale.


    However, he did not dare to say or do anything as Gan Maosheng was present.


    When Zhao Chuchu arrived at the area where the patients lived, she used a piece of cloth to cover her mouth and nose.


    She took one look at them and immediately realized that they were suffering from the same disease as the patients in Lengshui Vige.


    To be sure, she checked every patient¡¯s pulse. She then instructed the men to prepare the herbs so she could brew the medicine.


    Just as she was starting the fire to cook the medicine, she heard a woman shouting in a shrill voice. ¡°The court wants to kill us all, even though we are innocent people. How can they get this young girl to treat us?¡±

 Chapter 16

    Our Lives Are Worthless


    Zhao Chuchu turned and saw a tall, thin woman rushing over with a wood chopper in her hand.


    ¡°I want to kill all of you!¡±


    The woman was hysterical and aimed her chopper at Zhao Chuchu.


    Before she could get any closer, Lin Xiang kicked her. The womany sprawled on the ground as the guards ran to pin her down.


    ¡°Let me go! I want to kill all of you. You are all heartlessckeys of the Imperial Court! I...¡± the woman bellowed ferociously.


    All of a sudden, her cries came to a stop. The woman found the de of a sharp sword held close to her forehead. Lin Xiang¡¯s face was devoid of any expression. ¡°Ignorant woman! If you shout again, you will die.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu raised her eyebrows and looked at them, amused.


    ¡°All of us? There¡¯s only me.¡± She scoffed.


    She stole a nce at the toon chief in charge of Zhang Vige.


    He was standing behind Gan Maosheng with his head hung low, looking like he wanted nothing to do with him.


    Although the woman did not dare speak, she viciously stared at Zhao Chuchu. She seemed to be telling Zhao Chuchu, ¡°You wait. I¡¯ll kill you sooner orter.¡±


    ¡°Does she have any family? Who are they?¡± The infected vigers were confined to Zhang Vige¡¯s ancestral hall. While the medicine was still brewing, Zhao Chuchu looked around at her patients. ¡°I won¡¯t force anyone to take my medicine.¡±


    A man of medium build struggled to stand up. ¡°If we don¡¯t take this medicine, we might live for another two days. But we will die immediately if we do take it. Our lives are worthless in the eyes of the Imperial Court.¡±


    Often, when one man stands up, a second will follow. Soon, around seven to eight men were standing.


    Anger rose in Gan Maosheng like a tidal wave.


    ¡°General Gan, please bring these people away. We shouldn¡¯t dy brewing the medicine,¡± Xie Heng reminded Gan Maosheng.


    Gan Maosheng red coldly around the room and made a gesture. Lin Xiang gave him a knowing look before bringing those who were standing to another room.


    When the others saw what was happening, they started to tremble in fear.


    With the guards¡¯ help, Zhao Chuchu quickly finished brewing the medicine.


    Because the vigers¡¯ conditions were rather serious, Zhao Chuchu added more of her medication to the concoction.


    She looked at the remaining amount of medicine in despair. There was not much left. However, the situation was getting more serious. Now, she could only use whatever she had to save lives.


    After the medicine was distributed, several patients simply held their bowls and refused to drink out of them. They were afraid that the bowls contained poison that would kill them all.


    The toon chief was secretly gloating.


    ¡°So what if they had General Gan¡¯s backing? They still could not do anything when the woman protested just now,¡± he snorted silently.


    It was human nature to be afraid of death.


    Just then, someone pretended to drop their bowl of medicine by ident.


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°Take this person away.¡±


    Lin Xiang instinctively went up to the patient and dragged him out of the ancestral hall. Only when he returned did he regain his senses. ¡°Why did I listen to Zhao Chuchu¡¯smand?¡± he fumed silently.


    ¡°I¡¯ll say this once. If you don¡¯t want to take the medicine, you can leave it. I won¡¯t force anyone to drink it. But if you decide to take my medicer on, you will have to pay for it. I don¡¯t owe you anything. At this time, human lives are worth less than grass.¡± Zhao Chuchu¡¯s voice was neither loud nor soft. But she sounded very resolute and imposing.


    Her medicine supply was shrinking. Why should she waste it?


    Some of the patients were frightened by Zhao Chuchu¡¯smanding presence. They pinched their noses and quickly consumed the medicine.


    ¡°Let it be a quick death!¡± they resolved in their hearts.


    Zhao Chuchu watched sorrowfully as patients reluctantly swallowed the medicine.


    At that point, some were still holding on to their medicine, refusing to drink. Zhao Chuchu went up to them and took away their bowls.


    Lin Xiang seemed to understand what she meant. He brought those people out of the ancestral hall.


    The patients who drank the medicine soon fell asleep.


    When the toon chief saw this, he rejoiced secretly but arranged his face into a solemn expression. He turned to Gan Maosheng. ¡°General Gan, why are all these people lying down? Although the court has issued an order to kill the people, less than half the poption of Zhang Vige is infected. They don¡¯t deserve to die yet. I will need General Gan to answer to the deputymander personally.¡±


    As soon as the toon chief spoke, the hooves of galloping horses could be heard approaching the vige.


    The toon chief looked at Zhao Chuchu and snorted, ¡°Miss, don¡¯t dream of using your tricks and schemes on the Weisuo.

 Chapter 17

    Tattletale


    Gan Maosheng had a somber expression on his face.


    Not long after, guards surrounded the ancestral hall.


    A middle-aged man appearing to be their leader was wearing armor and holding a long spear. He was on horseback and looked down at Zhao Chuchu and everyone else.


    ¡°Greetings, Deputy Commander.¡± Gan Maosheng and his group stepped forward and sped their hands in salute.


    ¡°Gan Maosheng, the court has ordered that no one is allowed to enter or leave any vige infected with the gue. As the general of a Thousand Battalion, you knowingly broke thew. Don¡¯t you have any regard for the Imperial Court?¡± the deputymander asked Gan Maosheng usingly.


    His soldiers then drew their swords and pointed them at Gan Maosheng.


    They would kill him on the spot if he dared to move.


    The toon chief did not wait for Gan Maosheng to exin. He interjected, ¡°My lord, I was given orders to guard the vige, but General Gan and his men ignored my authority. They barged into the vige, iming they had a cure for the patients. I don¡¯t have as many soldiers as General Gan. I had no choice but to let them in. The patients who drank their medicine are now unconscious. I beg the deputymander to uphold justice on my behalf.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    The toon chief was a schemer.


    He was a tattletale.


    The deputymander¡¯s eyes were frosty. He red formidably at Gan Maosheng. ¡°Is this true?¡±


    ¡°A teenage girl dared to give out a prescription just because she read some medical books. If everyone who knew how to read and write decided to prescribe medicine, wouldn¡¯t there be utter chaos in the world?¡± the toon chief continued, adding fuel to the fire.


    ¡°Deputy Commander, whatever I say will not be good enough. Why don¡¯t you bring a doctor to Lengshui Vige to take a look yourself? The vigers all drank the medicine. You can see for yourself if they are recovering. A doctor¡¯s judgment will be the most convincing.¡± Zhao Chuchu stepped forward and spoke confidently. Her tone was not at all condescending.


    ¡°The patients fell asleep after drinking the medicine because there is a herb in the prescription that has a calming effect. The dregs of the soup are still in the pot. You can also get the doctor to inspect them.¡±


    The deputymander gave Zhao Chuchu a piercing stare as though he wanted to see through her.


    Zhao Chuchu was fearless. She looked him in the eye.


    Gan Maosheng was afraid that Zhao Chuchu might offend the deputymander. He hurriedly exined, ¡°My lord, I also took the medicine and recovered. That is why I wanted toe to Zhang Vige, to let the patients try the remedy. If it is genuinely effective, then we have a way to control the gue. Please give Zhao Chuchu a chance.¡±


    ¡°What a joke! We have a bunch of experienced doctors who cannot do anything to control the gue. Yet you¡¯re telling me this young girl has a prescription that can cure everyone from the virus? Did the disease make you dumb?¡±


    Just then, an old doctor appeared behind the deputymander, carrying a box of medical supplies. He had a look of disdain on his face.


    ¡°Doctor Lu, are you too old and silly now? You haven¡¯t been able to save these people, even after practicing medicine for so long. Just because you cannot cure them does not mean that others won¡¯t be able to do it,¡± Xie Heng said sarcastically.


    Anger welled up in Doctor Lu¡¯s chest.


    He was about to respond when he saw that it was Xie Heng who had spoken. He bit his lip and did not say a word.


    ¡°Doctor Lu, check General Gan¡¯s pulse,¡± the deputymander ordered the old doctor. His face was still expressionless.


    Although Xie Heng was blind, Doctor Lu did not dare to look him in the eye.


    The guilt on his face made Zhao Chuchu suspect they were hiding something.


    Doctor Lu¡¯s contempt for Zhao Chuchu gradually faded as he checked Gan Maosheng¡¯s pulse. His disdain transformed into shock and disbelief.


    ¡°How can this be?¡± he muttered. Refusing to believe what he had just witnessed, he asked Gan Maosheng to stretch out his other hand.


    Doctor Lu was very familiar with the pulse of a patient infected with the virus. He noticed that Gan Maosheng¡¯s pulse was improving.


    ¡°Doctor Lu, would you like to check my pulse?¡± Zhao Chuchu extended her hand and ced it in front of him. ¡°I also suffered from the gue.¡±

 Chapter 18

    There Is Hope


    When Doctor Lu heard Zhao Chuchu¡¯s words, he turned to look at her.


    He no longer regarded her with disdain.


    ¡°Please pardon me,¡± he said as he held Zhao Chuchu¡¯s wrist to check her pulse. His expression became grimmer.


    The deputymander remained on horseback with a calm look on his face.


    The toon chief¡¯s heart sank when he saw Doctor Lu¡¯s change in expression.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that this woman¡¯s prescription is truly effective?¡± he wondered.


    Doctor Lu checked Zhao Chuchu and Gan Maosheng¡¯s pulses several times before confirming that there was nothing seriously wrong with their health. He then inspected the dregs left in the pot.


    He was astonished to discover the kinds of herbs used for the medication.


    Doctor Lu then reported his findings to the deputymander. ¡°Deputy Commander, General Gan¡¯s condition has improved, and Ms. Zhao has almost recovered. We also tested some of the herbs in the pot. There are several unexpected herbs in the medication.¡±


    The deputymander smiled as he got down from his horse. He looked at Zhao Chuchu and asked, ¡°Did they really use your prescription?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare deceive you, my lord. Why don¡¯t you send someone to Lengshui Vige to investigate? Whatever I say will not be as convincing as what the people who have drunk the medication have to say.¡± Zhao Chuchu bowed slightly and continued, ¡°Some vigers here have already taken the medication. You may want to wait for a while.¡±


    ¡°Guards, send Doctor Lu to Lengshui Vige immediately.¡± The deputymander could not wait any longer. He was unable to stay calm.


    The situation in Yuanjiang County was worsening every day.


    The deputymander could not defy the court¡¯s order, but he also did not want to see so many innocent people lose their lives.


    If there was a way to do so, he would try to save as many people as possible.


    Doctor Lu gave a humble bow to Zhao Chuchu. ¡°I¡¯m embarrassed to admit that I misjudged your medical skills because of your age. Ms. Zhao, I¡¯m sorry to have disagreed with you earlier. Please do not hold it against me.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu could see that the doctor was sincere in apologizing to her and decided not to hold it against him. ¡°I¡¯m so young. It¡¯s only natural for people to be suspicious of my medication. We can no longer dy finding a cure. Doctor Lu, you should quickly make your way to Lengshui Vige. We can talk about other issuester.¡±


    Doctor Lu sped his hands together and went off with the deputymander¡¯s men to Lengshui Vige.


    ¡°Maosheng, tell us. How did you learn about Ms. Zhao?¡± The deputymander turned to ask General Gan.


    Gan Maosheng gave a brief ount of what happened earlier to the deputymander.


    The deputymander was relieved that Zhao Chuchu had regained consciousness in time. He was d that Li Jiang had not been muddle-headed and made a false judgment.


    Otherwise, there would have been a catastrophe.


    Doctor Lu and the guards acted remarkably fast. An hourter, they returned from Lengshui Vige.


    Doctor Lu¡¯s face was flushed when he got back to Zhang Vige. He reported excitedly, ¡°My lord, most of the vigers infected with the virus at Lengshui Vige are better. They are no longer in danger. We can use Mrs. Xie¡¯s prescription. There is hope for Yuanjiang County!¡±


    Realizing that matters hade to this point, the toon chief quickly dropped to his knees in front of the deputymander. ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I almost caused a big tragedy. My lord, please pardon me!¡±


    The deputymander cast a nce at him.


    He could guess what the toon chief was trying to do.


    Because they were currently in urgent need of resources, he decided to settle the situation after they resolved the gue.


    ¡°You should apologize to Mrs. Xie, not me.¡±


    The toon chief¡¯s breath stopped for a moment.


    Gritting his teeth, he got up and looked at Zhao Chuchu. ¡°Mrs. Xie, I¡¯m sorry. I was far too rash, and I almost caused a disaster.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu eyed his insincere apology with disdain as she scoffed inwardly, ¡°It¡¯s a trivial matter to me. But my husband¡¯s ancestors must be offended by your ignorance.¡±


    The toon chief also turned to Xie Heng. ¡°Mr. Xie, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Xie Heng looked at him indifferently. He did not see the point of getting angry with such people. ¡°It¡¯s not an issue. I can¡¯t see anyway.¡±


    He was implying that since he was blind, whatever the toon chief did was non-consequential to him.


    The women in Zhang Vige who had previously refused to drink the medication were horrified to hear Doctor Lu¡¯s words. They wondered, ¡°Is it possible that this prescription is effective?¡±

 Chapter 19

    Burned to Death


    The most obvious cases were those who were generally healthy but were now seriously ill.


    Having woken up from their nap after drinking the medicine, these people showed no signs of dying. They were in high spirits and even asked for food.


    The once unrepentant vigers remembered how they had refused to drink the medicine and had even intentionally spilled it. They could not help but shudder in fear.


    Doctor Lu only managed to update the deputymander with this information when he noticed that someone from the group had awakened. He rushed over to check the patient¡¯s pulse. After doing the same to several patients, he let out a heartyugh. ¡°My lord, there is hope for Yuanjiang County! Mrs. Xie¡¯s prescription is an excellent cure!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Deputy Commander Jiang Chui could not contain his excitement.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s true. Lengshui Vige will bepletely free of the gue in a few days!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great! General Gan, you¡¯ve done an excellent job!¡±


    Jiang Chui pped his hands in delight.


    Gan Maosheng could finally heave a sigh of relief.


    He was d he had made the right decision. Zhao Chuchu¡¯s prescription was indeed a cure for the gue.


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, thank you on behalf of the people of Yuanjiang County.¡± Jiang Chui bowed solemnly.


    Zhao Chuchu avoided his bow, saying, ¡°My lord, you¡¯re too polite. It is thanks to our ancestors¡¯ blessing that I chanced upon this prescription. I will now hand this remedy to you, my lord. Please use it to rescue the people.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu handed over the prescription without any hesitation.


    Jiang Chui was deeply impressed.


    ¡°Thank you very much, Mrs. Xie.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s important to protect the people. We can talk about other matters after their lives are saved.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Xie, for your kindness.¡±


    Now that Jiang Chui had received the prescription from Zhao Chuchu, he nned to send it to all regions of Yuanjiang County. He wanted to keep the gue under control as quickly as possible while avoiding unrest in the country.


    When the woman who had caused trouble earlier saw that Jiang Chui was leaving, she quickly shouted, ¡°My lord, please help. My husband does not have the medicine. He is still sick!¡±


    Jiang Chui knitted his eyebrows.


    ¡°These people didn¡¯t trust Mrs. Xie¡¯s prescription and refused to drink her medicine. She asked for these people to be moved lest they cause trouble. They thought the Imperial Court was out to kill them,¡± Gan Maosheng hurriedly exined to Jiang Chui.


    ¡°My lord, now I know I¡¯m in the wrong. It was toon Chief Liu who told me to do that. I was forced to say those things. Please have mercy and save my husband.¡± The woman bowed, her head on the ground.


    Liu Kaixiong¡¯s heart was pounding fast. He quickly knelt and pleaded, ¡°My lord, I was worried they hade here to cause trouble. After all, almost half of the vigers at Zhang Vige were infected. It¡¯s my fault for not trusting Mrs. Xie and her prescription.¡±


    Xie Heng retorted in a soft voice, ¡°You don¡¯t trust us and even tried to get someone to kill my wife? This toon chief is out to seek revenge. If General Lin had not been quick enough, or if Chuchu did not die, she still would have been seriously injured!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu nced discreetly at Xie Heng. His eyes still did not look focused, and his face was expressionless.


    Jiang Chui¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Guards, take him back with us. Yuze, you will be in charge of cordoning off Zhang Vige.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± A young man stepped out and answered with his hands sped together.


    Liu Kaixiong was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. ¡°My lord, I know that I was in the wrong...¡±


    ¡°We need doctors to control the gue. Yet you cannot tell right from wrong. You even wanted to make use of others to kill Zhao Chuchu. I can¡¯t detect a hint of remorse in you.¡± Jiang Chui berated Liu Kaixiong coldly.


    After a pause, Jiang Chui asked Zhao Chuchu, ¡°It¡¯s your prescription. What do you intend to do with these people?¡±


    Everyone looked expectantly at Zhao Chuchu. They were plunging into an abyss of despair.


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°Simple, buy the prescription for two pieces of silver, just like those at Lengshui Vige.¡±


    ¡°Where are we going to find the money?¡±


    ¡°Sell yournd. Sell your grains. I¡¯m sure you can find the money somehow.¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t you save us?¡±


    ¡°I gave you a chance. You are the ones who rejected me first. I don¡¯t owe you anything.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t a doctor like you bepassionate?¡±


    ¡°Forget it if you don¡¯t wish to buy the medicine. Just get burned to death.¡±

 Chapter 20

    You Are Able to Heal, Right?


    The vigers were stunned at Zhao Chuchu¡¯s indifference.


    They had never seen such a heartless doctor. She refused to yield, regardless of what they said or did.


    ¡°Remember, pay up or wait for death!¡± Zhao Chuchu cast an unsympathetic look at them, her gaze lingering on the woman who had attempted to kill her. ¡°You pointed a chopper at me, and now you want me to give you the prescription for free? Who do you think you are?¡±


    The woman recoiled as she tried to defend herself. ¡°I was also forced to...¡±


    ¡°You were forced to kill the people who came to save you? You¡¯re really something,¡± Xie Heng interrupted the woman. He turned to the deputymander with unfocused eyes and said, ¡°This woman attempted murder. My lord, please help me seek justice for my wife.¡±


    The woman looked fearfully at Jiang Chui. ¡°My lord, it was not intentional. Please help me.¡±


    ¡°Take her away. Give her fiftyshes with the rod,¡± Jiang Chui said directly.


    Her skin would split open if she had to endure fiftyshes.


    The woman cried out, ¡°My lord, please spare me. Darling, save me! I did all that because I wanted to save you!¡±


    However, the woman¡¯s husband quickly looked away. He did not dare look at his wife, let alone save her.


    The soldiers dragged the woman away. Zhao Chuchu¡¯s face was devoid of expression. She had no intention of pleading for mercy on the woman¡¯s behalf.


    The woman had plotted to kill her. Zhao Chuchu thought she was being kind by not taking her life.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Jiang Chui gestured for Zhao Chuchu to follow him. ¡°Come with me to the other viges. Leave everything here to Doctor Lu.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± Doctor Lu sped his hands together respectfully.


    Zhao Chuchu felt she could no longer stay in a ce as awful as Zhang Vige. She helped Xie Heng and followed Jiang Chui.


    Jiang Chui suddenly stopped in his tracks and said to Yuze, ¡°Oh yes, don¡¯t forget about Mrs. Xie¡¯s payment.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord.¡±


    Jiang Chui nodded and strode off.


    Over the next two weeks, Zhao Chuchu apanied Jiang Chui to the other viges and towns in Yuanjiang County.


    Since the prescription was proven effective in fighting the virus, it was submitted to the relevant government office. They then transferred the necessary herbs from the state to Yuanjiang County. Over time, Yuanjiang Country was able to keep the gue under control.


    Zhao Chuchu was now famous throughout Yuanjiang County.


    During this time, Xie Heng was always by Zhao Chuchu¡¯s side.


    Zhao Chuchu had changed Xie Heng¡¯s perception of women.


    He thought she was bold and decisive. Yet she was also kindhearted and certainly not a pushover.


    ¡°What kind of person is she really?¡± Xie Heng wondered.


    Xie Heng never knew another woman who handled things like Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°This is thest vige. We will be able to return to Lengshui Vige in a few days.¡± Zhao Chuchu took two steamed buns as she sat down beside Xie Heng. She handed one to him. ¡°Come, let¡¯s eat.¡±


    Xie Heng took the bun from her.


    ¡°Are you tired of traveling to these ces with us?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Xie Heng said, ¡°I¡¯ve learned a lot.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu would not deny what he said. It was a fact.


    Although Xie Heng was ¡°blind¡± and young, he had presented brilliant proposals to Jiang Chui. He did not look inexperienced.


    ¡°What are you going to do after this?¡± After assuming the identity of Xie Heng¡¯s wife for so long, Zhao Chuchu regarded him as a friend.


    Xie Heng broke the steamed bun in half, his eyes looking at nothing. ¡°I¡¯ll study for the Imperial Examination.¡±


    ¡°Your eyes...¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you able to heal them?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu raised her eyebrows.


    ¡°So that was his intention...¡± she mused to herself.


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, Mrs. Xie!¡± A guard ran over toward them, looking breathless. ¡°The deputymander is looking for you. Pleasee with me.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Zhao Chuchu stood up. She had not finished eating her bun.


    ¡°A viger has suddenly vomited blood. Please go and have a look.¡± The guard looked at her anxiously.


    Zhao Chuchu shoved the steamed bun into Xie Heng¡¯s hand and ran toward the vige.


    Xie Heng looked at the half-eaten bun and frowned slightly. He was at a loss for words.

 Chapter 21

    He¡¯s Pretending To Be Blind Again


    Zhao Chuchu was brought to that family¡¯s house.


    Both the old and the young people were crying out loud. As they watched, the vigers sighed as they stood around the courtyard.


    ¡°Doctor Zhao is here, please make way.¡±


    When the vigers heard that, they made a path for Zhao Chuchu to walk through.


    Zhao Chuchu could smell the mixture of alcohol and blood. Zhao Chuchu went over and took a lot of things. Just how much did this guy drink?


    ¡°Carry him into the room first.¡± Zhao Chuchu instructed the vigers.


    ¡°Doctor Zhao, please save my son.¡± The elderlydy tugged on Zhao Chuchu¡¯s sleeve and cried as though the world was ending.


    Zhao Chuchu patted her hand and said, ¡°Let me take a look first.¡±


    The man was carried onto the bed. After Zhao Chaochao felt his pulse, she confirmed that he had a gastric ulcer. He started vomiting blood because he drank too much alcohol.


    Zhao Chuchu walked out. The man¡¯s mother and wife were both sobbing like the sky was going to fall.


    ¡°Is my husband alright?¡± The man¡¯s wife asked with a quivering voice.


    ¡°He¡¯s fine, it¡¯s not a big issue, he¡¯ll be alright after eating some medicine and resting. But take note not to drink in the future, and be careful with his diet,¡± Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡±


    ¡°Thank you so much! You¡¯re an amazing doctor.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu wrote down the names of the medicines they needed so they could go to the pharmacy and get them. She then told them about the things to take note of for recovery.


    Xie Heng stood at the entrance of the courtyard and watched Zhao Chuchu. No one knew what was going through his mind.


    Zhao Chuchu turned her head and saw Xie Heng after she hadforted her family and calmed them down.


    Their eyes met each other.


    Xie Heng¡¯s gaze instantly lost focus.


    Zhao Chuchu was at a loss for words.


    Can this guy just give him some respect?


    He¡¯s pretending to be blind again after seeing her!


    ¡°Doctor Zhao, please stay to have dinner with us.¡± The man¡¯s mother came over to thank her again, ¡°We¡¯re so lucky to have you here, otherwise, we would have no idea what to do.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, don¡¯t worry about it. We need to return to the townter on, and we might need to go to other areas tomorrow,¡± Zhao Chuchu politely turned her down.


    The pandemic ruined the livelihoods of many people. She wasn¡¯t in need of food, there was no need for her to stay for the meal.


    The elderlydy didn¡¯t insist. Instead, she put a piece of loose silver in Zhao Chuchu¡¯s hand and said, ¡°This is the fee for the treatment.¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t take it, ¡°Please keep the silver for yourself, and don¡¯t let your son buy alcohol ever again. He¡¯s lucky this time that I¡¯m here, because if this happens again, I¡¯m afraid he won¡¯t survive.¡±


    She was intentionally scaring her.


    After all, there were some alcoholics out there that simply cannot control their craving for a drink. They always think that just a few sips will be fine, and more often than not, things don¡¯t end well for them as they lose control.


    They will only be cautious when they are afraid.


    ¡°Thank you, Doctor Zhao, I will reprimand him sternly and forbid him from drinking.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu nodded, then pointed at Xie Heng to tell them that she needed to go take care of him now.


    As the man¡¯s family kept thanking her, Zhao Chuchu walked up to Xie Heng and asked, ¡°Why did youe here by yourself?¡±


    ¡°I was afraid that something would happen to you,¡± Xie Heng said softly.


    Zhao Chuchu took his arm very naturally and walked toward the outside. ¡°Let¡¯s go, we¡¯ll get something to eat first.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Careful, there¡¯s a rock in front of you.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ...


    ¡°Doctor Zhao treats her husband so well.¡±


    ¡°You guys don¡¯t know? Mr. Xie is the youngest person to be a schr in the entire Yuan Jiang Country. It¡¯s such a pity that his eyes can¡¯t see.¡±


    ¡°He has Doctor Zhao with him, he¡¯ll definitely be cured someday.¡±


    ...


    Zhao Chuchu heard the vigers talking about themselves. She felt a little helpless.


    Unfortunately, they don¡¯t know about all the things that were happening behind the scenes!


    When Jiang Chun sent people to get Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng in the afternoon, Zhao Chuchu went back to check the man¡¯s pulse. When she saw that the man was awake, she told him again what she had told his mother.


    The man nodded profusely and promised to heed her advice.


    Only then did Zhao Chuchu leave.


    The road leading out of the vige was rather bumpy. Zhao Chuchu felt quite sleepy on the carriage.


    Suddenly, one of the carriage¡¯s wheels sank into the mud. Zhao Chuchu fell forward and out of her seat, right into Xie Heng¡¯s arms.

 Chapter 22

    I¡¯m Looking At A Handsome Man


    Xie Heng let out a grunt.


    Zhao Chuchu was instantly wide awake.


    She quickly sat up straight. Xie Heng frowned.


    ¡°Did I hurt you? I¡¯m so sorry. I¡¯ll massage it for you.¡± Zhao Chuchu subconsciously reached her hand out.


    Xie Heng was shocked when her soft, gentle hands touched his chest.


    Momentster, his ears turned red.


    ¡°No need!¡± He frantically shoved away Zhao Chuchu¡¯s hand and turned his face away from her.


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    He was easily embarrassed!


    However, Xie Heng was too skinny. She had barely felt anything just now.


    Before Zhao Chuchu lifted the curtains and got down from the carriage, she teased Xie Heng, ¡°You should eat more when we get back.¡±


    Xie Heng came back to his senses. He couldn¡¯t say anything in response.


    Zhao Chaochao got down from the carriage.


    The two guards controlling the carriage said apologetically, ¡°Doctor Zhao, sorry about that, were you hurt?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. Get the carriage out first.¡±


    ¡°Please get out of the carriage and wait for a while. We¡¯ll fix it real quick.¡±


    They rejected Zhao Chuchu¡¯s offer to help them.


    Zhao Chuchu stepped back and stood behind them.


    Both men were from the military barracks. They managed to get the carriage out of the mud rather quickly.


    Zhao Chuchu climbed back into the carriage.


    Xie Heng¡¯s expression had already returned to normal, as though nothing had happened.


    However, this time, it was Xie Heng¡¯s turn to close his eyes and ¡®sleep¡¯.


    Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t help it as the corners of her lips raised.


    Objectively speaking, Xie Heng was very good-looking. He only seemed a little scrawny and weak, which made people let down their guard around him.


    But she knew that Xie Heng wasn¡¯t as weak as he looked.


    He often did things with a tinge of ruthlessness that waspletely juxtaposed with his looks.


    ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Xie Heng opened his eyes helplessly and asked softly.


    He was starting to feel ufortable because of Zhao Chuchu¡¯s stare.


    Zhao Chuchu told him, ¡°I¡¯m looking at a handsome man.¡±


    Xie Heng didn¡¯t know how to respond to that.


    Zhao Chuchu wasn¡¯t shy or reserved like other girls. She seemed honest and sincere. People did not feel that she was frivolous or a hussy.


    Fortunately, Zhao Chuchu knew when to stop, so she didn¡¯t continue teasing Xie Heng.


    For some inexplicable reason, Xie Heng heaved a sigh of relief.


    They remained silent for the rest of their journey.


    They were arriving at another town under the jurisdiction of Yuanjiang County.


    Lin Xiang was waiting for Zhao Chuchu in an inn.


    ¡°Doctor Zhao, the deputymander wants me to inform you that you can return home tomorrow.¡±


    Everyone had started referring to Zhao Chuchu as ¡®Doctor Zhao¡¯ instead of ¡®Mrs. Xie¡¯.


    It was their way of recognizing her skills as a doctor, as well as a means for them to show their respect.


    ¡°You mean we don¡¯t need to go to the other towns and viges?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the pandemic in Yuanjiang County is now under control. There are doctors stationed in the other towns now. Thank you so much for all that you¡¯ve done. The deputymander has ordered me to send you two back to Lengshui Vige tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Oh right, the meal is ready. Let¡¯s eat first.¡±


    Lin Xiang stood up to help Xie Heng, and they entered the inn together.


    The innkeeper quickly told the waiter to serve up the dishes.


    The meal was sumptuous. It was the best dinner Zhao Chuchu had since she had transmigrated into this world.


    Zhao Chuchu hadn¡¯t had a good meal in a very long time, so she didn¡¯t bother being too polite in front of Lin Xiang.


    As she gobbled down the food, she didn¡¯t forget to put some into Xie Heng¡¯s bowl.


    ¡°Hubby, eat more. You¡¯re too skinny.¡±


    Xie Heng suddenly recalled what happened on the carriage. He instantly felt a little ufortable.


    Fortunately, Zhao Chuchu and Lin Xiang¡¯s attention were on the food. They did not notice Xie Heng¡¯s expression.


    The next day, Lin Xiang sent Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng back to Lengshui Vige.


    He even gave Zhao Chuchu a purse and said, ¡°The deputymander told me to give this to you. Please take it. The reward from the Imperial Pce will take some time to arrive.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu thought about the Xie family¡¯s financial situation. She took the purse and said, ¡°Please help me thank the deputymander.¡±


    Lin Xiang said, ¡°We should be the ones thanking you. Without you, I can¡¯t imagine how many people would have died in Yuanjiang County!¡±


    Everyone in Yuanjiang County is a living, breathing human being with their own life and family. Who would be willing to kill so many people if they had the choice to do so?


    Zhao Chuchu had saved Yuanjiang County. They also saved her.


    ¡°I was able to save people. This proves that my hubby was right about telling me to read those medical books.¡± Zhao Chuchu brought up Xie Heng.


    ¡°I thank you too, Mr. Xie,¡± Lin Xiang bowed to him.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡±


    ¡°I still need to go back to work. I shall take my leave now.¡±


    ¡°Goodbye.¡±


    Lin Xiang nodded and rode his horse carriage away.


    Zhao Chuchu watched smoke waft from the houses of Lengshui Vige as families cooked their food. She sighed and said, ¡°Twenty days ago, I was almost burned to death.¡±


    Xie Heng continued her sentence in his heart, ¡°No one could burn you to death!¡±

 Chapter 23

    Is He Really Your Brother?


    Life in Lengshui Vige went back to normal after the Feng Vige guards took their leave.


    Zhao Chuchu walked into the vige, Xie Heng¡¯s arm entwined with her own. ¡°The pandemic is a very bad thing.¡±


    ¡°Thank goodness we have you,¡± Xie Heng said, turning his head to look at her. ¡°Otherwise, this vige would be empty by now.¡±


    ¡°Haha, no worries. Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Even though Zhao Chuchu sounded very modest, her face revealed how proud of herself she was.


    Saving the lives of other people was very rewarding.


    Although annoying cockroaches were jumping around, it didn¡¯t stop her from feeling happy.


    As a military doctor, she always kept her job requirements in mind. She knew the difference between her sense of duty and her grudges. She wouldn¡¯t show mercy or kindness to people who tried to hurt her.


    ¡°You have a way of saving Junjun?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I never lie when ites to medical issues. However...¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu pondered for a while about how she should put this. She said, ¡°Junjun waspletely fine before. How did he contract this kind of illness?¡±


    ¡°This kind of illness?¡± Xie Heng¡¯s heart skipped a beat, but it didn¡¯t show on his face.


    ¡°How should I put this... Is Junjun your brother? He¡¯s just a kid. How did he get poisoned?¡±


    ¡°Poisoned? Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°I am sure. Please don¡¯t doubt my ability as a doctor!¡±


    Xie Jun could only have ingested this kind of poison while in his mother¡¯s womb.


    Her healing powers could only cure diseases and heal wounds. They were not effective against poison.


    Upon discovering that Xie Jun had been poisoned, she carefully examined him and Xie Heng. Since they were brothers, they should at least have some of the same traits.


    But these two people didn¡¯t look anything alike.


    It was interesting.


    Who would poison a child from an ordinary family?


    ¡°Junjun is my brother,¡± Xie Heng looked at Zhao Chuchu for quite a while before answering, ¡°Please don¡¯t make wild spections. When my mother was pregnant with him, she almost died because she identally ate some wild fruits from the mountain.¡±


    ¡°Oh, what wild fruits? Can I have a look?¡±


    ¡°I was still a kid back then, so I don¡¯t know the details. All I know is that she was severely ill for some time.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu looked at Xie Heng. His face was calm, and it didn¡¯t seem like he was lying.


    Zhao Chuchu, on the other hand, didn¡¯t think this had much to do with her. No matter what, the person who upied this body before her didn¡¯t have any family.


    If murder wasn¡¯t illegal, she would have poisoned and killed the entire Zhao Family.


    She didn¡¯t care if she got in trouble for helping Xie Jun.


    If someone wants something, he must offer something else in exchange.


    It would be a fair trade.


    Xie Heng wasn¡¯t a terrible person, but he was very cunning and ruthless. Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t want to be enemies with him.


    ¡°It will be harder to cure Junjun, but don¡¯t worry about it. I can assure you that he will be healthy again. He¡¯ll be active and energetic like all the other children!¡± Zhao Chuchu promised Xie Heng. ¡°Hold on to the divorce letter for now. Give it to me when the suitable timees.¡±


    Xie Heng nodded and said, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    She smiled and said, ¡°We¡¯re together now, so there¡¯s no need to thank me.¡±


    They walked into the vige together as they talked.


    ¡°Chuchu is back?¡±


    ¡°Chuchu is thinner than she used to be!¡±


    ¡°Chuchu is so amazing.¡±


    As the couple made their way back to the Xie family, many vigers fawned over Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s face was expressionless. Shepletely ignored them.


    The people who chanted the loudest were the vigers who had tried to kill her back then!


    Now that she was famous in Yuanjiang County, the vigers were all sucking up to her.


    The grandmother of the person who used to inhabit Zhao Chuchu¡¯s body came over, smiling respectfully. ¡°Chuchu, you¡¯re finally back! Grandma missed you. Come home with Xie Heng first. Granny will kill a chicken for you guys to eat tonight.¡±


    The look on Xie Heng¡¯s face turned cold. ¡°Get out of the way!¡±


    ¡°You must be tired,¡± Madam Yang tried to touch Xie Heng. ¡°Come, I¡¯ll help you walk, let¡¯s go home.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu pulled Xie Heng behind her and looked at Madam Yang. ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± She asked.

 Chapter 24

    So You¡¯re Trying To Rob Us?


    Xie Heng looked at the spot where Zhao Chuchu had grabbed him. He slowly moved away.


    Zhao Chuchu could tell what he was doing. She gave him a small brow raise.


    What a modest man!


    Madam Yang didn¡¯t notice that they were having a silent conversation. ¡°Chuchu, um, Granny used to be very worried about getting sick and dying, which is why I said all those things. Could you please not take what we said to heart? You¡¯re from the Zhao family, and we¡¯re all your rtives and older people...¡± she groveled.


    ¡°Before I married Xie Heng, you told the vige that you disowned me and cut me off. You said that from that day on, we would have nothing to do with each other. Are you changing your mind now? You want me to leave right now?¡± Zhao Chuchu snapped.


    ¡°You¡¯re fawning over me for no reason, so you must have something else in mind. Don¡¯t think for one second that I can¡¯t figure out what you¡¯re doing. Don¡¯t forget what you said then. The Zhao family has nothing to do with me.¡±


    Madam Yang¡¯s smile stiffened a little. She said, ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re saying, Chuchu? We haven¡¯t asked for money from you because Zhizhi died. If you don¡¯t stop, we¡¯ll see each other at the government office!¡±


    She had only managed to keep her pretentious act up for less than ten minutes before showing her true colors.


    Xie Heng calmly retorted, ¡°Go ahead. Everyone here saw Zhao Zhizhi lie to people. She almost caused the deaths of others because of what she said. I¡¯m pretty sure this is all part of a bad n by the Zhao family. You can go to the government office, where we can discuss this further. I¡¯ll see this through to the end!¡±


    Madam Yang had only informed Zhao Chuchu of her intentions as a way to intimidate them.


    But now that Xie Heng had said those words, she felt a little scared.


    ¡°Nonsense! It was you two who forced Zhizhi to die!¡± Madam Yang feigned fierceness despite her trepidation. ¡°Don¡¯t...don¡¯t think because you¡¯re a schr that I¡¯ll be afraid of you. Zhao Chuchu, regardless of what happens, I was the one who gave birth to and raised your father. He¡¯s dead now, so you should be fulfilling your filial duty to me in his ce!¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°Go get the money you received for giving out prescriptions. You have to give it to me!¡±


    When Madam Yang said those words, everyone else in the Zhao family emerged as well. They surrounded Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng.


    ¡°Get the money out quickly, Zhao Chuchu. I did the math, and you stole a lot of silver from our vige.¡±


    ¡°You owe your grandmother your loyalty, so you have to give her the money you earned!¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t give it to her, you¡¯re not being honorable, and we¡¯ll have to kick you out of Lengshui Vige. You are a schr, Xie Heng. Are you sure you want to be known for being traitorous? Once we tell the bureau about it, they will take away your title as a schr.¡±


    The Zhao family started getting more and more aggressive. Their eyes glimmered with greed as they reprimanded Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng.


    There were so many towns and viges in Yuanjiang County. Zhao Chuchu had earned at least several hundred ingots of silver.


    On top of that, Li Jiang had told Xie Heng that the imperial court would also reward Zhao Chuchu.


    Just imagine how many silver ingots that would be!


    Madam Yang may have been braver because of how many people were on her side. She put her hands on her hips. ¡°Don¡¯t me us if we do something drastic because you won¡¯t give us the money now!¡± she said furiously.


    ¡°Are you saying you will snatch it from me?¡± Zhao Chuchu remained calm andposed as she said, ¡°But I¡¯m warning you right now¡ªI¡¯m not in a good mood. Don¡¯t me me for fighting back!¡±


    ¡°Mom, cut the crap and get the money from her first. This bitch was the one who killed Zhizhi. She has to pay for Zhizhi¡¯s death!¡± Zhao Zhizhi¡¯s father, Zhao Baogen, red at Zhao Chuchu fiercely. If he could¡¯ve, he would have skinned her alive.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill this bitch to avenge my poor daughter.¡± Madam Ma pounced toward her.


    ¡°Stay back and watch,¡± Zhao Chuchu told Xie Heng as he pushed her out of the way. He initially wanted to stand in front of her.


    Xie Heng staggered aside. When he regained his bnce, he was shocked by what he saw.

 Chapter 25

    Zhao Chuchu, Apologize!


    Madam Ma flew horizontally andnded on the ground with a hard thud.


    The people around Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng almost lost their ears when they heard her painful scream.


    No one was brave enough to move.


    Zhao Chuchu pulled back the leg she had just used to kick Madam Ma. She casually looked at the Zhao family members and said, ¡°Come, all of you, at once. Don¡¯t make me waste my time beating you up one by one.¡±


    Madam Yang subconsciously took a step back.


    Zhao Chuchu rotated her wrist and tilted her head a little as she said, ¡°Come, let me see who still wants to snatch my money and kill me.¡±


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu, that was your aunt! How dare you hit her! Aren¡¯t you afraid that you would be punished by God?¡± Zhao Baogen yelled angrily, ¡°You unfilial animal, God will make you pay for what you¡¯ve done one day!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t just keep talking. If you are so righteous, then go to the government and report Zhao Zhizhi¡¯s death. You think that I¡¯m so soft and that you can just bully me all you want?¡± Zhao Chuchuughed and said, ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll get back at you guys for a small part of what you¡¯ve done to me in the past.¡±


    As Zhao Chuchu talked, she picked up a stick that had a good grip and started hitting the Zhao family.


    Painful grunts and screams immediately started echoing through the air.


    The vigers all rushed over when they heard the noise.


    The head of the Zhao family yelled, ¡°Zhao Chuchu, stop right now!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu ignored him. She beat Madam Yang and the rest until they cried, screaming and begging for mercy. Only then did she stop to stand beside Xie Heng.


    ¡°I would advise you not to meddle with this. This is between me and them. If you dare to make any noise and disturb me, don¡¯t think that you won¡¯t end up just like them!¡± A murderous aura surrounded Zhao Chuchu, and her eyes appeared chilling.


    The head of the Zhao family was so stunned that he even forgot to breathe for a moment.


    ¡°They are your elders!¡±


    ¡°Elders? They were shouting to kill me just now. What kind of elders do that?¡±


    ¡°Regardless of what happens, your surname is still Zhao.¡±


    ¡°When I got married to Xie Heng, it was no different from being kicked out of the Zhao family. Where were all of you when that happened? Now you¡¯re taking the moral high ground and reprimanding me? You don¡¯t have the right to do that!¡±


    ¡°You!¡±


    ¡°Right now, I belong to the Xie family. Does the Zhao family have such long arms that you can meddle with the Xie family¡¯s business?¡±


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu!¡±


    ¡°Every sentence I speak with you feels exhausting. I¡¯ll say it upfront¡ªonce you yelled and shouted to kill me, you already be my enemies. If you just can¡¯t stop yourself froming at me, then don¡¯t me me for being cruel. I¡¯ve already died once. I¡¯m not afraid of fighting you!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s gaze swept over everyone in the Zhao family. Her sharp gaze gave them such an oppressive feeling to the point that it was bing difficult to breathe.


    Xie Heng, who had been watching all this time, said, ¡°Chuchu, you should have let them hit you first. Once they do that, even if you killed them, you would just be forced to act out of self-defense. The governing bureau wouldn¡¯t consider you guilty.¡±


    The moment Xie Heng said that, a horrified expression appeared on Madam Yang¡¯s face as she took several steps back.


    ¡°You have contributed greatly to the imperial court, and these people¡¯s actions are no different from that of robbers and bandits. The imperial court organizes mass bandit elimination campaigns every year. Once they die, it¡¯ll be considered your contribution to the country again. Remember, let them hit you first next time.¡±


    Xie Heng¡¯s voice was not very loud, but it felt like hammers smashing all of their hearts.


    Zhao Chuchu nodded and said, ¡°Hubby, you¡¯re right. I¡¯ll listen to you next time.¡±


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go back now.¡± Xie Heng¡¯s face was expressionless.


    ¡°All right.¡± Zhao Chuchu took his arm and walked forward, ignoring everyone else.


    When Madam Yang and the others saw them walking over, they turned pale, squirmed, and ran toward the walls. They were afraid that even identally touching Zhao Chuchu could get them killed.


    Everyone could see how bad Madam Ma¡¯s fall was.


    No one in Zhao Chuchu¡¯s family was brave enough to stop her.


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu, if you don¡¯t apologize now, don¡¯t think that the Zhao family will help you if something bad happens to you in the future!¡± said the head of the Zhao family with a dark expression on his face.


    Zhao Chuchu waved her hand without even turning around and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, that day will nevere.¡±


    The head of the Zhao family was fuming.


    Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng, on the other hand, had already left.


    As Xie Heng thought about what had just happened, an idea came to him.

 Chapter 26

    She Did It Herself


    Was it possible to let the present Zhao Chuchu teach Xie Jun Kung Fu?


    He returned to the Xie house while he thought about it.


    When he pushed the door open, a cold and quiet feeling came over him.


    Nobody was home for half a month, so everything in the house was covered with dust.


    Zhao Chuchu turned her head and asked, ¡°Where is Junjun?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s at Uncle Chen¡¯s house. When Li Jiang came to pick me up, I sent Junjun over and asked the Chen family to take care of him for me. Please go there and bring him back,¡± Xie Heng said.


    Zhao Chuchu nodded.


    When they got back to Lengshui Vige, Xie Heng was still blind, so it made sense that she was asked to go there and get Junjun.


    When the Zhao n members made a scene, everyone in the vige knew that Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng hade back home.


    With the memory of the original owner in her mind, Zhao Chuchu walked toward the Chen family¡¯s home. Madam Yu, the old woman of the Chen family, was walking with Xie Jun toward the house of the Xie family when the memory was only halfway over.


    When Xie Jun saw Zhao Chuchu from far away, he called her ¡°sister-inw.¡± Even though he was weak, his eyes were sharp.


    Zhao Chuchu walked up to Madam Yu and said with a smile, ¡°Thank you, Granny, for taking care of Junjun when he was sick. I apologize for bothering you.¡±


    Madam Yu quickly moved her hands and said, ¡°What do you want to thank us for? We haven¡¯t yet said thank you. We would have all been burned to death if you hadn¡¯t saved us. Now that the gue is over, we can go on with our lives.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just lucky,¡± said Zhao Chuchu. ¡°Have you been listening to Granny?¡± she asked as she pulled Xie Jun over.


    ¡°Yes, I have,¡± Xie Jun replied nervously. His sister-inw had never talked to him like this before. She was being so gentle.


    Zhao Chuchu patted his head.


    Xie Jun was stunned.


    Madam Yu looked at Xie Jun and said with a smile, ¡°Junjun is very well behaved. I got a headache seeing those naughty children in our family. If only they could be like Junjun.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu smiled but said nothing.


    People might say that their grandchildren were bad, but they didn¡¯t like it when others said so.


    ¡°Granny, we have to go back home. We will thank youter.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so polite.¡±


    As soon as Madam Yu said that, she gave Zhao Chuchu the basket she was holding. ¡°You don¡¯t have any vegetables in your garden. These are home-grown and not worth much. You take them,¡± said she.


    Having experienced the end of the world, Zhao Chuchu had a special fondness for these kinds of natural and pollution-free vegetables.


    ¡°Thank you, Aunt. I¡¯ll ept it shamelessly. We are leaving now.¡±


    ¡°Go to the vegetable garden to pick more up if you like it. We can¡¯t eat all these vegetables.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    After saying goodbye to Madam Yu, Zhao Chuchu returned home with a basket of vegetables.


    ¡°Brother!¡± Xie Jun was so happy to see Xie Heng. ¡°You guys are back atst. I was so worried about you.¡±


    Xie Heng asked with a smile, ¡°What are you worried about?¡±


    ¡°People of the Zhao family always told me that you were cheating people out of money and have been killed by the imperial court.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t pay attention to the people of the Zhao family in the future.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu spoke first before Xie Heng could open his mouth.


    ¡°I just beat them up today. Stay away from them in the future. You tell me if theye to you like the assholes. I¡¯ll teach them a lesson.¡±


    When Xie Jun heard her, he opened his mouth wide for a long time without saying a word.


    If he remembered correctly, his sister-inw had always been scolded by the Zhao family. Even if she married into their family, she still could not escape from them.


    Now, she actually hit someone from the Zhao family?


    ¡°Sister-inw, did I hear you wrong?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s all true.¡±


    Xie Jun was a lovely child.


    The first owner was nice to Xie Jun, but he never spoke to him.


    Thus, Zhao Chuchu had a good impression of Xie Jun.


    ¡°Did the soldiers help her?¡± asked Xie Jun. That was the only exnation he could think of.


    Xie Heng shook his head and said, ¡°No, she did it herself.¡±


    He had witnessed Zhao Chuchu kick Madam Ma away.

 Chapter 27

    How Dare They Try to Get Away?


    Xie Jun¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be surprised. Good things muste to those who survive,¡± Zhao Chuchu stroked Xie Jun¡¯s head, and then said, ¡°I have a lot of skills. I used to hide them because I didn¡¯t want to cause any trouble.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Xie Jun looked over at Xie Heng.


    Xie Heng nodded.


    So Xie Jun believed her.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t my sister-inw amazing?¡± said Xie Jun.


    ¡°Yup.¡±


    However, there was one thing she was not good at.


    It was cooking!


    Fortunately, the cooling skill of the original owner was also not good. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t be easy for her to cover it up.


    ¡°Sister-inw, can you also cure my brother¡¯s eyes?¡± Xie Jun said with expectation in his eyes.


    ¡°I can give it a try,¡± Zhao Chuchu said.


    ¡°Brother, it¡¯s great! My sister-inw said she can cure your eyes.¡±


    Xie Jun was overjoyed.


    Looking at his bright smile, Xie Heng¡¯s mood was also infected by him and became great.


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°I am going to cook.¡±


    These were the jobs that the original owner once did. Naturally, Zhao Chuchu had to take them over before she left the Xie family.


    Now she was no longer the original owner.


    It was just that nobody suspected her of anything under the cover of Xie Heng.


    The rice vat in the kitchen was empty, and the cooking oil and the salt were gone as well.


    Zhao Chuchu remembered the Xie family didn¡¯t seem to be so poor before the original owner became ill.


    It was all gone!


    Except for the weirdos of the Zhao family, Zhao Chuchu could not think of anyone else.


    She had barely anything other than food in her space.


    She had hoarded so many supplies that she nned to wait until thest phase of the age to find a remote ce and rely on the supplies in the space to live happily ever after.


    Who would have thought that a man with no morals would kill her with something thrown from a high building?


    It was sad to die that way.


    Zhao Chuchu got some rice out of her space and made a simple congee with vegetables.


    She had no other option. Cooking vegetables was a waste of time for someone who couldn¡¯t cook.


    Zhao Chuchu brought out the cooked congee.


    Xie Heng said in surprise, ¡°Is there any rice in the rice vat?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu stopped for a moment and then said, ¡°There¡¯s not much left, so I made the congee.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Xie Heng got up and went back to the room. In a moment, he took out a piece of broken silver weighing about one tael. He said, ¡°After the meal, go to the vige and see if anyone sells rice. Just buy enough rice for tonight. Then please go to town tomorrow and buy some more rice.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t take the silver, but asked Xie Jun, ¡°Those who didn¡¯t pay the silver didn¡¯t send any grain?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°How dare they try to get away with what they owe me?¡±


    Xie Jun said, ¡°You were not at home, so I dared not go after them for debts. I¡¯m sorry, sister-inw. I¡¯m useless.¡±


    Xie Jun was wringing his fingers in embarrassment with his head down.


    Zhao Chuchu held his shoulder and said earnestly, ¡°Junjun, it has nothing to do with you. Don¡¯t take it upon yourself. You are still a child. Even if you went for it, you would not get it back or would even get yourself hurt. Knowing that you are not an opponent of others, it is right for you to choose to avoid their edge. You have to remember that you should never foolishly strike a stone with an egg, Ok? ¡±


    Hearing her, Xie Jun stared up at Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°The best thing you can do is not make things difficult for others.¡±


    ¡°So I did the right thing?¡± asked Xie Jun.


    ¡°Absolutely.¡±


    Xie Jun¡¯s eyes lit up right at that moment.


    Xie Heng was listening to their conversation without saying a word. His probing eyes fell on Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°Come on, Let¡¯s have some congee first. I¡¯ll take you to collect the moneyter!¡± Zhao Chuchu pulled Xie Jun to the table and then went to help Xie Heng.


    Xie Heng asked, ¡°Are you going to intimidate them?¡±


    ¡°Or what?¡± said Zhao Chuchu.


    Xie Heng said, ¡°You can do it another way. You should let the Chief go and ask them for the debt they owe you.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu raised her eyebrows slightly.


    Xie Heng went on to say, ¡°Let others do the things that offend people. They owe you.¡±

 Chapter 28

    You Can Call the Shots


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid he won¡¯t help us!¡± Zhao Chuchu was not optimistic.


    The vige chief had given Zhao Chuchu the impression that he was very realistic. There were only two brothers in the Xie family. Although Xie Heng was a schr, he, after all, was ¡°blind.¡±


    If not, the grain and silver that the vigers owed her would not be uncollected until now. He was pretending to be deaf and dumb!


    Xie Heng said softly, ¡°Let Junjun take me to the vige chief¡¯s houseter. I know how to ask him toe forward and collect the grain.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu took a long look at Xie Heng and then shoved the silver back into his hand. ¡°You keep it. I don¡¯t need it,¡± she said.


    ¡°You still have to buy cooking oil and salt.¡±


    ¡°I have money.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t like being in debt to others.


    The money should have been regarded as her food expenses!


    Anyway, the cash for the cooking oil and salt was nothing to her.


    Yet Xie Heng still insisted.


    Zhao Chuchu had to ept the money. She said, ¡°Well, let¡¯s eat first. You¡¯re not hungry, but I am. ¡±


    She served Xie Heng a bowl of congee.


    Compared with how the two brothers slowly ate their food, Zhao Chuchu¡¯s eating speed could be called a whirlwind.


    She was used to eating like that and couldn¡¯t slow down.


    Zhao Chuchu had finished her food by the time Xie Heng and Xie Jun ate half their congee.


    Xie Jun took a while to say, ¡°Sister-inw, why do you eat so fast?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m full,¡± Zhao Chuchu said without batting an eyelid. ¡°Enjoy your meal.¡±


    Then she got up and left.


    Although Zhao Chuchu had the memories of her body¡¯s original owner and was already familiar with the Xie family, she still looked around the house herself.


    It was a survival instinct!


    After checking the house, Zhao Chuchu felt its tiles needed to be removed, and the yard should be walled up with earth. Most importantly, the door had to be reced.


    Detoxifying Xie Jun would be a long process, and she had to live here for at least another six months.


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t like her territory to be invaded, even temporarily.


    Zhao Chuchu went back into the house and said, ¡°Da Lang, let¡¯s find someone to repair the house after the weather gets better in a few days, shall we?¡±


    It felt too intimate for her to call Xie Heng A-Heng, my husband, or honey. She couldn¡¯t do it when she was not acting. Xie Da Lang was the name the vigers used for Xie Heng before he became a schr. It was because he was the eldest child of the Xie family.


    ¡°I want to build a brick wall to prevent any more petty thieves from entering the house.¡±


    ¡°Well, you call the shots,¡± Xie Heng said with a nod.


    Zhao Chuchu felt quite odd. The Xie family had sold almost all theirnd to treat Xie Jun¡¯s illness, and Xie Heng had pretended to be blind for many years. So where did they get the money?


    It seemed that Xie Heng was not poor!


    However, Zhao Chuchu was not that curious about the situation. She did not ask any more questions.


    ¡°Just tell me whatever you want to buy,¡± Xie Heng said again. ¡°The money is buried under the bed in my room. You can get it if you need it.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu felt that Xie Heng¡¯s trust in her seemed to arrive too soon.


    Wasn¡¯t he afraid that she would take his money and run away?


    After eating, Xie Heng asked Xie Jun to lead him to the vige chief¡¯s house.


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t go with them. She went to dig up Xie Heng¡¯s secret money.


    Looking at the more than 100 copper coins in the earthen pot, Zhao Chuchu fell into deep thought. No wonder Xie Heng was so relieved. If not for that piece of silver, they wouldn¡¯t have made it out of Yuanjiang County.


    He was treacherous.


    Zhao Chuchu weighed thest piece of silver and did not know why Xie Heng was confident to let her make the decision!


    Zhao Chuchu reburied the earthen pot. She didn¡¯t want to spend the poor brothers¡¯st possessions.


    All she had managed to stockpile before she transmigrated were supplies, not a hard currency like gold or silver. The silver they gave her after the gue was put down didn¡¯t make her feel safe!


    She had to start nning to save some money before leaving Lengshui Vige.


    Yuanjiang County had suffered from the gue. Its vitality was severely damaged. It was challenging to make a lot of money in business.


    She had to think of something else.


    Like farming!

 Chapter 29

    Who Should I Speak to if There Is a Shortage?


    All nts in theirst phase of life would mutate, so Zhao Chuchu stocked up on a variety of high-yielding crop seeds. They were gically engineered by scientists to grow on their own and had no side effects on humans when consumed.


    Although techniques were needed to cultivate the seeds, it was better than letting Zhao Chuchu conduct cross-breeding herself. She was, after all, an amateur.


    Moreover, even if the seeds did not produce the best yield, their mediocre performance would still be better than a harvest of 300 to 400 jin per mu!


    Zhao Chuchu contemted this as she looked out at the barren mountains.


    She also had a basic understanding of the Wei Dynasty from her stay of 20-odd days.


    The imperial court did not collect taxes for the first three years of reiming the wastnd.


    Labor was very cheap during this dynasty. If given the chance to help reim the wastnd for 20 coppers a day, many people would fight to do it.


    Zhao Chuchu held the purse given to her by Lin Xiang, with its silver note containing 300 taels of silver. She formed a preliminary n.


    Just then, Xie Heng and his brother returned. They only took less than half an hour.


    ¡°Sister-inw, it is a pity you did not see how good my brother was,¡± said Xie Jun, beaming.


    Zhao Chuchu responded with augh, ¡°How good was he? Tell me.¡±


    Xie Jun said, ¡°The vige chief said that we are all from the same vige and everyone is poor. We see each other all the time. Things have moved on, and we should not make things worse, h, h, h... Then my brother said that he could only ask Official Li to testify at the governing bureau of the county to make a clear argument.


    ¡°The vige chief looked terrible at the time. He wanted to get angry, but he didn¡¯t dare. Eventually, he went with someone to collect the grain with a sullen face. He said that the grain would be delivered to uster. They also warned my brother not to go too far and not to ever ask them for anything again!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu nced at Xie Heng, who looked calm. ¡°What happened next?¡± she asked Xie Jun.


    ¡°My brother said that if that were the case, he would take back all thend under his name! When they heard that, their attitudes changed immediately. They tried to make all kinds of amends. Hahaha, I am so amused.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu nced at Xie Heng again.


    The imperial court imposed heavy taxes on its citizens. However, those who had achieved great things could receive tax exemptions for a certain percentage of theirnds.


    The Xie familynd had been sold long ago, with many people in the vige iming ownership and listing thend under Xie Heng¡¯s name to evade taxes. They gave him one-third of the tax to be paid as a benefit.


    They depended on this all their lives!


    ¡°They will make up for the grain and silver by the end of the day,¡± Xie Heng said to Zhao Chuchu. ¡°It should be enough to overhaul the house.¡±


    ¡°Da Lang, you seem like a nice guy.¡± Zhao Chuchu smiled. ¡°Why did you have to offend them?¡±


    ¡°Because I saw the hope,¡± Xie Heng responded inexplicably. Then he got up and slowly retreated to the room.


    Zhao Chuchu thought Xie Heng was weird.


    As expected, the vige chief Niu Tongsheng collected debts the vigers wanted to repudiate and came over two hourster.


    Without seeing Xie Heng, Niu Tongsheng naturally did not look kindly upon Zhao Chuchu. He threw the purse containing the broken silver to her and asked someone to put the things in the yard. He then turned around and left.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Zhao Chuchu called out to them. ¡°I haven¡¯t counted everything yet. If you guys leave, where should I go to settle the ount if there is a shortage?¡±


    Niu Tongsheng said sullenly, ¡°Zhao Chuchu, don¡¯t push your luck. Remember, this is Lengshui Vige, and I am the vige chief!¡±


    ¡°So what? I¡¯m not supposed to count these things?¡±


    ¡°Bitch, are you done yet? The grain you desperately asked for has been provided. What? Do you want us to cook it for you and feed you?¡± a n member swore.


    Snap!


    Zhao Chuchu pped his face, making him turn in circles. ¡°What did you call me?¡±

 Chapter 30

    Do You Have to Go This Far?


    ¡°You ingrate! I gave you face, did I not?¡± Zhao Chuchu sneered. ¡°Those who have died once are not afraid to fight with you. If youin to me once more, I¡¯ll go up the mountain and grab a handful of Gelsemium elegans to kill you all, believe it or not!¡±


    As soon as she said that, Niu Tongsheng subconsciously retreated.


    The murderous intent on Zhao Chuchu¡¯s face startled Xie Heng, who stood at the door.


    It was a kind of cruelty that she could use on anyone at any time!


    The member of the Zhao n looked at Zhao Chuchu with his hands over his face and dared not utter another word!


    ¡°Each household owes us two taels of silver. Rice costs 10 cents per jin, so two taels of silver equate to 200 jin of rice. Every family that gives me rice or silver must inform me. I want to count everything bit by bit, and if one thing is missing, I demandpensation twofold. I will tear down the houses of those who try to deny what they owe me!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu gave them a cold nce.


    Everyone, except Niu Tongsheng, went pale.


    Did these people think they could deceive her with their dirty little tricks?


    Zhao Chuchu had no patience for those who wanted to kill her, so she grabbed a hatchet and stood at the dpidated courtyard gate.


    ¡°Vige Chief, sorry to bother you,¡± Zhao Chuchu said, looking at Niu Tongsheng. ¡°If any of you refuse to admit that you are short of my money, all of you will make up for it!¡±


    Niu Tongsheng stared gloomily at Zhao Chuchu with his teeth gritted. ¡°Must you go this far?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Vige Chief, listen to yourself. I am just iming something that belongs to me. Am I wrong? If that¡¯s the case, I can send you to a vige with the gue, and you can catch it again. Then, you won¡¯t owe me anything!¡±


    ¡°You!¡±


    ¡°Vige Chief, first they did not treat me as a human being. They pushed me to the point where I almost lost my life. Should I still thank them with a smile?¡±


    Niu Tongsheng was rendered speechless by Zhao Chuchu¡¯s words.


    ¡°Chuchu, the events of the other day were our fault. But we were scared out of our wits by Zhao Zhizhi before we said those things.¡±


    ¡°We are all from the same vige. Could you forgive us just this once? We promise it won¡¯t happen again.¡±


    ¡°Every family has old people and children. The crops are in short supply now, and we¡¯ll be out of food soon. Would you be so kind as to ask for less?¡±


    The vigers changed their attitudes when they saw that ying hardball was not working with Zhao Chuchu. They pretended to be pitiful, attempting to gain her sympathy.


    Zhao Chuchu changed her expression to appear even more pathetic than the vigers. ¡°No way! My husband is blind, and my brother-inw has to take daily medication,¡± she responded. ¡°We do not own anynd, so we are counting on these payments to save our lives. Why are you still trying topel me to die?¡±


    After witnessing Zhao Chuchu¡¯s tough attitude, none of the vigers dared to owe her anything. They obediently supplied the rice that was in short supply and helped Zhao Chuchu move it into the house.


    None of them dared to stay. They were afraid Zhao Chuchu would chop them down and kill them with her hatchet.


    Niu Tongsheng was thest to leave.


    ¡°Vige Chief, please wait,¡± Zhao Chuchu called out to him.


    Niu Tongsheng looked back at her with a cold expression.


    Zhao Chuchu stepped forward and put two taels of silver in his hand. ¡°Vige Chief, I¡¯m sorry for what happened just now,¡± she said. ¡°As you can see, everybody bullies us because Xie Heng is blind and Xie Jun is sick. I don¡¯t have a choice. If I didn¡¯t do this, we wouldn¡¯t be able to survive.


    ¡°Vige Chief, I have a lot of respect for you. I know that today¡¯s incident has put you in a difficult position. This silver is for your hard work. I hope you will forgive me for being rude just now.¡±


    Standing in front of the king of hell is easy, but smaller devils are harder to confront.


    Zhao Chuchu did not want to badly offend Niu Tongsheng. She was going to need him for a lot of things.


    For example, when it came to buying and sellingnd in the mountains, the vige chief had to step in.

 Chapter 31

    Cannot Afford to Offend Everyone


    Niu Tongsheng was pacified when he saw that Zhao Chuchu was now speaking to him in a more subservient


    tone. Soon, his anger dissipated.


    Likewise, he also did not want to antagonize someone like Zhao Chuchu, who possessed excellent medical skills. He might need her help one day.


    Furthermore, Zhao Chuchu had helped to control the gue. She was now highly regarded by the government authorities and the Weisuo. A tiny vige like Lengshui Vige could no longer push her around.


    Since Zhao Chuchu treated him with such deference, Niu Tongsheng also softened his stance. ¡°s, you are too bad-tempered. I know you are capable but the arm will never be able to twist the thigh. Your ability is limited if you continue to do things alone. Do you think the Zhao family will help you if you need them in the future?¡±


    ¡°Chief, you know very well how the Zhao family has been treating me all this while. I have nothing against Zhao Zhizhi yet she was bent on killing me. She even used me of being an evil spirit and wanted to burn me alive...¡±


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s eyes reddened, and she started to choke back on her tears. She looked sorrowful and dejected.


    ¡°All right, all right, all this is history now.¡±


    ¡°Chief, they will definitely try to drive me away again. You must help me.¡±


    Xie Heng was speechless when he saw how Zhao Chuchu¡¯s face was rigid with distress.


    Niu Tongsheng, however, waspletely taken in by Zhao Chuchu. He thought that Zhao Chuchu was putting up a strong front earlier.


    ¡°Take the silver. Think carefully before you do anything the next time.¡± Niu Tongsheng returned the silver to Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chu Chu, however, refused to ept them. ¡°Chief, you¡¯ve offended these people because of me. Please take them. I could have given you more but I¡¯ve found a way to cure my husband¡¯s eyesight. I need the money to buy the medicine. I can only give you this much as an appreciation of your hard work.¡±


    As soon as he heard that Xie Heng¡¯s eyes could be healed, Niu Tongsheng immediately said, ¡°Then you should keep these silver. Save some silver, Ah Heng¡¯s eyes are very important. Try to cure him quickly so he can take the next Provincial Examination.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got enough money to treat his eyes. Chief, you must ept these silver.¡±


    A blind schr was only exempted from paying tax for hisnd.


    However, a schr who was not blind would have a bright future ahead of him. Niu Tongsheng would be a fool if he offended these people.


    Niu Tongsheng finally epted the silver when he saw how insistent Zhao Chuchu was.


    Since he had epted the money from Zhao Chuchu, Niu Tongsheng had to return the favor. He said, ¡°In the future, look for me if you run into any trouble. As the vige chief, I will not allow anyone to bully your family.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Chief. I know that you are a fair and just vige chief. Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have helped me to get the money back from the vigers.¡±


    ¡°Your house is in such a mess. I¡¯ll ask my wife toe over and help youter. I¡¯ll leave first.¡±


    ¡°Take care, Chief.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu immediately wiped away her tears after sending Niu Tongsheng off.


    Xie Jun was dumbfounded. : ¡°Sister, how did you make your tears fall on demand?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu exined, ¡°Showing weakness at the appropriate time is better than using force. Although your brother is a schr, we are still living in Lengshui Vige. We may need the vige chief¡¯s help next time. We cannot afford to offend everyone here.¡±


    Xie Jun seemed to understand.


    Xie Heng gave a knowing smirk when he heard what Zhao Chuchu said.


    When Zhao Chuchu was walking back to the room, her eyes met Xie Heng¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Sister, can you really cure my brother¡¯s eyes?¡± Xie Jun ran after Zhao Chuchu to ask her. ¡°Does that mean my brother will be able to continue with his studies?¡±


    ¡°I will try but there is no guarantee. I will definitely try my best.¡±


    ¡°Great! Brother, did you hear that?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I did.¡±


    Xie Heng patted Xie Jun¡¯s head affectionately.


    Many things had unexpectedly steered off track and seemed to be moving in an unknown direction...

 Chapter 32

    Thinking It Through


    Niu Tongsheng returned home. His wife, Madam Kong was still ranting away to the other women non-stop.


    Niu Tongsheng frowned and quickly pulled Madam Kong back into the room.


    Bewildered, the other women looked at each other, but they did not dare to say anything.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Madam Kong brushed Niu Tongsheng¡¯s hand off when they were back in their room. ¡°The vige chief was just restrained by a youngd. How disgraceful! Aren¡¯t you afraid of being a joke in the vige? No matter how capable he is, he¡¯s only a... blind man.¡±


    Madam Kong¡¯s voice became soft when he said thest two words. She saw the two pieces of silver that Niu Tongsheng had whipped out.


    Madam Kong snatched the silver from him and bit on them. When she confirmed that they were real, she red at Niu Tongsheng. ¡°You old man. How dare you keep a secret stash of money?¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡± Niu Tongsheng hurriedly covered her mouth. ¡°Stop your nonsense. The Xie family has been forced into a corner. They¡¯re just using me to scare off those ungrateful people.¡±


    ¡°Are these from the Xie family?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Shut your mouth when you see the Xie family next time. Don¡¯t say anything you shouldn¡¯t say. I¡¯m warning you, you¡¯ll regret it big time if you offend them! Chuchu said that she might be able to cure Xie Heng of his blindness.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Why should I lie to you? Try to hang out with Chuchu more if you can. I can tell that this girl is not the same as before.¡±


    ¡°If she¡¯s like what Zhao Zhizhi said, then she¡¯s...¡±


    ¡°Do you think she will save you if she¡¯s an evil spirit? Did you forget who was the one who cured us of the virus? It¡¯s the Zhao family who are at fault. Zhao Zhizhi even wanted to implicate all of us. I suspect that the Zhao family is after Zhao Chuchu¡¯s medical skills. That¡¯s why they are so nasty to her.¡±


    Niu Tongsheng¡¯s face looked grim.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Xie Heng say he taught her how to read and write so she could read the medical book?¡±


    ¡°Do you really believe him? What kind of life did Zhao Chuchu lead before she married Xie Heng? And why was she not able to speak then?¡±


    Madam Kong started to ponder hard when she heard that. Feeling aghast, she started imagining all sorts of possibilities to exin why Zhao Chuchu had be a different person.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, we should get close to Zhao Chuchu. We were almost fooled by Madam Yang.¡± Madam Kong seemed to have understood everything.


    She continued, ¡°Now that the Xie family is having a hard time trying to survive, try to help them whenever you can. Chuchu is now a very important person to the government officials.¡±


    ¡°Then why did you lose your temper at us just now?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because I hadn¡¯t thought it through earlier.¡±


    Madam Kong walked out of the room smiling after keeping the silver and having cleared her thoughts.


    She caught a chicken and went to visit the Xie family personally.


    The womenfolk in the vige were stunned.


    Normally Madam Kong kept a watchful eye on the chickens. When the women were feeding the chickens, they would be reprimanded by Madam Kong if something trivial happened to the animals. Yet now, she was so generous to pay a visit to the Xie family with one of those chickens.


    As Madam Kong was an established authoritative figure in the vige, they did not dare say a word.


    Zhao Chuchu was thinking about building a fence when Madam Kong¡¯s loud voice was heard from outside the house. ¡°Chuchu, are you home?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m here.¡± Madam Kong had already entered the house when Zhao Chuchu stood up.


    She gave the chicken to Zhao Chuchu. ¡°Look at how skinny you look. Come, take this chicken and make some food. Get some nourishment for your body.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu looked at Madam Kong in surprise.


    In the original Zhao Chuchu¡¯s memory, Madam Kong was not only a fierce woman, but she was also very stingy and petty. Now she was being surprisingly generous to give her a whole chicken. It was unbelievable.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right. Thank you Madam Kong.¡±


    ¡°Just take it. You don¡¯t have to be so polite to me. You are our savior. We will remember your kindness. My husband has a bad temper. But sometimes he cannot help it since he¡¯s the vige chief.¡±


    ¡°I understand. I¡¯m very happy that the vige chief helped me this time.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a good girl. Feel free to approach me if you need anything in the future.¡±


    ¡°Oh, speaking of which, I do need your help on something.¡±

 Chapter 33

    Scratch Each Other¡¯s Back


    Madam Kong asked, ¡°What is it? Just tell me.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu did not say anything about building the wall earlier to Niu Tongsheng. She nned to look for him that night to talk to him about it, thinking that he would have a better impression of her after that.


    However, since Madam Kong was here, she thought she might as well let Madam Kong ry the message to her husband.


    ¡°I want to renovate the house. I am wondering if Madam Kong can ask the vige chief to send some trustworthy people to help me? Also, I want to build a wall around the yard. I don¡¯t want people sneaking around my house and stealing my food.¡±


    Madam Kong knew that Madam Yang¡¯s family often stole rice and noodles from the Xie family.


    However, since the Xie family did not say anything about this in public, they also pretended not to know about it.


    ¡°Oh, why didn¡¯t you say so earlier?¡± Madam Kong eximed.


    When Zhao Chuchu heard that, she did not expose Madam Kong.


    Everyone had their self-interests in mind. Now they were only scratching each other¡¯s back.


    ¡°I used to be so scared of the Zhao family in the past. But after falling so seriously ill, I¡¯ve thought it through. If I continue to give in to them, they will bully me even further. I don¡¯t want to put up with their ill-treatment anymore. Madam Kong, as you know, my husband is blind and Junjun is sick. I¡¯m afraid I need the vige chief¡¯s help on this.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take care of this for you. I¡¯ll talk to Chief Niuter. I¡¯ll definitely help you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Madam Kong.¡±


    ¡°Child, don¡¯t worry. Your family now has so much grain in the house. Someone may indeed try to steal them. I¡¯ll take to Chief Niu about this when I get home. This matter shouldn¡¯t be dyed.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll have to trouble you then.¡±


    Zhao Chu Chu went to see Madam Kong off.


    Xie Jun looked at her in adoration.


    ¡°Sister, everyone says that Madam Kong is the fiercest woman in the vige. Why are you not afraid of her?¡±


    ¡°She is a reasonable person. But I am not even afraid of unreasonable people.¡±


    ¡°Sister, can I be as brave as you in the future?¡±


    ¡°When your health improves, you can also be a brave person.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was coaxing Xie Jun patiently.


    She would always be tolerant and understanding toward a well-behaved child.


    She then whipped out two milk candies that had their wrappers peeled off like she was performing a magic trick. She handed them to Junjun. ¡°I¡¯m giving you these candies as a reward.¡±


    ¡°Do they taste sweet?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Xie Jun took them and gave one to Zhao Chuchu. ¡°Sister, eat this.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was about to refuse it when she saw Xie Jun¡¯s expectant look. Finally, she opened her mouth and bit it.


    Xie Jun took the other candy and gave it to Xie Heng: ¡°Brother, Sister gave this to me. But I have a toothache. The doctor said I can¡¯t eat candy if I have a toothache.¡±


    Xie Heng saw for himself what had happened. He was very happy to see how sensible Xie Jun was.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want it, Junjun, keep it for yourself.¡±


    ¡°But I have a toothache. Can you eat it for me?¡¯


    Xie Heng saw that he was obviously longing to eat the candy. Yet he was so sensible to give it up for him.


    Xie Heng took a bite of the candy, and its milky scent filled the room. He was surprised to find that it was not overly sweet. It did not taste like any candy that he had eaten in the past.


    Xie Jun then ate the remaining candy himself.


    His eyes lit up instantly. ¡°Brother, this candy that Sister gave me tastes so good.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s delicious.¡±


    Even he had not eaten this candy before.


    He wondered where Zhao Chuchu bought the candy from.


    When they were away those two weeks, Zhao Chuchu was rarely out of his sight.


    ¡°This candy has a very special taste.¡± Xie Heng told Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu smiled as she whispered in his ear, ¡°I made it myself when I was cooking this afternoon. But it¡¯s a pity that it¡¯s not too sessful. I only managed to make two.¡±


    Xie Heng gave up trying to figure out how Zhao Chuchu got hold of the candy.


    The two of them were standing so close to each other that it made Xie Heng feel ufortable.


    He leaned back slightly so he was a little further away from Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu noticed that Xie Heng¡¯s ears had turned red. She could not help but smile.

 Chapter 34

    Who Are You?


    Zhao Chuchu decided not to tease Xie Heng anymore.


    She sent Xie Jun out, saying, ¡°Junjun, why don¡¯t you go to the Chen family to look for their son to y with you?¡±


    Xie Jun nodded and obediently went out.


    Zhao Chuchu started discussing serious matters with Xie Heng. ¡°I don¡¯t have much silver on hand. I can¡¯t buy the medicine from the pharmacy to treat Junjun. I n to go to the mountains in two days to get them.¡±


    ¡°There are many dangerous animals in the mountains. It¡¯s not safe for a girl like you to go there alone. If you can¡¯t get it in Yuanjiang, get someone to buy it in Guangqing Province. Once I regain my sight, you won¡¯t have to worry about money anymore.¡± Xie Heng refused to let Zhao Chuchu go into the mountains.


    ¡°Do you know how expensive the herb costs? One mace of the herb can cost a few hundred pieces of silver. We need at least seven to eight maces. That will cost a few thousand pieces of silver.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu paused before continuing, ¡°I have seen your family¡¯s ounts. There is only one piece of silver and a few hundred cents. Even if you could earn money from writing books, how long do you think you can write before we get so much money?¡±


    Xie Heng was silent.


    ¡°Da Lang, I don¡¯t want to say too much. I am now asking you a very pragmatic question. If I really buy these expensive herbs to treat Junjun¡¯s illness, don¡¯t you think it will alert the vigers? Do you think you can protect yourself then?¡±


    When Xie Heng heard them, he suddenly looked wary.


    He gave Zhao Chuchu a piercing look as though he wanted to see through her. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu stretched out her hand to cover his eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t like you to look at me this way. Otherwise, I won¡¯t be able to control myself and will gouge your eyes out. Da Lang, trust is mutual.¡±


    Xie Heng removed her hand from his eyes and said icily, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu did not know what to say. ¡°Although I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve been through in the past, I am someone who will do what she says. I¡¯ve already said all that I want to say. If you insist that I go and buy the medicine from the pharmacy and cause rm to everyone, don¡¯t me me if there is troubleter.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu then muttered again, ¡°Besides, if not for the divorce letter and my identification letter, do you think I¡¯ll stay here and make things difficult for myself?¡±


    If it were in the modern days when she could go around as she pleased with her identification card, she would have left this ce long ago.


    Xie Heng looked intently at Zhao Chuchu.


    Rolling her eyes at Xie Heng, Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°You looked quite frightening like this, but you can¡¯t scare me. Xie Heng, if you don¡¯t trust me, just give me the divorce letter and help me get an identification letter. I¡¯ll leave immediately. I won¡¯t see you again in this lifetime.¡±


    Xie Heng then lowered his eye. ¡°Sorry, I...¡±


    ¡°Chuchu!¡± Someone shouted from outside and interrupted Xie Heng.


    Zhao Chuchu regained herposure and walked out of the house.


    It was Niu Tongsheng.


    ¡°I heard from my wife that you want to renovate the house and build a wall.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Chief Niu, can you help me find someone to do it? I do not know anything about such things. Can you help me check also how much they will cost?¡±


    ¡°Okay. My son can help you with the repairs and the tiling. As for the wall, it depends on how high you want to build it. Do you need to fix the door as well? I can then work out the cost.¡±


    ¡°I need a wall that is five feet tall.¡±


    A wall of 160 meters was good enough. Zhao Chuchu figured that they could ce thorns on the wall so the vigers would not be able to climb over it.


    Niu Tongsheng did some calctions and said, ¡°If you include the bricks, the door, and thebor, it should cost about 20 pieces of silver. But if you build an earthen wall instead, you can save some money.¡±


    ¡°I want a brick wall.¡±


    An earthen wall would be too unstable.


    Soon after, Zhao Chuchu began to put on an act. ¡°Chief Niu, I don¡¯t have enough silver to pay for these. Can you help me find someone to build it first? I¡¯ll pay for the bricks up front, but can I pay for theborter?¡±

 Chapter 35

    Will Never Let Her Off


    Zhao Chuchu let out a deep sigh. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t because I wanted my husband¡¯s eyes to recover quickly, I wouldn¡¯t need to put you in such a spot. But don¡¯t worry, the magistrate said that the imperial court will reward me for my prescription since it¡¯s been proven effective. I will definitely be able to pay for thebor costs.¡±


    Niu Tongsheng said, ¡°In that case, you can pay for thebor costster. I will speak to the workers. But Chuchu, it¡¯s been a difficult time for all of us. Try to pay thebor costs earlier.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Chief Niu. I will think of a way to earn some money.¡± Zhao Chuchu nodded.


    Niu Tongsheng then asked Zhao Chuchu about the details of what she required for the renovation. After rifying her specifications, he left the house.


    It had been a long day. Finally, it was evening time.


    News that the Xie family wanted to build a wall around the yard had spread through the entire vige.


    When Niu Tongsheng went to look for people to help Zhao Chuchu, many of the vigers were still sore about having to pay Zhao Chuchu silver. More than 70 percent of the vigers refused to let their male family members help the Xie family.


    In addition, the majority of the people in Lengshui Vige belonged to the Zhao family. Niu Tongsheng was the only one in the vige who was literate. That was why he became the vige chief.


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu has nothing to do with our Zhao family. Forget about getting us to help!¡±


    ¡°Chief Niu, get Zhao Chuchu toe to the ancestral hall of the Zhao family. Tell her to kneel and apologize to us. We¡¯ll then consider helping her.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t she very powerful? Why did she have to ask you to beg us? Has she finally remembered us? Tell her to return all the grains and money she took from the Zhao family. Otherwise, forget about it!¡±


    Not only did the Zhao family refuse to help, but they also made all kinds of unreasonable demands.


    Niu Tongsheng¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Shut up, all of you. Help if you wish. Forget it if you¡¯re not willing to help. Don¡¯t think the wall cannot be built without your help.¡±


    Madam Ma gave Madam Yang a knowing look. They had the same thought, ¡°The wall must never be built.¡±


    Otherwise, it would not be convenient for them to steal the Xie family¡¯s grains.


    Madam Yang was the first to speak up. ¡°The wall cannot be built. Two days ago, I consulted a fortune teller. She said that nothing should be moved within the vige. Otherwise, it may anger the gods, and the gue will return.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s true. Why should I lie to you? It¡¯s the fortune-teller from Gao Vige, south of our vige. You can go and check with her if you don¡¯t believe me.¡±


    ¡°That fortune-teller is always spot on in her predictions. We¡¯ve managed to control the gue after so much difficulty. We cannot allow another gue to strike us. Otherwise, Zhao Chuchu will empty all our bank ounts.¡±


    ¡°Oh, now I see. I was wondering why Zhao Chuchu wanted to build a wall all of a sudden. So it¡¯s her intention to cause us further harm.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t let Zhao Chuchu build the wall. Chief Niu, you cannot endanger our lives.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. if Zhao Chuchu dares to build the wall, I¡¯ll die in front of her. I won¡¯t let her off even if I turn into a ghost.¡±


    At Madam Yang¡¯s instigation, the other vigers started protesting.


    Niu Tongsheng was so angry that he took a few steps back.


    Old Mrs. Chen retorted angrily, ¡°What a load of rubbish! Zhao Chuchu¡¯s prescription had saved us from the virus. If the fortune-teller is so capable, why did she almost die too? She recovered only after taking Chuchu¡¯s medicine. She had not been telling fortunes recently, how did you manage to consult her?¡±


    Madam Yang did not expect Old Mrs. Chen to shoot down her suggestion. cing on hand on her hip, she pointed at Old Mrs. Chen with the other finger and scolded, ¡°Who doesn¡¯t know that you¡¯ve been sucking up to the Xie family recently? What are you trying to do? Are you going to let your granddaughter marry Xie Heng so she can share a husband with Zhao Chuchu?¡±


    Old Mrs. Chen was almost consumed with rage. ¡°Old b*tch, I will tear you to pieces today!¡±


    By the time Zhao Chuchu arrived, she saw Old Mrs. Chen and Madam Yang fighting.

 Chapter 36

    What a Lame Excuse


    The people who seemed to be trying to break the fight were actually taking sides. Old Mrs. Chen was being grabbed and pushed around.


    The men simply stood at one side and look on with interest.


    Some of the vigers took the opportunity to beat up Old Mrs. Chen¡¯s two daughters-inw as well. They both looked very miserable.


    Zhao Chuchu strode up to the group. She tugged and pulled them out one by one.


    Soon, she pulled Olddy Chen out of the group of women.


    The olddy¡¯s hair was a mess. Her face, neck, and hands were covered with bruises.


    Madam Yang did not look any better.


    ¡°Old bitch, I¡¯ll kill you today!¡± Madam Yang yelled at Old Mrs. Chen.


    Zhao Chuchu gave her a cold smile. ¡°I dare you to do that.¡±


    When Madam Ma saw Zhao Chuchu, she felt pain all over her body and instinctively hid behind Madam Yang.


    At that instant, Madam Yang felt a sh of irritation. She rebuked Madam Ma harshly, ¡°Useless fool. How dare you hide behind your mother-inw? Are you going to make your mother-inw die in your ce? What a jinx!¡±


    Madam Ma did not dare utter a single word.


    Niu Tongsheng hollered, ¡°Shut up! Madam Yang, I will get someone to beat you up if you use force again. Mister Zhao, control your wife. What kind of behavior is that?¡±


    Mister Zhao Tou said in a low, muffled voice, ¡°Darling, stop fighting.¡±


    ¡°Get lost!¡± Madam Yang rebuked her husband.


    Mister Zhao cowered away and did not say anything further.


    Zhao Chuchu asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡±


    Old Mrs. Chen spoke up as she fixed her hair. ¡°Your grandmother said that the gue will return if you build a wall. She told the others not to allow you to build the wall. I argued with her, and she started to hit me.¡±


    Niu Tongsheng added, ¡°Chuchu, I will help you get the workers. Don¡¯t bother with these ignorant women.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu let out augh as she looked at Madam Yang. ¡°You¡¯re saying that I want to build a wall so the gue will return? Does that mean that you were infected with the virus because I don¡¯t have a wall around my yard? If that¡¯s the case, then you should tear down the wall at your house!¡±


    She then continued, ¡°Oh, and you, you, you... all your walls should be torn down too. Otherwise, you¡¯ll be the cause of the gue at Lengshui Vige. I will get the fortune-teller to burn joss papers to our ancestors and tell them that all of you have little regard for human lives. You are all animals!¡±


    In ancient times, people believed in ghosts and gods, especially the spirits of their dead ancestors.


    Otherwise, they were afraid that they could not be buried in their ancestral graves after they passed on.


    The people who had agreed with Madam Yang started to feel anxious.


    ¡°What nonsense are you saying? What does this have to do with us?¡±


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu, don¡¯t talk nonsense. We didn¡¯t say anything.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all Madam Yang¡¯s fault. She¡¯s the one who¡¯s telling tales. We did not say you did anything.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s gaze fell on Madam Yang. ¡°Is that so? Have I been too respectful to you?¡±


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu, I¡¯m your grandmother!¡±


    ¡°What kind of grandmother is that? You call yourself my grandmother when youe to my house to steal my grains every day? That¡¯s a thief. How will my n to build a wall cause the gue to return to the vige? You just don¡¯t want me to build a wall around my yard so you cane and steal from me. Just spit it out. Don¡¯t you find your reasonughable?¡±


    ¡°How can you use me of such a thing?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we go and see the official together? How much grains have the Zhao family stolen from us? I need to check thoroughly. Oh, other than grains, there¡¯s also oil, salt, sauce, and vinegar. I wonder how the magistrate will pass the judgment.¡±


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu, you are making a mountain out of a molehill. I am your elder. It¡¯s only right that you show your respect to me with...¡±


    Madam Yang suddenly stopped talking. ¡®


    Zhao Chuchu was holding a knife in her hand. It was pressed against Madam Yang¡¯s throat.


    Madam Yang screamed as the cold de touched her skin. ¡°Ah¡ª¡°

 Chapter 37

    What Right Do You Have?


    Zhao Chuchu said calmly, ¡°Give a detailed list of what you have taken over the past year. Also, I¡¯m a timid person. You may scare me if you shout again. If my hand trembles, this dagger may pierce your throat by ident. I don¡¯t know if I can save you then.¡±


    Madam Yang¡¯s voice went hoarse. ¡°Don¡¯t kill me...¡±


    ¡°Have you forgotten what I just said? Just tell me what you have taken.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. I didn¡¯t take anything.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s strange. Is it possible that our family¡¯s rice, flour, oil, and salt sprouted legs and ran off by themselves?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu smiled menacingly as she inched closer to Madam Yang. She whispered, ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me, I will slit your throat in slow motion. Over time, you will bleed to death. Do you want to give it a try?¡±


    Madam Yang was scared stiff and pushed Madam Ma out to the front. ¡°It¡¯s all Madam Ma¡¯s fault. It has nothing to do with me! She¡¯s the one who said your family had rice and flour. She slipped into your house when no one was around and took those stuff home. I never took them.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Zhao Chuchu looked to look at Madam Ma.


    Madam Ma¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°I-I didn¡¯t...¡±


    ¡°Madam Ma, admit it if you¡¯re in the wrong. Aren¡¯t you afraid of punishment from the gods if you let your mother-inw take the me for you?¡± Madam Yang was furious. She wished she could trade ces with Madam Ma now.


    Once again, the Zhao family members went numb with fear at Zhao Chuchu¡¯s viciousness.


    Zhao Chuchu turned to Niu Tongsheng and asked, ¡°Chief Niu, what is the punishment for stealing?¡±


    It was only then that Niu Tongsheng realized why Zhao Chuchu made a big fuss about building a wall.


    She wanted to make Madam Yang and her family return all the things they had stolen from her.


    Otherwise, why would she bother to blow up the matter?


    ¡°ording to the vige rules, we need to bring this case to the court. However, if word about this gets out, the sons and daughters of Mister Zhao¡¯s family would not be able to marry.¡± Niu Tongsheng turned to look at Mister Zhao. ¡°You are the head of the family. Tell us, how do you intend to deal with this?¡±


    Mister Zhao immediately looked at Madam Yang.


    He was a coward by his own admission. Madam Yang always decided on everything. He did not know what he should do now.


    Madam Yang cried out loud, ¡°Let Madam Ma pay for it! Madam Ma, how much have you stolen? Pay them back. Otherwise, I¡¯ll get my son to divorce you!¡±


    Zhao Baogen hurriedly said, ¡°Mom, I...¡±


    ¡°Shut up, you unfilial child!¡±


    ¡°It was you who asked me to steal them. All of us reaped the benefits. Why should I bear the brunt of it alone?¡±


    There was an air of defiance in Madam Ma¡¯s voice.


    Niu Tongsheng found himself in a difficult predicament.


    Zhao Chuchu let out a soft chuckle. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to pay for them. We can all go to court. You have the cheek to steal from a schr. Are you tired of living?¡±


    Mister Zhao finally spoke up. ¡°Chuchu, we are all family. Let¡¯s forget about the whole matter. At most, we won¡¯t ask you for anything in the future. You are my granddaughter. Isn¡¯t it right to show some respect for your grandfather?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu retorted, ¡°When my parents died, you took away everything that belonged to them. When I got married, all of you chased me out of the house. You even announced publicly to the entire vige that you were severing all ties with me. Now, what right do you have to make me respect you?¡±


    She continued, ¡°My parents were willing to risk their lives for you. But what have you done? You ill-treated the only family member they have left in this world. You have never treated me as a human. What right do you have now to ask me to be filial to you? A benevolent father breeds a filial child. I¡¯m not afraid of going to court to sue you. I will fight you to the end. Do you think a person who was dead once will be afraid to die? Shall I drag you to hell with me?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu sounded so heartless that a cold shudder ran through Mister Zhao.


    ¡°The word filial piety doesn¡¯t intimidate me. No one knows if there will be another round of gue. I cannot tell for sure if the imperial court will kill me because of you. I dare all of you.¡±

 Chapter 38

    Take My Life if You Wish


    Everyone was taken aback by what she said.


    Niu Tongsheng tried to intervene. ¡°Chuchu, we are all from the same vige. Let¡¯s be bighearted. We¡¯ll let this matter rest after they return the stuff to you.¡±


    ¡°Chief Niu, I was thinking of doing that too. But these people are pushing me to a corner. As soon as they stop harassing me, I will consider letting them off.¡±


    Zhao Baogen stared hard at Zhao Chuchu. ¡°You are such a vicious woman. Aren¡¯t you afraid of retribution?¡±


    ¡°If there¡¯s really such a thing as retribution, then my parents in heaven will know how you¡¯ve been treating me. They will kill you for sure in the middle of the night!¡±


    ¡°You...¡±


    ¡°Cut the crap here. You should do your sums now and let me know how much stuff you¡¯ve taken from my family.¡±


    Madam Yang had frozen with terror, conscious of the dagger pressing on her neck. ¡°Madam Ma, quick, return all that you have taken from her.¡±


    Everyone looked at Madam Ma, who was also petrified with fear.


    ¡°Wait a minute. You don¡¯t decide how much you should return to me. The first time, you took ten catties of grain, a catty ofmon salt, and a bowl of rice. The second time...¡±


    Zhao Chuchu made up a whole list of items solemnly. The numbers were all exaggerated.


    The vigers were astounded by the list. It amounted to around 500 to 600 catties of grain, 200 catties of flour, and 40 to 50 catties of salt and sauce. They wondered how much silver would it cost the Zhao family to pay Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°Nonsense. We didn¡¯t take so much!¡± Madam Yang started to feel jittery. If they had to pay Zhao Chuchu ording to her list, it would cost them at least 20 pieces of silver.


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu, you know very well what the conditions of the Xie family are like. Don¡¯t try to con us. I¡¯m warning you, don¡¯t dream of getting a single cent from me, unless I¡¯m dead. I¡¯m giving you eight pieces of silver. Take it or leave it!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu raised her eyebrows, thinking, ¡°Wow, Madam Yang is a tough nut to crack!¡±


    The truth was, Xie Heng had not allowed the Zhao family to take things freely from his house.


    He figured that the things they had taken cost eight pieces of silver at most. So the Zhao family did remember how much they had taken from his house.


    Unwilling to antagonize the Zhao family, Niu Tongsheng tried to persuade Zhao Chuchu to ept their payment. ¡°Since they are willing to pay eight pieces of silver, Chuchu, just take it. Forget about this matter after that.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu went along with him. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll listen to Chief Niu this time. I won¡¯t let you off so easily the next time. Give me the money quickly. I don¡¯t want to waste any more time on you.¡±


    Madam Yang snapped at Madam Ma. ¡°Madam Ma, what are you waiting for? Go and get the money now!¡±


    Madam Ma was on the verge of tears. ¡°I don¡¯t have any money. All the silver earned by our household has been turned over to the central fund. Where can I find the money to pay her?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s your problem. If anything happens to me, you can crawl back to your parents¡¯ house.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like we are the ones who took all the stuff. The money should be paid from the central fund.¡±


    Madam Yang¡¯s second daughter-inw shot back angrily. ¡°You are the one who stole the stuff. Why should we pay from the central fund? You should pay for it yourself since you are the thief. Do you think our money dropped from the sky?¡±


    ¡°You...¡± Madam Ma was breathless with anger.


    Zhao Baogen¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Mom, do you intend to let my household pay for everything? Are you not taking any money from the central fund to pay for it?¡±


    ¡°Do you want to take our money to help that greedy wife of yours?¡± Madam Yang was choking with rage but she did not dare to move too much, afraid that the dagger would pierce into her throat.


    ¡°Those things were not meant for only our household. There is no money. Take my life if you wish.¡± Zhao Baogen refused to back down.


    Zhao Chuchu said nonchntly, ¡°What kind of act are you putting up here? You don¡¯t wish to pay? All right then. Let¡¯s go to the court. I¡¯ll y with you til the end.¡±

 Chapter 39

    I Cannot Be Saved


    Madam Yang¡¯s life was in Zhao Chuchu¡¯s hands.


    She had full confidence that Zhao Chuchu would not bat an eyebrow if she wanted to kill someone.


    Since Madam Ma had refused toe up with the money, she could only ask Mister Zhao to get the eight pieces of silver to pay Zhao Chuchu to save her own skin.


    Zhao Chuchu found a scale and measured the silver. It was exactly eight pieces.


    Finally, she put down the dagger and released Madam Yang.


    Madam Yang immediately ran behind Mister Zhao and red angrily at Zhao Chuchu. She started ranting and raving but stopped immediately when she saw Zhao Chuchu¡¯s smug look.


    Zhao Chuchu looked around at the vigers. ¡°In the future, if anyone dares to bully the Xie family, you can check out whether your throat is hardier or my dagger is sharper. Stop ying tricks with me!¡±


    The crowd was silent.


    In the beginning, the Zhao family had appeared righteous and had berated Zhao Chuchu for being unfilial. Now, they could only shrink back in fear.


    The Zhao Chuchu they knew now had fought hard to survive in modern times. She had saved people but had killed even more people.


    The ruthlessness and murderous intent in her were awakened when she crawled out from hell. No ordinary man would be able to fight her indomitable spirit.


    Zhao Chuchu saw that most of the vigers had left. There were only a handful of them who were grateful to her, such as the Chen family.


    Old Mrs. Chen said, ¡°Chuchu, don¡¯t you worry. The few of us here can help you with building the wall. It¡¯s not time for the spring harvest yet. If we get to work quickly, we should be able to build the wall before we start harvesting in spring.¡±


    ¡°My sons can help.¡±


    ¡°And us too.¡±


    ¡°We will join in too.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu smiled gratefully at them. ¡°Thank you, everyone. I won¡¯t let you work for free. I will pay you for helping me build the wall.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re fellow vigers. Why talk about money?¡±


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for your cure, we would have been dead now. We won¡¯t even be here talking to you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all settled then. Chief Niu, just give us a shout, and we can start work. It¡¯s only a wall. We can get it up in a few days.¡±


    The people who stayed behind kept talking and did not give Zhao Chuchu a chance to interject. They soon left when their discussion ended.


    Zhao Chuchu could not get in a word at all.


    As for those who had left earlier, theymented sarcastically after taking a few steps. ¡°Someone thinks she¡¯s a divine doctor just because she got lucky and chanced upon the prescription.¡± They remained indignant that Zhao Chuchu had gotten the upper hand.


    ¡°The biggest joke is that some people still insist on sucking up to her. Don¡¯t they find their behavior disgusting?¡±


    ¡°Anyway, it has nothing to do with us. We¡¯ll just wait and see what those brown nosers can benefit from this. Let¡¯s see if she can save them when they are really dying.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was not offended when she heard their snide remarks. Instead, she smiled brightly at them. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If anyone is dying in your family, I won¡¯t save them.¡±


    ¡°You!¡±


    The vigers were smoking with anger.


    Zhao Chuchu walked away nonchntly, leaving them immobilized in their fury.


    Back at Xie Heng¡¯s house, Zhao Chuchu handed all the silver she collected earlier to Xie Heng. ¡°These are for the stuff stolen by the Zhao family.¡±


    ¡°Silver?¡±


    ¡°Well, I made them cough out the money. Take them.¡±


    ¡°Since you are the one who got them to pay you back, you should keep them. You don¡¯t have to give them to me.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu nced at Xie Heng. On seeing that he was not being polite, she kept the money.


    ¡°All right then. I¡¯ll give it to Chief Niu to pay for the wall.¡±


    ¡°You decide what you want to do with them yourself.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu put the silver away and went into the kitchen.


    Zhao Chuchu let out a sigh when she thought of the cooking she had to do. She was not a good cook, and her head would throb whenever she saw the stove.

 Chapter 40

    The Food Was Delicious


    However, Zhao Chuchu knew very well that her culinary skills werecking. The food she had stored in the space was mainly processed food.


    They included buns, dumplings, roast duck, and grilled chicken. They were in the exact form as when she ced them in the space.


    If she had to cook for herself, she was certain she would be poisoned by her own cooking.


    Zhao Chuchu could never forget how she ended up in hospital on the few asions that she had cooked for herself.


    Indeed, the heavens opened most doors for people. Somehow there would be doors that remained forever closed to some people. They could never be pried open no matter how hard they tried.


    Zhao Chuchu closed the kitchen door and looked at the food in the space.


    She was troubled that she could not take any of them out for the Xie brothers.


    After all, they had nothing to begin with. She would not be able to exin where she got the food from.


    Zhao Chu Chu shut herself in the kitchen for more than an hour. Finally, she took out the egg and leek buns which were pre-made. She brought them out to the dining table.


    Xie Jun was already home and was studying with Xie Heng.


    Xie Heng was teaching him to read the ¡°Thousand Character ssic¡±.


    As soon as he saw the white, fluffy buns, Xie Jun forgot how to recite the prose and swallowed hard.


    Zhao Chuchu called out to the brothers. ¡°Dinner is ready. It¡¯s just a simple meal of buns today.¡±


    The look of surprise on Xie Heng¡¯s face faded quickly.


    Xie Jun ran to the table merrily. ¡°Sister, the buns smell so good.¡±


    ¡°Really? Quick, go and wash your hands.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Xie Jun ran out of the house to wash his hands.


    Xie Heng looked at Zhao Chuchu, confused. ¡°You made the buns?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu replied in a low voice, ¡°Do you think the buns will appear from nowhere if I didn¡¯t make them? It¡¯s good enough that we have these to eat. Don¡¯t be picky.¡±


    Xie Jun shouted from outside, ¡°Brother, I¡¯ll bring the basin of water over so you can wash your hands.¡± Shortly after, he came into the house with a basin of water.


    He went out again to pour the water away after Xie Heng had washed his hands. He then sat at the table, waiting patiently for Zhao Chuchu to hand him the buns.


    Zhao Chuchu gave Xie Jun three buns. ¡°Take more after you finish these.¡±


    Xie Jun nodded. ¡°Thank you, Sister.¡± His eyes sparkled as he took a bite of the bun. ¡°Sister, the buns taste so good. They¡¯re delicious!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu felt a little guilty. ¡°Take more if you like them so much.¡±


    Xie Heng stole a nce at Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu soon noticed that he was observing her. She quickly stuffed a bun in his hand. ¡°Da Lang, have some too.¡±


    It was the first time Xie Jun had eaten such a bun. Not caring about his etiquette, he gobbled them down quickly.


    Deep in thought, Xie Heng ate them very slowly.


    Xie Jun had eaten five buns. If Zhao Chuchu had not stopped him, he would have taken more.


    Zhao Chuchu said sternly, ¡°Don¡¯t eat so many. You will get a stomachache. We can eat them for breakfast tomorrow.¡±


    Xie Jun looked pitifully at Zhao Chuchu. ¡°Can I take one more?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Junjun!¡±


    When Xie Jun heard Xie Heng, he stopped asking for more immediately.


    At night, after Xie Jun had fallen asleep, Xie Heng went to Zhao Chuchu¡¯s room.


    Xie Heng got straight to the point with her. ¡°You can start treating my eyes tomorrow.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu raised her eyebrows.


    ¡°Your behavior is riddled with loopholes. You¡¯re acting so differently from the real Zhao Chuchu. Not many people eat buns here.¡±


    ¡°Now you are picking on my cooking so much. You seemed to be enjoying them when you were eating just now though.¡±


    Xie Heng tried to find the right words to say. ¡°After I regain my eyesight, I will do all the cooking.¡±


    He did not want to pursue the matter of how Zhao Chuchu managed to get the buns.


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s identity was still a mystery, and he did not want to make her his enemy.


    ¡°Really?¡± Zhao Chuchu looked doubtful. ¡°Don¡¯t the educated people believe that you should stay away from the kitchen?¡±


    Xie Heng hesitated for a moment. ¡°My culinary skills... should be good enough.¡±

 Chapter 41 - 41 You Aren’t Good at Lying

    41 You Aren¡¯t Good at Lying


    Zhao Chuchu looked at Xie Heng from top to bottom. No matter how she looked at him, he didn¡¯t look like the type who would know how to cook.


    She was a servant in the family, to begin with, and was even beaten on a daily basis. After marrying Xie Heng, she did not interact much with him. However, since he was blind, she decided to take on all the housework herself, and because of such circumstances, she didn¡¯t know much about Xie Heng.


    ¡°Nah.¡± Zhao Chuchu shook her head. ¡°Fine. I don¡¯t mind feeding you for the time being. Just eat whatever I make you. At least the food will be edible.¡±


    There was no way she would munch on tasteless food when she had a lot of good food and drinks in the carry-on space.


    It was hard for her to store so much stuff in there, and she did it so she could enjoy them.


    Xie Heng looked at Zhao Chuchu and remained silent.


    She raised a brow. ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, then make your own food. Junjun can eat with me.¡±


    Xie Heng did not reply once again.


    ¡°Can you not make things so hard for me? If you have something to say, then say it.¡±


    ¡°Where do you n to go after bing the family of a pce servant?¡± A hint of emotion shed in the man¡¯s eyes.


    Zhao Chuchu did not notice the abrupt changes in his eyes and thought about it. ¡°Since the world is so big, I want to travel.¡±


    After experiencing the apocalypse, she finally learned how beautiful the world was before that.


    In her new life, she wanted to visit all the beautiful sceneries she could visit so that she didn¡¯t leave her life with regrets.


    ¡°Are you not going home?¡±


    ¡°Home? Nope.¡±


    Life had always been hard. The people you were having a st with one minute ago could be dead the next.


    She always liked the feeling of sess when she managed to save someone on the verge of dying. However, during the apocalypse, no matter how skilled she was as a doctor, she could only watch as her friends and families died while there was nothing she could do. No matter how strong-willed she was, there was no way she wanted to return to a world filled with desperation.


    Xie Heng was stunned for a second.


    Zhao Chuchu looked into his eyes and said, ¡°To be honest, I know about you as much as she does. The only difference is that I can notice a lot of weird things from various hints. I was not your enemy in the past, and I won¡¯t be in the future, either. Xie Heng, you have your secrets, and I have mine. Now, I can leave this vige once we get our divorce. But, I¡¯m someone who keeps her promise. I¡¯ve promised you I¡¯ll cure Junjun, and I intend to keep that promise. I¡¯ve already said what I should. It¡¯s up to you to decide to believe me or not.¡±


    After a moment of silence, Xie Heng took his wallet out.


    ¡°Go buy some white flour tomorrow. We can make buns with glutinous rice flour.¡±


    After giving the wallet to Zhao Chuchu, the man turned and headed outside.


    He suddenly stopped at the door and turned to look at Zhao Chuchu. ¡°Also, you really aren¡¯t good at making excuses,¡± he said with a slight grin.


    He then turned back and left.


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless, as if a teenager mocked her.


    She felt slightly annoyed by that as what she said was the truth, and she didn¡¯t lie.


    Yet, Xie Heng did not give her the chance to exin.


    Zhao Chuchuy down on the bed and thought of something.


    When she got transmigrated over, she remembered seeing Xie Heng feeling nothing at the fact that he was almost burned to death alive.


    It was as if he was tired of living.


    She opened the wallet Xie Heng had given her and found a dozen of silver pieces in there.


    She then thought of what he had said before he left and sighed.


    The next day, Zhao Chuchu woke up early, steamed the leftover buns from the night before, and ate them. She then went to see Xie Heng before putting a bag on her back and headed to the town to buy flour.


    Just about halfway into the journey, she suddenly felt like she was being watched.

 Chapter 42 - 42 Can You Work For Us

    42 Can You Work For Us


    However, Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t feel any ill intentions from the person watching her. She decided to ignore it and continued her journey to the town.


    It wasn¡¯t until she was in the town that the feeling of her being watched went away.


    After walking for a little longer, she finally turned back but couldn¡¯t find anything suspicious.


    Zhao Chuchu decided to ignore that for the time being and headed to the herbal medicine shop.


    As the gue had just gotten under control, few shops had yet opened their doors. The street looked quiet.


    The medicine shop owner was falling asleep when he was interrupted by a knock on the counter.


    He opened his eyes and quickly got up when he noticed it was Zhao Chuchu. With a huge smile on his face, he asked, ¡°Doctor Zhao, what do you need?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu handed the owner a list of herbs she needed and said, ¡°Do you have these herbs?¡±


    The owner nced through the list and replied, ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of these three herbs. Are they known by other names?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu exined what the herbs were and asked, ¡°Can we find these in the city?¡±


    The owner shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve been selling herbs for a long time, and I¡¯ve never heard of such herbs.¡±


    Thedy frowned a little. If she could not purchase the herbs, then she would have no choice but to head into the mountain and look there.


    ¡°Then, can you get me the rest on the list?¡± Zhao Chuchu said as she crossed the three herbs out with a pen on the counter. ¡°I¡¯lle and get themter.¡±


    ¡°Alrighty!¡¯ The owner quickly nodded. There was no way he would ck off when he had a genius doctor like Zhao Chuchu as his customer.


    What people didn¡¯t know was that Zhao Chuchu was very strong. She could easily carry 150 kilograms around with her.


    Since she didn¡¯t want to scare other people with her strength, she only bought 8 kilograms worth of bleached flour from the rice vendor.


    She also thought of buying some pork on her way back, but because she was still pretending to be poor and did not know how to cook, she held herself back.


    When she returned to the herb shop, the owner had already grabbed all the herbs she had asked for and hadid them out on the counter.


    ¡°How much?¡±


    ¡°2 silvers.¡±


    In the end, being healthy was the biggest wealth one could ever ask for.


    Half a kilogram of rice was worth 15 cents, and half a kilogram of bleached flour was 20 cents, but the herbs that were around 1 kilogram in weight had cost her two silvers.


    Zhao Chuchu took out Xie Heng¡¯s wallet and paid the owner. She was about to leave after that when the owner stopped her.


    ¡°Doctor Zhao! Please wait a moment.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu turned to look at the owner.


    ¡°Umm¡­ I have a proposal. Are you willing to work here as a doctor? I¡¯m willing to pay you six silvers a month.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m sure your doctor can already treat most illnesses. Also, I have to cure my husband¡¯s eyes. I don¡¯t have the time toe into town every day.¡±


    The owner was disappointed by the reply.


    After a moment of hesitation, Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°But, if you ever encounter something hard for your doctor to deal with, you can always ask for my help. But, I¡¯ll be the one who¡¯ll decide the price.¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± The owner quickly took out the desserts he had prepared beforehand. ¡°Here. It¡¯s a small gift. I got it from that famous shop in town.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu took a sniff and smiled. ¡°They smell good. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you like it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, by the way. I¡¯ll leave some Golden Soreness Cure with you in a few days. Can you help me sell them?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    ¡°Alright. Then, I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± Zhao Chuchu left the shop after that while the owner let out a sigh of relief.


    The moment Zhao Chuchu got out of town, she felt that someone was watching her again.


    ¡°What the heck is wrong with this person?¡± She scolded in her head. ¡°Does he have a weird kink or something?¡±


    She continued to pretend that she did not notice she was being watched and headed back to the vige alone.


    However, this time, on her way back, she was stopped by someone.

 Chapter 43 - 43 I’ve Warned You

    43 I¡¯ve Warned You


    Zhao Chuchu almost couldn¡¯t hide herughs when she looked at the group of people doing a lousy job hiding their faces.


    However, she respected their attempts and pretended to be scared. ¡°W-what do you want?¡±


    ¡°Leave your bag and money behind!¡± Zhao Baogen, who was standing in the front, demanded. ¡°Don¡¯t even try to resist! We¡¯ll kill you if you do!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu quickly scanned the group and confirmed they were all from the Zhao n.


    ¡°Do they really think I can¡¯t recognize them just because they¡¯ve hidden their faces?¡± she thought.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any money!¡± Zhao Chuchu took a step back. ¡°I¡¯m warning you! Stay back, or I¡¯ll yell!¡±


    ¡°Forget it! Let¡¯s grab the money ourselves!¡± Zhao Baotian charged forward.


    ¡°Go away!¡± Zhao Chuchu continued to take a few steps back.


    ¡°Get her!¡± Zhao Baogen yelled, unable to hold his urge back to tear her into pieces.


    He was doing this to get back at her for humiliating them.


    ¡°Tie her up and send her to the brothel! We¡¯ll have her taste how it feels to get yed by countless men!¡±


    ¡°Bitch! Where¡¯s the money?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear him? Give us your money, or else we¡¯ll sell you to the brothel!¡±


    As those people charged toward her, everyone had a cunning grin on their faces.


    They knew that Zhao Chuchu had at least 20 silvers with her. They could get around four to five each.


    Zhao Chuchu raised a brow as she reached into her back and grabbed a 50 centimeters long wooden stick she had prepared. She smiled as she watched the group of people charge at her.


    ¡°I¡¯ve warned you guys to stay back.¡±


    She swung the stick towards the first person when she finished her sentence.


    The swing was so fast that people could even see the afterimage of the stick.


    ¡°Argh!¡±


    The yell of pain pierced through the quiet road.


    It only took her a few minutes for Zhao Chuchu to take everyone down.


    Behind her, Zhao Baogen and the rest were rolling on the ground and crying in pain while hugging their knees.


    Even the person hiding and watching her felt like he was hit on the knees too.


    Zhao Chuchu had broken all of their knees.


    It was extremely cruel.


    ¡°Man, why are you forcing me to do this? I don¡¯t even have the heart to kill an ant.¡± Zhao Chuchu turned around as she gently pped the stick on her palm. ¡°Why do you guys have to be bandits when you can live a good life? Do you guys have a death wish or what?¡±


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu! You bit- Argh!¡± Zhao Baogen yelled.


    Zhao Chuchu silenced him by smashing his knee with the stick again. It was so painful that he almost fainted from that.


    ¡°Stop putting up that tough act. Does it hurt?¡± Thedy grinned as she poked Zhao Baogen¡¯s knee.


    ¡°S-stop!¡± He was hurting so much that he was already covered in sweat.


    The others were terrified when they saw that.


    They thought they could kidnap Zhao Chuchu with the number of people they had.


    Yet, they had failed to anticipate that she was that strong.


    She was even able to break their knees without changing her expression.


    Zhao Chuchu suddenly turned to where the other person was hiding and asked, ¡°Are you noting out? Do you want me to break your knees too?¡±


    After a moment of silence, a man walked up from hiding and bowed. ¡°Good afternoon, youngdy. You sure are strong.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m already married.¡±


    ¡°O-oh¡­ Then, how should I address you?¡±


    ¡°Stop pretending. You¡¯ve been watching me ever since I left the vige.¡±


    A short pauseter, the man asked, ¡°Do you need me to help you with anything?¡±


    ¡°Head to the town and get someone to help take these people to the officials.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried that I¡¯m with them?¡±


    ¡°Then, do you want to taste what it feels like to have your knees broken?¡±

 Chapter 44 - 44 Shameless

    44 Shameless


    The corner of the man¡¯s lips twitched a little. ¡°Ady shouldn¡¯t be so cruel.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu grinned. ¡°Do you want to have a taste of it too?¡±


    The man quickly turned and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go get them right away.¡±


    ¡°You can run away, but the next time we meet, it¡¯s either you breaking your knee or me breaking my arm.¡±


    The man couldn¡¯t help but sigh when he heard that.


    He could not believe that there existed such a cruel woman.


    As the man left, the people from the Zhao n got terrified.


    ¡°Chuchu! It¡¯s me, your second uncle! I was just joking with you just now! Can¡¯t you let us go? Your first uncle threatened me to do this! He said he was going to kill me if I didn¡¯t! I shouldn¡¯t have given in to him! Aren¡¯t we a family, after all? I¡¯ll promise you anything you want as long as you let me go.¡±


    Pretending she was getting something out of her bag, she grabbed some sunflower seeds from her carry-on space and started munching them.


    No matter how much the people from the Zhao n begged, she wasn¡¯t moved.


    She had already given them two chances, but they¡¯d only gotten even worse, thinking they could easily use or bully her because she was ady.


    That was why thedy had decided to show them that she wasn¡¯t someone they could mess with.


    Zhao Chuchu wasn¡¯t worried that the man who was watching her in secret would run away on his own either.


    After having survived the apocalypse for such a long time, she was susceptible to whether other people harbored any ill-intention towards her or not.


    She could tell that the man stalked her because he needed her help.


    The people from the Zhao n kept screaming and yelling until their throats almost dried when the man returned with a group of strong men.


    Zhao Baogen and the rest still had their faces hidden while their sickles and hoes were scattered across the floor.


    ¡°These are the bandits,¡± the man said as he pointed at them.


    The strong men that came with him quickly surrounded those sitting or lying on the ground.


    The one who led the strong men was the vige chief, and he was acquainted with Zhao Chuchu. ¡°Doctor Zhao, are you hurt anywhere?¡±


    Thedy had noticed theming a minute ago and had stopped munching on the sunflower seeds. Her eyes turned red as she said in a shaky voice, ¡°I-I didn¡¯t know there were bandits here¡­ Thank God he saved me in time, or else God knows what they¡¯ll do to me.¡±


    The people from the Zhao n were so enraged when they heard her say that.


    They couldn¡¯t believe that the person who had almost crippled them was now pretending to be a weak little girl.


    The man also had an awkward expression as he neverid his hands on the people.


    The vige chief was angry to hear that. ¡°How dare you people try to rob a youngdy in broad daylight? Take them to the county office!¡±


    ¡°Chief! We aren¡¯t bandits! We are all from the Lengshui Vige!¡± Zhao Baogen yelled while trying to endure the pain. ¡°Look at us! Zhao Chuchu did this to us! We didn¡¯t try to rob her! Instead, she was the one who hit us, her elders! She even broke our legs! How are we going to work now?¡±


    Seeing how begging Zhao Chuchu would not help, they decided to try and trick the vige chief instead.


    With a frown, the chief unmasked them. He recognized them as he would head to the Lengshui Vige once every year to collect taxes.


    And indeed, they were from the vige.


    The chief¡¯s expression darkened immediately.


    Zhao Baogen noticed it and added, ¡°See! It¡¯s all Zhao Chuchu¡¯s fault! I¡¯m her uncle! We¡¯re all from the same vige! We are not bandits!¡±


    ¡°How are you not a bandit? You tried to rob her on her way back!¡± the man suddenly said. ¡°If I hadn¡¯te at the right time, you guys would¡¯ve taken her stuff and even sold her to the brothel! Is this what her uncle would do?¡±

 Chapter 45 - 45 I’ll Promise You Anything

    45 I¡¯ll Promise You Anything


    ¡°Bullshit! You¡¯re both in this together!¡± Zhao Baogen scolded back. ¡°Zhao Chuchu! I knew it! You didn¡¯t want to marry Xie Heng because you have a lover! A cheater like you should just bite the dust!¡±


    Zhao Chuhu looked at Zhao Baogen as if she were smiling but did not reply to him.


    ¡°Enough!¡± the vige chief yelled. ¡°Do you even know who this man is? He¡¯s not someone you can frame! Take them to the county office. The magistrate will be the judge of this matter!¡±


    The color on Zhao Baogen¡¯s face was instantly drained when he heard that. ¡°Chief, shouldn¡¯t you apprehend Zhao Chuchu first?¡±


    ¡°Why should I? Save your exnation for the magistrate!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was not someone that the vige chief could offend, but the one he couldn¡¯t offend the most was the man.


    For the people from the Zhao n to try and frame the man, they should be punished for that.


    With the chief¡¯s order, the strong men quickly apprehended Zhao Baogen and the rest.


    Because their legs were broken, they could only wail in pain as they got up.


    ¡°Chuchu, please forgive us! I was wrong! I promise that I won¡¯t do it again! This is all Zhao Baogen¡¯s idea! He told us to take all the money away from you! I have nothing to do with it!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu stood in front of them and ignored their pleas.


    Zhao Baogen did not divert his gaze away from her and continued to stare at her angrily.


    Seeing that, thedy reached her arm out and stuck her thumb out, pointing downward.


    It had only made Zhao Baogen even more furious.


    Zhao Chuchu grinned and turned around, not giving her uncle the chance to do anything.


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu, what do you want? As long as you let us go, I¡¯ll promise you anything!¡± Zhao Baogen said.


    He knew that being judged by the magistrate would be the worst oue. If the magistrate decided he was a bandit, his life would be over.


    Zhao Chuchu turned to look at Zhao Baogen. ¡°Didn¡¯t you try and take what¡¯s mine away from me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just taking what¡¯s mine back!¡±


    ¡°Since when are my things yours?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m your uncle¡­¡±


    ¡°How many times have I heard that? Even if I let you go today, you¡¯ll stille and rob me the next day. Everything is out now, and no matter how good you are with your mouth, you¡¯re not getting out of this!¡±


    ¡°Are you even a man? Why are you acting like a pussy now?¡± The man sighed. ¡°How dare you even try and rob your own niece? That¡¯s so embarrassing. Miss, don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯ll vouch for you at the magistrate¡¯s ce! These people are bandits for sure!¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Zhao Chuchu took a nce at the man.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    It would take them around four hours to get to Yuanjiang County from Yongfu Town.


    Zhao Chuchu also knew that despite providing a method to cure the gue, the people in ancient times valued family more than anything.


    She also vaguely remembered that during the Wei Dynasty, suing one¡¯s elders would get them beaten 10 times with a cane.


    There was no way she would get caned 10 times for that.


    The people from the Zhao n kept begging for forgiveness on their way back to the town.


    When their finally got there, Zhao Chuchu pretended to have a soft heart and said, ¡°Chief, let¡¯s not take them to the county office.¡±


    ¡°Why? Are you still scared of them? This is all their own doing! The magistrate won¡¯t cane you for that.¡± The chief assured. ¡°We can be your witnesses.¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t want to make a bigmotion out of this. How about this? We¡¯ll let every single one of them sign a confession of their crimes. If they try to harm me again, I¡¯ll bring the confessions to the county office.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t push your luck, Zhao Chuchu!¡± Zhao Baogen roared. ¡°Why should we sign those things?¡±


    However, when he finished his sentence, another person yelled, ¡°I¡¯ll sign it!¡±

 Chapter 46 - 46 Taking Them Down

    46 Taking Them Down


    Zhao Chuchu had a slight smile on her face.


    Zhao Baogen¡¯s face, on the other hand, was flushed red.


    Even if he refused to write it himself, the other seven or eight people here had all written it, which meant that he wouldn¡¯t be able to get away with it either!


    Zhao Chuchu had asked the vige chief to draw up a confession in quadruplicate, ording to what she said. Besides Zhao Chuchu, the Zhao n and the vige chief, even that man, each had a copy in their possession.


    After receiving the confession, Zhao Chuchu blew a little on the fingerprints, which were still not driedpletely.


    She surveyed everyone from the Zhao n. ¡°Remember, this is thest chance I will give you. If there is a next time, don¡¯t me me for being ruthless and send all of you to prison.¡±


    ¡°Of course, if you think you can take away my copy of the confession and everything will be fine, then you are sadly mistaken; unless you really think you have the ability to kill us all. Behave from now on, and you will never have anything to worry about as long as you live. ¡±


    ¡°By the way, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve met. I don¡¯t know your name,¡± Zhao Chuchu said as she looked at the man.


    Finally, the man thought to himself. Now she had some time to pay attention to him!


    ¡°My name is Qiao Heting.¡±


    ¡°Yourst name is Qiao. Are you rted to Magistrate Qiao?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s my uncle.¡±


    As soon as he said that, the people from the Zhao n were scared to death.


    ¡°Certainly, you are joking.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu pretended not to believe him, but she thought that this man might not be just a nephew. After all, Magistrate Qiao was not as handsome as the man in front of her.


    Indeed, Qiao Heting¡¯s look was quite outstanding. Although he was not as good-looking as Xie Heng, he was definitely a handsome dude as far as most men were concerned.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, just follow me to my uncle¡¯s. You can see for yourself if I¡¯m telling the truth or not.¡± Qiao Heting said with a smile, and his eyes were full of teasing. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s better just to give these confessions back to them and send them to the county office instead.¡±


    If Zhao Baogen had some hope of getting out of this before, at this moment, his face was as pale as a piece of paper.


    It was clear that Qiao Heting was not someone to be trifled with, not to mention he had a copy of the confession in his possession. It was very obvious that he meant to help Zhao Chuchu. If they really get to the county office, there would absolutely be no way that he would ever get out of this mess!


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu, I have given you what you asked for. Are you going back on your words?¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    At this moment, as much as Zhao Baogen was pissed off, he dared not say anything.


    Qiao Heting put away the confessions and said, ¡°Since the littledy said to let you go, then I will keep these confessions for the time being. If something happens to the littledy, the confessions will make their way to the county office.¡±


    ¡°Sir, we will do what we promised. Please keep the confessions safe.¡±


    ¡°If today¡¯s incident happens again, I swear we will all be struck by lightning.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll keep an eye on Zhao Baogen, so that he won¡¯t make any more trouble for Chuchu.¡±


    ¡­


    The Zhao n reassured him quickly, for fear that Qiao Heting would really hand over the confessions.


    ¡°I hope you will all remember the promises you made today. Otherwise, these confessions will be your undoing. If you don¡¯t do evil things in front of me, I can overlook everything else you guys are doing!¡± Zhao Chuchu warned them coldly.


    ¡°Definitely, definitely.¡±


    Seeing that the matter was settled, the vige chief asked some people to go to Lengshui Vige to arrange for their return.


    Zhao Chuchu thanked the vige chief and began making her way back to the vige.


    ¡°Mr. Qiao, if you have anything you want to say, just say it. Acting sneaky is not befitting of a gentleman like yourself.¡± Halfway through her trip back, Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t help but stop and turn around.


    Qiao Heting quickly showed himself and looked at Zhao Chuchu inquiringly. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that a littledy like you would be able to take them down like that.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu raised an eyebrow. ¡°I feel like it. Why, is there a problem?¡±


    ¡°Then why were you infected with the gue?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not the gue. It¡¯s just me overacting!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu made something up quickly.


    Qiao Heting chuckled.¡±Who did you learn this from?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu looked at him from the corner of her eyes and asked him instead. ¡°Have you ever slept with a woman?¡±

 Chapter 47 - 47 I Broke Their Legs

    47 I Broke Their Legs


    Qiao Heting choked when he heard what she said. His face flushed from coughing, and he pointed at Zhao Chuchu for a long while, unable to get a word out.


    Zhao Chuchu snorted. ¡°So you know now what it feels like to be asked a question you don¡¯t want to answer?¡±


    When Qiao Heting finally recovered, he was still speechless.


    Looking at Zhao Chuchu, who was totally unfazed, he said after quite a while, ¡°You are all about shock effects!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu raised an eyebrow and said, ¡°Then don¡¯t keep on interrogating me.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay, I was wrong, okay?¡± Qiao Heting gave up. After pausing for a while, he continued, ¡°What if I answered your question?¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to make of that.¡±


    ¡°Fine. Tell me then, why are you keep staring at me?¡±


    ¡°I heard that there was a great doctor in Yuanjiang County who had managed to pacify the gue, and I would like to make his acquaintance.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡±


    But Zhao Chuchu found it hard to believe that was all there was for Qiao Heting.


    This man had an extraordinary temperament and was by no means someone ordinary.


    But Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t fathom his true purpose. However, until now, she had not yet detected any malice from Qiao Heting either.


    ¡°Are you epting apprentices?¡± asked Qiao Heting.


    ¡°Young Master Qiao, you should know that I¡¯m already married. Even talking with you on the road like this will likely get me in trouble. Just now, Zhao Baogen said some very terrible things to smear my name, and are you about to turn around and make that a reality by forcing me to ept you as an apprentice?¡±


    ¡°Are you really the same person that I heard about?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go and ask my husband?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be angry, Mrs. Xie. I¡¯m just curious.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t sound so good to be curious about a vige woman. If Young Master Qiao wants me to heal someone, just say it. I really don¡¯t have time to waste dancing around the subject. I must get home soon, or my family will be worried.¡±


    Seeing that Zhao Chuchu was getting impatient, Qiao Heting put his hands together as a sign of apology and smiled. ¡°Then I won¡¯t be troubling you any longer.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu walked past him and continued towards Lengshui Vige.


    For someone to im knowing medical skills to deceive a bunch of simple vigers was easy, but it would not be so easy to fool someone like Qiao Heting!


    She had to get the story right with Xie Heng when she got back, or else there would be endless troubles if they were exposed.


    Zhao Chuchu was contemting this matter as she made her way back to the vige.


    All the vigers knew that Zhao Chuchu had broken the legs of people from the Zhao n who had tried to rob her on the road.


    When they saw her, many avoided her simply out of fear.


    They were afraid of identally getting beaten down by Zhao Chuchu, who seemed like a woman possessed at the moment.


    Naturally, Zhao Chuchu sensed their fear.


    This was precisely the effect she desired!


    This would prevent them from thinking she was an easy target and picking on herter.


    Niu Tongsheng moved quickly and had already repaired the Xie family¡¯s house, including the tile roof.


    At this moment, he was moving the bricks so the wall could be built tomorrow.


    Seeing that Zhao Chuchu was back, Niu Tongsheng greeted her and said, ¡°Chuchu, is it true that the Zhao n tried to rob you on the way?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± she nodded.


    ¡°The broken legs¡­¡±


    ¡°Does the vige chief wish to hear the truth? I did break their legs.¡±


    Niu Tongsheng felt the hair on his neck stand up.


    If Zhao Chuchu did the same thing yesterday, wouldn¡¯t that mean his leg would also be broken?


    ¡°I am sick of those people bullying me again and again. If I don¡¯t show them what¡¯s what, they will really think I can¡¯t stand for myself.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be spring nting season soon. I¡¯m afraid they won¡¯t let you off the hook so easily.¡±


    ¡°Just cure them.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was okay with it either way.


    Death may be spared, but some difort was inevitable.


    ¡°So, are you willing to treat them?¡±


    ¡°Of course. After all, they are part of the Zhao n.¡±


    She said those words imbued with so much meaning. She had to deepen their fears, after all.


    Anyway, the medicines for bone-setting were not that expensive and were easily essible everywhere. All that was needed was just a little effort on her part.

 Chapter 48 - 48 Outright Lying

    48 Outright Lying


    Niu Tongsheng didn¡¯t catch on to the meaning behind Zhao Chuchu¡¯s words, so he was relieved.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to teach them a lesson. That way, they won¡¯t dare to be so shameless in the future.¡±


    ¡°Well, as long as they don¡¯t mess with me, I won¡¯t do anything to them.¡±


    ¡°The house and the tile roof have been fixed. I saw that your table and stools are not in good shape, so I also repaired them.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Vige Chief.¡±


    Niu Tongsheng was practical, but he was not stupid. Once he got an off-ramp, he was happy enough to do his best to help.


    ¡°Chuchu,¡± Xie Heng called her from inside the room. ¡°Are you back?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Zhao Chuchu replied.


    Then Xie Heng probed his way out. ¡°Did you get hurt?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Zhao Chuchu walked over to support Xie Heng. ¡°What are you doing out here? I was just talking a little bit with the vige chief.¡±


    ¡°I was worried about you.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    She didn¡¯t see it.


    It was indeed like bullshitting out in the open.


    Zhao Chuchu helped him back into the room and put the basket on her back down.


    Xie Heng asked in a voice only the two could hear. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu recounted what happened briefly.


    Xie Heng smiled. ¡°Their legs were broken. Is that right?¡±


    ¡°I still need to heal them.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid they¡¯ll forget the pain once they are healed?¡±


    ¡°Then the next time, I¡¯ll let them hurt for eternity. But I¡¯m a good person, and I want to give them a chance to atone for themselves.¡±


    Xie Heng regarded Zhao Chuchu with a profound look.


    He could not understand her thoughts.


    Zhao Chuchu took out the medicinal materials in the basket and said, ¡°These are the medicines to treat your eyes. Try it first. If they don¡¯t work, we¡¯ll try something else.¡±


    She said it loudly so that everyone outside could hear her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. We will find a way to make you better.¡±


    ¡°Mmm.¡±


    Xie Heng was expressionless.


    There were more than ten kilos of flour in the basket and other misceneous condiments like oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar.


    The people outside were working so diligently that Zhao Chuchu decided to also make dinner for them.


    When she told Xie Heng about her n, Xie Heng appeared a little hesitant.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. I can really cook pretty well!¡± Zhao Chuchu was a little upset.


    Why was he always behaving like this? Why was he always thinking that she couldn¡¯t do this or that?


    She admitted that she couldn¡¯t do everything, but she could make money! And all the money she made had been exchanged for food and supplies in her carry-on space!


    ¡°Just don¡¯t make anyone think you are trying to poison them.¡± Xie Heng finally squeezed it out after a long while.


    Zhao Chuchu almost couldn¡¯t control her hand from pping him in the face.


    She moved the ten kilos of flour to the kitchen by herself. She said to Niu Tongsheng and the others, ¡°How about staying at our house tonight for dinner?¡±


    But everyone declined.


    Zhao Chuchu ignored them and closed the kitchen door to boil the water.


    Of course, she was not going to actually cook.


    She didn¡¯t want to poison anyone!


    asionally, Zhao Chuchu would make sounds in the kitchen as if she were cooking. When it was about time, she put the flour back into the space again and took out the big in buns and vegetarian buns to steam in the pots.


    When the kitchen looked like it had been used, Zhao Chuchu opened the kitchen door and called out to Niu Tongsheng and the others. ¡°Vige Chief, would you pleasee and lend a hand to bring out the food? It will get dark soon. Let¡¯s eat something first.¡±


    Niu Tongsheng frowned. ¡°You are tight on money, so you better save it.¡±


    ¡°Money can be earned, but we still have to eat, right? Everyone worked very hard today. Besides, if you don¡¯t stay here to eat, who will eat all these steamed buns I made?¡±


    When Xie Heng heard that it was buns again, his heart sank.


    He had a bad feeling that until his eyes were ¡°healed,¡± he would continue to eat these steamed buns till kingdomes!

 Chapter 49 - 49 Xie Heng Dislike Buns

    49 Xie Heng Dislike Buns


    Guangqing Province was located in the south, and the staple food of the people here was rice.


    asionally, steamed buns and such could be purchased from the markets or bazaar to satisfy their cravings, but they are not usually consumed on a daily basis.


    When they saw Zhao Chuchu bring out the steaming buns, white and fluffy, the people who came to work couldn¡¯t help but swallow hard as they felt the pangs of hunger.


    ¡°Vige Chief,e and help me. I made these with quite some effort, so if you guys don¡¯t eat them, we won¡¯t be able to finish all this food.¡± Zhao Chuchu appeared as if she was struggling to bring the tes out


    !!


    Niu Tongsheng quickly put down what he was working on and stepped forward to help.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you don¡¯t have enough money? Why did you buy so much then?¡± Niu Tongsheng chided her in a low voice. ¡°Other people will think you are deliberately shorting them onbor!¡±


    ¡°I have a way to earn more money. You guys worked hard, and you have to have enough to eat, am I right?¡± Zhao Chuchu said with a smile. ¡°There are more in the kitchen. Help me bring them out. I¡¯m not that good at cooking, and this is all I can manage for now. I hope they are adequate.¡±


    ¡°Girl, you¡­¡±


    When Niu Tongsheng saw that Zhao Chuchu was so straightforward, the remaining grudges in his heart also disappeared.


    The family she came from was far from ideal, and her husband¡¯s family was too poor. If she didn¡¯t find a way to stand up for herself, there really was indeed no way for her to live!


    ¡°Everyone,e over to eat first. I¡¯ll go find Junjun.¡± With these words, Zhao Chuchu left to find Xie Jun, who was still ying outside.


    When everyone saw this, they turned to look at each other.


    Finally, Niu Tongsheng said, ¡°Chuchu means well,e and eat. We will build the wall early tomorrow morning.¡±


    This time everyone put down what they were doing and went to help bring Xie Heng out of his room.


    Xie Heng couldn¡¯t help but sigh when he saw those white steamed buns.


    He really didn¡¯t like to eat them.


    The way Zhao Chuchu cooked now would starve him to death.


    On the other hand, Xie Jun was quite happy to see that those steamed buns were on the table again.


    On the one hand, everyone heard that Zhao Chuchu had broken the legs of the people from the Zhao n, so they did not dare to take the food for fear that Zhao Chuchu would not be pleased. On the other hand, most of them wanted to save some to take back for their children to eat at home, so they became very awkward and restrained.


    Zhao Chuchu figured out what they were thinking and proceeded to divide the steamed buns equally ording to the number of people around the table.


    Everyone was surprised.


    ¡°Alright, now it¡¯s up to you to eat it or not.¡± Zhao Chuchu said. ¡°But don¡¯t worry, although I¡¯m not very good at cooking, I promise you won¡¯t be poisoned by eating the food I made.¡±


    Niu Tongsheng sighed. ¡°There is no one who acts like you in this vige.¡±


    Most people would prefer the help without having to feed them so as to save food for themselves.


    Zhao Chuchu was different. If the help didn¡¯t dare to eat her food, she just went ahead and divided them up anyway.


    Zhao Chuchu winked. ¡°After eating my food, you won¡¯t dare to bezy when you work.¡±


    Everyoneughed.


    ¡°It¡¯ste. Please return to your homes. I still have some chores to do, and the work will not be done for a while. See you tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll take our leave then.¡±


    All of them wanted to take the food back to their children while it was hot, so Zhao Chuchu¡¯s suggestion was music to their ears.


    After everyone left, Zhao Chuchu cleaned up a bit and went inside the kitchen.


    Xie Jun saw that Xie Heng was eating a steamed bun very slowly, and there was still more than half of it left, so he asked, ¡°Brother, can¡¯t you eat anymore? Do you want me to help you eat it?¡±


    Xie Heng immediately handed the steamed bun to Xie Jun as if it was some kind of poison.


    Xie Jun was so happy he finished eating the bun in three bites.


    Zhao Chuchu heard the sound from inside the kitchen and couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.


    She realized that Xie Heng really didn¡¯t like anything that was not rice.


    This was a difficult thing for her. Besides steamed buns, there were also noodles!


    After all, under the circumstances, only these items would not cause too many suspicions.


    As for meat, she was a little sorry that she could only eat them alone!

 Chapter 50 - 50 Unexpected Surprise

    50 Unexpected Surprise


    Perhaps the dinner Zhao Chuchu served the night before had made an impression. Niu Tongsheng and the others came over very early the next day.


    Zhao Chuchu was up already as well.


    At this time, she was about to go up the mountain with the scythe and the back basket in tow.


    Niu Tongsheng saw her equipment and asked, ¡°Chuchu, where are you going?¡±


    !!


    ¡°I still need a little more of the medicine to treat my husband¡¯s eyes. I will go to the mountain to look for it. The sooner I find it, the sooner I can start treating him,¡± exined Zhao Chuchu. ¡°Thank you foring today to finish the work. I made buns this morning, but you¡¯ll have to steam them at lunchtime.¡±


    ¡°Howe there are still more buns for lunch?¡±


    ¡°You all work so hard. I n to feed you guys while you work anyway.¡±


    ¡°Save your money¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have money in a few days. Don¡¯t worry, Vige Chief. I can still afford some steamed buns.¡±


    After a pause, Zhao Chuchu said in a voice only the two could hear. ¡°Actually, my inws left some money to my husband. I was afraid that people would know and that they would pay attention to it, so I just¡­¡±


    Niu Tongsheng immediately understood.


    No wonder she insisted on building the fence because she did have some money in her hands.


    Niu Tongsheng understood that Zhao Chuchu was someone who never followed a course that was predictable.


    It seemed that this time she waspletely reborn after the illness!


    ¡°My husband can¡¯t see, and Junjun is still too young, so I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to supervise today¡¯s lunch.¡±


    ¡°No problem. You be careful out there.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu nodded. After saying goodbye to Xie Heng, she went up the mountain alone.


    In the springtime of March, the grass was green as birds flew everywhere.


    There were lush green wild vegetables all along the side of the road.


    Although they tempted Zhao Chuchu, when she remembered her culinary skills, she figured there was no need to waste these wild vegetables.


    To get to the rear mountain, one must pass through the end of the vige where the Zhao n resided.


    Yesterday, there was endless crying and moaning from this side of the Zhao n, but no one dared to ask her for treatments.


    And Zhao Chuchu was happy to have nothing to do with these people.


    However, passing through this side of the Zhao n, Zhao Chuchu discovered something interesting.


    These men acted like softies when they were outside, but at home, they behaved as if they were big bosses.


    Zhao Chuchu did not linger but went directly to the rear mountain.


    The rear mountain covered a great area. Zhao Chuchu walked for a long time before finally finding two medicinal materials she could use.


    Several precious medicinal materials were required to get rid of the poison in Xie Jun¡¯s body.


    To Zhao Chuchu¡¯s knowledge, those medicines were not avable in the south, and one of them was only avable in the North Desert, and it was the kind that was very hard to find.


    Zhao Chuchu found a tree and climbed up to check the inventory in her space to see if there was any medicine she could use for Xie Jun.


    Earlier, while battling the gue, she and Xie Heng were almost inseparable. And these days, she was dead tired after she returned that she fell right into bed and went to sleep at night. Until now, Zhao Chuchu had neither the chance nor the time to look through her space.


    If someone were to see Zhao Chuchu at this moment, they would think that Zhao Chuchu had fallen asleep.


    In fact, it was just her consciousness that sunk deep into the space.


    There were so many things in that space.


    Even Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t remember exactly what she had stored inside the space.


    Fortunately, she still had the list.


    After searching for a long time, she finally found a pile of medicinal herbs in the corner.


    During the time that she was stockpiling supplies, a poorly managed pharmacy went bankrupt, and she was able to purchase all the content of the pharmacy.


    Zhao Chuchu did not look too carefully at the kind of medicinal materials she had purchased.


    After carefully looking through everything, Zhao Chuchu was pleasantly surprised to find that she had all the herbs for Xie Jun¡¯s detoxification!


    Oh, freedom was at hand!


    Zhao Chuchu was very exhrated.


    When Zhao Chuchu opened her eyes, she was glowing with radiance.


    After all, she had not been in love for two lifetimes. Now that she had skipped the process and directly be someone¡¯s wife, it was awkward no matter how one looked at it.


    Anyway, no one else that the original owner cared about was still living in this world, so she could leave without much trouble when the time came.


    Zhao Chuchu was in a great mood. She found some seasonal herbs and stuffed the basket to the brim. Then she went down the mountain full of joy.


    When passing by the front of a house that was part of the Zhao n, Zhao Chuchu was almost soaked in the liquid from a waste bucket.

 Chapter 51 - 51 Selfish and Vicious

    51 Selfish and Vicious


    Zhao Chuchu evaded sideways with a nimble movement.


    ¡°You really are a jinx! Our house doesn¡¯t have enough fortune left to cure your legs! It is either you get the heck out of this house or wait to die!¡± A voice bellowing sharply could be heard. ¡°You good for nothing! To think that you couldn¡¯t even handle such a simple task!¡±


    ¡°Mother, it was you who coerced Guitang into snatching from Chuchu. Now that Guitang¡¯s legs are injured, what will happen to us if we don¡¯t send for a doctor?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s none of my business! In any case, you shall leave here and live by yourselves from now on! You impudent bitch! How dare you talk back to your mother-inw? I shall see how you will be beaten to death today, you shameless, ursed woman!¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    ¡°Boohoo. Please stop hitting me, mother. Please stop¡­¡±


    A cacophony of fracas, shrieks, and wails filled the scene, causing Zhao Chuchu to furrow her brows at the sound of it.


    Zhao Guitang¡¯s father, Zhao You, was the younger brother of Old Man Zhao.


    In that case, Zhao Guitang was the uncle of the original owner of her body.


    Zhao Guitang had always been a decent man. Hence, she wondered why Zhao Guitang would join in with the party of the muggers at that time.


    So, it turned out that he was pressured into doing that by his heartless mother.


    ¡°I see. No wonder,¡± thought Zhao Chuchu.


    With that, Zhao Chuchu kicked open the door of their house.


    The chaotic courtyard immediately turned dead silent.


    Then, everyone turned their eyes to Zhao Chuchu, who just made a scene.


    As Zhao Chuchu stared down, she saw Zhao Guitang lying on the ground covered in grime and his wife and daughter, who were rolling on the floor as they were getting a beating from his ruthless mother. Meanwhile, his brothers remained on the sidelines, peering down at them with a snicker.


    Zhao Chuchu frowned at the sight of it.


    ¡°What are you doing here? Are you still thinking of snatching the money?¡± Old Madam Ma jumped to her feet instantly. She was her big aunt, Madam Ma¡¯s aunt.


    Zhao Chuchu disregarded Old Madam Ma and turned her gaze at Zhao Guitang. She asked, ¡°Was it your decision to rob my money, or were you forced?¡±


    ¡°This is our family matter! Don¡¯t poke your nose into where it doesn¡¯t belong! And you¡¯d better listen, Zhao Chuchu! A vicious woman like you will receive divine punishment one day! Just you wait!¡± Old Madam Ma ced her hands on her waist andmbasted.


    Zhao Guitang¡¯s daughter, Zhao Men, kneeled on the floor and bawled, ¡°Sister Chuchu, it wasn¡¯t my father¡¯s intention to rob you, but it was my grandmother who forced him to do so, threatening to divorce my mother if he refused to abide. Please, let my father off the hook. Please, don¡¯t hit him anymore.¡±


    His wife, Madam He, sitting on the ground with disheveled hair and tears rolling down her cheeks, begged, ¡°Chuchu, I know Guitang did you dirty, but could you please let him off, seeing that I haven¡¯t treated you poorly before? Life is too hard on us right now.¡±


    ¡°Are they kicking all of you out of the house?¡± Zhao Chuchu questioned.


    ¡°They said that Guitang had be an invalid and that they wouldn¡¯t take care of a freeloader. So, they want us out of their household. Now, they are making us leave.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu remained taciturn upon hearing that.


    Although she already knew that the Zhao n members were a group of cold-blooded people, it never crossed her mind that they would even be merciless toward their son.


    Zhao Chuchu walked toward Madam He, helped thetter up, and whispered in her ear, ¡°It¡¯d be better for you to ept living independently from their household if you wish to heal your husband.¡±


    ¡°I have never crossed you before. Why are you doing this to me?¡± Madam He was terrified.


    Old Madam Ma burst intoughter upon seeing that and remarked, ¡°Here, I thought you came here to show some kindness! To think that you would rub salt into their wounds, you surely didn¡¯te across as someone even more atrocious than that devious old hag, Madam Yang!¡±


    Madam He was shivering.


    Meanwhile, Zhao Men red at Zhao Chuchu intensely.


    Nevertheless, the former was stunned the moment thetter winked at her.


    Leaving them no time to react, Old Madam Ma immediately ordered her sons to carry Zhao Guitang to the dpidated old house.


    ¡°Be grateful. Mother said that you didn¡¯t have to support the family anymore.¡± The words of Zhao Guitang¡¯s brothers were spoken in an emotionless way, as though they were talking to a stranger.


    At that, Zhao Guitang howled his lungs out as he pounded the moldy old bed nk unceasingly, while Zhao Chuchu nced at the difiting sight.

 Chapter 52 - 52 Inexpressible Pain

    52 Inexpressible Pain


    Zhao Chuchu asked with a poker face, ¡°Are you done crying?¡±


    Zhao Guitang and Madam He, who was weeping secretly, drew deep breaths upon hearing that.


    Putting down her back basket, Zhao Chuchu sat at the bedside. She then held Zhao Guitang¡¯s injured leg andmented, ¡°You have to bear the consequences of your wrongdoings. It doesn¡¯t matter whether you were forced or not. It still won¡¯t change the fact that you tried to harm me. Since I wounded your legs, we¡¯re even now.¡±


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Startled, Zhao Guitang tried to retract his leg instinctively.


    !!


    ¡°Just to have a closer look,¡± Zhao Chuchu answered casually.


    Fumed, Madam He chided, ¡°You are the one who injured his legs! Why do you want to look at them? Are you trying to gloat at our misfortune? Chuchu, be honest with yourself. Did we ever treat you like how they did? Why are you¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m figuring out how to heal his legs.¡±


    Madam He went silent the moment she uttered those words.


    Zhao Men questioned desperately, ¡°Chuchu, can my father¡¯s legs be cured?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I didn¡¯t hit them so hard to the extent of beyond saving.¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, I know it was our fault to get involved in the robbery. But could you please let us off the hook? We will do anything as long as you heal Guitang. We can¡¯t afford to lose him, after all!¡±


    Madam He and Zhao Men immediately fell to their knees before Zhao Chuchu and kowtowed to her.


    Zhao Chuchu avoided them hastily and uttered, ¡°Get up first.¡±


    No matter what, she still couldn¡¯t get used to seeing people prostrate themselves so easily.


    At that, Madam He and Zhao Men helped each other up.


    Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t help but let out a sigh at the sight of their bruised bodies after being beaten by Old Madam Ma.


    Even though she was merciless, she sympathized with the women to a certain extent.


    After all, she was a woman herself.


    Besides, Madam He and Zhao Men were nothing like the oddball mother and daughter duo, Madam Ma and Zhao Zhizhi.


    Zhao Chuchu asked, ¡°I can fix his legs, but I have a question before that. What if they demand you all to return to the household once his legs are healed?¡±


    Gritting his teeth, Zhao Guitang dered, ¡°They are the ones who kicked us out of the household first. In short, they no longer want us. If you can heal my legs, I swear I will never go back even if I have to be a beggar.¡±


    ¡°But Guitang, where else can we go?¡±


    ¡°We will definitely find a ce where we belong. I¡¯ve saved all the silvers in the public fund over these years. You were reluctant to spend a tael of the money even when you and Men were sick. But now you were beaten because of the issue of leaving the household. I¡¯m a man, yet I couldn¡¯t even protect my wife and daughter. I¡¯m such a failure.¡±


    ¡°Father¡­¡±


    Zhao Guitang lifted his head to look at Zhao Chuchu. ¡°Chuchu, I know that you despise the Zhao n. But if you are willing to heal me, I will do anything you want with just a word!¡±


    ¡°What if I ask you to murder your parents?¡±


    Zhao Guitang drew a sharp breath at her exigent question.


    A whileter, he lowered his head in embarrassment and replied, ¡°I can¡¯t do that. But I can use my life in exchange for theirs. At the end of the day, they¡¯re still my biological parents. I can¡¯t do something that inhumane.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu shot a stern look at Zhao Guitang and stated, ¡°Forget about it. I¡¯m not gonna make you do that. You should settle down first. I need to go back now. Otherwise, Da Lang will be worried.¡±


    Having said her piece, she left the decrepit old house without waiting for their response.


    Madam He held Zhao Guitang¡¯s hands and questioned, ¡°Guitang, will she really cure your legs?¡±


    Zhao Guitang was not sure himself. Recounting the day when he was nearly burned to death, he nodded unconsciously. ¡°She will.¡±


    Madam He wore a troubled look as she held back an inexpressible pain deep inside.


    When Zhao Chuchu arrived at the Xie n, half of the walls had already been built. Niu Tongsheng and the others were truly fast workers.


    Zhao Chuchu went into the house after greeting them.


    Hearing close-in footsteps, Xie Heng raised his head and looked at Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°Did you hit someone?¡± he asked.

 Chapter 53 - 53 An Odd Feeling

    53 An Odd Feeling


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s lips twitched a little upon hearing that. ¡°Do Ie across as someone who does that to you?¡±


    Xie Heng crooked his finger at the sawdust on the tip of her shoes.


    Zhao Chuchu was at a loss for words after lowering her head to look in the direction he was pointing at.


    Those pricks would rather spend their time chasing that family out but couldn¡¯t even spare a little time repairing the door! It was broken with just a kick!


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do it.¡± Zhao Chuchu went on. ¡°I just stepped in and fought against injustice, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Xie Heng put on a light smile on his face.


    ¡°What do you think of Zhao Guitang?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked, attempting to change the subject. ¡°I n to re-attach the bones of his legs.¡±


    Xie Heng responded, ¡°Was he kicked out of the house?¡±


    ¡°Yes. How did you know?¡±


    ¡°The Zhao n had always been a bunch of selfish and vicious people. You should do whatever your heart tells you so. I¡¯ve got your back.¡±


    After some pondering, Zhao Chuchu filled him in on the incident of her meeting with Qiao Heting the day before.


    ¡°Qiao Heting?¡± Xie Heng was a little surprised at the mention of that name. ¡°Have you met him before this?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Zhao Chuchu knew Xie Heng was trying to test her. ¡°You are the first person I know, Da Lang. You seemed to know Qiao Heting well.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Xie Heng denied. At the very least, he did not know Qiao Heting at that point yet.


    Zhao Chuchu peered at Xie Heng. She had a feeling that thetter was hiding something from her, though she didn¡¯t have the proof.


    After all, it was not her forte to read the thoughts of the others, especially Xie Heng¡¯s.


    Once in a while, this young man would disy ruthlessness, like one who crawled out from a mountain of bloody corpses. Yet, he was merely more precocious and perspicacious than people of his age most of the time.


    Xie Heng reminded, ¡°You should stay away from Qiao Heting to avoid getting into unnecessary trouble. I don¡¯t think being the nephew of a magistrate is his only identity.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Got it.¡± Zhao Chuchu nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll go and see Zhao Guitang for a while.¡±


    ¡°Although Zhao Guitang obeyed his mother out of blindness, his nature isn¡¯t bad. However, you should make sure that he cut ties with Old Madam Ma and the others before you make him work for you.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu bowed her head.


    With that, Xie Heng shared the names of those with whom Zhao Chuchu could build rtionships at Lengshui Vige and allowed her to make her decision.


    He closed his eyes to rest after he was done speaking.


    Gazing at Xie Heng, who behaved like that, Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t help but feel that he looked like an elderly man.


    But he was just a handsome teenage boy, though!


    After brushing off the bizarre thought, Zhao Chuchu packed some stuff and headed to Zhao Guitang¡¯s.


    ¡°Reattaching the bones will be excruciating. You need to endure the pain.¡± After Zhao Chuchu finished the preparation work, she stood at the bedside and stared at Zhao Guitang.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Zhao Guitang nodded.


    Then, Zhao Chuchu made Madam He and Zhao Men leave the house.


    Both of them were brimmed with anxiety.


    A whileter, Zhao Guitang¡¯s agonizing shrieks could be heard from the inside.


    The two of them nearly stormed into the house upon hearing the screeches.


    The people who resided there were of the Zhao n. So, they hurriedly headed toward the source of the sound after hearing the mor.


    Some of them immediately rushed back home to report after knowing that Zhao Chuchu was treating Zhao Guitang¡¯s legs.


    In no time, the Zhao n head brought Niu Tongsheng while the other n members encircled the decrepit house.


    ¡°Putting the event of Zhao Chuchu breaking her uncle¡¯s legs aside. To think that she would inflict more pain on Guitang now. Is she a human? You are the chief! You¡¯d better be giving us a fair exnation today!¡± The n head red at Niu Tongsheng intensely.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You need to give us a proper answer.¡±


    ¡°If you still y favoritism now, we would need to have a hearing before the vige chief.¡±


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu should be beaten to death for being such an inhuman evil!¡±


    ¡­


    Naturally, Zhao Chuchu could hear the uproar outside the house.


    Those who broke the man¡¯s legs thought they could get away by luck and refrained from mentioning the confession they signed.


    Zhao Guitang lost consciousness from the pain, while Zhao Chuchu did not stop working with her hands.


    In the meantime, some people started banging on the door.

 Chapter 54 - 54 You Wanna Beat Me to Death?

    54 You Wanna Beat Me to Death?


    Outside the house, Madam He and Zhao Men rushed to stop those who were banging on the door after seeing their conduct.


    ¡°What are you doing? No one should disturb Zhao Chuchu. If my husband passes away, I am going to get even with you.¡±


    ¡°You people are responsible for putting my father in this situation. Where were you when we were kicked out of the household? We don¡¯t need any of your kindness right now. None of you shall take a step forward.¡±


    After witnessing the mother and daughter¡¯s hysterical demeanor, the others didn¡¯t dare to move an inch.


    ¡°Guitang¡¯s household, what is the meaning of this? Zhao Chuchu is hurting your husband. As his wife, should you let her do as she likes?¡± the Chief chided with a stern look.


    !!


    Madam He sneered, ¡°When my husband was kicked out of the household after getting his legs broken, what did you do? As an elder in the n, why didn¡¯t youe forward to help us? So, let me tell all of you now! I was the one who begged Chuchu to do this! If my husband¡¯s legs couldn¡¯t be fixed, then it couldn¡¯t be helped! He got what he deserved!¡±


    ¡°Y-you¡­ you¡¯re really ignorant! Get out of my way!¡± the Chief bellowed.


    After listening to the exchange, Niu Tongsheng finally realized that Zhao Guitang and the others had asked Zhao Chuchu to fix his legs of their own ord. Then, he remarked gently, ¡°Now that they¡¯ve cleared up the misunderstanding, won¡¯t it be inappropriate to insist on iming that Chuchu is hurting him, Third Uncle?¡±


    The Chief¡¯s expression immediately turned gloomy and he retorted, ¡°Are you trying to cover for Zhao Chuchu?¡±


    Niu Tongsheng responded, ¡°Third Uncle, your n members know what they did. If you are hell-bent on seeking justice, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll find yourselves in trouble.¡±


    ¡°Niu Tongsheng, most people here in Lengshui Vige are the Zhao n members. If you don¡¯t want to lose your position as the Chief, you¡¯d better n your next step prudently.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve always known the Zhaos to be a bunch of unreasonable people. To think that you would stoop so low as to twist the truth. Third Granduncle, feel free to stand up for those people! But I¡¯m not sure if you could handle the consequences of your actions at this age!¡± Zhao Chuchu¡¯s voice could be heard from the inside of the house.


    ¡°I bet they didn¡¯t tell you that they¡¯ve signed the confessions. Apart from me, the vige chief and the magistrate¡¯s nephew, Mr. Qiao, have a copy each. If you dare to step into this house today, we shall see each other at the governing bureauter!


    ¡°I would like to see the consequences you will suffer as a n head who covered for the burrs. You¡¯re not young anymore. You should enjoy your retirement life in peace. It isn¡¯t worth destroying your precious twilight years for these ck sheep.¡±


    The face of the n head darkened upon hearing that.


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu, what did you just say?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you still don¡¯t get it? That means I can put those burrs behind bars in the county¡¯s prison! Third Granduncle, I¡¯m in a foul mood right now! I can¡¯t guarantee what will happen if you don¡¯t restrain yourself!¡±


    ¡°Why, you little¡­¡±


    ¡°You of the Zhaos are the ones who made things difficult for me first! Don¡¯t put the cart before the horse!¡±


    The n head was fuming, but no words came out of his mouth.


    ¡°Hand the confessions over!¡± he demanded a few momentster while gritting his teeth.


    ¡°What¡¯s the point of it? Try retrieving the copies from the vige chief and Mr. Qiao, too, if you can! Third Granduncle, you¡¯re a sensible person. Are you willing to destroy the future of your descendants for these no-goods?¡±


    Right then, the door of the house was opened.


    Beads of sweat could be seen on Zhao Chuchu¡¯s forehead as she walked out.


    After scanning her surrounding, she scoffed, ¡°So, what now? You wanna beat me to death?¡±


    The n head scowled at Zhao Chuchu. ¡°You¡¯re leaving no leeway for us! Are you not afraid of karma?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu strode toward the n head and raised a derisive smirk. ¡°What about a n head who bullied a helpless maiden? Are you not afraid of karmic retribution in this life?¡±


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu!¡±


    ¡°Listen! You won¡¯t receive any honor if I don¡¯t give it to you! You¡¯re nothing to me if I don¡¯t feel like entertaining you, old geezer!¡±

 Chapter 55 - 55 They Can’t Fix It but I Can

    55 They Can¡¯t Fix It but I Can


    The n head¡¯s face turned red, pointing his finger at Zhao Chuchu while breathing rapidly.


    ¡°Calm down. You¡¯ll be the only one who suffers getting all exasperated.¡± Zhao Chuchu shot him a look.


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu. Y-you¡­¡±


    ¡°Be reasonable, Third Granduncle.¡±


    The n head¡¯s chest heaved up and down as he red at Zhao Chuchu.


    Niu Tongsheng feared that Zhao Chuchu might aggravate the n head¡¯s anger beyond his limit.


    ¡°Chuchu, how¡¯s Guitang doing?¡± Trying to lighten the atmosphere, he remarked, ¡°Your Third Granduncle has got a short fuse because of his worry for Guitang. We belong to the same vige. Try to keep it down, okay?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu raised a corner of her lips. ¡°Well, that depends if the Zhaos would keep their mouths shut or not.¡±


    The n head gritted his teeth, looking as if he would tear Zhao Chuchu into pieces.


    ¡°Chuchu, how¡¯s my father doing now?¡± Zhao Men questioned impatiently.


    ¡°Oh, hold on.¡± Zhao Chuchu turned to look at Niu Tongsheng and gestured a shape. ¡°Chief, can you please get me two nks around this size?¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do with them?¡±


    ¡°I need them.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu did not want to give further exnation.


    She noticed that the doctors here seldom held the fractured bones in ce after reattaching them. They would leave the recovery of the patient¡¯s legs to fate.


    Niu Tongsheng found two pieces of wood nks in a sh.


    Right then, Zhao Chuchu called Madam He and Zhao Men in and wrapped the splints to the legs to keep them in ce.


    ¡°He should be resting on the bed in the meantime. I wille over whenever it¡¯s time to rece the medication. He should be able to start walking again in three months.¡± Zhao Chuchu lifted her head and informed the two of them after she was done with the dressing. After that, she filled them in on the things they needed to know.


    Other than the mother and daughter, Niu Tongsheng and the rest also came in to check out the happening.


    They were all astonished by Zhao Chuchu¡¯s dexterity.


    It appeared to them as if she had practiced them countless times before.


    Madam He expressed her gratitude, saying, ¡°Chuchu, don¡¯t worry. I will never allow him to do something so devious ever again.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I hope you¡¯ll keep your promise. Otherwise, he will truly be an invalid next time.¡± Zhao Chuchu nodded. ¡°He will be in great pain once he wakes upter. I can¡¯t help him with that. He¡¯ll have to bear with it!¡±


    Although Zhao Chuchu had painkillers, she didn¡¯t want to give those drugs to Zhao Guitang.


    The pain he suffered during that period would help him remember his wrongdoings even after the physical injury was healed.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°Well, then. I¡¯ll take my leave now. Let me know at once if his condition worsens.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Thank you very much.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu did not know how to respond to that since she was the one who broke his legs.


    Atst, she bowed her head and left the house with Niu Tongsheng and the rest.


    Niu Tongsheng asked, ¡°Chuchu, can Guitang¡¯s legs get back to normal?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯ve heard the doctors say that it is incurable!¡±


    ¡°They can¡¯t fix it, but I can. Just like with the gue.¡±


    ¡°You really are exceptional.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu yed a smile on her face.


    Right after Zhao Chuchu left, she noticed Old Man Zhao waiting for her at the roadside.


    Upon seeing her, Old Man Zhao got up and traipsed toward her. ¡°Chuchu, could you please go back and help fix your eldest uncle¡¯s legs as well? Will you let him off the hook now that you¡¯ve already beaten him? Otherwise, what can we do about the mouths to feed?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu stared at the elderly man who had been wimpy all his life. Although he did not treat the original owner badly, Madam Yang was the decision maker in the Zhao n. So, he was basically useless.


    For instance, Madam Yang arranged the original owner to be married to Xie Heng for a sum of money. Even though the original owner begged for his help, he remained taciturn and docile after Madam Yang told him off.


    ¡°Chuchu, grandpa begs you.¡± Old Man Zhao continued softly, ¡°Now that Zhizhi is gone, their family will crumble if he bes crippled.¡±

 Chapter 56 - 56 Nothing but a Toy

    56 Nothing but a Toy


    Zhao Chuchu asked Old Man Zhao, ¡°Did she ask you toe?¡±


    Old Man Zhao was stunned for a while. ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°If she wants me to fix Zhao Baogen¡¯s legs, I don¡¯t mind doing that, provided that shees and begs me to do so!¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that why I am here?¡±


    ¡°You are you. Both of you are different people. Don¡¯t even think for a second that I knew nothing about the hijacking. Do I have to spell out everything she did to me for the sake of you?¡±


    Old Man Zhao was red up to his ears and he was at a loss for words.


    Zhao Chuchu walked past him and spared no nce at him.


    Those people had bullied the original owner with all their might. So, she had to seek justice for the original owner.


    Did they think they could guilt-trip her?


    No, it was never going to happen.


    Besides, Zhao Baogen¡¯s legs could only be cured by her. Otherwise, he would have to be crippled for the rest of his life.


    Witnessing Zhao Chuchu¡¯s mercilessness in y sent shivers down the spine of Niu Tongsheng.


    ¡°Chuchu, didn¡¯t you say you will heal them?¡±


    ¡°I can do it. But it will depend on their sincerity, right? Plus, I didn¡¯t go and break their legs without a good reason. They were the ones who robbed me and attempted to sell me off to the brothel in the first ce!¡±


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡±


    ¡°Chief, did you think I¡¯ve gone too far? Why don¡¯t you think about the times when I suffered from their physical abuses and vituperations? I consider it mercy for not taking their lives after what they did to me.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be good if things escte to the point of parricide¡­¡±


    Zhao Chuchu put on a suggestive smirk.


    How difficult would it be to end their lives?


    Nevertheless, this was not anarchy or apocalypse. One would face charges for the crime of homicide.


    Needless to say, she did not want to face awsuit of murder for degenerates like them.


    Though she was used to threatening them with mean words, the act of taking one¡¯s life was a different matter altogether.


    The Xie n¡¯s household was already a stone¡¯s throw away. Zhao Chuchu suddenly came to a halt and retorted to Niu Tongsheng¡¯s remark, ¡°Chief, those who¡¯ve faced death before will not be afraid of it anymore. I will always remember their obloquy and how they tried to execute me on that day.¡±


    Although Zhao Chuchu spoke in a calm tone, the Chief could feel killing intent in her words.


    It caused his heart to skip a beat.


    ¡°Now that I¡¯ve returned from hell, I¡¯m no longer the same docile Zhao Chuchu as you know me before.¡± She went on in a casual tone, ¡°You know what? It¡¯s good to be alive.¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, why did you not heal yourself at that time?¡±


    ¡°Why, you ask? Because I wanted to die. There was no hope in my life at that time. Yet, I couldn¡¯t pull off dying. After I opened my eyes again, it suddenly dawned on me that the world was actually a beautiful ce. So, I want to live my life to the fullest this time after I was given a second chance. Chief, you know I didn¡¯t want to marry Xie Heng then.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu peered at Niu Tongsheng when she spoke.


    Thetter rubbed his nose and avoided the former¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°Chuchu, it was all in the past now. You¡¯ve already gotten married. You should live a quiet and decent life with A Heng from now on.¡±


    ¡°People had been telling me the same thing since back then.¡±


    Although the original owner was forced to marry Xie Heng, she did take good care of his siblings. Yet, she did not sumb to her fate entirely. She held on to the tiny hope and waited for the young man who gave her flowers, thinking he woulde back for her.


    Otherwise, she would not have treated Xie Heng with ¡°respect¡±.


    The original owner could not see the big picture, seeing that she was the person involved in the situation. However, Zhao Chuchu could see everything clearly from her perspective as an outsider. That person treated the original owner to be nothing but a toy. In fact, that man and Zhao Zhizhi even flirted with each other. But the original owner was too innocent to see through his facade.


    Following that, the Zhao n set the original owner up with Xie Heng, and Niu Tongsheng sided with the Xie n so that she would marry the man. He did so because the original owner¡¯s crush was the son of his distant cousin.


    ¡°Chuchu¡­¡±


    ¡°Chief, I didn¡¯t mean to me you. Some things were meant to happen.¡±


    Apart from not sharing the marriage bed, Xie Heng did not mistreat the original owner.


    Even when the original owner was sick, Xie Heng would send for doctors to cure her illnesses.


    Before Li Jiang came to the vige, Zhao Zhizhi provoked the original owner by iming to have a wedding with that young man, subsequently causing thetter to lose her will to live. It was after the fact that she ended her life then and there silently¡­

 Chapter 57 - 57 Good or Bad, I Remembered

    57 Good or Bad, I Remembered


    She was not worried. She would take care of them one by one!


    Zhao Zhizhi was dead. Sooner orter, it would be that scumbag¡¯s turn.


    Niu Tongsheng sighed. ¡°That child will never marry you, so it¡¯s better for you to marry Xie Heng.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu knew very well that was not the way Niu Tongsheng felt at the time. In the eyes of the original owner, he was a bad guy, but at least the original owner didn¡¯t have to be tortured by those people.


    Although Xie Heng was a stranger living under the same roof, Xie Heng was still protective of the original owner, more or less. The Zhao n had requested the original owner return to work, but Xie Heng put an end to all of their demands.


    !!


    ¡°Da Lang is very nice,¡± said Zhao Chuchu. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for him, I would not be able to make it. I remember who treated me well and who did not.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the way it should be.¡±


    ¡°What if Madam Yang came to beg me in person? Would the vige chief continue to persuade me?¡±


    ¡°As the vige chief, I have the duty to address certain things, but I won¡¯t force you to do them a certain way.¡±


    Of course, he would say that. Zhao Chuchu was like a different person now. He would not be as stupid as those from the Zhao n, who hadpletely pissed off Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear it; I believe you are a fair man.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu smiled before she continued walking toward the Xie household.


    Niu Tongsheng followed close behind. As he looked at Zhao Chuchu, aplicated feeling suddenly filled his chest.


    Xie Heng was inside the room while Xie Jun was sitting in front of the kitchen stove, minding the cooking fire that was boiling some water.


    When he saw Zhao Chuchu returning, Xie Jun stood up and said proudly, ¡°Sister, I have some hot water that¡¯s already boiled. Do you want to take a bath first? It must be very tiring for you to go out and treat these people.¡±


    Xie Jun was a child with some growing up to do, whose features were gentle and pleasing. He would most likely grow into a handsome young man with an outstanding appearance.


    When the poison in his body was inactive, there was not much difference between him and other children, except that his constitution was slightly weaker.


    ¡°That¡¯s so nice of you. But I have to make dinner first. Would you go and read with your brother?¡± Zhao Chuchu patted his head adoringly.


    Xie Jun rubbed his hands together and said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll do as you say, sister.¡±


    Then, he ran out as soon as he finished speaking.


    Zhao Chuchu closed the door with a smile.


    As soon as she thought of Xie Heng¡¯s bitter look when he saw those steamed buns on the table, she couldn¡¯t help but snicker.


    Unfortunately, they were still eating buns that night.


    Zhao Chuchu was making a ruckus in the kitchen. When it was about time, she took the steamed buns out and put them in the steamers on the pot, making it appear as if they had just been made. Then, she called Niu Tongsheng and the others to help take the buns out.


    As soon as Xie Heng heard Zhao Chuchu¡¯s summoning for help, he had a very bad feeling about dinner.


    Sure enough, it¡¯s buns again!


    For the first time, Xie Heng wondered if it was a mistake for him to pretend he was blind.


    Zhao Chuchu knew that everyone was trying to save those steamed buns instead of eating them here and now. So, once again, Zhao Chuchu divided the buns ording to the number of heads and had them take them home to their families.


    Xie Heng, on the other hand, was carrying a bowl of porridge. He would rather die than eat even one single steamed bun.


    When Zhao Chuchu saw what he was doing, she couldn¡¯t help the small smile that crept across the corners of her mouth.


    After Xie Jun fell asleep at night, Xie Heng came over and motioned for Zhao Chuchu to follow him.


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t know what he meant to do.


    Xie Heng took her into the kitchen.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Watch me.¡±


    Xie Heng lit the candle and did not say another word.


    Zhao Chuchu stood aside, watching Xie Heng take the glutinous rice flour and pour it into a wooden basin. He rolled up his sleeves, skillfully added an appropriate amount of water to the mix, and kneaded the flour with his long, slender hands.


    ¡°Where did you put the sesame, peanuts, and sugar?¡±


    ¡°Over here.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu found them and gave them to him.


    Xie Heng was really fed up with steamed buns for three meals a day, for days on end.


    Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t even make a dough using the same glutinous rice flour. However, Xie Heng made them into small, delicate rice balls with peanut fillings.


    In addition, there were also sugar dangos and sesame balls.


    For some reason, watching Xie Heng making food was really amusing to Zhao Chuchu, and she almost burst outughing.


    He was serious about rushing to cook something ptable for himself to eat so he wouldn¡¯t die of starvation!


    ¡°Try it?¡± Xie Heng handed a finished sugar dango for Zhao Chuchu to try.

 Chapter 58 - 58 Only Hardship If You Follow Him

    58 Only Hardship If You Follow Him


    ¡°Taste it?¡± Xie Heng handed over one of the sugar dangos that he had made.


    Each cooked rice ball was poured over with freshly made hot syrup and sprinkled with fried sesame seeds and crushed peanuts, which looked very appetizing.


    Zhao Chuchu took one and took a bite. It tasted sweet and fragrant, incredibly delicious.


    ¡°So delicious.¡± She smiled and looked at Xie Heng.


    When Xie Heng saw that, he turned around and went back to work, but the smile on his face could not be suppressed no matter how he tried.


    Zhao Chuchu finished the sugar dango before she went to eat the fried sesame balls that Xie Heng had just made.


    ¡°Yummy!¡± Zhao Chuchu gave a thumbs up. ¡°Da Lang, your cooking is excellent.¡±


    Xie Heng smiled reservedly.


    ¡°I have to make your eyes better soon.¡±


    This way, she would not have to pretend all the time and rely on cheating to make the meals!


    Perhaps the sesame balls¡¯ fragrance smelled so good that it had attracted some unwanted visitors.


    However, before the man got anywhere near the Xie household, Zhao Chuchu had already sensed his presence.


    ¡°Someone is here!¡± she whispered to Xie Heng.


    As soon as Xie Heng turned his head, he was met with Zhao Chuchu¡¯s bright little face and her vivid expression.


    Clearly, her face was very familiar to him. However, at that moment, perhaps it was because of the flickering firelight on the stove, which was shining very brightly; Xie Heng felt as if he was seeing her for the first time!


    Her profile had a delicate contour; she was like a fairy from the mountain, lovely and charming.


    Xie Heng was startled by these unfamiliar thoughts and immediately suppressed them as his eyes returned to their usual calmness.


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s attention was still on the outside as she took the strainer from Xie Heng¡¯s hand, saying, ¡°Watch the fire. I¡¯ll do this.¡±


    Xie Heng looked at the sesame balls tumbling in the pot of boiling oil and had a feeling that Zhao Chuchu would somehow ruin this batch.


    ¡°Aiya, it¡¯s sote, and you guys are still up? What are you guys making that smells so good?¡±


    At that time, the person outside hade in uninvited, rubbing his hands together and staring at the pot. His eyes shed with greed.


    ¡°Such a cooking method wastes a lot of oil, and you guys don¡¯t know how to save it.¡± The visitor walked in on his own, reaching for the fried sesame balls on the stove. ¡°I¡¯ll try one to see if it tastes good.¡±


    Who knew where those dirty hands had been? Zhao Chuchu was disgusted by the man¡¯s rude behavior.


    She hit the hand that was about to touch the sesame balls with a chopstick.


    ¡°Ow!¡± The man screamed as he pulled back his hand.


    He covered the ce where he had been hit and red at Zhao Chuchu angrily. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me eating a sesame ball of yours? And how dare you hit me? Zhao Chuchu, if I am not so nice, believe it or not, I will p you so hard you can¡¯t even stand!¡±


    ¡°You came inside my house uninvited to grab food from my stove. Do you expect me to hold it out for you with both hands?¡± Zhao Chuchu retorted.


    This man was a well-known hobo in Lengshui Vige by the name of Zhao Xing, who was a distant cousin of the original owner. On any given day, he would wander around idly, the type that was never content to stay home and work.


    When the flu broke out in Lengshui Vige, he was somewhere else. However, he probably found his way over here when he returned to the vige overnight.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me eating some of your food? Zhao Chuchu, I¡¯m your cousin. If you have so much delicious food but won¡¯t let me eat it, I insist on doing so. Not only will I eat them, but I will also take them all away!¡± Zhao Xing said arrogantly. ¡°This is the price you have to pay for hitting me.¡±


    He paused as he nced at Xie Heng, who was sitting quietly in front of the stove, and an evil thought urred to him. ¡°Chuchu, you are a good-looking gal. How about I get you some business? I guarantee you¡¯ll live in luxury if you listen to me. You see, this blind man can¡¯t give you anything. You will only suffer hardship if you follow him!¡±


    When Zhao Chuchu saw Zhao Xing, she knew what kind of dirty idea he had in mind.


    ¡°Chuchu, really, this business is not hard; justy down and make money¡­ ah!¡±


    Before Zhao Xing could finish what he was saying, he suddenly screamed in a shrill and miserable voice.


    Zhao Chuchu looked down and was shocked by what she saw.

 Chapter 59 - 59 Can’t Afford This Kind of Brother

    59 Can¡¯t Afford This Kind of Brother


    Without any expression on his face, Xie Heng pressed the red-hot tongs onto Zhao Xing¡¯s thigh, and the smell of charred flesh permeated the kitchen right away.


    Zhao Xing rolled on the floor while clutching his leg. Soon, his screaming rmed other people elsewhere in the vige.


    Xie Heng put away the tongs again and reminded Zhao Chuchu, ¡°It¡¯s time to take them out of the pot.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu came to her senses and was a little stunned.


    The sense of aggression that exuded from Xie Heng just now didn¡¯t at all befit that of a young schr.


    But upon closer inspection, it seemed as if she had imagined it.


    Did Xie Heng put the tongs in the fire right as she mentioned that someone wasing?


    ¡°They are burnt.¡± Xie Heng frowned slightly as if displeased that Zhao Chuchu had ruined the sesame balls he had made.


    As for Zhao Xing, who was still yelling and screaming on the floor, Xie Heng seemed to have zero acknowledgment of his presence in front of him.


    ¡°Hurry up!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu, ¡°¡­¡±


    She took the bamboo strainer and fished out the over-cooked sesame balls.


    They could hear those rushing footsteps getting closer.


    Xie Heng calmly arranged the things on the kitchen counter.


    After a while, the vigers arrived.


    Everyone was stunned by the sight of Zhao Xing rolling on the ground.


    And the smell in the kitchen drew everyone¡¯s eyes to the stove.


    There was also a small te of sesame balls on the counter.


    ¡°What¡­ what¡¯s going on?¡± an older viger asked. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Zhao Xing?¡±


    ¡°Help me!! Xie Heng is going to kill me,¡± Zhao Xing immediately shouted when he saw peopleing. ¡°Hurry up and tie him up.¡±


    However, everyone in Lengshui Vige knew what kind of person Zhao Xing was.


    Looking at the situation, it was not hard to see that Zhao Xing was the one who instigated the trouble at hand.


    Zhao Xing¡¯s family was nowhere near, and Xie Heng and Zhao Chuchu did not have a good rtionship with Zhao Xing¡ªthey wouldn¡¯t invite him to their house.


    The only possibility was that Zhao Xing came over when he smelled the delicious food that they were making!


    At that moment, Niu Tongsheng arrived at the scene in a hurry. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Vige chief, you have to be a fair judge of the matter. I came to see my sister Zhao Chuchu out of concern. But, instead, Xie Heng tried to kill me¡­¡±


    ¡°Da Lang is actually too nice. If someone hadn¡¯te over, I would have killed you myself!¡± Zhao Chuchu interrupted Zhao Xing. ¡°It¡¯s one thing toe to my house and rob me, but it¡¯s quite another matter when you want to sell me to a brothel as a prostitute! I can¡¯t afford to have a brother like you!¡±


    When Niu Tongsheng heard Zhao Chuchu¡¯s words, his face suddenly fell.


    ¡°Zhao Xing, you bastard!¡±


    No one doubted Zhao Chuchu¡¯s words.


    Because there was absolutely nothing too lowly that Zhao Xing wouldn¡¯t consider doing.


    And it was not the first time that he tried to sell Zhao Chuchu off!


    Zhao Xing hurriedly defended himself. ¡°This is nder. How can I do such a thing?¡±


    ¡°Our house is nowhere close to the vige¡¯s entrance, and it¡¯s more than half a vige away from your house. So how do you exin the fact that you barged into my house uninvited?¡±


    ¡°I got lost.¡±


    ¡°Got lost? Da Lang can¡¯t see. So it¡¯s no wonder for him to mistake you as a criminal with bad intentions.¡±


    ¡°My boy, who hurt you like this?¡± At the same time, someone must have gone to Zhao Xing¡¯s house to alert his mother. When his mother arrived, she burst into tears. ¡°Vige chief, you must help my son and uphold justice, and the person who hurt my son has to pay money for it¡­¡±


    ¡°It seems that all of you from the Zhao n are dying to go to the county court. All right, I still have all the confession letters.¡± Zhao Chuchu chuckled softly. ¡°I wonder what kind of charge it would be for breaking into someone¡¯s house in the middle of the night?¡±


    Zhao Xing¡¯s mother immediately stopped her howling and dared not to keep crying nonsense.


    Xie Heng said nonchntly, ¡°Let¡¯s press charges so as not to argue endlessly in the middle of the night.¡±


    Zhao Xing panicked as soon as he heard that they were going to press charges.


    ¡°Mother, let¡¯s go back. We are unlucky, but we won¡¯t stoop to their level. Let¡¯s go quickly.¡± Zhao Xing endured the pain, got up quickly from the ground, and began limping his way out.


    However, Xie Heng said slowly, ¡°Wait a moment and put the things down. Don¡¯t think you can get away with taking what¡¯s ours in a frenzy.¡±

 Chapter 60 - 60 Perhaps There Is Still Time

    60 Perhaps There Is Still Time


    Zhao Xing was horrified when he heard what Xie Heng said.


    How could he know?


    Zhao Chuchu was also surprised. Zhao Xing came directly to the kitchen and did not take anything from the kitchen.


    ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? I didn¡¯t take anything from you.¡±


    ¡°Whether or not you did, a search will reveal the truth.¡±


    ¡°Xie Heng, you are too much!¡±


    ¡°Oh, not when it¡¯spared to what you did.¡±


    Zhao Xing did not dare to be searched, after all. In the end, he could only grit his teeth, take out the purse on him, and throw it to Xie Heng.


    ¡°There you go!¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, see if anything is missing from it.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu took the purse and suddenly smelled a faint fragrance, with a faint smell of blood mixed with it.


    This was¡­


    Zhao Chuchu suddenly felt that something was not right.


    She nced at Xie Heng without being obvious, but Xie Heng appeared calm, and nothing could be fathomed by just looking at his face.


    Zhao Chuchu looked at the purse casually and said, ¡°Something is missing.¡±


    Zhao Xing was infuriated right away. ¡°Don¡¯t you push me!¡±


    Xie Heng said, ¡°Then we¡¯ll go to the police.¡±


    Zhao Xing had to suppress his fury. He took out a jade hairpin from his sleeves. ¡°Everything is here!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu snorted coldly. ¡°Now get the hell out of here, and don¡¯te to my house again.¡±


    Niu Tongsheng was astounded.


    Others stared like idiots at the purse and the jade hairpin without blinking even once.


    Seeing this, Zhao Chuchu quickly put away the purse and the jade hairpin.


    Niu Tongsheng turned around and began shooing everyone away. ¡°Enough, enough! Everyone go back to your house and go to sleep. No day goes by when there isn¡¯t some nonsense to worry me.¡±


    Someone pointed to the sesame balls on the counter and said, ¡°Xie Heng, you guys are living pretty well now, and you can afford to make such exotic food. I haven¡¯t eaten sesame balls in a long time, either. Can you give me one so I can taste it too?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu picked up the hatchet off the stove. ¡°Would you like to eat some barbecue? Shall I chop your legs off and roast them for you?¡±


    As soon as she said that, the onlookers immediately ran away, fearing that Zhao Chuchu would really chop their legs off.


    Soon, the Xie household quieted down again.


    Niu Tongsheng looked at the two of them and felt that it would be best to speed up and finish the fence as soon as possible.


    Otherwise, there would always be those who would barge into their house from time to time and cause trouble. As the vige chief, he couldn¡¯t deny that this kind of urrence was highly annoying.


    ¡°You guys be careful at night. If possible, you should keep a dog in the yard in the future,¡± Niu Tongsheng suggested.


    ¡°Mmm, we¡¯ll look for er.¡± Zhao Chuchu nodded, then handed the te of sesame balls on the counter to Niu Tongsheng. ¡°Take these home with you.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not easy for you guys either. Keep them for yourselves.¡±


    ¡°You take it. We made more.¡±


    ¡°Well, you need money for everything; it¡¯s more prudent to save when you can.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Niu Tongsheng didn¡¯t continue with his refusal and left with the te of sesame balls.


    Xie Jun stood in the doorway rubbing his eyes, saying, ¡°What are you guys doing in the middle of the night?¡±


    ¡°Come over here. There are sugar dangos, sesame balls, and soup dumplings. Do you want to eat them?¡± Zhao Chuchu beckoned.


    Xie Jun looked at Xie Heng. ¡°Can I really eat them?¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± he nodded.


    Xie Jun was instantly overjoyed.


    After eating and drinking, Xie Jun went back to sleep.


    Zhao Chuchu moved everything back to the main room and locked the door before she turned to face Xie Heng. She took out the purse and asked him, ¡°How do you know that Zhao Xing had these on him?¡±


    ¡°When Zhao Xing entered the house, I smelled blood.¡± Xie Heng took the purse and sniffed it with his nose. ¡°This is a girl¡¯s purse, and Zhao Xing smelled of alcohol. There were also fresh scratches on his neck, and his shoes were stained with red y¡­ Chuchu, do you want to go and have a look? Maybe there is still time to save the girl.¡±

 Chapter 61 - 61 You Are Lucky

    61 You Are Lucky


    Xie Heng pointed toward the west and said, ¡°Around five miles in that direction is a cliff a few meters tall. If I¡¯m not wrong, she¡¯s there.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu looked at Xie Heng and felt that something was off, but she couldn¡¯t exactly pinpoint what it was.


    ¡°You¡¯reing with me.¡± Thedy decided to drag the man with her.


    Xie Heng tried to dodge her grab but failed to do so.


    ¡°I can¡¯t go. Junjun is still at home,¡± he said as he tapped thedy¡¯s hand on his arm. ¡°What if Zhao Xines back? What¡¯ll happen to Junjun? Chuchu, I know you can save her alone. She¡¯s someone valuable. If you rescue her, she might be useful to you in the future.¡±


    ¡°Then, why can¡¯t you save her?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m a guy, and I don¡¯t want unwanted problems.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu immediately reacted to that.


    Although it waste at night, she could still clearly see Xie Heng¡¯s face.


    She admitted that although he was a little selfish, if he really went and saved thatdy, she would fall in love with him immediately.


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu did not force Xie Heng toe with her after that.


    In the end, he had already learned she wasn¡¯t the real Zhao Chuchu.


    Xie Heng watched as Zhao Chuchu disappeared into the night, wondering how she got the direction right without a fire torch.


    After a while, he returned to the house.


    He didn¡¯t go to sleep right away. Instead, he took out a bow and three arrows from the back of the old wardrobe and sat on the bed. He gently wiped the arrows¡¯ sharp tips as his eyes were filled with murderous intent.


    At that time, Zhao Chuchu had already reached the cliff that Xie Heng had mentioned,


    She looked down and noticed a person lying in the grass at the bottom of the cliff.


    Zhao Chuchu immediately jumped down.


    After the rest and the good food she had eaten in secret, her power had mostly recovered. Although she wasn¡¯t at her peak form yet, and her ability was still restricted, she was still powerful.


    She quickly arrived next to thedy lying in the grass.


    Thedy was covered in blood, and terrifying-looking wounds were all over her body. A blunt object even hit her head, and she looked like a dead person.


    Zhao Chuchu quickly checked thedy¡¯s pulse and realized she was still breathing. The problem was her breath was feeble.


    She couldn¡¯t help but respect thedy¡¯s will to survive.


    If Zhao Chuchu had note, thedy would¡¯ve died from losing too much blood.


    ¡°Consider yourself lucky that I¡¯m here,¡± Zhao Chuchu whispered, using the healing power to extend thedy¡¯s life.


    After that, she quickly put the injured person on her back and carried her home.


    When she reached the door, she immediately realized something was wrong.


    She could only hear Xie Jun¡¯s breathing while Xie Heng was nowhere to be found.


    ¡°Did he follow me?¡± Zhao Chuchu thought and frowned as she hated people who didn¡¯t keep their word.


    With a cold expression, she carried thedy back into her room. She shut the windows off and took thedy¡¯s robe off.


    A few wounds were still bleeding, so deep that the bones could be seen.


    Zhao Chuchu quickly cleaned the wounds and started to close them. After applying all the needed medication and eventually saving thedy from dying, more than half an hour had passed.


    She sat by the bed,pletely exhausted. In the end, her body was still too weak.


    After drinking several nutritional drinks, she finally recovered enough energy to clean the medical equipment. She took them to the kitchen to burn all of them.


    Once everything was burned, she walked out of the kitchen and found Xie Heng, dressed in ck,ing back with a bow hung over his shoulder. In his hands were two wild rabbits that were still alive.


    ¡°Did you go hunting in the mountain?¡± Zhao Chuchu was shocked.


    ¡°Yes.¡± The man nodded and walked past her into the kitchen.

 Chapter 62 - 62 Are You Acquainted With Her

    62 Are You Acquainted With Her


    ¡°Why did you go hunting sote in the night?¡± Zhao Chuchu followed Xie Heng. ¡°What did you see?¡±


    Xie Heng put the stuff down and turned to stare at her. ¡°I did not follow you. I really did go hunting. Chuchu, where¡¯s the trust that you just mentioned?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t react to that.


    ¡°There was a beast. I don¡¯t want it to save Junjun, so I sent it into the mountain,¡± Xie Heng finally said.


    After a short pause, Zhao Chuchu asked, ¡°Wait! You know martial arts?¡±


    ¡°A little.¡± Xie Heng admitted.


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    ¡°A little? Then, why couldn¡¯t I detect it?¡± she thought.


    ¡°By the way, do you know how to handle it?¡± Xie Heng suddenly changed the subject.


    ¡°Huh?¡± thedy replied dumbfoundedly.


    Xie Heng pointed at the rabbits that were trying to run away. ¡°Do you know how to cook them?¡±


    ¡°How can we eat such cute rabbits?¡±


    It was Xie Heng¡¯s turn to be speechless.


    Zhao Chuchu saw that and that made her feel better.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me. You should thank God that I at least know how much water should be added when cooking rice, or else you would¡¯ve starved.¡±


    ¡°Do we have to go there?¡±


    ¡°You were dying from hunger. There¡¯s no way I can watch you die, right? Is Zhao Xing the beast?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Where is she?¡±


    ¡°Sleeping in my room. Tell me, do you know who she is?¡±


    ¡°Although I might be good at studying, I can¡¯t predict the future. Are you going to raise the rabbits if you aren¡¯t going to eat them?¡±


    ¡°But, I don¡¯t know how to cook them. Let¡¯s keep them here first, and you can cook them tomorrow night. Braised rabbit sounds good.¡±


    Xie Heng looked at thedy speechlessly again.


    ¡°It¡¯ste. I¡¯m going to bed first.¡± Zhao Chuchu decided to head back into her room.


    Xie Heng watched as she left and was lost in thought.


    Zhao Chuchu stayed by the injureddy¡¯s side for the whole night, and the wounded finally woke up when the sun had just risen.


    Zhao Chuchu was still sleeping by the bed, but thedy¡¯s movement awakened her.


    She opened her eyes instantly and stared at thedy with a sharp re.


    However, she quickly regained her wits and realized she wasn¡¯t in the apocalyptic world anymore. She just had a nightmare of her old world.


    Zhao Chuchu got up and met thedy¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°You are?¡± After a while, thedy tried to sit up.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t get up yet. You¡¯re still heavily injured,¡± Zhao Chuchu said as she stopped thedy from getting up. ¡°Your wounds might open up if you move around. We¡¯ll talk once you¡¯ve recovered.¡±


    ¡°Did you save me?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Where am I?¡±


    ¡°Lengshui Vige.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright. Stop talking and get some rest. If your wounds open up, even gods can¡¯t save you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Miss¡­¡±


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu. You can call me Chuchu.¡±


    ¡°My name is Yuan Hui.¡± Thedy nodded.


    ¡°It¡¯s safe here. So, don¡¯t worry about a thing.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Are you hungry?¡±


    ¡°A little.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu nodded. Having an appetite meant that thedy was out of life-threatening danger.


    Her healing skills had worked.


    However, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder what secret Xie Heng was hiding and why he asked her to save thedy.


    Realizing that she wouldn¡¯t get an answer, she decided to head into the kitchen to prepare something for Yuan Hui to eat.


    Zhao Chuchu could tell from Yuan Hui¡¯s innocent eyes that she was from a prestigious family.


    She wondered why such a well-raiseddy woulde to such a poor vige.


    Thedy would¡¯ve died if Zhao Chuchu had not saved her in time.


    Zhao Chuchu walked out of her room and noticed that Xie Heng had already woken up.


    She turned to look at thedy in her room and grinned. ¡°Hey, is that your ex or something?¡±

 Chapter 63 - 63 I Am Not Joking

    63 I Am Not Joking


    Xie Heng¡¯s gaze turned cold as he started back at Zhao Chuchu, making her head itch a little.


    ¡°I-I was just joking.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not funny.¡±


    Xie Heng turned and walked outside.


    Not expecting the man to get angry, Zhao Chuchu quickly chased after him. ¡°Hey, thedy¡¯s hungry. What should we make?¡±


    ¡°Why are you asking me? What can a blind man like me make?¡± Xie Heng asked.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was confused by Xie Heng¡¯s sudden temper, but it only took her a few seconds to understand why.


    He was simply putting up an act for thedy.


    She immediately became speechless, thinking, ¡°You don¡¯t have to go so far. What makes you think she¡¯ll fall in love with you?¡±


    Her thought was written all over her face, and Xie Heng immediately saw through them.


    He almost could not hold his chuckle back as he flicked her forehead. ¡°What the heck are you even thinking about?¡±


    ¡°What was that for?¡± Zhao Chuchu scolded as she red at him.


    The conversation sounded like a couple arguing about something with Yuan Hui.


    It made things awkward for her as she thought she was using the couple¡¯s room.


    Because of that, she felt even more grateful to her savior.


    Zhao Chuchu dragged Xie Heng to the kitchen and whispered, ¡°I really can¡¯t cook! What if my food kills her? Wouldn¡¯t that be a waste? Just help me out here.¡±


    She even blinked, acting as if she was a weak girl.


    Xie Heng wanted to refuse, but he couldn¡¯t express it.


    Clearly, the Zhao Chuchu in front of him was different than the one he knew.


    Her activeness and liveliness made it seem like there was nothing in the world that could upset her.


    In the end, he let out a sigh. Since he was the one who asked her to save thedy, he had no choice but to make some congee.


    Zhao Chuchu returned to the room. ¡°That was my husband. He has lost his sight, so his temper is a little weird. Don¡¯t mind him,¡± she exined to Yuan Hui.


    ¡°I-it¡¯s okay. I¡¯m sorry for bothering the both of you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. The congee will be done soon. Oh! And, someone wille hereter in the day to work. Try not to alert them.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu left the room again after that and waited for Xie Heng to finish making the congee before bringing it to Yuan Hui.


    She also helped the injured change her bandage. After the meal, Yuan Hui fell asleep right away.


    Once the sun was high up in the sky, Niu Tongsheng and the rest arrived to work.


    After what had happened the night before, they nned to finish building the wall as quickly as they could in case someone came to interrupt them again.


    Zhao Chuchu did not head out that day too. Instead, she treated Xie Heng¡¯s eyes in front of Niu Tongsheng and the rest.


    She took an eye mask out of her carry-on storage and applied it around Xie Heng¡¯s eyes. Since the mask was ck, it made the man look a little scary.


    Xie Heng felt a cold sensation around his eyes and didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡°Will your eyes heal with this?¡± Xie Jun excitedly asked.


    ¡°Who knows? Let¡¯s try it out first.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be great if your eyes can get better!¡±


    Xie Heng¡¯s eyes were now covered with bandages, and he couldn¡¯t see a thing.


    ¡°Yes. I hope it will.¡±


    Niu Tongsheng and the rest were talking about it. Although they weren¡¯t loud, the ce was small enough for Xie Heng to hear them.


    The man asked his brother to take him back into the house as he didn¡¯t want to hear their pity remarks.


    Yuan Hui was woken up by the men¡¯s talk as well.


    She stayed still on the bed as she didn¡¯t want them to realize she was there, which might cause trouble for the family.


    Zhao Chuchu took the chance to talk to Niu Tongsheng about purchasingnd.


    ¡°Why did you suddenly want to buynd on the mountain? You can¡¯t even nt anything there.¡± Niu Tongsheng was confused.


    Zhao Chuchu let out a sigh. ¡°Our farm was sold, and I was in the worst stage of my life. I¡¯m fully awake now, and I¡¯m anxious since we don¡¯t have anything that can make us money. We can¡¯t rely on the mountain for the rest of our lives, can we?¡±


    ¡°But, you can¡¯t even build a farm there.¡±


    ¡°We can try other things. I read something about nting on the mountain, and I want to try it out.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Is it not possible?¡±


    ¡°Not at all. You don¡¯t even have to buy it. ording to thew, if you open up a piece ofnd yourself, you don¡¯t have to pay the tax for the first three years. Whatever you nt on thatnd belongs to you.¡±


    ¡°Then, what if I take the entire mountain?¡± Zhao Chuchu pointed at the mountain behind her house.


    The other people couldn¡¯t help butugh a little.


    ¡°Chuchu, how are you going to use the entire mountain?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s right. Farming is not easy as you think.¡±


    ¡°If you really want to farm, why not ask the Tang family to rent you theirnd? The husband had passed, and their child is still young. We can even teach you if you farm there.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not joking here,¡± Zhao Chuchu said in a serious tone.


    Niu Tongsheng was stunned for a second. ¡°Do you seriously want the entire mountain?¡±


    Thedy nodded.


    ¡°If you want that much, then you¡¯ll have to head to the government office,¡± Niu Tongsheng seriously replied. ¡°You also need the imperial court¡¯s approval for this. They¡¯ll need to find out how big the mountain is, and you¡¯ll have to pay a small fee.¡±


    ¡°Can you help me get those done?¡±


    ¡°You really want to buy thend?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Her option was not limited to nting vegetables. She had a lot of seeds with her, and she could try all of them out.


    Everyone turned to look at each other, and some tried to talk her out.


    ¡°Chuchu, although it¡¯s not going to be expensive to purchase the mountain, that money is still enough for you to buy a few plowednds. It¡¯s tough to grow something on this mountain.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ve already made up my mind.¡±


    ¡°Fine¡­¡± Niu Tongsheng sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll help you ask around in a couple of days. It¡¯s almost the spring season. Even if you buy the mountain, you won¡¯t have enough time or energy to plow the entirend. Why are you so stubborn?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll never know until you try.¡±


    Seeing how Xie Heng remained silent, Niu Tongsheng thought they had already discussed it.


    The fence was finally built up when the sun was about to set.


    Zhao Chuchu looked around and finally felt the safety she needed.


    Since it wasn¡¯tte, Zhao Chuchu asked Niu Tongsheng and the rest to dine with them as Xie Heng had hunted two rabbits the night before.


    She had to ask Old Mrs. Chen and her daughter-inw to help cook the meal.


    Zhao Chuchu even bought chicken and vegetables to make the meal a feast.


    When Madam Yang saw Zhao Chuchu going home with the grocery, she wanted to take them away from the youngdy again.


    However, just a step in, she recalled how hard the youngdy had hit her, and she stopped.


    Zhao Chuchu walked past Madam Yang as if the woman was not there.


    That caused the woman to grit her teeth angrily, but there was nothing she could do about it.


    While the Xie family was enjoying a feast, the Zhao family was in tears.


    They knew about Zhao Xing leavingte at night the day before, and they were also used to him noting back for a few days. Thus, they weren¡¯t concerned about him not returning until a hunter carried Zhao Xing back home.


    His legs, arms, and even his penis were broken from a fall, and he was barely breathing.

 Chapter 64 - 64 Stay Away

    64 Stay Away


    Zhao Chuchu was washing the vegetable in the water pot when Zhao Xing¡¯s family rushed to her house.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Zhao Chuchu? Get the hell out!¡± Zhao Xing¡¯s mother yelled as soon as she stepped into the house.


    Zhao Chuchu only nced at the woman and ignored her.


    The other people quickly stopped Zhao Xing¡¯s mother and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°This has nothing to do with you! Zhao Chuchu! Get the hell out and save my son!¡± the mother roared.


    Thedy slowly got up. ¡°I can save him as long as you pay me.¡±


    ¡°Why should I? My son is in that condition because of you! It¡¯s your responsibility to save him!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu waspletely confused by that statement.


    ¡°Come with me now! I¡¯ll kill you if my son dies!¡±


    Zhao Xing¡¯s mother charged toward Zhao Chuchu, wanting to drag thedy back with her.


    Zhao Chuchu swiftly evaded the woman before swinging the knife toward the woman¡¯s neck.


    She stopped just before the de met the flesh.


    Zhao Xing¡¯s mother was so terrified that her face turned pale. ¡°Zhao Chuchu! What are you doing?¡± she scolded.


    ¡°How dare youe here and make a scene? Did you forget that we still have a score to settle from yesterday? Do you think I¡¯m an easy target?¡±


    With that remark, thedy swung the knife across the top of the woman¡¯s head, shaving some of the hair off.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Zhao Xing¡¯s mother screamed. ¡°She¡¯s trying to kill me!¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you would kill me? Zhao Xing only has no wound other than a scald when he left here yesterday! Why are you ming me when he got hit for doing something bad?¡±


    Zhao Xing¡¯s mother fell butt-first onto the floor while screaming in fear.


    Yet, not a single person offered their help to her.


    ¡°If I see you making a scene, here again, I¡¯ll cut your hand off.¡± Zhao Chuchu scoffed.


    Zhao Xing¡¯s mother quickly crawled out of the house and into the porch.


    ¡°You better get as far away from me as possible if you treasure your life. Don¡¯t you dare use me of all your wrongdoings! If you want, let¡¯s go to the county office and see who they¡¯ll side with!¡±


    ¡°You bitch! How can you watch someone die without doing anything? Yo- Ah!¡±


    Zhao Xing¡¯s mother¡¯s sentence was cut short when a knife was thrown toward her. It scared her so much that she pissed off her pants.


    The knife dug itself deep into the wall next to the woman.


    She looked at Zhao Chuchu, who was walking toward her, and screamed, ¡°S-stay away from me!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu nced at the woman, walked past her, and pulled the knife out of the wall.


    ¡°Before you threaten me to save your son, you should ask what he had done yesterday. Did he get caught stealing from other people again? You better ensure he stops doing that, or he¡¯ll die before you.¡±


    Zhao Xing¡¯s mother looked at Zhao Chuchu in fear.


    Thedy turned and left.


    The mother thought of the state her son was in. As a mother, she knew what kind of a person her son was, and it wasn¡¯t the first time he came back home injured. It¡¯d make sense that her son got himself involved in huge trouble.


    Zhao Xing¡¯s mother struggled to get back up and rushed home to have someone carry Zhao Xing to the county to find a doctor.


    Zhao Xing was lucky as he didn¡¯t die from that.


    However, from that day onward, he could not mate, nor could he walk anymore. He was pretty much disabled down from his waist.


    The mother cried very hard, but the brothers pouted as they scolded God in their minds for not taking Zhao Xing down to hell instead, as they¡¯d have to spend the rest of their lives taking care of a disabled person.


    They couldn¡¯t say that out loud because their mother was present since the youngest was always loved the most.


    Zhao Chuchu took a peek at Zhao Xing when he was transported to the town. The man was heavily injured, but Xie Heng did hold back a little and did not kill him.


    However, the method was so precise that it made Zhao Chuchu wonder where such a schr like Xie Heng learned that from.

 Chapter 65 - 65 Not Offendable

    65 Not Offendable


    When Zhao Chuchu returned to the house, she couldn¡¯t help but study Xie Heng for a short while.


    The man was sitting under the eave with his eyes covered by a piece of cloth. The lower half of his face made him look so innocent that he seemed harmless.


    No one could¡¯ve imagined such a man heading outte the previous night to beat Zhao Xing until he was half dead, turning him into a disabled person without killing him.


    The torture was way worse than killing Zhao Xing.


    It was as if Xie Heng had sensed that someone was watching him, and he turned to stare at where Zhao Chuchu was.


    Despite having his eyes covered, Zhao Chuchu still felt as if she was being caught and quickly directed her gaze elsewhere.


    ¡°He¡¯s not someone to be messed with.¡± She immediately came to that conclusion in her head.


    That was the day when Zhao Chuchu learned that underneath his beautiful face was a cruel heart.


    ¡°Chuchu! Where are the bowls and chopsticks? We¡¯re almost done here!¡± Old Mrs. Chen suddenly yelled from the kitchen, interrupting Zhao Chuchu¡¯s thoughts. ¡°Have someone set the table up too!¡±


    ¡°Coming!¡± Zhao Chuchu replied and turned to Niu Tongsheng. ¡°Chief, get some rest. Let¡¯s move the table out here. The house¡¯s too small to fit everyone in.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Niu Tongsheng and the rest nodded and went to wash their hands.


    The aroma of rice and meats had already fueled their hunger.


    When Niu Tongsheng saw the entire pot of white rice, he couldn¡¯t help but exim, ¡°Chuchu! This pot of rice is enough tost at least a few meals if you add some grains to it! Isn¡¯t this too expensive?¡±


    ¡°Not at all. I could only steam some buns for you guys for the past two days because I don¡¯t know how to cook. I¡¯d feel bad if I didn¡¯t treat you guys to something good today. Also, with this meal, it¡¯ll be hard for you to refuse to help me next time, right?¡± Zhao Chuchu grinned.


    Niu Tongsheng couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Of course. We¡¯re neighbors, after all. All you have to do is ask.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat! I¡¯m not an amazing cook, so I hope this suits your tastes.¡± Old Mrs. Chen walked out of the kitchen and helped set the table up. After that, she was ready to head back home.


    ¡°Stay and eat with us,¡± Zhao Chuchu said.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s about dinner time at home too. Just let me know if you ever need my help. If not for you, we would¡¯ve been dead. There¡¯s nothing that I can do that could ever repay that debt.¡±


    No matter what Zhao Chuchu said, Old Mrs. Chen and her daughter-inw refused to stay and returned home.


    In the end, Zhao Chuchu ted a few portions of the meats and vegetables and took them to the Chen family, insisting that they should have some of the food they made too.


    Seeing the child at home drooling over the food, Old Mr. Chen said to his wife, ¡°It¡¯s not good to keep rejecting her.¡±


    ¡°Old Mr. Chen is right. I¡¯ll leave them on the table.¡± Zhao Chuchu grinned and left after putting the food down.


    ¡°Grandma, can we eat?¡± The child gulped. ¡°They look tasty.¡±


    ¡°Wait for your uncles toe back.¡± Old Mrs. Chen patted her grandson¡¯s head. ¡°Chuchu is different from before.¡±


    ¡°Did you forget how the Zhao family treated her? If she hadn¡¯t learned the medical skill from Da Lang, she would¡¯ve gone crazy. Also, don¡¯t go around spreading nonsense. She¡¯s still the same Chuchu we know.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense¡­¡±


    That was the end of the conversation about Zhao Chuchu¡¯s changes in the Chen family.

 Chapter 66 - 66 Misconception

    66 Misconception


    Everyone finished all the food.


    Old Mrs. Chen even took the chance to return the bowls to help Zhao Chuchu clean the dishes before heading back home.


    When Zhao Chuchu was done with everything, Xie Jun had already fallen asleep.


    Xie Heng sat inside his room. He had already taken off the blindfold.


    As the ck eyemask was there just to show Niu Tongsheng and the neighbors that Zhao Chuchu was trying to cure his eyes, she had already removed them early on when they were alone.


    !!


    ¡°How did you ensure that your attacks won¡¯t kill him?¡± Zhao Chuchu curiously asked as she sat in front of Xie Heng. ¡°They were deadly, but they won¡¯t im his life. But, he won¡¯t be able to move freely from now on.¡±


    ¡°If we can¡¯t kill a bothersome person, then the best option after that is to make sure that he won¡¯t bother us ever again,¡± Xie Heng calmly replied.


    ¡°You know how to fight?¡±


    ¡°A little.¡±


    ¡°A little? You sure that¡¯s a little?¡± Zhao Chuchu scolded in her head before asking, ¡°Who did you learn it from?¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, you have your secret, and I have mine too.¡± Xie Heng turned to stare at her.


    ¡°I just want to learn from you.¡± Thedy raised her brow.


    ¡°You must be joking.¡±


    No other person alive knew about human anatomy more than Zhao Chuchu, but Xie Heng did not expose that.


    ¡°The Zhao family will not bother you from now on. Why did you ask the chief to help you buy the mountain?¡±


    ¡°To farm, what else? You expect us to eat dirt?¡±


    Xie Heng chuckled a little. ¡°As long as I¡¯m here, you won¡¯t have to eat dirt.¡±


    ¡°But we¡¯re poor, and you still need a lot of money to cure your brother¡¯s illness.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about the money. Buying the entire mountain isn¡¯t that expensive, anyway. 20 or 30 silvers should be enough.¡±


    ¡°Just 20 or 30?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Then, how much would hiring people to plow thend cost?¡±


    ¡°Normally, it¡¯s about 15 coppers a day.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t help but gasp at how cheapbor was in the past.


    ¡°But¡­¡± Xie Heng continued. ¡°Since the spring harvest is arriving, it¡¯ll be hard to hire anyone at that price.¡±


    ¡°Then, if I offer 25 coppers a day, many people would want to work for me, right?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you tell me what you¡¯re nning on nting?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a secret.¡± Since she had not thought of how to exin the origin of the seeds, she decided to keep it a secret.


    Xie Heng nodded and did not ask any more questions about the nts. ¡°Then, why not purchase farnd instead?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu rolled her eyes back. ¡°Farmers value their farms more than their own lives. Why would they even want to sell their farm unless they are super rich? I wouldn¡¯t be able to buy one even if I had the money.¡±


    She was at least sure that she wouldn¡¯t be able to find one in Lengshui Vige.


    ¡°Wait, you were nning on farming too?¡± Xie Heng asked.


    ¡°If I havend, then why not?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu thought of farming because rice was expensive, and Xie Heng was at the age where he would consume a lot of food. Since she still had to stay with him for at least another half a year, she decided she would need to make some money.


    Although the items in her carry-on storage could be sold for money, it was hard for her to do that at a ce where everyone was acquainted with her.


    After a moment of silence, Xie Heng suddenly said, ¡°If that¡¯s what you want to do, I could rent a piece ofnd for you.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s and under my name.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you sell all thends that belonged to your family?¡±


    ¡°I did. I sold it to myself.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu looked at the young man speechlessly. ¡°He sure knows how to act like he¡¯s poor, huh?¡± she thought.


    ¡°How big is thend.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s about 1.5 hectares worth of high-quality paddy field.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good. Let me have it then. What¡¯s the harvest a year like?¡±


    ¡°Around one koku worth of paddy a year.¡±


    ¡°Just that?¡± Zhao Chuchu frowned as she thought.


    She knew that one koku was equivalent to 30 kilograms. She was surprised that they could only get a little more than 300 kilograms of paddy after a year of hard work, and the paddies weren¡¯t shelled yet. The end product would be less than that. That was way less than what she had predicted.


    Life would be problematic if she had to rely on just the paddy field to live an everyday life, especially when she still had to pay the taxes.


    ¡°Fine. Rent me the field, then. I¡¯ll pay you with silvers if there¡¯s no harvest and paddies if there is.¡±


    ¡°Just do what you want. You don¡¯t have to pay me.¡± Xie Heng shook his head.


    ¡°Why do I feel like you¡¯re richer than it seems.¡±


    ¡°You are hallucinating.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu had no intention of learning about the man¡¯s secret.


    She had her secret too.


    The two of them came to a silent agreement to not cross that line and peeked into each other lives.


    As Xie Heng was an intelligent person, it only took them a short while toe to a decision.


    When Zhao Chuchu returned to her room, Yuan Hui was still awake.


    Since Xie Heng¡¯s room was on the other side of the house, Yuan Hui did not overhear the conversation that happened a while ago.


    ¡°You¡¯re still awake?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked as she checked Yuan Hui¡¯s wound.


    Although Yuan Hui was seriously injured, she was able to make a quick recovery because of Zhao Chuchu¡¯s healing power.


    It only took her a day to be able to sit up.


    ¡°I can¡¯t fall asleep.¡± Yuan Hui turned to look at Zhao Chuchu. ¡°Whenever I close my eyes, it feels as if that person is going to kill me.¡±


    ¡°Do you know what he looked like?¡±


    ¡°It was too dark to see his face. All I know is that I scratched his face.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. No one is going to hurt you here. Calm down and get some rest.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu wanted to pat Yuan Hui¡¯s shoulder but quickly remembered that Yuan Hui was still covered in wounds. She quickly pulled her hand back.


    The fear in Yuan Hui¡¯s eyes was genuine.


    When Zhao Chuchu stayed by her side the night before, she kept making an expression that showed she was having a nightmare.


    ¡°Where do you live? How about I take you back home?¡±


    Xie Jun would eventually notice that Yuan Hui was in their house, and she didn¡¯t want to scare the little boy.


    ¡°My house¡­¡± Yuan Hui¡¯s expression turned sad. ¡°I don¡¯t have one anymore. I ran away from my home¡­¡±


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s eyes widened as she cursed Xie Heng in her head.


    ¡°Won¡¯t your parents miss you?¡±


    ¡°My mother has already passed away. And father¡­ He only cares about his new wife¡­¡±


    Zhao Chuchu raised a brow, realizing it was a family where the stepmother had the authority over everything.


    ¡°Is that so¡­ Alright, you can stay here then. But don¡¯te out of the room until your wounds are here. I don¡¯t want you to alert other people. I don¡¯t know who you are, but I don¡¯t want you to bring problems to my family since I¡¯ve saved you.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± Yuan Hui nodded.


    Because Yuan Hui could not fall asleep, Zhao Chuchu fed her a sleeping drug.


    She then studied Yuan Hui and could tell that the wounded was mentally exhausted.


    She could also tell that Yuan Hui did not tell her the entire picture of what happened.


    Although most of Yuan Hui¡¯s possessions were robbed, she still had her gold bracelet and a pearl earring on her left ear hidden behind her hair.


    Pearl was not something an average family could afford.


    Zhao Chuchu also felt that Xie Heng had spent more effort making dinner the day before.


    She couldn¡¯t understand what Xie Heng was trying to achieve by saving Yuan Hui.


    It felt like the clue was there, but she couldn¡¯t find it.


    Ultimately, she gave up on thinking about it as it didn¡¯t harm her.


    Zhao Chuchu had also gotten tired and fell asleep shortly after.


    Niu Tongsheng was a very efficient person with his work.


    He headed to the town the next and returned in another two days with the officials to measure the area of the mountain and register it. Doing that would make it easier for Zhao Chuchu to proceed with the purchase.


    After ensuring that Yuan Hui was fine, Zhao Chuchu headed into the mountain with Niu Tongsheng and the official.


    The vigers were curious as well and followed them.


    When they learned that Zhao Chuchu was going to purchase the mountain, their attitude immediately shifted.

 Chapter 67 - 67 I’ll Haunt You In Your Dream

    67 I¡¯ll Haunt You In Your Dream


    ¡°Is she crazy? Can she even grow anything on this mountain?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s definitely one of the dumbest I¡¯ve ever met. Don¡¯t you think Zhao Chuchu is different after the gue? It¡¯s like she¡¯s possessed or something!¡±


    ¡°Hey! Aren¡¯t you afraid she might haunt you at night?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu suddenly turned around and grinned. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m a ghost now, and I¡¯m going to haunt you at night.¡±


    Although her grin was sweet and pretty, it sent chills down the vigers¡¯ spines.


    It was as if she really was a ghost that would suck their souls.


    Some of the people who used to bully the original Zhao Chuchu quickly ran away after that.


    She noticed that, and her grin turned into a mockingugh.


    Old Mrs. Chen, following behind them, couldn¡¯t help but scold, ¡°What are you guys even mumbling about? Did you guys forget who¡¯s the one who helped cure the gue? If she¡¯s a ghost, she could¡¯ve just waited until you die and taken your souls, you ungrateful bastards! God will definitely punish you for this!¡±


    Those people didn¡¯t dare to argue back because they were scared of Zhao Chuchu.


    Looking at the tiny and greyed-hair woman fighting for her, Zhao Chuchu felt warmth in her heart.


    She realized that there were still many kind-hearted people and that not everyone was evil.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind them. They can say whatever they want.¡± Zhao Chuchu quickly helped Old Mrs. Chen up the hill.


    The old woman took the chance to ask, ¡°Why did you suddenly want to buy this mountain? There¡¯s nothing you can n here. It¡¯s going to take a lot to plow thend. How long will it take before you can earn from this mountain? You only get free taxes for the first three years.¡±


    ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± Zhao Chuchu did not want to exin.


    She had already confirmed that the mountain was suitable enough to grow root nts.


    Seeing how confident Zhao Chuchu was, Old Mrs. Chen let out a sigh and didn¡¯t persuade thedy anymore.


    ¡°Grandma Chen, I¡¯ll need you to help me prepare lunch again today. I¡¯ll have to treat the officials to a meal before he leaves.¡±


    ¡°Leave it to me!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu then took out a piece of silver from her purse. ¡°Can you help me buy some chicken and duck? And see if you can get a fish from the neighbors. Buy some greens too.¡±


    A chicken and a duck cost around 200 cents each, while the fish was around 40 cents per kilogram. The greens were cheap, and they could usually get a lot for a few cents.


    A piece of silver was more than enough to make a feast.


    Old Mrs. Chen took the silver. ¡°Don¡¯t spend money at ces you don¡¯t need to,¡± she urged before leaving. ¡°There¡¯s really not much to gain from this mountain.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu nodded, but she had already made up her mind.


    The mountain wasn¡¯t tall and was more like a hill whenpared to the other mountains that surrounded the vige.


    The officials knew that Zhao Chuchu was the one who cured the gue, and it only took them a couple of hours to finish their job. It was clear that they were trying to get on her good side.


    ¡°I¡¯ve prepared lunch. Why don¡¯t you eat first before leaving?¡± Zhao Chuchu invited the officials.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll take four hours for you to get back to the town. There¡¯s no way I can let you guys leave with an empty stomach. The food is already made. We won¡¯t be able to finish it ourselves.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s right. There¡¯s still time before you need to go back and submit the report.¡± Niu Tongsheng joined in.


    The officials looked at each other and eventually nodded. The truth was that they were also hungry from all the hiking.


    When they passed by the Zhao n¡¯s house, not a single window was opened, and none of them dared toe out and mess with Zhao Chuchu.


    They were all afraid that she would hand the confession letter to the officials.

 Chapter 68 - 68 I’ll Leave In Two Days

    68 I¡¯ll Leave In Two Days


    Since Xie Heng was pretending to be blind, Niu Tongsheng was the one who entertained the officials during lunch.


    When Old Mrs. Chen returned the change left from grocery shopping, Zhao Chuchu gave 20 cents to the old woman.


    ¡°Take this. Don¡¯t say no this time. I should pay you for helping me out so much. If you don¡¯t take it, I don¡¯t know if I can ask for any more favors from you again,¡± she said.


    ¡°I can¡¯t take this! You¡­¡±


    ¡°Just take it. Also, can you ask Uncle Chen and the rest if they are willing to help me plow the mountain or not? I¡¯m paying 25 cents a day.¡±


    !!


    ¡°You¡¯re hiring?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Tell him to help me find as many people as he can. We have to plow the entire mountain.¡±


    ¡°But, Chuchu, they¡¯re only paying 15 cents a day out there.¡±


    ¡°I know. But isn¡¯t the spring harvest soon? It¡¯ll be hard to hire people, so I¡¯ll have no choice but to raise the pay. I need to finish plowing the mountain in a month. Even if it¡¯s done earlier, I¡¯m still paying a month¡¯s wage.¡±


    Old Mrs. Chen¡¯s heart was racing. She knew that even if her sons found jobs at other ces, they would only get paid 15 cents a day no matter how hard they worked.


    If Zhao Chuchu paid 25 cents a day, and all her three sons helped out, they could earn two silvers monthly.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll ask my oldest son to help find some people.¡± Old Mrs. Chen quickly nodded and returned home happily.


    Zhao Chuchu then pretended to eat in her room while carrying two servings of food.


    Yuan Hui had recovered a lot, and Zhao Chuchu noticed that she had a huge appetite.


    However, Yuan Hui had yet to leave the room, and since Xie Jun would never enter his sister-inw¡¯s room without reason, no one knew that another person was living in the house other than Zhao Chuchu and Xie heng.


    ¡°Chuchu, I should be able to leave in two days,¡± Yuan Hui whispered. ¡°I feel much better now.¡±


    ¡°Where will you go?¡±


    ¡°Can you take me to the county office?¡±


    ¡°Are you from the Qiao n?¡±


    ¡°No, but Magistrate Qiao is my uncle-inw. I¡¯m sorry for hiding that from you. I didn¡¯t want to scare you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I understand. Alright, I¡¯ll take you to the county office two dayster.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Yuan Hui turned and took the gold braided bracelet and handed it to Zhao Chuchu. ¡°I have nothing to repay your kindness for now, so, please, take this. I¡¯ll make sure toe back with gifts when I get home. Oh, I haven¡¯t told you this, but I¡¯m from the Yuan n of the Guangqing Province.¡±


    Since the original Zhao Chuchu had never heard of the Yuan n, it was natural that Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t know of them either.


    ¡°If you evere to Guangqing Province, you cane and find me.¡±


    ¡°Will your stepmother let youe out?¡±


    ¡°She will.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t ask any more questions and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened to you, but please be careful once you get back. You might not be lucky again to meet someone with the medical skill to save you.¡±


    ¡°I used to live a carefree life. But, after hearing the conversations between you and your family, I can only say that you have my respect. I already know what I have to do once I get back. You¡¯re strong, Chuchu, and I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll meet again in Guangqing Province.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu smiled. ¡°Hold back on that thought. Before I cure my husband¡¯s eyes, I can¡¯t leave.¡±


    ¡°I heard that he¡¯s a prodigy?¡±


    ¡°He is, but God decided to turn him blind. He¡¯d never have married me if he could still see.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you can cure him.¡±


    ¡°I do hope so.¡± Zhao Chuchu intentionally let out a long sigh.


    ¡°Just let me know if you need my help. I can do a lot of things once I get back home.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu turned to Yuan Hui and saw that she meant what she had just said.


    Zhao Chuchu thought of asking Yuan Hui to help find the herbs necessary to cure Xie Jun¡¯s poison, but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to ask in the end.


    She didn¡¯t want to cause any unwanted problems.

 Chapter 69 - 69 Why Not Rob Us Instead

    69 Why Not Rob Us Instead


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t really know the Xie n¡¯s background. Not only that, but Xie Heng was also a person with many secrets.


    However, she was still sure that once she had cured Xie Jun¡¯s poison, she would be able to explore all over the world.


    ¡°Alright. When I¡¯m free to leave, I¡¯ll visit you from time to time.¡±


    ¡°Chuchu. I believe in good karma. I¡¯m sure your husband will get better. His eyes will heal someday.¡±


    ¡°I think so too.¡± Zhao Chuchu smiled sweetly.


    ¡°Chuchu, can I hug you?¡± Yuan Hui suddenly asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but I always feel safe whenever I¡¯m around you. I just can¡¯t put a word to that feeling.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Is it because I¡¯m so pretty that you forget about other things when you see me?¡±


    Yuan Hui blushed a little.


    Although she had only known Zhao Chuchu for a few days, she realized from her savior that ady didn¡¯t need to rely on a man to be strong and that a woman could also be domineering.


    Zhao Chuchu reached her arms out and hugged Yuan Hui. ¡°Hui, there¡¯s nothing better than being alive. Being able to survive such a serious injury means that you¡¯re brave. No, it proves that you¡¯re brave. You already know what it feels like to almost die, to be on the verge of death. So, there¡¯s nothing in this world that can scare you anymore. As long as you¡¯re fearless, you¡¯ll be able to face everything that stands in your path.¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, thank you.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu let go of Yuan Hui while thetter smiled cheerfully.


    That night, Yuan Hui did not sleep early. Instead, she told Zhao Chuchu a lot about Guangqing Province and helped her savior understand her hometown even more.


    ¡°Looks like heading to a big city is the only way to make more money,¡± Zhao Chuchu thought.


    She was so lost in thought that she eventually fell asleep without intending to.


    Once the title deed for the mountain was done, Zhao Chuchu paid 21 silvers to purchase the small mountain known as Tripe Mountain.


    That matter had be the talk among the vigers who didn¡¯t like or were against Zhao Chuchu.


    They were allughing at her stupidity for spending so much money buying such a useless piece ofnd.


    Those people were even waiting for her to be broke because of a piece ofnd that could not yield anything, and they spent a couple of silvers buying thatnd from her to help her out of debt.


    Zhao Chuchu almost fell overughing when she heard that.


    She became the talk of the vige. People would talk trash about her from day to night.


    Naturally, they only dared to talk behind her back as they did not have the guts to say those ugly words in her face.


    However, when they heard that Zhao Chuchu was hiring people to help plow the mountain, everyone quickly gathered at her house. The Xie n¡¯s house got crowded almost immediately.


    Besides the Zhao n that was too embarrassed to approach Zhao Chuchu, almost the entire vige was there, trying to get a hand on the job she offered.


    Although Tripe Mountain wasn¡¯t big, it would still take a lot of time to plow it and get it to the stage where crops could start to grow. The vigers were sure that they could drag it out for two or three months if they did a slow job.


    ¡°Chuchu, we heard you¡¯re hiring, right? Since it¡¯s almost the spring harvest, the wage will be expensive. If you pay us 50 cents daily, we assure you we can finish it in three months.¡±


    ¡°You also have to take care of our meals since we¡¯re helping you out instead of helping in our family¡¯s field.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s right. We¡¯ll at least need lunch with white rice, or else we won¡¯t have the strength to finish such a big project.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless hearing those people making such an absurd condition.


    Naturally, she knew what they were thinking.


    They were just trying to use the advantage where Xie Heng and her could not plow the mountain.


    However, before she could even reply, Xie Heng walked out of the house. ¡°50 cents a day with meals? Why don¡¯t you rob us instead? I want the job done in a month. Leave if you can¡¯t do it.¡±


    ¡°In a month? Are you trying to kill us?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you guys try doing the same thing with Chuchu too?¡±


    Xie Heng did not stop there.


    ¡°Also, we aren¡¯t hiring those who joined in that day! Please return.¡±


    With his eyes still blindfolded, the words that came out of his mouth were cold.

 Chapter 70 - 70 Get Lost If You Can’t Do That

    70 Get Lost If You Can¡¯t Do That


    Everyone¡¯s face turned pale when they looked at Xie Heng, whose eyes were covered with a piece of white cloth. None of them dared to oppose him and quickly turned to leave.


    ¡°Here I am, willing to pay 25 cents a day¡­¡± Zhao Chuchu sighed intentionally.


    Those people immediately stopped.


    That was much higher pay than the jobs they could get.


    They would never have made that condition if they knew that the Xie n would pay so much.


    ¡°Chuchu, I was just joking. Can I join?¡± one of the people suddenly turned around and asked with a forced smile. ¡°I promise you that I¡¯ll work hard.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Zhao Chuchu refused without any hesitation.


    Xie Heng had already mentioned that they wouldn¡¯t hire people who tried to hurt her, so it made sense that she refused.


    She used to help them out of kindness, and they repaid that kindness by trying to kill her.


    They would¡¯ve already been dead if it was another person in her shoe.


    She was the type who held grudges, and apologizing would never be enough.


    Those people tried to sweet-talk Zhao Chuchu into giving them the job, but she didn¡¯t ept a single one of them.


    They could only leave angrily after that.


    ¡°Are they dumb? Do they really expect me to give them such a high-paying job after they¡¯ve tried to kill me?¡± Zhao Chuchu scoffed and turned to look at Xie Heng.


    It was as if he knew she was looking at him, and he gently raised his head to meet her eyes.


    Zhao Chuchu waved her hand in front of his eyes and asked, ¡°Can you see through the cloth or something?¡±


    Xie Heng grinned and did not reply.


    Just as they headed back into the house, Madam Yang arrived.


    Zhao Chuchu noticed the woman and raised a brow. ¡°Did she forget her punishment already?¡±


    ¡°Go cure your uncle¡¯s legs!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu almost couldn¡¯t hold herugh in.


    ¡°What? I have alreadye to ask for your help. What more do you need?¡±


    ¡°Ask? That sounds more like an order to me. Do you still need me to teach you how to ask for someone¡¯s help? You should say, ¡®Chuchu, please help cure Baogen¡¯s legs.¡¯¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°What? You can¡¯t? Then, get lost.¡± Zhao Chuchu pointed at her gate.


    Madam Yang was so shocked by thedy¡¯s pressure.


    She gulped, and with her shaky voice, she begged, ¡°P-please, help me cure Baogen¡¯s and Baotian¡¯s legs. I know I was wrong, but our family will be in shambles if they can¡¯t walk again.¡±


    Even with the slight tears in Madam Yang¡¯s eyes, Zhao Chuchu wasn¡¯t moved by the woman.


    ¡°Did you guys let me live when I begged you? I can cure them, but you¡¯ll have to pay up. Fifty cents for two people.¡±


    ¡°50 cents? Why don¡¯t you rob a bank instead?¡± Madam Yang roared.


    ¡°Oh? 100 cents then.¡±


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu! They are your uncles!¡±


    ¡°The same uncles who tried to rob me and sell me to a brothel?¡±


    ¡°They were just trying to scare you.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry for being timid.¡±


    Madam Yang was so infuriated that she stared into Zhao Chuchu¡¯s eyes.


    The doctor had concluded that her son¡¯s legs could not be cured. However, Zhao Guitang was making a recovery, and the doctor said that he might be able to walk again.


    ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°Easy. Fifty cents and proof of disowning.¡±


    Before that, Zhao Chuchu had no idea that even a divorced woman could not set up her household if her father¡¯s family were still present.


    If she had known back then, she would¡¯ve gotten the proof of disowning back when she cured the gue.


    She couldn¡¯t form her own household if she had that.


    Although she didn¡¯t care much about filial piety, it was still a considerable matter to people in the past.


    ¡°I can pay you, but you¡¯ll never get the proof!¡± Madam Yang knew how important the proof of disowning was.


    ¡°Then, you¡¯re sealing your sons¡¯ fates. Let me tell you this. After I cure Da Lang¡¯s eyes, I can leave the vige whenever I want. You¡¯ll never be able to control me.¡± Zhao Chuchu smiled and turned to look at Xie Heng, still standing at the door. ¡°Right, hubby?¡±


    Hearing thedy call her hubby, Xie Heng suddenly felt that it sounded better than Da Lang. ¡°Yes.¡± He nodded.

 Chapter 71 - 71 Emancipation Proof

    71 Emancipation Proof


    ¡°What? You can cure his eyes?¡± Madam Yang did not believe Zhao Chuchu, thinking thedy was lying.


    Zhao Chuchu shrugged. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you believe me or not. In the end, the one that¡¯s bing a cripple is not my husband. It¡¯s all up to you.¡±


    Madam Yang looked at the piece of cloth covering Xie Heng¡¯s eyes and started to wonder if Zhao Chuchu could really cure his eyes.


    Thinking of what the doctor had said about her sons, they would permanently be cripples if they couldn¡¯t get help soon. She couldn¡¯t bring herself to gamble that.


    ¡°Fine!¡± The woman gritted her teeth. ¡°I¡¯ll sign the emancipation proof! But, you¡¯re not getting paid!¡±


    ¡°Is that so? It looks like you don¡¯t want them to walk again.¡± Zhao Chuchu chased Madam Yang out and mmed the door closed.


    In the end, the anxious one was the woman and not her.


    Even if that would stop her from establishing her own household, she was sure she could do it another way. In the end, she was a skilled medical professional.


    The only reason she asked for the emancipation proof was only that she didn¡¯t want to go through all the trouble. It¡¯d be easier if she could establish her household in Lengshui Vige.


    Madam Yang looked at the shut door, and her rage had risen even more. After a few seconds, she returned home angrily.


    The moment she stepped through the door, all she heard was the painful grunts of her sons and their pleas just to kill them.


    It pained her to hear that.


    They were their children, after all.


    Old Man Zhao sat under the eave with a troubled expression. When he saw her wife return, he quickly got up and asked, ¡°What did she say?¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡± The woman roared. ¡°She said she wants 50 silvers and an emancipation proof to cure their legs! Is she really your granddaughter?¡±


    Old Man Zhao didn¡¯t say anything, but he scolded in his head. ¡°Why are you making it sound like she¡¯s not your granddaughter?¡±


    ¡°Just give her what she wants! Do you want to see our lives end here?¡± Zhao Baogen roared. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a cripple!¡±


    ¡°Son¡­¡± Tears rolled down the mother¡¯s cheeks.


    ¡°Mother, please!¡± Zhao Baogen sobbed. ¡°Give them to her. I don¡¯t want to lie in bed for the rest of my life!¡±


    Madam Yang felt conflicted.


    If she gave Zhao Chuchu the emancipation proof, then she¡¯ll never be able to control thedy again.


    It was hard to give that up as Zhao Chuchu was a walking money-making machine.


    Old Man Zhao noticed what his wife was thinking and sighed. ¡°Just give it to her. Even if we don¡¯t do this, we can¡¯t control her forever. Have you ever thought about what would happen if our sons lost their legs?¡±


    ¡°Fine! Why are you making it sounds like I don¡¯t want them to get better? They would never end up like this if not for her! If I knew how cruel she is, I would¡¯ve killed her the moment she was born!¡±


    Madam Yang continued to scold, but she eventually went to the n head for the emancipation proof.


    ¡°No! She¡¯ll always be part of the Zhao n!¡± The head refused.


    ¡°You old fart! Do you want to kill my sons? Fine! I¡¯ll go and tell everyone that you¡¯re the one who ordered them to rob Zhao Chuchu! We¡¯ll all die together!¡± Madam Yang yelled.


    That angered the head, but he was reluctant to be on Madam Yang¡¯s wrong side.


    After a moment of awkwardness, the other n members eventually managed to convince the head to sign the proof. They invited Niu Tongsheng and other elders of the vige to do that.


    Once that was done, Madam Yang revisited Zhao Chuchu with the proof and 50 silvers.


    How she looked at Zhao Chuchu felt like she was trying to kill thedy with her res.

 Chapter 72 - 72 Completely Severed

    72 Completely Severed


    With the vigers of Lengshui Vige acting as witnesses, Zhao Chuchu epted the emancipation proof, and her ties with the Zhao n were severed entirely from that moment onward.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already given what you asked for. Hurry up and save them!¡± Madam Yang said angrily.


    Zhao Chuchu read through the proof and raised her head to look at the older woman. ¡°Why are you even in such a hurry? I still have to head into the mountain to find the herbs for that. But, since everyone is here, I¡¯ll make this clear first. Even if I managed to cure Zhao Baogen, he would still be half a cripple. Do you still want to do it? If not, I¡¯ll just return your silvers.¡±


    ¡°No! You¡¯ve already taken them! You have to make sure they can walk again!¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Then, I won¡¯t help them. Here. You can have the money back.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu acted as if she wanted to return the silvers.


    Madam Ma quickly turned to beg Madam Yang. ¡°Mom! Even the doctors said there was nothing they could do to save his leg. They¡¯ll have to cut it away! If Zhao Chuchu has a way, living as half a cripple is better than losing one leg. At least he will still be able to walk!¡±


    Madam Yang was trembling.


    Other people also started to persuade her.


    In the end, she could only nod. ¡°Fine! But, you¡¯ll have to cure my other son fully!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t assure you that. Have you ever seen a doctor saying they can cure something with 100% certainty? You should be thankful that I¡¯m willing to do this. If you keep acting like this, you better go find another doctor to look at them.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Before Madam Yang could even argue back, some of the vigers interrupted her.


    ¡°You should keep your mouth shut, Madam Yang. Don¡¯t you know why things became like this?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s right. It¡¯s already a blessing that Baogen can still walk. Do you really want him to lose a leg?¡±


    ¡°Things will only worsen for you if you continue acting like this. Chuchu is no longer the weak little girl you can order around.¡±


    Even Old Man Zhao tried to stop his wife.


    ¡°When will you start treating them?¡± Madam Yang forced herself to calm down.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I say I still have to find the herbs?¡±


    ¡°If my sons lose their legs because of this, I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Madam Yang threatened and turned to leave with Old Man Zhao chasing after her.


    Since there was nothing more to watch, the vigers left as well.


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s rtionship with the Zhao n was finally cut off, and she felt great.


    Once everyone had left, she returned to the house.


    Xie Heng sat in the living room and asked, ¡°Did you get it?¡±


    ¡°Yup!¡± Zhao Chuchu smiled as she waved the emancipation proof in front of him. ¡°They can¡¯t force me to pay my respect to them anymore.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you feel sad because of that?¡±


    ¡°Of course not!¡± Zhao Chuchu paused and whispered, ¡°That¡¯s the silent rule over here. I¡¯ll have to follow it, no?¡±


    Since her mouth was close to his ear, he could feel her warm breath on his face, making him blush a little.


    Fortunately for him, the cloth was big enough to cover half of his face.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make dinner to celebrate this asion!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± Xie Heng quickly stopped her without any hesitation.


    He had no intention of eating buns for dinner.


    ¡°I thought you were only kiddingst time. Do you really not like them?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± The man admitted.


    ¡°Then, we¡¯ll eat something else. Just sit back and wait.¡± Zhao Chuchu grinned.


    She had a lot of food. It wouldn¡¯t even be a challenge for her to prepare a feast.


    All of the food was pre-made, and all she had to do was te them.


    However, Xie Heng didn¡¯t know that and wasn¡¯t looking forward to dinner.


    ¡°Oh, right! I¡¯m taking Yuan Hui back tonight.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to tell me that it¡¯s going to be dangerous at night and that taking her back in the morning will be safer?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°You heartless bastard. How can you not even worry about my safety?¡± Zhao Chuchu mumbled. ¡°Aren¡¯t we friends?¡±


    Xie Heng let out a deep sigh. ¡°Anyone who tries to harm you will quickly realize how unlucky they are.¡±

 Chapter 73 - 73 From a Magician’s Hat

    73 From a Magician¡¯s Hat


    Zhao Chuchu was a little delighted to hear Xie Heng acknowledging her ability.


    ¡°Oh, right! I almost forgot to ask. Do you know anything about the Yuan n of the Guangqing Province?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re salt vendors.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s eyes widened as she knew that being a salt vendor in the past was a huge thing.


    She was surprised that Yuan Hui was from such a huge and prestigious family.


    ¡°You already knew that she¡¯s from the Yuan n?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± Xie Heng shook his head. ¡°All I knew was that the person whom Zhao Xing has robbed was not a normal person since the purse I saw was not something a normal person would use.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was a little skeptical about his answer, but he wasn¡¯t even worried about her suspicion.


    However, none of those were important.


    If Yuan Hui nned to repay the kindness in the future, then it would be a huge connection for Zhao Chuchu.


    Even if thedy she had saved decided to repay that kindness with silvers, she would still be able to gain a lot from that.


    What Zhao Chuchu felt more than shock was excitement.


    She was now one step closer to achieving her freedom.


    Yuan Hui had been resting and recovering in Zhao Chuchu¡¯s room for the past few days, and it had caused quite a few inconveniences. Once Yuan Hui had left, she could start to make the cure for Xie Jun.


    The young boy still had no idea that Yuan Hui was living in the house with them.


    Zhao Chuchu would ask Yuan Hui to wait until it waste at night to use the toilet or take a bath.


    For dinner, Zhao Chuchu prepared fried chicken and fries for Xie Heng and Xie Jun.


    Xie Jun had never seen such food and couldn¡¯t stop himself from eating more.


    Xie Heng couldn¡¯t help but look at thedy.


    Zhao Chuchu grinned and said, ¡°Eat while the food¡¯s still hot. It took me two hours to make them.¡±


    The man moved his gaze back to the food and started eating.


    ¡°Did she pull this out of her magic hat or something?¡± he thought.


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t care if Xie Heng was suspicious of her or not.


    He was indeed a vicious person, but from another point of view, he was also a gentleman.


    He would never be interested in things that had nothing to do with him.


    As long as the matter would not threaten him, he would ignore it.


    That was why Zhao Chuchu had the guts to share that food with them.


    As for Xie Jun, he only cared if the food was good or not. Even if he were to ask Zhao Chuchu, he would believe anything she said.


    ¡°So? How is it? I didn¡¯t trick you, right?¡± Zhao Chuchu smiled. ¡°I¡¯m not as unreliable as you think.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not bad.¡± Xie Hengplimented, which was something that he rarely did.


    Xie Jun turned to his brother and said, with food still in his mouth, ¡°What do you mean? This is amazing! Can I have this for dinner tomorrow too?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Zhao Chuchu replied.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Xie Jun sounded disappointed, and he decided to eat more that night.


    On the other hand, she had prepared buns and congee for Yuan Hui.


    She would never give food that did not belong in that time to people other than the Xie brothers.


    She didn¡¯t want to cause any unnecessary trouble.


    When night fell, the Lengshui Vige wasn¡¯t as noisy as it was when the sun was up. Only the chirps of bugs could be heard.


    Zhao Chuchu silently carried Yuan Hui out of the vige.


    Xie Heng stood by the window. He listened to Xie Jun¡¯s calm, sleeping breath as he watched Zhao Chuchu disappear into the night.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the twodies to walk out of the vige.


    ¡°Chuchu, I can walk on my own,¡± Yuan Hui whispered.


    ¡°How long do you think it¡¯ll take us to get to the town if you walk alone?¡± Zhao Chuchu said. ¡°I need to hurry back to the vige once I get you there.¡±


    ¡°But, isn¡¯t this going to be exhausting?¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t even heavy.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s pace was so fast that it was almost unbelievable.


    Yuan Hui felt as if the wind was blowing past her so fast that all she could hear was the whooshing sound they made.


    It only took them 30 minutes to reach the town.


    Yuan Hui was so shocked that she couldn¡¯t even react to that.


    With a single leap from Zhao Chuchu, Yuan Hui realized they were already in the town, surrounded by a tall wall.

 Chapter 74 - 74 The Person Who Had Been Following Her

    74 The Person Who Had Been Following Her


    Yuan Hui unhesitantly turned around to ensure that the wall was 6 meters tall. She couldn¡¯t fathom the fact that Zhao Chuchu was able to leap over it while carrying her.


    She was so shocked that it took her a while to react.


    ¡°Chuchu, are you a ranger?¡± She finally asked. ¡°Only rangers could do that!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say that I am.¡± Zhao Chuchu chuckled.


    Zhao Chuchu did not know any flying arts, but her jumping ability and speed were stronger than any known flying arts.


    She would be even stronger if she were at her peak form.


    ¡°You¡¯re amazing!¡±


    ¡°Right? Did you find newly-found respect for me?¡±


    ¡°Can I be your disciple?¡±


    ¡°No can do. You don¡¯t have the structure to learn it.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu quickly found an excuse to refuse since she didn¡¯t gain her power through training.


    Yuan Hui was a little disappointed. Yet, she still hugged Zhao Chuchu even tighter.


    She only remembered being carried by someone when she was little. Her father would carry her around all the time. However, ever since her mother passed away, she had never felt safe again until now.


    ¡°Where is the county office?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked as that was her first time there.


    When she came to cure the guest time, there weren¡¯t many people infected by it in the county, and she didn¡¯t want to risk bringing the virus into it.


    Yuan Hui pointed the way for Zhao Chuchu.


    It only took them a few minutes to reach the office.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave first, then. You can knock on the door on your own, right?¡¯ Zhao Chuchu said as she put Yuan Hui down?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to meet my uncle-inw?¡±


    ¡°No. There will be some things that are hard to exin. Just tell them that you¡¯ve been resting in the town.¡±


    It would be hard to exin how they managed to sneak into the countyte into the night.


    ¡°Okay. Thank you so much, Chuchu¡­¡± Yuan Hui grabbed Zhao Chuchu¡¯s hand. ¡°Can I hug you before you leave?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu opened her arms wide. There was no way she would refuse a hug.


    Yuan Hui hugged her savior tightly. It was as if she was trying to gain courage from her.


    After a while, Yuan Hui stepped back and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine now.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu gently patted Yuan Hui¡¯s shoulder and turned. In just a few seconds, she had disappeared into the darkness.


    However, she didn¡¯t leave right away. Instead, she hid and watched Yuan Hui.


    It had been days since Yuan Hui was in that ident, but there was no rescue attempt from the magistrate.


    Either the magistrate didn¡¯t want the world to learn about it, or he was a part of it.


    Since she had already saved Yuan Hui, she had decided to see it to the end.


    Yuan Hui took a deep breath and knocked on the door.


    After a few seconds, the door opened a little. ¡°Who the hell is it¡­ Ah!¡± The guard gasped when he saw Yuan Hui. ¡°C-cousin Yuan Hui?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    The guard gulped, and it took him a few seconds to make sure that Yuan Hui was alive, and he quickly let her in.


    He was about to announce her return, but she quickly stopped him.


    The magistrate lived behind the county office.


    Yuan Hui¡¯s aunt only had the time to put on a coat, and she quickly came rushing out. The moment she saw Yuan Hui, tears filled her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re back! What happened? I was so scared that something might¡¯ve happened to you!¡±


    Yuan Hui looked at her aunt and her uncle-inw, whose eyes were filled with worries. Thedy cried as she hugged her aunt tightly.


    ¡°Thank God you¡¯re finally back.¡± The magistrate smiled.


    Zhao Chuchu, still hiding, confirmed that the magistrate had nothing to do with the attack and left after that.


    However, the moment she left the county, someone stopped her.


    Zhao Chuchu frowned as it was the same person who had been following her.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to let them know that you were the one who saved her?¡± The person turned around and smiled. ¡°That¡¯s not like you, Ms. Zhao. Could it be that you¡­¡±


    His sentence was immediately cut short.

 Chapter 75 - 75 Do You Have to Hit Me So Hard

    75 Do You Have to Hit Me So Hard


    Zhao Chuchu red at the man who was lying on the ground now.


    ¡°I hate it when people follow me like that.¡±


    Qiao Hetingy on the ground. He couldn¡¯t even react to what thedy had just done to him. All he knew was that he was standing one second and tossed around the next. It hurt so much that it was hard for him to get back up.


    All his image was ruined by a simple throw from ady.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to go so far.¡± Qiao Heting gritted his teeth.


    That was the first time in his entire life to have experienced such a defeat.


    Fortunately, it was veryte at night, and no one saw it.


    ¡°I did warn youst time to never sneak up on me.¡±


    ¡°But, I didn¡¯t sneak up on you. I was waiting for you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, right.¡±


    Qiao Heting got back up andined. ¡°I just wanted to ask you what happened back there. You didn¡¯t have to try and kill me for that.¡±


    ¡°If I really wanted to kill you, you¡¯d been a corpse by now.¡±


    ¡°Well, then, it looks like I¡¯ll have to thank you for not doing that.¡±


    ¡°I found out about Yuan Hui through Zhao Xing and saved her.¡± Zhao Chuchu told Qiao Heting a simplified version of how Zhao Xing tried to rob herst time.


    Naturally, Xie Heng was not in that conversation.


    ¡°I see¡­ Thank you for telling me that.¡± Qiao Heting bowed, but the pain in his lower back almost made him gasp.


    Zhao Chuchu noticed that and slipped her arm into her sleeve. She took out medicine that she had made in her spare time from the carry-on space.


    ¡°Take it. If you sneak up on me again, this won¡¯t be the end of it.¡± She tossed the medicine to him.


    Qiao Heting caught it reactively.


    ¡°Don¡¯t follow me again!¡± Zhao Chuchu warned and left.


    Qiao Heting watched thedy leave, and a few secondster, he let out a gasp.


    ¡°Shit! It hurts so much!¡±


    With his hand supporting his waist, he walked back towards the county.


    When Zhao Chuchu finally returned to Lengshui Vige, the sun was already rising.


    She was surprised to see that Xie Heng was awake.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired?¡± Zhao Chuchu walked into the house and noticed that Xie Jun was still soundly asleep. ¡°Did you not sleep?¡±


    ¡°I just woke up.¡± Xie Heng gently replied. ¡°Did she get back?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s hot water over the stove. Go take a hot bath. You¡¯ll catch a cold.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu turned to look at the stove and noticed the fire was still flickering. It made her wonder if Xie Heng had really just woken up as it seemed like the fire had been going on for quite a while.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± She also wanted to take a bath, and Xie Heng was attentive enough to notice that.


    Just as thedy was about to head outside, Xie Heng suddenly asked, ¡°Did you run into any trouble?¡±


    She paused and thought, ¡°Trouble? Does Qiao Heting count as trouble?¡±


    ¡°Not really.¡± Zhao Chuchu turned and smiled. ¡°Just a small inconvenience. I¡¯ve already taken care of it.¡±


    ¡°Good then.¡± Xie Heng smiled.


    That smile stunned Zhao Chuchu a little.


    ¡°The water¡¯s getting cold.¡± Xie Heng got up.


    ¡°Huh? O-oh!¡± Zhao Chuchu regained her wits and walked quickly towards the stove.


    Xie Heng¡¯s smile deepened even more. It was as if his expression had turned gentle.


    As Zhao Chuchu scooped the water into the bathtub, she couldn¡¯t help but think of the smile she had just seen.


    It finally made sense to her why so manydies still insisted on marrying Xie Heng even though he had be blind.


    It was almost impossible to reject that handsome face of his.


    When Zhao Chuchu came out of the bath, Xie Heng had already returned to her room.


    She took a nap and was woken up by a series of whispers from the garden.


    ¡°It¡¯s so cute! Can we keep it? Please?¡± Xie Jun begged.


    Zhao Chuchu got out of bed to check it out and was shocked by what she saw.

 Chapter 76 - 76 The Only Requirement

    76 The Only Requirement


    Niu Tongsheng hade with a group of puppies.


    Xie Jun was ying with the puppies as he begged Xie Heng to keep them.


    ¡°You can only keep one!¡± Xie Heng said.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just take them all.¡± Zhao Chuchu approached them. ¡°I can use them to guard the mountain when they grow up.¡±


    ¡°Yay!¡± Xie Jun pped his hands and cheered.


    !!


    ¡°But dogs eat a lot.¡± Xie Heng frowned.


    ¡°You can pay for Jun¡¯s and my food. You can afford to raise these dogs too.¡± Zhao Chuchu got down and patted the puppies inside the box.


    The puppies all ran toward her hand, trying to lick her.


    She enjoyed it and smiled. ¡°You guys will be part of our family from now on.¡±


    Xie Heng¡¯s usually expressionless face now looked like he had a mental breakdown.


    ¡°Just one.¡± He insisted.


    ¡°But, sister-inw said we are taking all of them¡­¡± Xie Jun pouted.


    ¡°No!¡± Xie Heng refused.


    Zhao Chuchu then suddenly stood up and said, ¡°I make the decision here.¡±


    Xie Heng immediately became speechless.


    ¡°Umm¡­ Chuchu, why don¡¯t you guys talk about this first?¡± Niu Tongsheng whispered.


    ¡°No! I make the decision here!¡± Zhao Chuchu insisted on keeping the puppies.


    After a moment of silence, Xie Heng finally nodded. ¡°Fine. You win.¡±


    Xie Jun hugged Zhao Chuchu¡¯s legs happily. ¡°You¡¯re the best!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu patted the boy¡¯s head. ¡°You like dogs too, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yes! But big bro never lets me touch them!¡± Xie Junined. ¡°They are so cute!¡±


    ¡°Dog meat tastes good, too,¡± Xie Heng said without expression.


    ¡°How can you eat such a cute animal?¡± Zhao Chuchu scolded. ¡°Their ghosts wille and haunt you in the night!¡±


    Xie Heng took a deep breath and turned to walk back into the house.


    The thought of having to raise five dogs ruined his day.


    Zhao Chuchu felt his reaction was weird and asked Xie Jun in a low voice. ¡°Junjun, is your brother afraid of dogs or what?¡±


    Xie Jun shook his head. ¡°No idea. But, he never liked dogs.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu almost couldn¡¯t hold herughter when she learned that Xie Heng was afraid of dogs.


    After letting the puppies out to run freely inside the house, Xie Heng kept his door shut and did not leave his room after that.


    When it was breakfast time, Xie Heng ordered his younger brother to put the puppies back into the box.


    ¡°Have someone build a doghouse there. I don¡¯t want them inside here,¡± Xie Heng said to Zhao Chuchu. ¡°That¡¯s my only requirement.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Zhao Chuchu nodded. ¡°Did you get bit by a dog when you were younger?¡±


    Xie Heng¡¯s expression turned stiff the moment he heard that.


    Thedy chuckled at his reaction.


    She was not the type who liked to make fun of others. She didn¡¯t continue to tease him after that.


    After breakfast, Old Mrs. Chen¡¯s oldest son, Chen Dalin, arrived with 15 other men.


    ¡°Chuchu, they want to work for you. Will you be hiring everyone or?¡±


    All 15 of them stiffened up as they were worried that Zhao Chuchu might not hire them.


    Zhao Chuchu scanned through them. Seeing that they were all strong and honest farmers, she said, ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll take all of them. Did you tell them about the pay?¡±


    ¡°I did.¡±


    ¡°Good. Then, there¡¯s nothing else for me to add. Oh! Just one thing. If you¡¯re only here to loaf around, then, I suggest you leave now. I¡¯ll cut your pay in half if I find youzing during the job.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mrs. Xie. We won¡¯t do that.¡±


    With their assurance, Zhao Chuchu let Chen Dalin oversee the job and have him lead the men into Tripe Mountain to start working.


    As for Zhao Chuchu, she put on the basket over her back and was ready to head into the mountain.


    However, just as she was about to leave, she noticed a group of officials hurrying into the vige.

 Chapter 77 - 77 Remember This Well

    77 Remember This Well


    Once the officers arrived at the vige, they headed straight toward the Zhao n¡¯s house.


    Just a few secondster, the cries of Zhao Xing¡¯s mother echoed throughout the vige.


    Zhao Xing was dragged out of the house as if he were a dead dog.


    When that happened, Zhao Chuchu was already present at the scene with the rest of the crowd. She stood in the back and enjoyed the show.


    ¡°They said that Zhao Xing robbed and murdered someone. They¡¯re searching his house now.¡±


    ¡°When did that happen? Isn¡¯t he a cripple now? Hey! Look! They¡¯re digging for something in the garden!¡±


    ¡°Holy! Isn¡¯t that a hairpin made out of gold? And that bracelet! That¡¯s more expensive than thedy owner of the grain store in the town wears!¡±


    When the officers raised those items in front of Zhao Xing, the color drained from his face. He sat on the ground and trembled in fear.


    His mother,ining that her son was innocent a second ago, was now quiet. It was as if someone was choking her, and panic could be seen in her eyes.


    ¡°Take them back!¡± the leader of the officers ordered.


    ¡°Sir! This is all a misunderstanding! Those things don¡¯t belong to my son! Look! He can¡¯t even walk! There¡¯s no way he can do that! Someone¡¯s framing him¡­¡±


    ¡°Someone¡¯s framing him, you say? Why don¡¯t you say that to the person who almost got killed by him back at the county office?¡± The leader scoffed. ¡°Take them!¡±


    ¡°Officer, could this be a misunderstanding? We¡¯re a family of farmers. There¡¯s no way we can¡­¡± The n head tried to argue but was cut short.


    ¡°Should I believe your words more than the evidence? If anyone tries to stop me again, I¡¯ll throw them into prison too!¡±


    That quickly silenced the n head.


    As Zhao Xing¡¯s mother struggled, she spotted Zhao Chuchu among the crowd. She immediately pointed at thedy and shouted, ¡°Sir! Zhao Chuchu is behind all of it! She¡¯s framing us! Search her ce, and you¡¯ll find more stuff!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu raised a brow, unable to believe the woman would go to such length.


    However, before she could even do anything, the leader pped Zhao Xing¡¯s mother so hard that it sent a couple of her teeth flying out of her mouth.


    The woman screamed in pain.


    ¡°Silence her up! We¡¯re heading back!¡±


    None of the officers even dared to look at Zhao Chuchu. They quickly tied Zhao Xing and her mother up and left.


    The n head red at Zhao Chuchu and scolded, ¡°Is this all your doing again? You bitch!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu took a deep breath before replying, ¡°I must¡¯ve been too kind all this time for you guys to think that you can mess with me over and over again.¡±


    With a swipe of her arm, she dislocated the n head¡¯s jaw.


    ¡°Argh!¡± the n head yelled in pain.


    ¡°This is what happens to dogs who bite.¡±


    ¡°My jaw¡­¡± The n head cried as he held his chin with his hand.


    ¡°Remember this. If anyone dares to try and frame me again, this is what you get!¡± thedy warned and left.


    The vigers shivered at the sight of what had just happened and watched Zhao Chuchu enter the mountain with the basket on her back.


    No matter how angered the Zhao n was, not a single one of them dared to speak up.


    ¡°You guys must really think we are blind, huh?¡± Niu Tongsheng coldly said to the Zhao n. ¡°Do you really think we don¡¯t know what Zhao Xing did that night at her house? How dare you guys try to frame her. I¡¯m warning you, if I see or hear this again, I¡¯ll personally invite the magistrate over and chase the Zhao n out of this vige. I don¡¯t want trash like you living here anymore.¡±


    Everyone in the Zhao n was dumbfounded when they heard that.


    No matter how many people the Zhao n had, they stillcked in numberspared to the Niu n.


    To make matters worse for them, Zhao Xing was apprehended for a murder attempt.

 Chapter 78 - 78 I Won’t Kill Them

    78 I Won¡¯t Kill Them


    If the vigers consented to chase the Zhao n out of the vige, and if they had the magistrate¡¯s support, then the n would have nowhere to go.


    They had their roots in Lengshui Vige, and there was no way they would risk gambling with that.


    The n head mumbled gibberish for a few seconds and could not say anything while the vigers agreed with the vige chief.


    ¡°The chief is right! You guys never reflected on your own actions and kept pestering Chuchu! Who knows what you lot will do next?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not the first time Zhao Xing got into such troubles. Everyone also knows that he tried to rob the Xie n that night! You¡¯ll have toe up with a better lie than that. Do you really expect us to believe that Xie Heng and Chuchu begged Zhao Xing to visit them at night?¡±


    ¡°Nah. The Zhao n is corrupted to the root. They¡¯re ungrateful bastards. If not for Chuchu, almost all of them would¡¯ve been dead by now. Do you still not understand why she asked for payments?¡±


    The Zhao n got scolded so hard that none of them could speak up for themselves.


    ¡°Alright. That¡¯s enough. Let¡¯s head back home. If Zhao Xing really did what the officers said, no one would ever want to marry their daughters to the Zhao n. Heck. After that, no man would even want to marry a girl from the Zhao n.¡±


    Niu Tongsheng chased the vigers away and red at the n head.


    The n head was infuriated. He wanted to yell back, but the pain was too much for him to handle when he opened his mouth.


    The vige chief didn¡¯t want anything to do with the Zhao n anymore and left as well.


    Recalling that Zhao Xing returned extremelyte that night, Niu Tongsheng could guess that Zhao Xing was really guilty of the crimes.


    No matter how bad the imperial court was, the magistrate of Yuanjiang County was still a capable person and had never made a wrong judgment yet.


    On the other hand, after heading into the mountain, Zhao Chuchu suddenly remembered that she had promised the medicine store owner that she would make a couple of ointments for him to sell and had yet to make them.


    If she had known that she would regress to the past, she would¡¯ve brought the type of ointment that had adhesive on them. She would¡¯ve made a fortune selling them.


    There were a lot of resources in the mountain, and it only took her a few minutes to gather what she needed.


    After ensuring no one followed her in secret, she took a pack of chili chicken legs out of her carry-on space and munched on them.


    She had been dying to eat them for a long time, and she happily enjoyed the spicy and sour food.


    However, she was too immersed in her meal that she didn¡¯t notice the tiger until it suddenly appeared in front of her. She choked on her food and almost couldn¡¯t breathe.


    The tiger red at Zhao Chuchu and arched its body, ready to pounce at any moment.


    Zhao Chuchu wasn¡¯t happy anymore as her meal was ruined.


    She put the chicken legs back into the space and stood up as she coughed.


    The tiger pounced, but she didn¡¯t move sideways.


    Instead, she met the beast with her fist.


    The tiger cried in pain and was sent flying back.


    When it fell to the ground, it was already dead.


    ¡°I would never have to kill you if you didn¡¯te. Now, I get to harvest some free tiger skin.¡± Thedy coldly scoffed.


    If she remembered correctly, the tiger skin was worth a lot of money.


    Zhao Chuchu took out a bottle of water, and after a few gulps, she finally felt better.


    She put the bottle and the tiger into the space and decided to see if there was any wild boar she could hunt.


    It was an excellent way to make extra money.


    She gathered her energy and amplified her senses. It only took her a couple of seconds to detect a wild boar.


    Thedy immediately went to where the animal was, only to learn that it was a family of wild boars with younglings.


    Zhao Chuchu looked at the animals and sighed. ¡°Fine. I won¡¯t kill them.¡±


    Although she was already very deep into the mountain and didn¡¯t manage to hunt a wild boar, she managed to find a herb that was necessary for Xie Jun¡¯s recovery.


    Zhao Chuchu was excited and quickly but carefully dug the herb up, only to find two more in the vicinity.


    That meant that she had all the herbs she needed.


    She found it worth getting choked by the chili now.


    Thedy then started heading back while humming.


    When she was almost out of the mountain, she took the tiger out of the carry-on space and carried it on her shoulder.


    When the Zhao n saw that, they almost fainted.

 Chapter 79 - 79 Stronger Than a Tiger

    79 Stronger Than a Tiger


    The Zhao n was all waiting for Zhao Chuchu at the foot of the mountain, wanting her to treat the n head¡¯s jaw.


    However, they couldn¡¯t even make a sound until Zhao Chuchu had walked past them and was long gone.


    A few years back, one of the vige hunters was eaten alive by the same tiger.


    Now that Zhao Chuchu had fought and killed it, they wouldn¡¯t want to mess with her anymore. There was no way they could be stronger than that tiger.


    The only one who had a different emotion in their eyes was Madam Yang.


    She was badly regretting her decision to allow Zhao Chuchu to cut ties with them.


    However, she couldn¡¯t do anything about it. There was no way she could just stop Zhao Chuchu and demand her to hand the tiger over.


    The news of Zhao Chuchu carrying a dead tiger on her should soon spread throughout the vige.


    When Zhao Chuchu returned home and tossed the tiger corpse down in the garden, Xie Heng, who was sitting under the eave, saw it and his lips twitched a little.


    ¡°Did you kill it?¡±


    ¡°Yes. But, I have better news than that!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t say what the news was right away. Instead, she approached him and put the basket down before carefully taking three herbs out of it.


    ¡°I found the Sky Heart Herb!¡±


    Xie Heng immediately shifted his attention to the weird-looking nts. The front of the leaves was red, while the back was white. The soil on their roots was still wet, showing that they had only been dug.


    The herb was one of the hardest to get.


    ¡°This is way more valuable than the tiger!¡± Zhao Chuchu put them back into the basket. ¡°How much are you going to pay for them?¡±


    Xie Heng was about to thank Zhao Chuchu when he heard the second sentence and almost couldn¡¯t hold hisugh back.


    ¡°How much do you want?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Let¡¯s wait until I¡¯vepleted the cure.¡± Zhao Chuchu was just teasing the man. ¡°We only need two of them. I¡¯m nning to sell thest one. We¡¯re going to need a lot more money from now on.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who found them. You decide.¡± Xie Heng paused for a few seconds. ¡°Where did you find them?¡±


    ¡°Do you know about the family of four wild boars deep in the mountain? It¡¯s around there.¡±


    Xie Heng thought about it and shook his head. ¡°Will we be able to find the same thing in other mountains?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I don¡¯t think the chances are high.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu put the basket to one side and started to process the herb.


    It was then the vigers rushed to their house, wanting to see the tiger that she had hunted.


    Xie Jun was the first to reach home.


    When he opened the gate and saw the tiger, he was so terrified that he wouldn¡¯t enter the garden.


    ¡°I-is the tiger really dead?¡± Xie Jun asked, sounding as if he was going to cry. He was scared because there was no blood. ¡°Tiger eats people.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s dead. Come on in.¡± Zhao Chuchuughed.


    The young boy pondered for a moment before walking around the tiger.


    After realizing that it was really dead, he finally had the guts to touch it.


    His fear was already gone by then.


    ¡°It¡¯s really dead! How did you kill it? Can we eat it?¡±


    After answering all of Xie Jun¡¯s questions, Zhao Chuchu was exhausted.


    ¡°Junjun, we are selling the tiger to buy medicine to cure your illness,¡± Xie Heng said.


    That shut the young boy up immediately.


    The vigers had already arrived, and they were all surprised by the corpse.


    The surprise wasn¡¯t only the emotion on their faces. They started to have a newfound respect for thedy who hunted it.


    ¡°Chuchu, this can fetch quite a huge sum of money, but you¡¯ll have to sell it in the county. There won¡¯t be many people that can afford it,¡± an old hunter said.


    ¡°How much can I sell it for?¡±


    ¡°For such a high-quality skin, I¡¯ll say at least this much.¡± The old hunter showed five fingers. ¡°You can make more money if you could butcher it yourself, but I believe selling the entire thing at once will be better.¡±

 Chapter 80 - 80 Getting Rough

    80 Getting Rough


    ¡°Only 50 silvers?¡± Zhao Chuchu was a little disappointed as she thought she could earn more from it.


    However, since it was a hunt she had never expected, she was still happy.


    ¡°Granpa Lin, do you know how to process the skin?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked, hoping to make the most out of the tiger corpse. She could also keep the bones for herself as those were ingredients for a few medicines.


    The old hunter quickly shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve never hunted a tiger before, so I don¡¯t know how to. I don¡¯t want to ruin such a fine specimen. But, if you¡¯re also selling the meat, you better hurry and butcher it while the corpse is still warm.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu looked at the sun and realized it was still afternoon. If she hurried to the county now, she could make it there before nighttime.


    ¡°Da Lang, why don¡¯t we head to the county together?¡± Zhao Chuchu turned to ask Xie Heng. ¡°We¡¯ll bring Junjun with us too.¡±


    ¡°Can I go too?¡± Xie Jun eximed. ¡°Big bro! Let¡¯s go!¡± The little boy begged.


    ¡°All right.¡± The older brother nodded.


    Zhao Chuchu quickly found someone with a bull cart to help transport the tiger to the county.


    Learning that she was going to sell the tiger, Madam Yang got anxious.


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu, when will you treat my son¡¯s legs? Didn¡¯t you say you were going to do it today?¡± The woman even sneaked a few peeks at the tiger when she said that. Naturally, she couldn¡¯t just order Zhao Chuchu to hand the animal over.


    ¡°We¡¯ll do that tomorrow. You sons are not as important as the money I¡¯m going to make.¡± Zhao Chuchu scoffed. ¡°Please don¡¯t tell me you want to end up like the n head.¡±


    Madam Yang quickly took a step back when she heard that, worried that thedy would actually dislocate her jaw. All she could do was watch the three from the Xie n leave.


    When they finally arrived at the county, the sun was already starting to set.


    The old hunter had suggested they head straight to the biggest restaurant, which they did.


    Zhao Chuchu let Xie Heng and Xie Jun wait outside while she headed into the restaurant.


    ¡°Excuse me. Is the owner here?¡± she politely asked a waiter.


    The waiter studied thedy before asking, ¡°May I know why you¡¯re looking for our owner?¡±


    ¡°I just hunted a tiger, and I¡¯m wondering if he¡¯s interested in buying it or not.¡±


    The waiter immediately gasped and told her to wait while he went and fetch the owner.


    Just a few minutester, a middle-aged man who was overweight walked out.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the tiger?¡± he nervously asked as if he was worried that someone would steal the trade away from him. ¡°Take me to it!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s the one selling it,¡± the waiter replied.


    ¡°Her? Lady, are you joking?¡± The owner looked at Zhao Chuchu.


    Just as Zhao Chuchu was about to reply, she heard amotion outside.


    ¡°Finally! I thought where the tiger I¡¯ve hunted had gone to. You guys were the ones who stole it! How dare you steal my stuff?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu immediately dashed out of the restaurant.


    About a dozen of thugs had surrounded the cart. Their leader pulled the sheet covering the animal corpse up and grinned.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t steal it! My sister-inw hunted it!¡± Xie Jun cried.


    Xie Heng, with his eyes covered with a piece of cloth, sat there and hugged his little brother tightly while remaining silent.


    Niu An, the cart¡¯s owner, was already trembling in fear.


    ¡°Your sister-inw? Kid, you should find a better excuse than that. Get lost! This tiger is mine!¡± The manughed. ¡°Be nice, or I¡¯ll get rough.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu quickly stepped between the brothers and the man. She stared at the man and challenged, ¡°Is that so? How rough do you want it to get?¡±

 Chapter 81 - 81 Still Trying to Rob Me

    81 Still Trying to Rob Me


    ¡°Do you guys want toe at me at once, or?¡± Zhao Chuchu scanned the thugs.


    The group of men noticed how pretty thedy was, and their expressions changed.


    ¡°Oh? Do you want to have a taste of us? Why don¡¯t youe and have a drink with us after I sell the tiger? I¡¯ll promise you the best time of your life.¡± The leader extended his finger, trying to raise thedy¡¯s head by her chin.


    However, what he heard after that was a loud crack.


    Zhao Chuchu grabbed the man¡¯s hand and twisted it.


    !!


    ¡°Argh!¡± The man¡¯s scream pierced through the street.


    ¡°Did you really hunt the tiger?¡± Zhao Chuchu chuckled. ¡°With this kind of strength?¡±


    ¡°Argh! M-my wrist! You broke it!¡±


    ¡°Did you hunt the tiger or not?¡± Thedy increased her grip strength.


    ¡°F-forgive me! I didn¡¯t hunt it! Please let me go!¡± It was so painful that the man was getting drenched in his own sweat.


    The moment she let go of the man, she threw a kick toward his stomach and sent him flying. He fall hard onto the floor and couldn¡¯t get up.


    ¡°If you knew what happened to thest person who tried to rob me, you would never even dare to try and do this.¡± Zhao Chuchu scoffed and looked at the three people who came with her. ¡°Is everyone okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Xie Heng calmly replied.


    Tears filled Xue Jun¡¯s eyes as he said, ¡°We didn¡¯t steal anything.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu patted the boy¡¯s head and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. No one¡¯s going to use us of stealing.¡±


    She then turned to re at the thugs coldly.


    The rest of them felt a chill down their spins, and they quickly backed up. ¡°Miss, y-you¡¯re right. That tiger is yours. We didn¡¯t leave the town for the past few days, so there¡¯s no way we were the ones who hunted it.¡±


    ¡°Then, are you still trying to steal it from me?¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    They shook their heads as if their lives depended on it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ever do this again!¡±


    ¡°W-we understand! We won¡¯t do it again!¡±


    ¡°Take your boss and get the hell out of my sight. Unless¡­ another one of you wants to taste my fist.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going!¡±


    The group of thugs quickly carried their leader and ran as if they were terrified that Zhao Chuchu would suddenly change her mind and break their arms and legs.


    Those who were watching from the sidelines were all in shock.


    Those group of thugs was famous in Yuanjiang County for ignoring thew and collecting protection fees from the people. People were afraid to go against them as they always sought revenge on those who did.


    Not one person had expected such an infamous group to get beaten up by ady.


    However, having seen seeing the dead tiger on the cart, it actually made sense. There was no way that ady who could kill a tiger wouldn¡¯t be able to handle a couple of thugs.


    It took the restaurant owner a few seconds to regain his wits, and he gulped. He started to treat Zhao Chuchu respectfully.


    ¡°Miss, are you still going to sell the tiger?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Are you buying it?¡±


    ¡°Of course! Why don¡¯t we head inside and talk about the price?¡±


    ¡°Sure thing.¡±


    Niu An heard that and quickly dragged the cart to follow the waiter to the back of the restaurant and put the tiger down there.


    ¡°How much are you going to pay for it?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked right away.


    The owner had nned to buy at a lower price because thedy was a viger.


    However, after seeing her send a grown and strong man flying with a single kick, the idea of scamming her left his mind immediately.


    He then showed eight fingers.


    ¡°80 silvers?¡± Zhao Chuchu thought. ¡°It¡¯s higher than what Grandpa Lin has said. It looks like he isn¡¯t trying to scam me.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Thedy nodded. ¡°Deal!¡±


    Seeing how much the owner was willing to pay for the animal, she didn¡¯t even hesitate and didn¡¯t even try to bargain for a higher price.


    ¡°Great!¡± The owner eximed. ¡°Please wait here while I go prepare the silvers.¡±


    ¡°Do you still need to prepare for a mere 80 silvers? This restaurant seems big enough to be able to take that much money out without any preparation.¡±

 Chapter 82 - 82 A Huge Misunderstanding

    82 A Huge Misunderstanding


    ¡°W-what?¡± The owner was dumbfounded. ¡°What 80 silvers?¡±


    ¡°For the tiger?¡± Zhao Chuchu red.


    The owner almost choked on his own saliva. ¡°M-miss, even if our restaurant is the biggest in the county, there¡¯s no way we can take advantage of others like this. 80 silvers is such a huge scam! I¡¯m paying 800 silvers for it.¡±


    ¡°What? 800 silvers?¡± Zhao Chuchu was stunned.


    On the other hand, Xie Heng grinned.


    It was only then thedy realized she had misunderstood all along.


    The five fingers the old hunter had shown did not represent 50 silvers but 500. Since tigers weren¡¯t protected animals in the past, she didn¡¯t know how much a single one could get her.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know a tiger could sell for that much. I thought not many people would want it since I killed it with a single punch¡­¡± Zhao Chuchu tried her best not to embarrass herself.


    ¡°W-with a single punch?¡± The owner¡¯s eyes turned wide instantly.


    ¡°Yup. Can¡¯t you see, there¡¯s no wound on it?¡±


    Now that Zhao Chuchu had shown herself as ady with bottomless strength, it left the owner in even more awe.


    ¡°Miss, if you don¡¯t mind, you can wait in one of our VIP rooms on the first floor. You can try some of our signature dishes in the meantime. Also, do you prefer we pay you in silvers or banknotes?¡±


    ¡°Please give me 700 silvers worth of banknotes and the rest in silvers and cents.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll have my men prepare those for you. Waiter, lead them to the VIP room.¡± The owner paused for a second. ¡°The meal is on me. If you ever hunt anything good again, please remember to sell it to me.¡±


    ¡°No problem!¡± Zhao Chuchu nodded.


    The only thing was that as long as no tiger would try to harm her, she would never kill them. She wouldn¡¯t know when such an asion would happen again.


    Xie Jun and Niu An helped Xie Heng up the stairs, following closely behind Zhao Chuchu. They soon arrived on the restaurant¡¯s first floor, Visitor¡¯s Aroma.


    Despite having his eyes covered with a piece of cloth, Xie Heng could easily move around everything without anyone warning him.


    ¡°Holy cow! Who knew that a tiger could sell for 800 silvers?¡± Niu An eximed as soon as the waiter left. ¡°Chuchu! Did you really kill it with a single punch?¡±


    ¡°I was just boasting. It ran into a tree and killed itself.¡± Zhao Chuchu chuckled. ¡°I was lucky. That¡¯s really a lot of money.¡±


    ¡°Then, can we head into the mountain again tomorrow? Maybe we¡¯ll find another tiger running into a tree again?¡± Xie Jun was utterly excited, thinking they could earn more money with that and that his sister-inw wouldn¡¯t have to work that hard anymore.


    The young boy¡¯s innocent remark made Xie Heng chuckle too. ¡°We might find some rabbits too. Do you remember the story of the man who waited for the rabbits to run into rocks and die on their own?¡±


    Xie Jun¡¯s face turned red immediately. ¡°I-I was just saying¡­¡±


    ¡°Come on. Ease up a little.¡± Zhao Chuchuughed as she poured a cup of tea for Xie Heng. ¡°It was just a joke.¡±


    The man smiled.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the food to be served.


    Niu An looked at the table full of different food, and his stomach rumbled.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s eat. You too, Mr. Niu. We don¡¯t want the food to get cold,¡± Zhao Chuchu said.


    ¡°B-but¡­¡± Niu An was a little hesitant.


    Xie Jun quickly put a piece of drumstick for Niu An. ¡°Here, Mr. Niu! Have a drumstick! Thank you for helping us out!¡±


    The little boy then got another one for Zhao Chuchu. ¡°Here!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, my sweet little boy.¡± Zhao Chuchu smiled.


    That made the little boy blush, and thedyughed at that reaction.


    Xie Jun and Niu An had never tasted such good food. Together with Zhao Chuchu, the three of them did not stop eating until everything was devoured.


    In the end, all three of themy back on the chair while rubbing their tummies.


    Xie Heng was a little speechless, and he turned to the waiter. ¡°Do you have strawberry juice? Can we have some?¡±

 Chapter 83 - 83 Next Time

    83 Next Time


    ¡°I can¡¯t eat anymore.¡± Xie Jun¡¯s expression showed that he was extremely full. ¡°I overate¡­¡±


    ¡°Here, drink this. It¡¯ll help soothe your stomach,¡± Xie Heng said. ¡°Chuchu, Mr. Niu, have some too.¡±


    ¡°Keep that. I have something better. ¡± Zhao Chuchu took out some digestion tablets and signaled the rest to open their mouths before tossing one into each of their mouths. ¡°Chew on it before swallowing.¡±


    Xie Juna and Niu An didn¡¯t even ask what the tablets were and just did as they were told.


    After a short while, the owner invited Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng to the room next to theirs. He then gave Zhao Chuchu the money that he had prepared.


    ¡°Miss, please check if everything is here or not.¡±


    There was one 500 silvers bank note, two 100 silvers bank notes, and two links of coins totaling 2000 cents; the rest were in silvers.


    ¡°Everything is here. Thank you.¡± Zhao Chuchu nodded happily.


    ¡°Miss, if you ever hunt anything good in the future, remember to sell them to me as well.¡± The owner smiled.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Zhao Chuchu replied.


    As the sun had already set, Zhao Chuchu decided to stay in the town for the night.


    After keeping the money safe, she helped Xie Heng walk, led Xie Jun and Niu An to an inn, and asked for two rooms.


    Since they were legally married, Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng had to stay in the same room.


    The innkeeper had brought a bucket of hot water for them to shower.


    Thinking that Xie Heng was inside the room with her, Zhao Chuchu got slightly ufortable.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go y with Junjun first.¡± Xie Heng got up and left on his own ord after seeing that thedy had the intention to bathe.


    Zhao Chuchu was d that Xie Heng would understand.


    In the end, the man stayed in Xie Jun¡¯s room and tested his little brother to see if the boy had memorized the passage he had taught two days ago. He used that as an excuse to stay there for a while and didn¡¯t return until Zhao Chuchu had finished bathing.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Zhao Chuchu looked at Xie Heng, who was sitting by the table and had no intention of cleaning himself. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to bathe?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯ll bathe once we get back tomorrow.¡± Xie Heng took the blindfold down and put it on the table.


    Under the dim candlelight, his ck eyes looked even darker, and he was now staring at thedy.


    ¡°Why are you staring at me?¡± Zhao Chuchu touched her face. ¡°Is there something on my face?¡±


    Xie Heng looked at her reaction and grinned. ¡°I was just curious.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Get some rest.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless. She walked up to him and covered his eyes with her hand.


    Xie Heng pushed her hand away and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Thedy sat down next to the man. ¡°Are you going to study after this?¡±


    ¡°Why are you asking this?¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t it be a waste if you don¡¯t study after bing a schr at such an early age?¡±


    ¡°I thought you were nning to leave?¡± Xie Heng replied to her question with another question of his own.


    ¡°I still am. But, wouldn¡¯t it be good to have a government official as a friend?¡±


    There was no way she would refuse to have more connections.


    After a moment of silence, Xie Heng replied, ¡°I will continue to study. It¡¯ste. Let¡¯s get some sleep.¡±


    Seeing how the man kept persuading her to get some rest, she asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to sleep?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay up for tonight.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu let out a sigh and decided to let him be.


    She climbed onto the bed and covered herself with the nket. She fell asleep soon after that.


    Xie Heng remained sitting by the table until it waste in the night. He had yet to change his position.


    He had his eyes close, trying to get some rest without sleeping. Suddenly, he opened his eyes wide.


    It was as if his eyes were a pair of swords that just got unsheathed.


    At the same time, Zhao Chuchu sat up straight instantly.


    She rolled out of bed and hurried to the window. She peeked outside before whispering, ¡°Quickly! Hide!¡±


    The sharpness in the man¡¯s eyes was gone.


    He looked at the tinydy by the window, trying to protect him. At that moment, something that was deep inside his heart got out.


    ¡°Will there be a next time?¡± he suddenly thought and was quickly surprised by what he had in mind.


    ¡°Be careful!¡± Zhao Chuchu said and jumped out the window. She quickly disappeared into the night.

 Chapter 84 - 84 Don’t Kill Me

    84 Don¡¯t Kill Me


    After a while, Xie Heng approached the window.


    He looked in the direction that Zhao Chuchu had left, and a hint of emotion appeared inside his eyes for a second.


    Zhao Chuchu sat on the wall fence behind the inn connected to a small alley and looked at the group of people acting suspiciously under the wall.


    ¡°I know which two rooms they are staying in. I¡¯ll head up first and put them to sleep with the enchanting smoke. You guys watch my back. Come to me once I get the silvers, understand?¡±


    ¡°But, thatdy is powerful. Is this really worth it?¡±


    ¡°This enchanting smoke I have can even put a tiger to sleep. There¡¯s no way thatdy can handle this. Also, did you guys forget that her husband is blind?¡±


    ¡°Right. Also, she¡¯s quite attractive too. Why don¡¯t we take her, and we can¡­¡±


    A loud p could be heard on the back of the head of the man who had suggested having their ways with Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°Stop thinking with your dick! Be quiet, or I¡¯ll skin you alive!¡±


    ¡°Do you need my help with that?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked with a chuckle.


    The group of people instinctively raised their heads when they heard her voice.


    Zhao Chuchu had a LED light in her hand next to her head.


    ¡°G-ghost!¡±


    The group of people pissed their pants seeing thedy¡¯s illuminated face. They could not find their voices and fell back.


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    ¡°Are they really trying to rob me with this wit of theirs?¡± Sheughed in her head.


    Thedy jumped down from the wall, and those who were timid rolled their eyes back and fainted immediately.


    Those who still had their wits were drenched in sweat with their eyes wide open in fear. ¡°P-please don¡¯t kill me¡­¡± they begged.


    Zhao Chuchu quickly realized that the people in front of her weren¡¯t the same as those who tried to take the tiger away from her that morning. Another group of people was nning to rob her.


    She recalled that after teaching the thugs a lesson that morning, no one tried to take the tiger away from her again.


    ¡°So, who are these people?¡± she thought.


    She couldn¡¯t think of anyone else besides those from the restaurant.


    Zhao Chuchu kicked the person closest to her and asked, ¡°Who sent you guys here? You better tell me the truth!¡±


    ¡°A-are you not a ghost?¡± The one who was kicked was stunned.


    ¡°Oh? You want to meet one? I can help you with that.¡± Zhao Chuchu kicked him again.


    ¡°I-I¡¯ll tell you! It¡¯s Fuzi from the Visitor¡¯s Aroma! He told us that you just sold a tiger for 800 silvers. I-I¡­¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s Fuzi?¡±


    ¡°He works as a waiter there! He¡¯s the one who gave us the enchanting smoke too!¡±


    The person told thedy everything after that.


    Zhao Chuchu quickly lost interest.


    ¡°Where is he staying at? Lead the way.¡±


    ¡°A-are you going to kill us?¡±


    ¡°If you really want to die that bad, I don¡¯t mind doing the dirty work.¡±


    ¡°No! Please, spare me!¡± The person quickly begged.


    Zhao Chuchu then had him lead her to Fuzi¡¯s house.


    Perhaps he was excited about the money he would get; Fuzi was still awake. He walked back and forth in his room,pletely excited.


    Carrying the person who led her there in one hand, Zhao Chuchu kicked the door open.


    Fuzi jumped back in surprise, and his face turned pale when he noticed it was Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°H-how are you here?¡±


    Fuzi was the same waiter Zhao Chuchu had asked where the restaurant owner was that morning.


    ¡°It seems like you aren¡¯t afraid of death.¡± Zhao Chuchu talked as if she was joking, but her expression said otherwise. ¡°Did you not see what happened to the thugs who tried to rob me this morning?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about!¡± With sweats wetting his shirt and chills down his spine, Fuzi pretended to be innocent.


    ¡°Talk.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu threw the man in her hand to the ground.


    The person quickly got up and said, ¡°Fuzi told us to do that! The money got the better of me! Please don¡¯t kill me!¡±


    ¡°This has nothing to do with me¡­¡± Fuzi quickly exined.


    ¡°If it has nothing to do with you, then how did they know how much the tiger was sold for?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu walked forward, forcing Fuzi to back up.

 Chapter 85 - 85 Did Not Appreciate Her Kindness

    85 Did Not Appreciate Her Kindness


    ¡°Stay away from me!¡± Fuzi crawled to the corner with his back almost to the wall. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything! I just told them that you sold the tiger corpse for 800 silvers! I have nothing to do with what they did after that!¡±


    ¡°Bullshit! He¡¯s the one who told us to steal from you! He even said he would take 200 silvers, and we can split the rest between us!¡± The person who Zhao Chuchu brought over with her quickly exined.


    ¡°What the heck are you talking about? You guys were the ones who asked me if there was a way to make quick money!¡±


    ¡°You were the one who told us to do it!¡±


    The two quickly sprang into a heated argument.


    !!


    Zhao Chuchu was utterly speechless.


    She wasn¡¯t there to hear the two of them argue.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you two know that I¡¯m not a kind person. On the contrary, I¡¯m quite the hot-headed one. I don¡¯t care who came up with the idea to try and steal from me, but, as a person living in such arge city, there arews you have to abide by. It looks like I¡¯ll have to teach all of you a lesson.¡±


    After saying that, thedy approached Fuzi and broke his arm.


    ¡°Argh!¡±


    The painful scream pierced through the silent night.


    The one who brought Zhao Chuchu to Fuzi¡¯s ce was shocked by what he had just seen. Fear was written all over his face.


    Zhao Chuchu did not let him off either. She also broke one of his arms.


    ¡°This is what you get for looking down on women.¡±


    She left after she said that.


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t even look at the neighbors who hade to check what was happening after hearing the screams.


    She returned to the alley behind the inn she was staying in and took out a bottle ofxative. She fed the drug to the people who were still unconscious.


    Although they didn¡¯t manage to steal from her, she still had to teach them a lesson so they wouldn¡¯t try doing the same thing again.


    After doing all of that, she then returned to her room.


    Xie Heng remained sitting by the table. When he heard the door open, he turned around.


    Zhao Chuchu quickly washed her hand before saying, ¡°Everything¡¯s good now. Let¡¯s get some sleep.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all done?¡±


    ¡°Kind of. One of them escaped.¡±


    ¡°Someone escaped?¡±


    ¡°Did you know that other than the group of thugs, there¡¯s a trained person with them?¡±


    The man shook his head.


    Zhao Chuchu looked at him as if she doubted his reaction.


    However, from the serious look in his eyes, it didn¡¯t seem like he was lying.


    Zhao Chuchu decided not to think about it. ¡°Well. Whatever. I¡¯ll be sure to take care of him first when I catch him next time. I hate people like him who loves to spy on others from the dark.¡±


    Although Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t specify who he saw talking about, Xie Heng still felt a chill down his spine.


    Thedy then quickly nced toward the man.


    Xie Heng looked back at her speechlessly.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure you are not that type of person.¡± Zhao Chuchu threatened before her expression returned to a smile.


    Without any expression on his face, the man replied, ¡°I am.¡±


    The smile on Zhao Chuchu¡¯s face froze immediately. With an awkward expression, she sighed. ¡°And that¡¯s how you end a conversation every time.¡±


    ¡°How did you realize that someone was spying on you?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m an angel that was sent from heaven!¡±


    Xie Heng didn¡¯t even know how to react to herment, and it was his turn to sigh.


    ¡°Did you really think I¡¯ll tell you guys to hide if there were only a bunch of thugs?¡± Zhou Chuchu said.


    ¡°Then, why did you take care of the thugs first?¡± the man asked.


    ¡°Because I realized that the one who¡¯s spying on us isn¡¯t going to do anything. It¡¯s more like he¡¯s enjoying the show.¡±


    She thought that the action of the man hiding in the dark acted like how Qiao Heting usually would.


    However, she had just punished him for doing that a few days back and was pretty confident that he wouldn¡¯t do the same thing again. She thought that for an intelligent person like him, he wouldn¡¯t be dumb enough to forget the beating he had received.


    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s end this here. We should get some sleep.¡± Zhao Chuchu urged.


    Xie Heng did not move from his sport. ¡°You get some sleep first. I¡¯ll stay here for a while. I¡¯m not tired.¡±


    ¡°Are you worried that I might do something to you?¡± Zhao Chuchu chuckled. ¡°Why would you reject ady¡¯s invitation?¡±


    Thedy sighed again and headed to the bed, happy that she could enjoy therge bed for herself.


    Even though nothing had happened between them yet, they were still a married couple to the rest of the world after all. In the end, no one would actually believe that they hadn¡¯t slept together yet.


    She repeatedly urged the man to get some sleep because she was worried about him.


    Unfortunately for her, he didn¡¯t appreciate her kindness.


    Zhao Chuchu tucked herself in andfortablyy on therge bed meant for two people.


    To her, there was nothing better than enjoying the warmth of a soft bed.


    She silently cursed in her head, ¡°If Xie Heng wasn¡¯t here, I could¡¯ve gotten my iPad out and finished that drama!¡±

 Chapter 86 - 86 Bitten

    86 Bitten


    After a short while, Xie Heng approached the bed as well.


    ¡°I¡¯ll sleep on the outside,¡± he whispered and climbed into the bed before lying down.


    Zhao Chuchu opened her eyes to look at him and said, ¡°You can sleep on the floor if you really want to.¡±


    Xie Heng did not react to her taunt.


    As she wasn¡¯t in an apocalyptic world anymore, Zhao Chuchu¡¯s sleep quality had gotten much better. It didn¡¯t take long for her to fall asleep.


    !!


    Xie Heng gently turned around and looked at thedy whose body was almost covered by the nket except for her head which was still visible to him.


    The room waspletely dark.


    And yet, Xie Heng was able to clearly see Zhao Chuchu¡¯s face, which had slightly reddened from the warmth of the room and the nket.


    Her eyes were closed, and she looked gentle and quiet. There was no hint that would suggest that she was a person who could fight.


    After getting along with her for the past few days, Xie Heng was sure that the Zhao Chuchu in front of him wasn¡¯t the Zhao Chuchu he had known. Instead, she was aplete stranger.


    However, it was very clear that she trusted him.


    The man had no idea where all the weird stuff she hade from, and he never intended to ask her.


    He also had no intention of offending ady who could fight.


    There were still a lot of things waiting for him to do. As it wasn¡¯t wise to make unwanted enemies, he chose not to ask her and even helped here up with exnations for them.


    If she could cure the poison on his little brother, he would owe her a huge favor. There was no way he would repay her kindness with betrayal.


    As he watched her, Zhao Chuchu suddenly turned into Xie Heng¡¯s arms.


    The man froze immediately.


    Just as he was about to push her away, she wrapped her arms around him.


    Xie Heng instantly held his breath.


    He had nevere in contact with a woman at such a close distance.


    The man never imagined that a woman¡¯s body could be that soft.


    Xie Heng was a little shocked and was at a loss too.


    It took him a while to calm down. He tried to move Zhao Chuchu¡¯s hand away as he wanted to get out of bed and away from her.


    He was nning to spend the night back by the table again.


    ¡°Ham! Don¡¯t run! You¡¯re mine!¡± However, Zhao Chuchu hugged Xie Heng even tighter and even bit him. After a while, she finally loosened her bite. ¡°This doesn¡¯t taste good¡­¡±


    Although she did say that, she still didn¡¯t let go of him.


    Xie Heng was nowpletely speechless.


    He could not believe that thedy would find him disgusting after biting him.


    ¡°How can she be so defenseless?¡± he thought. ¡°Is she not worried that I might do something to her?¡±


    Xie Heng tried to push her away again, but tears suddenly rolled down her cheeks. ¡°Don¡¯t take my ham away from me!¡±


    Even more speechless, the man thought he didn¡¯t want to eat ham again for the rest of his life.


    Yet, seeing her cry, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to push her away anymore.


    It took Zhao Chuchu a few minutes to turn around and let go of the man.


    Xie Heng couldn¡¯t help but let out a sigh of relief.


    What the man did not notice was that Zhao Chuchu, who had her back toward him now, was wide awake. Her expression showed that she was troubled.


    She woke up when she bit down on Xie Heng¡¯s shoulder. Fortunately, her acting was good enough to trick Xie Heng into thinking she was still dreaming, or else he might think she was intentionally seducing him.


    ¡°What a blunder!¡± she scolded in her head. ¡°This is so bad! If not for all the good food he had made, I would never have dreamt of food when I slept next to him!¡±


    For the rest of the night, Zhao Chuchu was reluctant to fall into a deep sleep, worrying that she might think that Xie Heng was food and bite him again.


    The following day, Xie Heng woke up very early.


    When he washed his face and touched his shoulder, he noticed that the bite mark was still there.


    It was close to his neck, but, fortunately for him, the weather was already getting cold, and his shirt had a tall cor. It was barely able to cover the bite mark.


    On the other hand, Zhao Chuchu seemed normal, acting as if nothing had ever happened. She got out of bed not long after Xie Heng.


    She even asked, ¡°Why did you wake up so early?¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t fall back asleep once I woke up,¡± he simply replied.


    ¡°I wonder if Junjun is awake or not. Why don¡¯t we go get something to eat outside?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked excitedly.


    Seeing how interested thedy was in food, Xie Heng nodded. ¡°I know a ce that sells good breakfast here in Yuanjiang County. Let¡¯s eat thereter.¡±

 Chapter 87 - 87 I Was Lucky

    87 I Was Lucky


    Unfortunately, Zhao Chuchu did not have the chance to have breakfast at the store that Xie Heng had mentioned.


    It was because Gan Maosheng had suddenlye to visit her.


    ¡°Chuchu, why didn¡¯t youe and say hi at the battalion? You should¡¯ve told me that you¡¯reing to the city!¡± Gao Maosheng looked as if he was angry. ¡°If my subordinate did not tell me that someone had sold a tiger to the Visitor¡¯s Aroma and if I didn¡¯t ask about it, I would never have known that you and Heng were here.¡±


    Gao Maosheng was now treating Zhao Chuchu as his own granddaughter. Instead of addressing her as Mrs. Xie, he was now calling her first name.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to trouble General Gan when you¡¯re so busy,¡± Zhao Chuchu quickly exined.


    !!


    ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t want to trouble me?¡± The general waved his hand. ¡°If not for you, I would¡¯ve been dead by now.¡±


    When Xie Heng turned around, Gan Maosheng saw the white blindfold covering the young man¡¯s eyes. He got worried and asked, ¡°Heng, did something happen to your eyes?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still looking for a way to see if I can cure his blindness,¡± Zhao Chuchu replied. ¡°To be honest, I feel a little embarrassed to have the general visit me personally.¡±


    ¡°Come on. I¡¯m sure you can cure him. You¡¯re an excellent doctor, after all! Let¡¯s not talk about this first. Since you guys are here, why don¡¯t we get some breakfast at the Visitor¡¯s Aroma?¡± Gan Maosheng grinned. ¡°Heng, Chuchu, you two better not say no to this.¡±


    ¡°Then, we¡¯ll dly ept your generous invitation, General Gan.¡± Xie Heng bowed.


    ¡°You know what, calling me general all the time makes it sound like we¡¯re strangers. Just call me Grandpa Gan from now on.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Grandpa Gan!¡± Zhao Chuchu dly epted that.


    As Gao Maosheng had more than a thousand people serving under him, he was a very important person who held much power in Yuanjiang County.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Hey, help carry Heng and Junjun.¡± Gan Maosheng turned to look at the two men who had followed him to the inn. The general then turned back and exined, ¡°They are my grandsons. The older one is Gan Quan, and the younger one is Gan Lin.¡±


    ¡°Greetings, brothers!¡± Zhao Chuchu greeted them cheerfully.


    ¡°Greetings, sister¡­¡± The two greeted her with a hint of embarrassment in their voices.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I can walk on my own.¡± Xie Heng refused to have someone carry him.


    ¡°I can help him,¡± Zhao Chuchu added.


    Xie Jun didn¡¯t want to be carried either.


    As for Niu An, he was a little restless.


    The person with the highest position that he had ever met was the vige chief.


    It was too sudden for him to meet with the general. He didn¡¯t even dare to gasp, but he was envious of Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng, who were able to have a casual conversation with the general.


    Gan Maosheng led Zhao Chuchu and herpanions to the Visitor¡¯s Aroma.


    The owner personally served them.


    He was surprised to see Zhao Chuchu arriving with the general. ¡°Oh? Mr. and Mrs. Xie, I didn¡¯t know that both of you are friends with General Gan.¡±


    ¡°Lin, I guess you don¡¯t know about this yet.¡± Gan Maosheng chuckled. ¡°Chuchu is the one who singlehandedly got rid of the gue in Yuanjiang County. Please tell me that you didn¡¯t scam here yesterday.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s the one who saved our Yuanjiang County?¡± The owner gasped.


    ¡°It was lucky to have the cure for the gue,¡± Zhao Chuchu humbly exined. ¡°Grandpa Gan, calling me the savior is a little exaggerating. The ones who saved Yuanjiang County are the government and the Weisuo.¡±


    Gan Maosheng was happy to hear that, and the two grandsons¡¯ impression of Zhao Chuchu had gotten even better after that.


    ¡°Of course not, Mrs. Xie. There¡¯s no such thing as luck in getting rid of the gue. If you didn¡¯t have any medical knowledge, having the cure wouldn¡¯t do anything much. How about this? The breakfast is on me as thanks for saving our city!¡±


    ¡°Hey! You trying to pick a fight? I¡¯m treating Heng and Chuchu today. Get in the line if you want to treat her too.¡± Gan Maosheng red at the owner.


    The owner burst intoughter. ¡°Alright, alright! It¡¯s your win. I¡¯ll go have the kitchen prepare the meal right away. Please, enjoy yourselves.¡±


    The owner then left.


    Gan Maosheng turned to Xie heng and said, ¡°That old fart is an old friend of mine. He¡¯s very well known to be cunning when doing business. Thank God he didn¡¯t scam youst night when you sold him the tiger.¡±

 Chapter 88 - 88 Keep a Secret

    88 Keep a Secret


    ¡°Now that you mentioned it, I misunderstood big time yesterday.¡± Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t help but feel awkward and embarrassed about that. ¡°The owner did not try to scam me.¡±


    ¡°If he dares to do that, I¡¯ll deal with him.¡± Gan Maosheng grinned.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Heng, Chuchu, if you need anything in the future, have someone send a message to me from the vige. Even if I¡¯m swamped, I can still let Gan Quan and Gan Lin help you guys out.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Grandpa Gan.¡± Xie Heng bowed.


    !!


    Gan Maosheng then asked the couple about other things. After learning that there was a big chance for Xie Heng¡¯s eyes to be healed, even he was happy for the young man.


    ¡°Heng, are you still going to pursue your studies once your eyes are healed? How about I find you a teacher?¡± Gan Maosheng asked Xie Heng. ¡°You are born to be a schr. It would be a waste for you to give up now.¡±


    ¡°If my eyes can be healed, I¡¯ll continue to study. But I¡¯m not nning to find a teacher for now. Thank you for your offer.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Alright then. Just let me know if you ever need one.¡±


    ¡°I will. Thank you.¡±


    The breakfast was soon served.


    Xie Jun looked at the table filled with food and couldn¡¯t help but gulp.


    Gan Maosheng noticed it and smiled. He even served the young boy the restaurant¡¯s famous shrimp dumpling.


    ¡°Boy, here. Try this.¡±


    Xie Jun did not touch his food right away. Instead, he turned to look at Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°Try it before it gets cold,¡± Zhao Chuchu urged with a warm smile.


    Only then did Xie Jun start chomping down on the dumpling happily.


    Zhao Chuchu wasn¡¯t holding back either. Since she had to take care of Xie Heng, Gan Quan and Gan Lin took responsibility for putting food on the young boy¡¯s te.


    Niu An was a little anxious at first. However, after seeing how the people from the Gan n weren¡¯t putting on airs, he also eased up a little and started eating.


    The owner had brought too much food for them. Even if most of them were still young, they could not finish the food.


    Zhao Chuchu decided to have the remaining food packaged so she could take them home with her.


    No matter how high Gan Moasheng¡¯s position was, the battalion was still filled with work. He only took a short leave to treat Zhao Chuchu and herpanions to a meal.


    He had to return right after the meal. Before he left, he instructed Gan Quan and Gan Lin to show the guests around the county.


    Zhao Chuchu understood that Gan Maosheng was really looking out for them, but she still refused him. She excused herself, saying they needed to return to the vige before sunset.


    After seeing the grandsons of the general off, Zhao Chuchu then brought Xie Heng and his younger brother to a clothing store to buy a few new clothes for them.


    Xie Heng refused without thinking twice.


    Yet, Zhao Chuchu ignored him and still took them to the store.


    She would not miss the chance to help dress such a good-looking man up like a real-life dressing game when she finally had the money to do so.


    After buying the clothes, she then went to purchase quite a lot of rice, noodles, and pastries.


    It took them the whole morning to finish their shopping. The sun was already high in the sky when they returned to the inn with Niu An¡¯s help.


    Zhao Chuchu then took out ten silvers for Niu An.


    ¡°Mr. Niu, here. Take these.¡±


    ¡°Why are you giving me money? Didn¡¯t you already buy me food?¡±


    Niu An refused to ept the money.


    ¡°Mr. Niu, you¡¯ve helped a lot with transporting the tiger corpse to the county. If you don¡¯t take it, Chuchu might not ask you to help again in the future.¡±


    ¡°But, treating me to a meal is enough. It¡¯s not that hard of work anyway¡­¡±


    Zhao Chuchu shoved the silvers into Niu An¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯ll also need you to keep this a secret. I don¡¯t want to tell anyone how much the tiger was sold. I¡¯m afraid they might try and hunt tigers themselves in the mountain and lose their own lives.¡±


    Knowing how terrifying a tiger could be, Niu An could understand why Zhao Chuchu needed him to keep the money a secret. If people learned that she had sold the tiger for 800 silvers, it would be a huge problem. It would¡¯ve been fine if they simply just tried to hunt tigers, but it would be worrisome if they attempted to cause Zhao Chuchu some trouble because of the money.


    ¡°I understand. No one will learn about it, but I still won¡¯t take the money¡­¡±

 Chapter 89 - 89 Don’t Cause Us Any Trouble

    89 Don¡¯t Cause Us Any Trouble


    Zhao Chuchu still insisted on giving Niu An the money. She stuffed the silvers in his hand and turned to start packing, not giving him a chance to refuse anymore.


    Niu An looked at the silvers in his hand. He was filled with a particr type of emotion that he could not describe.


    ¡°Mr. Niu, can you help me take care of Dng and Junjun? I just remembered that I need to get some Chinese medicine.¡± Zhao Chuchu requested after she had finished packing. ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    ¡°Do you need me to help you carry the stuff?¡± Niu An quickly asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Just help me look after them.¡± Zhao Chuchu paused and turned to look at Xie Heng. ¡°Wait for me here.¡±


    !!


    ¡°Okay.¡± Xie Heng nodded.


    He could tell that Zhao Chuchu was going to look to sell the Sky Heart Herb.


    After that, Zhao Chuchu left the inn and headed to thergest medicine hall in the county, the Spring Medicine Hall.


    Even though the gue had been taken care of, the Spring Medicine Hall was still filled with patients.


    Zhao Chuchu scanned the ce and saw that none of the patients had any severe illness. With that, she headed to the counter.


    ¡°Excuse me, do you have the Sky Heart Herb here?¡±


    ¡°The Sky Heart Herb? We don¡¯t have any in stock right now. Are you looking to purchase one?¡± The owner immediately let his staff take care of the matter he was handling to personally serve Zhao Chuchu. ¡°The Sky Heart Herb is a very rare find. There¡¯s a huge market for it, but the herb itself is almost priceless. I¡¯m sorry to say this, but you might not be able to afford one. Why don¡¯t you look for other things instead of the Sky Heart Herb?¡±


    ¡°How much is it?¡±


    ¡°200 for one Sky Heart Herb.¡±


    ¡°200 silvers?¡±


    ¡°No. 200 golds.¡±


    As one gold was equal to 10 silvers, it would mean that a Sky Heart Herb could sell for more than 1000 silvers.


    The Sky Heart Herb was much more valuable than gold itself.


    ¡°Also, the price of a fresh Sky Heart Herb is much more than a dry Sky Heart Herb.¡±


    ¡°How much more?¡±


    ¡°At least this much.¡±


    The owner showed three fingers.


    ¡°300 golds?¡±


    The owner nodded. He looked at Zhao Chuchu. ¡°Miss, why don¡¯t you tell me the patient¡¯s symptoms? I might be able to suggest an alternative to the Sky Heart Herb. The effect might not be as good, but if you are patient enough, the illness will still eventually get cured.¡±


    ¡°I see. Is there any chance you¡¯ll purchase the Sky Heart Herb if someone sells it?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked, feeling as if there was a hole in her wallet. She did not expect the Sky Heart Herb to be so expensive. She had already lost around 6000 silvers before she could even start curing Xie Jun¡¯s poison.


    ¡°Of course. But, I¡¯ve set up my business in Yuanjiang County for 30 more years, and I have yet to see a person manage to harvest a Sky Heart Herb.¡± The owner smiled. He wasn¡¯tughing at Zhao Chuchu¡¯sck of knowledge, believing that it was normal for a youngdy not to know everything in the world.


    ¡°I-¡± Before Zhao Chuchu could even say anything, she was interrupted.


    ¡°Doctor! Where¡¯s the doctor? Please! I need some help over here!¡±


    A man ran into the medicine hall with a pregnant woman in his arms. The woman was covered in blood, and she seemed lifeless. If not for the weak breathing motion in her chest, others would think she was already dead.


    Zhao Chuchu frowned.


    The doctor of the medicine hall immediately got up. The moment he saw the pregnant woman¡¯s state, he paused and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but there¡¯s nothing I can do to save her. You¡¯ll have to look for someone else.¡±


    The man got so anxious after hearing that. ¡°Doctor! Please! You have to save my wife!¡± he begged.


    ¡°I told you. There¡¯s nothing I can do.¡± The doctor sighed. ¡°It¡¯s better that you get prepared for her funeral¡­¡±


    The doctor clearly understood that he wasn¡¯t good enough to save the woman. As the woman was still alive, he didn¡¯t want her to die while he was performing the treatment. If that happened, he would have much exining to do.¡±


    ¡°Please! I beg you! I¡­ I can be your ve if you want! Just save her!¡± The man wailed.


    Zhao Chuchu approached the man. After a quick nce, she said, ¡°Owner, can you prepare a bed for me? I can save her.¡±


    Everyone turned to look at Zhao Chuchu as soon as she said that.


    ¡°Miss, please don¡¯t cause us any trouble,¡± The doctor replied grumpily. ¡°How can a youngdy like you save her when I can¡¯t? Can you handle the consequences if you can¡¯t save her?¡±

 Chapter 90 - 90 I’ll Rip Your Tongue Out

    90 I¡¯ll Rip Your Tongue Out


    ¡°I¡¯ll bear all the responsibility,¡± Zhao Chuchu said in such a calm manner that everyone around her had a sense of security from her voice. She turned to look at the owner. ¡°Can you prepare a bed for me? I¡¯ll also need hot water¡­¡±


    Her orders and requests were systematic. The owner looked at thedy and instinctively followed her demand.


    When he finally realized that, Zhao Chuchu had already taken the woman into a room in the medicine hall.


    ¡°Hey, owner. Isn¡¯t thedy a little too young? How can you let her do what she wants?¡± the doctor asked anxiously. ¡°What if the woman dies inside here? We¡¯ll have to answer many questions at the county office.¡±


    After being reminded of that, the owner got scared as well.


    !!


    He was worried whether such a youngdy really had any medical knowledge or not.


    ¡°Could it be they are working together? You know, to scam us?¡± the doctor then asked.


    The owner got anxious as well. ¡°T-that¡¯s not the case, right?¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s too much of a coincidence for them to arrive after the youngdy? Although I¡¯m not a famous doctor, I can still tell that the pregnant woman is beyond saving. They probably think she will die anyway, so why not scam some money from us? We still have time to get rid of them. We will have a lot of exnations if the woman dies! Hurry up! Stop hesitating!¡±


    The doctor kept urging the owner to chase Zhao Chuchu and the pregnant woman up.


    He had concluded that the pregnant woman could not be saved, and there was no point in troubling himself.


    If everyone were to try and save the pregnant woman, they wouldn¡¯t be able to treat other patients.


    ¡°Hey! Owner! What is the meaning of this? We¡¯ve been waiting here for hours! Are you telling us to wait even more until that woman gives birth? Do you want us to die?¡±


    ¡°How unlucky! She can die if she can¡¯t give birth! Whye here and bother us? Does she want us to die with her?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that they are working together! Maybe the man is cheating on the youngdy? Could it be that the pregnant woman found out? That could be why she¡¯s having a hard time giving birth. How shameless¡­¡±


    The chatters inside the medicine hall were getting even more ridiculous.


    The man focused all his attention on the room as he worried about his wife. Because of that focus, he didn¡¯t realize that the others were ridiculing him.


    That was why the people were getting even more out of control.


    The owner also felt as if something was off and was hesitating if he should chase them out or not.


    Just then, the cold voice of Zhao Chuchu could be heard from inside the room. ¡°If I manage to save her, I¡¯ll pull all of your tongues out of your mouths! If you don¡¯t want to be mute, shut your mouth!¡±


    A cup flew out from inside the room when she finished her threat. The cup was shot toward the door and dug deep into the wood.


    The people inside the medicine hall were terrified by the scene and quieted down immediately.


    Inside the room, Zhao Chuchu was using silver needles to control the woman¡¯s heartbeat. She managed to wake the woman up and had her keep a slice of ginseng inside her mouth.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the scream of the pregnant woman to echo around the entire hall. The people could faintly hear how Zhao Chuchu instructed the woman to push the baby out.


    The doctor was already covered in sweat. He could not divert his stare from the room.


    The others started to get worried for the pregnant woman.


    About 30 minutester, the weak cry of a baby could be heard.


    The people were all stunned. It was as if they couldn¡¯t believe their ears.


    They focused, and just as they thought, they heard a baby¡¯s cry.


    After a while, Zhao Chuchu came out of the room with a baby wrapped in a nket in her arms. She walked to the father and said, ¡°Congrattions. Both your wife and daughter are safe.¡±


    The man took the baby from Zhao Chuchu with his shaky hands. Tears filled his eyes immediately.


    Zhao Chuchu then turned to look at everyone inside the medicine hall. In a cold voice, she said, ¡°So, those who were ridiculing me just a while ago, aren¡¯t you guys supposed to apologize to me? God gave you all one mouth and two hands for a reason. God wants you to talk less and work more!¡±

 Chapter 91 - 91 Not Gonna Let It Slide

    91 Not Gonna Let It Slide


    The medical hall was dead silent.


    Those who echoed the tongueshing at Zhao Chuchu earlier bowed their heads and pretended that they had never said those words.


    Zhao Chuchu turned her gaze at the doctor in charge. ¡°I remember all of you who joined in the admonishment. Don¡¯t you ever think you can escape this by pretending nothing has happened! Apologize now, or don¡¯t regret itter¡­ Make your choice.¡±


    The doctor in charge reddened, contending. ¡°Isn¡¯t it normal that we won¡¯t believe the words from a girl your age? Childbirth has always been life-threatening. Besides, that woman appeared to have stopped breathing already just now. I was just hoping they could rest in peace¡­¡±


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t save someone, but you would stop others from doing so as well? Doctor, that was two human lives! Even if you weren¡¯t capable, it didn¡¯t mean others couldn¡¯t do it! Shouldn¡¯t you apologize for starting defamation against me when you didn¡¯t know the truth?¡±


    ¡°The fact that you saved them was nothing but a fluke. Why would you have to be aggressive like this now? Youngdy, it¡¯d be good for your well-being if you didn¡¯t drive me into a corner.¡±


    ¡°So, does that mean you won¡¯t apologize at all? It serves me right to be used when I was saving lives. Doctor, being a senior doesn¡¯t make you right by default.¡±


    ¡°Y-You¡­ think you¡¯re peerless just because you saved someone by chance? Youngdy, medical skill has nothing to do with luck! If I have to say, no one in Yuanjiang County has better skills than me! I¡¯d suggest that you go easy on others.¡±


    Not only was the doctor would not admit his fault stubbornly, but he would also presume on his seniority.


    The rest of the people also thought that Zhao Chuchu was being impertinent for someone of her age.


    So, they parroted the doctor and admonished, ¡°Youngdy, no one can escape the suffering of illnesses and diseases. If you offend Doctor Tian now, you¡¯re essentially cutting the chance to ask for favors from him in the future.¡±


    ¡°Doctor Tian is indeed the best doctor we have in our county. If he thought the woman couldn¡¯t be saved, so be it. No one knows what sort of way you¡¯d used to save them. Who knows if the woman would dieter and all you could save was only the child? A motherless child is forlorn. Letting the child reunite with itste parent would be better!¡±


    ¡°Sigh. Young women nowadays think they are capable just because they got lucky. Doctor Tian, we believe in you. We witnessed it earlier and knew you didn¡¯t refuse to save the parturient woman on purpose. She stopped breathing, after all. Who knows why a certain person is cornering you relentlessly like this? I guess she¡¯s going after the money?¡±


    ¡­


    Upon hearing that, the countenance of the child¡¯s father turned red. ¡°This youngdy is someone I¡¯m greatly indebted to! I won¡¯t let you speak of her like that!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu yed a smile and asked, ¡°So, I take it that the rest of you won¡¯t apologize as well?¡±


    The crowd condemned Zhao Chuchu for not being lenient and osted the doctor.


    Zhao Chuchu turned to look at the owner. ¡°Do you agree with them?¡±


    The owner mumbled, ¡°Youngdy, it¡¯s good that you¡¯ve saved the patients. It was a misunderstanding just now. Now that it is all cleared up, why don¡¯t we let bygones be bygones?¡±


    At that, Zhao Chuchu nodded. ¡°Well, if you say so.¡±


    Someone sniffed. ¡°Isn¡¯t it good that you know your ce? Why did you have to stir up¡ª¡±


    Before he could finish his words, Zhao Chuchu interrupted. ¡°But I¡¯m not going to let it slide. I¡¯ve remembered all your faces.¡±


    After hearing her deration, fear struck all of their hearts for reasons unknown.


    ¡°I heard that a pregnant woman is suffering from difficultbor. Is she still alive?¡± An elderly doctor carrying a medicine box on his back could be seen panting while making his way through the crowd. ¡°Hey, how¡¯s the pregnant woman¡­ Eh? Chuchu, what are you doing here?¡±


    Everyone¡¯s eyes were on him. Wasn¡¯t he Doctor Lu?


    Did he know Zhao Chuchu?


    Doctor Tian then questioned with a stern look. ¡°Lu, what is your business here at Spring Medical Hall?¡±


    Doctor Lu paid him no heed and approached Zhao Chuchu. ¡°You¡¯ve saved the pregnantdy, right?¡±

 Chapter 92 - 92 She Is the Miracle Doctor

    92 She Is the Miracle Doctor


    ¡°I see that the two of you are in cahoots! I knew you were a stiff-necked recalcitrant!¡± Doctor Tian hurriedly found fault after seeing how the situation turned out. ¡°No wonder you¡¯d send a near-death pregnant woman here! So you intend to pull me down? Lu, do you think you canpete against me like this?¡±


    Doctor Lu lost his cool and bellowed. ¡°Tian, stop spouting bullshit out of that filthy mouth of yours! Not only did you choose to watch the patient die, but you would even nder me! Do you even know who she is? This youngdy is the one who stopped the gue! The one who saved Yuanjiang County, Zhao Chuchu!


    Rub your sleazy eyes clean and look properly! Does a miracle doctor like her need to use underhanded tactics against the likes of you? Did you think you were worthy of being an opponent against someone of her caliber? What a nerve! Stop overselling yourself and have some sense of shame!¡±


    At his words, everyone in the medical hall stared at Zhao Chuchu with an unbelievable look.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Doctor Tian became nervous.


    !!


    Everyone in Yuanjiang County knew Zhao Chuchu shared a medical prescription that helped stop the gue.


    He followed the local authorities to the towns and saved the people at that time with the prescription, but he had never seen Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°Hmph¡­ What a snobbish elitist. If it weren¡¯t for a miracle doctor like Zhao Chuchu, do you think a pregnant woman suffering from difficultbor could be saved in such a short time?¡± Doctor Lu sneered. After a while, he turned to look at Zhao Chuchu gently. ¡°If I knew you were here, I wouldn¡¯t have rushed over like this.¡±


    ¡°This old fart often watched his patients die because he was afraid to be sued. Sometimes the patients could still be saved, but he¡¯d rather let them die so that he could avoid a medicalwsuit due to his negligence!¡± Doctor Lu exined.


    Zhao Chuchu uttered, ¡°I can tell.¡±


    Following that, Doctor Lu turned to the crowd and retorted, ¡°¡®What did you mean by Tian is the best doctor in Yuanjiang County? Chuchu is the miracle doctor here! Without her, all of you could have been burned to death!¡±


    After knowing the youngdy before them was Zhao Chuchu, the ones who used her, saying she was after the money, were all reddened in shame.


    ¡°Now that Doctor Lu is here, why don¡¯t you send your wife to his ce? Although he has temper issues, he has medical ethics. He will look after your wife. She¡¯s still in danger, so she can¡¯t be sent home yet.¡± Zhao Chuchu peered at that man.


    The man responded, ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll listen to your instructions.¡±


    At that time, the owner of Spring Medical Hall regained his senses and uttered, ¡°Since the patient was saved at our medical hall, why don¡¯t we leave her here? I will take care of your wife properly. It isn¡¯t good to let a woman who just delivered a child move around too much.¡±


    He needed to save himself from the situation. After all, he couldn¡¯t afford to make an enemy of Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°Doctor Zhao, I was wrong earlier. Will you please forgive me?¡± The owner lowered his stance.


    Zhao Chuchu raised a corner of her lips. ¡°Why if I say no?¡±


    The owner drew in a sharp breath.


    At first, she thought the owner¡¯s attitude was eptable, but it proved to be wrong. He had the aptitude for running a business but was a poor judge of character.


    ¡°Doctor Zhao, it was all my fault earlier. Let me apologize to you now. Please leave the mother and child here with us. I promise to take good care of them to make up for my insolence just now,¡± Doctor Tian lowered his head and said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Doctor Zhao.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t bother yourself with the likes of us, Doctor Zhao.¡±


    ¡°Please forgive us, Doctor Zhao.¡±


    ¡­


    The rest of them apologized after Doctor Tian did.


    Zhao Chuchu smiled casually. ¡°It is toote. Your apologies have no value anymore. Listen carefully! Just because you apologized doesn¡¯t mean I have to ept it!¡±

 Chapter 93 - 93 It Wouldn’t Work on Me

    93 It Wouldn¡¯t Work on Me


    Zhao Chuchu went on. ¡°You see, I¡¯m narrow-minded, and I hold grudges against people who offend me. All of you who spat out nders at me, don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t give you a chance. You did not appreciate it. So don¡¯t evere begging me for anything in the future! And don¡¯t tell me the doctor¡¯s code of ethics requires me to save lives! Because it wouldn¡¯t work on me!¡±


    The owner and Doctor Tian nched at her words.


    There was an unexinable delight in Doctor Lu¡¯s heart.


    There was finally someone who could make Tian tongue-tied.


    All these years, Tian walked all over Doctor Lu and deemed himself a self-proimed best doctor in Yuanjiang County. All because thetter couldn¡¯t cure a patient once and was healed by the former. In fact, his position as the doctor in charge of Spring Medical Hall was stolen as well.


    That day, he could finally lift his head high proudly.


    After all, he had Zhao Chuchu at his side.


    Zhao Chuchu carried the child from the man¡¯s arms and ordered him to bring his wife to Doctor Lu¡¯s.


    After leaving the medical hall, Zhao Chuchu turned back.


    The owner was ted, assuming Zhao Chuchu had changed her mind.


    To his surprise, Zhao Chuchu pulled a few silver coins out and left them on the counter. ¡°I¡¯ve used some of your stuff. This should be enough. Please clean the bay up.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s courteousness caused the owner and the doctor of Spring Medical Hall to feel embarrassed.


    The others were ashamed and regretted offending Zhao Chuchu since she was a miracle doctor.


    There was quite some distance to Doctor Lu¡¯s ce from their location. Thus, he came by horse carriage.


    The person he brought with him was a man who looked somewhat simr to the lying-in woman. He must be her elder or younger brother.


    ¡°Thank you for saving my sister¡¯s life, doctor.¡± The man expressed his gratitude wholeheartedly.


    Zhao Chuchu questioned with curiosity, ¡°What leads you to call for Doctor Lu?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve heard rumors saying Doctor Tian won¡¯t save patients who are near death. We were just holding on to a glimmer of hope since Spring Medical Hall is the nearest.¡± The woman¡¯s brother added. ¡°Thank goodness we met you today, Doctor Zhao. If it wasn¡¯t for you, I¡¯m afraid¡­¡±


    At that, the woman¡¯s brother¡¯s eyes reddened. His voice sniffled, but no words came out of his mouth.


    ¡°It was fate that I met the mother and child. Stop crying, bro. Your sister is still in critical condition. I still have a lot to do at Doctor Lu¡¯s. So can you please send a letter back to my husband? I¡¯m afraid he will be worried after waiting too long.¡±


    ¡°Okay, which inn is it? I will go now.¡± The woman¡¯s brother wiped his tears away.


    After telling him the inn¡¯s name, Zhao Chuchu continued, ¡°My husband is Xie Heng. Just tell him I¡¯m saving someone, and it will take some time.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I got it.¡± He immediately rushed off to send the letter after replying.


    After leaving, Doctor Lu asked, ¡°Chuchu, is her condition dangerous?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m just sealing her acupoints with needles. I still need to rescue herter.¡± Zhao Chuchu nodded.


    The man¡¯s face paled in terror. ¡°Doctor, please save my wife. I will do anything to repay you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Since I dare to ask you to move her somewhere else, I have the confidence to save her.¡± Zhao Chuchu reassured.


    ¡°If Chuchu says she can do it, you have nothing to worry about anymore,¡± Doctor Lu uttered. A short pauseter, he asked, ¡°Is there anything I can help you withter?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Zhao Chuchu instructed Doctor Lu on what she would need his help with.


    Doctor Lu was an interesting person. At first, he was dubious about Zhao Chuchu but was the quickest to apologize after witnessing her capability.


    This man was short-tempered but not a spiteful person.


    Upon arriving at Doctor Lu¡¯s ce, Zhao Chuchu ordered the man to ce his wife in a proper ce and pass the child to her. Doctor Lu left the scene thoughtfully.


    Considering his gender, he should not stay longer since Zhao Chuchu was already there for the lying-in woman.


    After watching the lying-in woman¡¯s ashen countenance, Zhao Chuchu let out a deep sigh. If she didn¡¯te across them, they would really end up bing two corpses.

 Chapter 94 - 94 Won’t Drive Them Into a Corner

    94 Won¡¯t Drive Them Into a Corner


    Zhao Chuchu used her healing power to save the patient as quickly as possible.


    With her medical skills, she could save the lying-in woman from certain death, but child delivery had caused her too much suffering. It¡¯d be better if she could alleviate her patient¡¯s agony as much as possible. After all, she did not use her power on that day yet.


    A green light glowed from Zhao Chuchu¡¯s hand and covered the lying-in woman¡¯s entire body.


    The green light was brimmed with life force. After entering the woman¡¯s body, it slowly restored her from the inside out.


    Once the patient was no longer in mortal danger, Zhao Chuchu stopped emanating her power. She did not recover the woman back to health.


    If she did, it would scare the living daylight out of the others.


    Zhao Chuchu did not want other people to know she had supernatural power.


    She finally left after spending around 30 minutes sitting in the room.


    The child was already washed clean, and wrapped properly by Doctor Lu¡¯s wife and daughter-inw.


    Upon seeing Zhao Chuchu, the man immediately went up to her. ¡°Doctor, how is my wife doing?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s doing fine. However, her body is feeble now. You¡¯ll have to tonify and help revitalize her wasted body. As for the medicine, Doctor Lu will deal with you himself. You only have to pay me the amount I paid to Spring Medical Hall.¡±


    The man responded vigorously. He then pulled out a cloth bag and handed it to Zhao Chuchu. ¡°Doctor, you¡¯ve put a lot of effort into saving lives. So I can¡¯t have you not epting the treatment fee. This is a little token of my appreciation. Please ept it.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu gauged the weight and figured it must be their family¡¯s entire savings.


    She did notck money or food. Now that she had saved someone¡¯s life, she wouldn¡¯t drive them into a corner.


    After opening the cloth bag, Zhao Chuchu noticed three taels of silver and hundreds of copper coins inside. After taking about seven pennyworths of silver and 50 copper coins, she returned the remaining to the man.


    ¡°Seven pennyworths of silver is the amount I gave to Spring Medical Hall¡¯s owner. Fifty copper coins is the treatment fee. Life is not easy for your family. So don¡¯t be overly generous. Saving lives is what a doctor should do. I am obstinate, and I will ept whichever amount I want.¡±


    ¡°Thank you so much, Doctor Zhao.¡± The man sniffled. He could not understand why Zhao Chuchu would ept only a small amount of money.


    Well, she did so because her original intent was to save them.


    ¡°Your wife¡¯s condition has stabilized. You should stay here in the meantime. I shall return to the inn now, or else my husband will be worried.¡± Zhao Chuchu dered.


    ¡°Chuchu, should we send someone to bring him here first? Then the two of you can have dinner and leave tomorrow?¡± Doctor Lu¡¯s wife, Madam Fang, walked up to Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu rejected. ¡°No, thank you. I still have a lot of things waiting for me at home. Until next time then.¡±


    ¡°Hold your horses, honey. Let Chuchu go. Otherwise, A Heng will be worried.¡±


    ¡°Well then. Hold on a minute, Chuchu.¡±


    With that, Madam Fang turned around and went inside. In a sh, she brought a small basket with her.


    ¡°This cured meat is homemade. Take it back with you and savor it. Don¡¯t forget to visit us when youe again next time.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu stopped being reserved and epted the gift.


    Just as she stepped out of the house, the lying-in woman¡¯s brother arrived alongside Xie Heng and the rest.


    ¡°Why are you all here?¡± Zhao Chuchu was surprised.


    Xie Jun immediately responded. ¡°This man told us you got into trouble. Brother said we shoulde and have a look. Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Zhao Chuchu patted Xie Jun¡¯s head and looked at Xie Heng.


    The lower half of Xie Heng¡¯s countenance could be seen, and its contour was dainty. The shape of his red lips was a pleasant sight to behold. When he pursed them, they looked like delicious jelly, tempting one to bite them.


    ¡°Can we go home already?¡± Xie Heng¡¯s eyes were covered in cloth. But he could still pinpoint Zhao Chuchu¡¯s direction urately.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Zhao Chuchu answered with a smile. A man who was too attractive was a recipe for trouble!

 Chapter 95 - 95 He Confessed? That Was Fast!

    95 He Confessed? That Was Fast!


    After getting into the horse carriage, Zhao Chuchu recalled that she had not yet sold the Sky Heart Herb.


    However, the few hundred silver she had was sufficient to cover her expenses for some time.


    Niu An was extra diligent after receiving ten taels of silver from Zhao Chuchu for fear that his work might not be up to par, putting the payment she gave him to waste.


    Zhao Chuchu could not help but let out a chuckle after witnessing that. Niu An was nothing like Niu Tongsheng as a person; the former was a down-to-earth and earnest man.


    Nothing happened during the journey back home, and she reached Lengshui Vige before sunset.


    ¡°You¡¯re finally back.¡± Niu Tongsheng, who waited at the vige entrance, let out a sigh of relief. ¡°I thought something must have befallen you and was about to enter the city to look for you with the others.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Father. However, Chuchu came across a woman who had suffered difficultbor earlier. That¡¯s why we came backte,¡± Niu An exined.


    Zhao Chuchu jumped down from the carriage. ¡°You have me here. I won¡¯t let anything happen to Uncle. So don¡¯t worry, Chief.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t worried about him, but you all. Zhao Xing¡¯s family came back this morning. I also heard that he confessed his guilt. Tentatively, he will be charged with the death penalty. That¡¯s why I¡¯m afraid they will take revenge on you.¡±


    ¡°He confessed? That was fast!¡±


    ¡°Yeah. ording to what I heard from the local authorities, it scared the living daylights out of Zhao Xing when the victim pointed at him. He yelled and begged her not to get near him. Then he confessed everything. The man allegedly robbed andmitted murder. He almost took the young woman¡¯s life, but she was lucky enough to be rescued by someone.¡±


    ¡°Zhao Xing got what he deserved. It has nothing to do with me. If they were to pick on me, I would not let them off the hook.¡±


    ¡°Okay. It¡¯s all good then. Let¡¯s go home. It¡¯s getting dark.¡±


    After speaking, Niu Tongsheng went forward to help Xie Heng down from the carriage. Since Xie Jun was sleeping, he had Niu An carry the former and drive the carriage to the Xie n. Then, he helped unload all the things.


    Zhao Chuchu took a bag of pastries and handed it to Niu Tongsheng. ¡°Chief, let the children have them.¡±


    ¡°Nah, don¡¯t bother yourself with this. Why did you buy them? You need to spend a lot of money elsewhere,¡± Niu Tongsheng rejected.


    He was firm in his stance and would not do anything that would bother her.


    Misfortune would befall those who made an enemy of Zhao Chuchu!


    The Zhao n was the best example.


    ¡°Take it. Besides your family, I¡¯ve bought for those who took good care of us before.¡± Zhao Chuchu shoved the bag into his hands. ¡°Since we were rushed today, I don¡¯t think we can invite Chief and Uncle Niu for dinner.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind us. Go ahead with whatever you need to do,¡± Niu Tongsheng uttered. ¡°Well, then. I shall dly ept the gift. Thanks.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu yed a smile on her face and sent the father and son off.


    Just then, Xie Jun woke up from his nap and rubbed his eyes. ¡°Sister-inw, are we home for dinner already?¡±


    Staring at his dazed look, Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°Not yet. We just got back home. Take a short nap first if you¡¯re tired. I¡¯ll call you when dinner is ready.¡±


    Xie Jun shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not going to sleep anymore. I will help start the fire since you¡¯re cooking.¡±


    ¡°Got it!¡± Zhao Chuchu bought a roasted duck during her journey back home. So, she only had to cook rice.


    Xie Jun immediately headed toward the kitchen to start the fire without waiting for her order.


    Xie Heng went silent for a while and then said, ¡°I¡¯ll help too.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless upon hearing that.


    Was he afraid that she might end up cooking charred rice?


    She murmured, ¡°Although I can¡¯t prepare dishes, I¡¯m still able to cook rice properly.¡±


    ¡°I know. It¡¯s getting cold. Sitting before the stove feels warm andfy.¡± Xie Heng raised the corner of his mouth.


    Zhao Chuchu thought to herself, ¡°As if I¡¯d believe your words! You cheeky youngd!¡±

 Chapter 96 - 96 I Made a Clown of Myself

    96 I Made a Clown of Myself


    Zhao Chuchu wanted to get back at Xie Heng.


    However¡ª


    After taking the rice out, she forgot to add water to the pot before putting it on the stove as she was preupied with making him eat his words.


    If it weren¡¯t for Xie Jun¡¯s reminder, their dinner would have had to be postponed till a littleter. ¡°Sister-inw, you still haven¡¯t added the water!¡±


    Xie Heng removed the cloth that covered his eyes and looked at her with a faint smirk.


    [p!]


    Zhao Chuchu thought, ¡°Ouch! My face hurts!¡±


    She tried to save her face and said, ¡°I was about to get the water.¡±


    ¡°Ah. I thought you forgot about it.¡± Xie Jun felt a little sorry.


    Xie Heng remarked, ¡°She didn¡¯t forget. Her hunger made her irrational.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu red at Xie Heng and thought, ¡°Are you done?¡±


    Xie Heng¡¯s eyes were gleaming like the stars as he raised a rxed smile.


    Xie Jun was bewildered. ¡°Brother, are you gloating?¡±


    ¡°No, you got it wrong. I¡¯m just in a good mood.¡± Xie Heng patted Xie Jun¡¯s head and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t Chuchu cute?¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Xie Jun nodded vigorously. He agreed that his sister-inw was lovely after recovering from her illness and hoped she would remain that way.


    Although his sister-inw had treated him well before, she had been taciturn. However, he liked her current personality as she would joke around, share nice food, and tease his brother together with him.


    Zhao Chuchu was at a loss for words.


    She did not want to speak with the brothers.


    With Xie Heng around, the rice did not end up charred. They had dinner on time.


    Xie Jun went to bed immediately after taking a shower.


    Zhao Chuchu dragged away two packets of potato seeds that she had sneaked in with the stuff she had bought in the morning. The cultivation of the mountain field would be nearly done by the end of the third month. So, she could grow some potatoes.


    The requirement for soil quality was not high with the improved potatoes. They would grow on barren or fertilend, though the amount of harvest would be affected a little.


    Nevertheless, those were the things Zhao Chuchu learned from the researchers of the agricultural research institute. She did not know the know-how of the entire process. Her agricultural knowledge was only to the extent of theories, as she had never tested them.


    Da Liang did not have potatoes yet at that time. So, Xie Heng had never seen them before.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Xie Heng grabbed a potato and stared at Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°Potatoes. The fries you atest time were made from this. Let me tell you, Da Lang. Potatoes are good stuff¡ªthey can be a staple food,¡± Zhao Chuchu rified with excitement. She felt hungry after exining the ways to prepare potatoes.


    A gleam shed across Xie Heng¡¯s eyes.


    He was certain Zhao Chuchu was not from the Wei Dynasty after her exnation about potatoes.


    ¡°Potatoes are precious stuff. Their yield will be great with proper cultivation. So we don¡¯t need to worry about hungry stomachs even during a food shortage.¡±


    ¡°Did you buy the mountain field to grow these things?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu bowed her head. ¡°We can harvest the potatoes around the end of the sixth month. Then we can grow some soy after that. Then, we can fully utilize thend.¡±


    ¡°But you only have two bags of potatoes. The field is vast. Is it enough?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t just bury the whole thing in the soil.¡±


    After pondering, Zhao Chuchu exined the theories she knew to Xie Heng.


    Xie Heng¡¯s mind was blown away upon hearing that.


    Xie Heng had been admiring Zhao Chuchu as a woman with great medical skills before, but his admiration quickly grew to be respect at that moment.


    ¡°In that case, it will cover about half of the mountain field¡¯s southern area?¡±


    ¡°In theory, yes.¡±


    These potatoes had a lot of buds. They could be cut into smaller parts once sprouted. Nheless, Zhao Chuchu was unsure whether it could cover half of the field¡¯s southern area.


    If it couldn¡¯t, she would get two more packets of them.

 Chapter 97 - 97 Moneybags Could Dig In Their Heels!

    97 Moneybags Could Dig In Their Heels!


    Billions of dors¡¯ worth of supplies were not something to be taken lightly!


    Those who had money to burn could dig in their heels.


    Zhao Chuchu was not worried about Xie Heng¡¯s probing. A person of his intelligence knew the seeds of high-yield crops his ¡°ex-wife¡± provided would bring nothing but benefits for his future if he became a government official.


    Only a fool would think of killing the golden goose.


    Furthermore, even ten more Xie Hengs were not enough to get the better of her.


    She did not like resorting to trickery, but it did not mean she was a dimwit.


    ¡°What about the remaining areas?¡± Xie Heng asked. ¡°What are you nning to do with them?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see. Let¡¯s finish cultivating thend first. We¡¯ve got all the time in the world. We¡¯ll talk about it once we¡¯ve done cultivating the southern area¡ªburning the wood ashes and nting the potatoes,¡± Zhao Chuchu uttered and looked at Xie Heng. ¡°Are you curious?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. But I know everyone has their secrets. I¡¯m no exception.¡± Xie Heng smiled and promised he wouldn¡¯t probe into her privacy. ¡°There won¡¯t be a third person who knows this apart from you and me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the way, bro.¡± Zhao Chuchu patted his shoulder.


    Xie Heng turned to look at her slender and fair hands. ¡°You still want a farm, right? Are you nning to grow some crops that the Wei Dynasty didn¡¯t have as well?¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s just your good ol¡¯ rice,¡± Zhao Chuchu replied with a smile. ¡°If I can grow the paddy sessfully, we¡¯ll be swimming in money.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu winked at him and kept him in suspense.


    As Xie Heng gazed at her, he felt as if his encounter with her was that of a fairy in the woods.


    Still, Zhao Chuchu gave him a powerful impression that she was a living person.


    A sudden and rare curiosity was aroused in Xie Heng¡ªone directed toward a girl at that.


    Previously, he and Zhao Chuchu were merely two strangers living under the same roof. He only protected her out of sympathy. There were no romantic feelings between them. He had things he wanted to do; she had a man she was in love with.


    ¡°Is there something on my face?¡± Zhao Chuchu touched her face after noticing Xie Heng staring at her.


    Xie Heng immediately retracted his gaze and smiled slightly. ¡°No. I was wondering what kind of surprise you will be bringing me.¡±


    ¡°The surprise will be a big one.¡± Zhao Chuchu stood up. ¡°Okay, it¡¯s gettingte already. I¡¯ll take a shower now. You can prepare some potato dishes if you want to eat them now.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t these the seeds?¡±


    ¡°You can eat them before the buds sprout. But, once the shoots begin to grow, you¡¯ll get food poisoning.¡±


    Xie Heng nodded.


    Zhao Chuchu went to her room to get clean clothes and headed to the bathroom.


    Xie Heng remained squatted in the same spot, grabbing and rotating the potatoes while scrutinizing them.


    If potatoes were as good as she said, they could prevent many unfortunate events from happening.


    After showering, Zhao Chuchu noticed Xie Heng was still staring at the potatoes. So, she couldn¡¯t help but tease, ¡°They¡¯re not pretty women. Beautiful flowers won¡¯t grow from them even if you stare at them all night, you know?¡±


    As Xie Heng lifted his eyes, the dim light from the candle glinted on his delicate and misty countenance, making him appear more enigmatic.


    Xie Heng stood to his feet. ¡°Are you hungry?¡±


    ¡°Are you making supper?¡± Zhao Chuchu instantly brightened up at the mention of food, as she could never forget the taste of Xie Heng¡¯s cooking.


    Zhao Chuchu still missed the taste of the sesame mochi from the other night.


    ¡°Yeah. I want to try making the fried potato pancake you mentioned earlier.¡± Xie Heng picked a few potatoes and walked past the door before twisting his head back to ask, ¡°Am I taking too many of them?¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t sweat it. It¡¯s just nice.¡± Zhao Chuchu went looking for a basket and filled up half of it. ¡°Let¡¯s go and make some pancakes.¡±


    Xie Heng remarked, ¡°Um¡­ You seemed to love good food a lot?¡±


    ¡°Well, bread is the staff of life. It¡¯s a shame I¡¯m bad at cooking. I wonder if Da Lang could recreate the cuisine from my homnd.¡± Expectation and anticipation were written all over Zhao Chuchu¡¯s face. She could still wait a little longer if it were for scrumptious dishes.


    Xie Heng pursed his lips and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡±

 Chapter 98 - 98 Ride On Your Coattails

    98 Ride On Your Coattails


    Xie Heng was an intelligent man. It was not only in his studies but his culinary skills as well.


    Zhao Chuchu only told him about fried potato pancakes but did not exin the steps, yet he somehow figured it out himself. First, he steamed the potatoes, removed the skins, and mashed them. Then, he coated them in flour, egg wash, and other ingredients. Lastly, he fried all of them after kneading them into balls.


    Sitting before the stove, Zhao Chuchu watched Xie Heng fry all the potato pancakes until they became golden, causing her hungry stomach to growl.


    Peering at Zhao Chuchu¡¯s gluttonous look, Xie Heng raised the corner of his mouth. Then, he took two freshly fried potato pancakes, served them in a bowl, and handed them to her. ¡°Try them. Tell me how the taste is.¡±


    ¡°Mmm. It smells good.¡± Zhao Chuchu got a whiff of the pancakes¡¯ aroma. ¡°Although it is missing some ingredients, the taste is almost close to the authentic one.¡±


    !!


    After speaking, she stuffed her face with the steaming hot food without minding the temperature.


    ¡°Da Lang, it¡¯s delicious. You have to try it,¡± Zhao Chuchu gabbled. Xie Heng¡¯s cooking was so good that she did not feel like leaving.


    What do humans live for?


    To eat!


    Her past life had been too exhausting. So, she decided to lead a superannuated neet¡¯s life this time.


    In any case, she would not need to worry about feeding herself even without putting effort into work. At most, she only had to earn a little more money before traveling around the world.


    After all, no one would mind having a lot of money.


    Seeing Zhao Chuchu gobbling up the food, Xie Heng slowly became rxed.


    ¡°Why are you gorging yourself on them? No one¡¯s going to snatch them away from you.¡±


    ¡°Because they¡¯re so good. Da Lang, why are your cooking skills so excellent? How did you turn a normal potato pancake into something that tastes like heaven?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not difficult at all. Once my eyes have ¡®recovered,¡¯ I¡¯ll take care of our daily meals.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a learned man. Aren¡¯t you afraid of being made fun of? You know, they say men shouldn¡¯t help in the kitchen.¡±


    ¡°Let them say whatever they want. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m doing something awful. So I can do what I want. Even though we are not rted in any way, you¡¯ve been helping us out a lot. Cooking is nothing but something small I can do to pay for what you¡¯ve done,¡± Xie Heng muttered.


    Xie Heng was not pedantic at all.


    Which man from Lengshui Vige could handle the kitchen?


    Even those who were henpecked or loved their wives would not do household chores.


    ¡°Hehe. That¡¯s good.¡± Zhao Chuchu nodded and eximed, ¡°I will be the breadwinner, and you should continue to look handsome and charming.¡±


    No, wait a minute. That would mean he didn¡¯t need to do anything.


    She only said those things unconsciously¡ªwords without any ulterior meaning.


    After rotating the potato pancakes, Xie Heng paused for a while before smiling faintly.


    ¡°You should study hard, earn the position of the number one schr, and be a high-ranking official. Then let¡¯s continue to be on good terms in the future. You¡¯ll be a big shot who I can ride on your coattails, and I will be your sister. What do you say?¡±


    Meh.


    Xie Heng nearly let the word out of his mouth, but he immediately zipped his lips.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best,¡± he uttered.


    Zhao Chuchu did not pay much attention to his words but grabbed two more fried potato pancakes.


    [Huehuehue.]


    Digging in the foodte at night sneakily without Junjun was unexpectedly exciting!


    Just as Zhao Chuchu was happily enjoying herte-night supper, she heard footsteps slowly closing in from afar.


    ¡°Junjun has awakened,¡± Zhao Chuchu reminded.


    ¡°No problem. Just let him know that I can see already.¡± Xie Heng did not try to hide this time.


    His main reason was that he could not let Zhao Chuchu prepare food anymore.


    He did not want to continue eating steamed buns.


    Xie Jun arrived at the kitchen in no time. Staring at his brother and sister-inw, who were tucking into supper before him, he was aggrieved. ¡°Sister-inw, why did you eat nice food without me? The aroma even woke me up from my slumber.¡±


    ¡°Your brother said you were asleep and we shouldn¡¯t bother you. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t wake you up,¡± Zhao Chuchu exined frantically. ¡°Come and join us now that you¡¯re awake. These fried potato pancakes are superb.¡±


    Bewilderment was written all over Xie Jun¡¯s face as he gaped at Xie Heng.

 Chapter 99 - 99 You Should Listen to Your Sister In-law

    99 You Should Listen to Your Sister Inw


    ¡°Brother, why are you the one cooking the pancakes? Your eyes can see again?¡± Upon realizing what was happening, Xie Jun asked in surprise. He ran to Xie Heng¡¯s side and stared at him intensely. ¡°Brother, tell me quickly, did my sister-inw cure your eyes?¡±:


    ¡°Yes.¡± Xie Heng answered briefly, then passed a potato pancake with a pair of chopsticks to Xie Jun. ¡°Have a taste.¡±


    ¡°Wah, brother, am I dreaming right now?¡± Despite being a food lover, Xie Jun couldn¡¯t be bothered with the potato pancake. All he could think about right now was Xie Heng. He asked, ¡°Does that mean you can continue to study again?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing, brother!¡±


    Xie Jun hugged Xie Heng¡¯s leg and started sobbing.


    While Xie Heng felt somewhat helpless, he was touched by Xie Jun¡¯s reaction.


    Although Xie Jun wasn¡¯t rted to him by blood, he had always treated him as his real brother, regardless of the circumstances¡­


    ¡°Junjun, if you cry anymore, I¡¯m taking away the pancakes. This is a good thing, and if you spoil your eyes by crying, I might not be able to cure them for you.¡± Zhao Chuchu grabbed Xie Jun and pulled him away from Xie Heng. ¡°While your brother¡¯s eyes are functioning again, try his cooking and celebrate for him!¡±


    Xie Jun sniffled and nodded. He said with a teary voice, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll eat lots and lots of his cooking. Brother, please take care of your eyes in the future, and listen to what your sister-inw says!¡±


    Xie Hengughed and answered. ¡°Alright, alright.¡±


    Only then did Xie Heng take a bite of the pancake happily.


    Xie Jun was a foodie. The moment he bit the pancake, his eyes lit up. He stopped crying and started gobbling down the food.


    Upon seeing Xie Jun¡¯s reaction, Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng looked at each other and smiled.


    ¡­


    Xie Heng told Xie Jun not to tell others that his eyes had been cured. He told Xie Jun that his eyes couldn¡¯t see very well yet, and he didn¡¯t want other people to misunderstand Zhao Chuchu.


    Xie Jun immediately agreed.


    Zhao Chuchu asked Xie Heng about the position of the farnd, then found Niu Tongsheng to talk to him about sowing the seeds.


    ¡°Da Lang said that there are several acres ofnd that people are willing to rent to us. I want to use them to nt rice myself. since you guys are sowing the seeds right now, would you mind helping nt down the rice seedlings as well?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked Niu Tongsheng. ¡°As you know, none of the people in my family can do formwork, so I have no choice but to ask you.¡±


    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯ll settle the paddy field for you. Have you bought the seeds?¡± Niu Tongsheng agreed without even thinking.


    Although Niu An didn¡¯t tell him how much money Zhao Chuchu made from selling the tiger, he told the family that Zhao Chuchu gave him ten taels of silver. For the vigers in Lengshui vige, ten silver teals would be the payback for more than half a year ofbor!


    Since Zhao Chuchu was so generous, Niu Tongsheng was naturally willing to help her.


    ¡°I have the seeds.¡±


    ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll tell my eldest son to plow thend that you guys rented when the timees. Oh, right, where are the plots ofnd that you¡¯re renting? You need to tell us first, so we don¡¯t work on the wrong one.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll bring you there now.¡±


    Niu Tongsheng told Niu An toe along with them.¡¯


    ¡°Chuchu, have you eaten breakfast? If you haven¡¯t, you can eat here with me and head there a littleter.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already eaten. Thank you, grandma!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu seemed so polite and gentle. No one could link her to the ruthless fighter who broke people¡¯s limbs like it was nothing.


    ¡°Let¡¯s head there first, don¡¯t waste Chuchu¡¯s time,¡± Niu Tongsheng said as he started to walk outside.


    The three of them passed by the vige. Other than the people from the Zhao n who shunned Zhao Chuchu like she was a demon, everyone else conversed with her normally.


    Everyone knew that Zhao Chuchu was rich, she was the one who paid them to farm the wastnds.


    The high-grade farnd that Xie Heng had rented was very close to the vige. It was right beside the entrance road, making it very essible.


    Bending down to nt the seedlings was too tiring, perhaps they could try throwing to scatter the seedlings.


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°Vige chief, I have an idea. Would you like to hear me out?¡±

 Chapter 100 - 100 Nothing To Lose Anyway

    100 Nothing To Lose Anyway


    ¡°What idea?¡± Niu Tongsheng knew that Zhao Chuchu wasn¡¯t very familiar with farm work, but he was still willing to hear her out.


    ¡°nting the seedlings one by one by hand is really tiring. Have you thought about throwing the seedlings to scatter them?¡± Zhao Chuchu briefly exined what seedling throwing is.


    Back then, when she was hoarding supplies, she came across a department store that was closing down. She bought everything they had left, which included a seedling cultivation tray.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard about people nting seedlings like that. Chuchu, how did you think of that idea?¡±


    ¡°I saw it in a book about how to grow crops, but I didn¡¯t really understand how it works, so I wanted to ask you about it. If it¡¯s usible, you guys won¡¯t have to bend down all day!¡±


    !!


    Niu Tongsheng and Niu An looked at each other, then said, ¡°But how are you going to make the seedling cultivation tray?¡±


    ¡°I met a merchant in the city two days ago and talked to him about it. He said that he could help us get it.¡±


    ¡°Would you like to try it?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, I know you do not depend on farming for your ie, but no one¡¯s ever tried this method. If we fail, you¡¯ll be wasting your farnd!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Someone has to try it first, right? If it works, you guys can have an easier time working the farms in the future! Vige Chief, since someone found it useful enough to write down in a book, it must have its merits.¡±


    ¡°Well, if you¡¯ve already decided, let¡¯s try it.¡±


    Niu Tongsheng agreed to try Chuchu¡¯s idea.


    He also wanted to see if seedling tossing would work.


    But he had a family to feed, so he didn¡¯t dare to try himself.


    But Zhao Chuchu was different. She knew how to make money and didn¡¯t need to depend on farming.


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask the merchant in two days whether he got the seedling cultivation trays for me.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°Vige Chief, do you have a lot of dry farnd?¡±


    ¡°About five or six acres.¡±


    ¡°What do you nt there?¡±


    ¡°Soybeans.¡±


    ¡°I got a crop from the merchant. Would you like to try it out with me?¡±


    Based on the original owner¡¯s memories, Zhao Chuchu learned that the soybean yield was really low, and thend use efficiency was very low.


    Great millets seemed to be aplimentary crop with soybeans.


    Zhao Chuchu wanted to let the vige chief try nting great millets.


    As for potatoes, she nned to ask them about them after harvest.


    ¡°What crop?¡±


    ¡°Great millets, also known as Sorghum.¡±


    ¡°When I worked at a rice shop in the city when I was young, I heard about this crop from the traveling merchants. I think it came from the North.¡±


    ¡°Yup, that¡¯s the one. The traveling merchant told me it is suitable to nt in not-so-fertile farnd.¡±


    ¡°Someone tried it, but it didn¡¯t work. No one tried nting it after that.¡±


    Has someone already tried nting it before?


    That¡¯s fine. The seeds from her carry-on space are all modified. They were superior to the existing great millets in yield and adaptability.


    ¡°Just try it first. If it doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯llpensate you guys ording to the normal yield of soybeans. If it works, I won¡¯t charge you guys for the seed, but I want 20 percent of your harvest. How¡¯s that?¡±


    Niu Tongsheng and Niu An looked at each other.


    After the gue, Zhao Chuchu became apletely different person. She had a lot of interesting ideas.


    If anyone else said that to him, Niu Tongsheng would start yelling at him.


    But Zhao Chuchu¡­


    ¡°Sure, let¡¯s do this!¡±


    He had nothing to lose anyway.


    Besides, look at those who formed good rtionships with Zhao Chuchu. Had any of them lost anything?


    Only those brainless idiots from the Zhao n would try every method to piss off Zhao Chuchu.


    Last time, when they built the walls, Zhao Chuchu paid them more handsomely than working outside.


    ¡°Vige Chief, trust me, and you¡¯ll earn more money!¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll trust you.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu smiled uncontrobly.


    She didn¡¯t like to have conflicts with other people. If they could get along, she was actually a very friendly person. She wouldn¡¯t mind if they were a little calctive, as long as they didn¡¯t try to scam her.


    After checking out the farnd and discussing the details of the farm work, the three of them returned to the vige. Upon returning, they ran into Madam Yang.


    Madam Yang wanted to get angry at Zhao Chuchu, but she didn¡¯t dare. ¡°Zhao Chuchu, you took my money. When are you going to cure my son¡¯s leg?¡±

 Chapter 101 - 101 Better Stop Dreaming

    101 Better Stop Dreaming


    ¡°I¡¯ll head there in a minute.¡± Zhao Chuchu only remembered Madam Yang¡¯s son when she saw her.


    ¡°If anything happens to my son, I¡¯ll sue you!¡± Madam Yang felt a little more daring now.


    With a mocking smile, Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°Sure, go ahead. If you dare to do that, I¡¯ll submit the confession letter!¡±


    Madam Yang¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She didn¡¯t dare to make any more rash remarks. She said, ¡°You promised to cure him. If you don¡¯t go, I¡­ I¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    !!


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu, you better keep your word!¡±


    Madam Yang turned around and left after saying that. She didn¡¯t dare to make any more noise in front of Zhao Chuchu.


    Zao Guitang¡¯s leg was getting better every day. She had to hold this out until Zhao Baogeng¡¯s leg was cured.


    Otherwise, she didn¡¯t know how long these torturous days wouldst.


    After Madam Yang left, Niu Tongsheng turned and said to Zhao Chuchu, ¡°Had she been messing with youtely?¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t dare,¡± Zhao Chuchuughed and said, ¡°Unless she had given up on fixing her own life.¡±


    ¡°You have nothing to do with the Zhao n in the future. If anything happens to you,e to us. I¡¯m afraid the Xie n won¡¯t do anything for you either.¡±


    ¡°Yup, I know,¡± answered Zhao Chuchu.


    She didn¡¯t take Niu Tongsheng seriously.


    In the ancient era, a person¡¯s n was extremely important. ns were powerful because all the resources were centralized and controlled by the n. The n could use them to threaten their members.


    However, Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t care. Not only was she capable, but she was also strong. No n could threaten or control her.


    The Xie n had never exploited Xie Heng, but they didn¡¯t treat him well either. They neglected him and Xie Jun for the longest time and left them on their own. If anyone wanted her to help the Xie n, they should stop dreaming.


    Upon returning home, Zhao Chuchu grabbed a packet of pre-prepared medicine and headed to Old Man Zhao¡¯s ce.


    When Zhao Chuchu stepped into the courtyard, the memories of the original owner being bullied appeared in his mind.


    Mada Yang was an extremely vicious person. How could she treat her granddaughter that way?


    All the women in the family stared at Zhao Chuchu with fierce, cold eyes, yet none dared to say anything to her.


    Zhao Zhizhi¡¯s death, along with Zhao Baogen and Zhao Baotian¡¯s injury, was like a sharp de against their neck. It made them afraid and smothered any intention of doing anything to Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Baotian moaned nonstop inside the house.


    When Zhao Chuchu walked into the room, she could smell the strong scent of medicine.


    The moment Zhao Baotian saw Zhao Chuchu, the moaning was reced by a terrified shriek, ¡°You, what are you doing here? Don¡¯te near me!¡±


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯m not the one who¡¯s going to be disabled.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu turned around and started walking out.


    Madam Yang immediately stood in front of the door and blocked her. She yelled at Zhao Baotian and said, ¡°Would you just shut up! I spend 50 silver taels on this. I don¡¯t want to let this little¡­ Zhao Chuchu, this won¡¯t be done so easily! Zhao Chuchu, fix my son¡¯s leg!¡±


    ¡°Get out.¡± Zhao Chuchu turned around and nced at them as she said, ¡°I don¡¯t like other people to be present when I¡¯m treating my patient.¡±


    ¡°No, what if you saw off my son¡¯s left? There¡¯s nothing I can do then!¡± Madam Yang refused to leave.


    ¡°Sure, that¡¯s up to you.¡± Zhao Chuchu put her bag on one side, then walked to the bed and removed the dressing on Zhao Baotian¡¯s leg.


    Madam Yang quickly stood beside the bed and watched Zhao Chuchu closely.


    Momentster¡­


    Zhao Baotian¡¯s agonizing shrieks echoed in the room. Zhao Chuchu used the roughest, most straightforward technique possible for treating Zhao Baotian. Madam Yang felt her blood boiling as she watched Zhao Chuchu. She felt like she was going to faint.


    But Zhao Baotian was her son, after all. She forced herself to stay conscious and yelled at Zhao Chuchu, ¡°Don¡¯t you see that he¡¯s hurting! Are you just trying to ruin his legpletely?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, if you keep yelling, I¡¯ll saw it off!¡± Zhao Chuchu said coldly.


    ¡°Ahh!¡± Madam Yang screamed.


    ¡°Stop making noise, or I¡¯ll poison you and make you a mute!¡±


    Madam Yang instantly stifled her voice.

 Chapter 102 - 102 Was She Going to Die?

    102 Was She Going to Die?


    Zhao Baotian¡¯s wife, Miss Liu, was afraid that if Madam Yang pissed off Zhao Chuchu, Zhao Baotian would be bedridden for the rest of his life.


    ¡°Mom, let¡¯s head out first. She wouldn¡¯t dare to not fix Baotian¡¯s leg after taking your money.¡± Miss Liu mustered up all her courage and dragged Madam Yang out of the room.


    Madam Yang took the opportunity to leave. She didn¡¯t dare tosh out at Zhao Chuchu, so she sat at the door and started howling. ¡°Why is god doing this to me? Why is my life so difficult? All my sons are fiends. They¡¯re sucking away my life¡­¡±


    ¡°Old hag, you better stop making noise, or I¡¯ll give you a portion of poison!¡± Zhao Chuchu¡¯s voice came from the room.


    Madam Yang¡¯s voice was stifled. She didn¡¯t dare to make any more noise.


    Zhao Baotian shrieked for another half an hour before Zhao Chuchu came out of his room.


    Zhao Baofen¡¯s condition was even worse than Zhao Baotian¡¯s. Zhao Chuchu could smell rotten flesh in the air.


    Zhao Baogen heard his brother shrieking the whole time just now. When he saw Zhao Chuchu walk into the room, his pale face turned even whiter than before.


    He started moving backward subconsciously. There was fear written all over his face.


    Zhao Chuchu walked to the bedside and lifted up his nket. She looked at Zhao Baogen¡¯s leg and said with an eerie smile, ¡°Still painful?¡±


    Zhao Baogen felt a chill down his spine.


    ¡°You reap what you sow!¡± Zhao Chuchu red at him and said, ¡°Unfortunately, your dear mother just didn¡¯t want toe and ask me earlier. I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to walk straight even after I treat your leg.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re doing this on purpose!¡± Zhao Baogen yelled angrily.


    ¡°Yup, I¡¯m doing this on purpose. What are you going to do about it?¡± Zhao Chuchuughed.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to get punished for your sins.¡±


    ¡°Yup, and that punishment hadnded on you, Mr. Zhao!¡±


    ¡°You¡­ Ahh!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu applied some pressure on the spot where his bone was broken. Zhao Baogen let out a blood-curdling shriek, and beads of sweat started to form on his forehead continuously.


    Zhao Chuchu had painkillers and even anesthetic drugs, but she didn¡¯t want to give them to these people!


    They deserved to suffer.


    Zhao Chuchu activated specific acupoints to paralyze them temporarily, but they felt every bit of pain from the treatment.


    They wouldn¡¯t die or lose consciousness; all they could do was suffer.


    Madam Ma felt like someone was squeezing her heart as she listened to Zhao Baogen yell in pain. She wanted to break into the room several times but forced herself to back down when she reached the door.


    That morning, the eardrum of every viger in Lengshui Vige endured the scream of Zhao Baogen and Zhao Baotian.


    Zhao Baogen¡¯s injuries were more severe, so Zhao Chuchu spend more time treating him.


    By the time Zhao Chuchu came out of the room, it was already noon.


    Madam Ma immediately dashed into the room. Zhao Baogeny on the bed, breathing weakly. He didn¡¯t even have the strength to talk.


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu, you killed my daughter, and now you killed my husband. Aren¡¯t you afraid that you¡¯ll receive karma someday and get struck by lightning?¡± Madam Ma stared at Zhao Chuchu fiercely.


    Zhao Chuchu suddenly reached her hand out and clutched Madam Ma¡¯s neck. ¡°Come again, how did your daughter die?¡±


    The feeling of suffocation deluged Madam Ma. She could feel breathing bing more and more difficult. She felt like her lungs were imploding.


    She used everyst bit of her strength to shove Zhao Chuchu¡¯s hand away, but she was no match for Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu could break her neck with just a bit more strength.


    ¡°Let me tell you how your daughter died! She didn¡¯t allow me to save the people of Lengshui Vige, so the soldiers from the government stabbed her to death. Someone like her would stay in the depth of hell for eternity! Do you know what hell is? How about I send you there so you can take a look for yourself?¡±


    ¡°Uhh¡­ I¡­ Ugh¡­¡±


    Madam Ma gradually lost her breath, and Zhao Chuchu became more blurred in her eyes.


    Was she going to die?


    Just then, Zhao Chuchu released her and tossed her aside.


    Madam Ma fell to the ground. The air that suddenly entered her lungs made her cough profusely.


    Although she could breathe again, she felt terrified.


    Zhao Chuchu looked at Madam Ma from above and said, ¡°Zhao Zhizhi died because you didn¡¯t teach her well. No one else should be med for her death but you!¡±

 Chapter 103 - 103 Since You Like to Make a Big Fuss, Let’s Go Big!

    103 Since You Like to Make a Big Fuss, Let¡¯s Go Big!


    ¡°That¡¯s nonsense!¡± Madam Ma yelled, her face red from agitation. ¡°I did not kill her!¡±


    ¡°You were the one who raised her and taught her to be a person like that. If she didn¡¯t try to frame me and say that I murdered the entire vige when I actually tried to save them, do you think she would have still died? Of course, you¡¯ll never learn to reflect on your own actions, just like how you bullied me after I lost my parents. But, the tables have turned now!¡±


    ¡°Zhizhi died because of you!¡±


    ¡°Since Zhizhi was so innocent, let¡¯s head to the Thousand Battalion right now and speak to Official Li. It¡¯s a good opportunity to clear up everything about her death back then.¡±


    !!


    Madam Ma panicked.


    She knew very well that Zhao Zhizhi was stabbed to death by the officials.


    But she couldn¡¯t ept that reality, so she insisted that Zhao Chuchu had caused her death!


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Zhao Chuchu walked over and tugged on Madam Ma.


    Madam Ma said in a panic, ¡°Don¡¯te near me!¡±


    ¡°We need to clear this up. Otherwise, you guys keep yelling all day that I was the one who killed Zhao Zhizhi. I won¡¯t put up with this smearing!¡± Zhao Chuchu looked like she was serious about dragging Madam Ma to the Thousand Battalion to get an official jurisdiction. Madam Ma was so scared that she pissed in her pants.


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    Madam Ma was such a coward, yet she dared to make noise in front of Zhao Chuchu all day!


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Zhao Chuchu acted as though she wouldn¡¯t let her off the hook. Despite Madam Ma urinating herself, Zhao Chuchu continued to drag her away. ¡°We have to go to the Thousand Battalion today and get an exnation for the death of Zhao Zhizhi in front of the entire Yuanjiang Country.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have the people from the Thousand Battalion be my eyewitnesses. I wonder what they will do to you for attempting to smear me? Maybe your punishment will be even worse than Zhao Baogen. Oh, right, your son, Zhao Changrong, is going to be 13 soon. It¡¯s about time for him to be engaged. I wonder if anyone would be willing to marry your son? Since you like to make a big fuss out of things, let¡¯s go big!¡±


    Zhao Changrong was the most precious treasure to Madam Ma.


    Although she liked Zhao Zhizhi too, she definitely favored Zhao Changrong more than Zhao Zhizhi!


    ¡°Zhizhi¡¯s death had nothing to do with you. She brought it upon herself. I was just spouting nonsense because I couldn¡¯t ept reality. I¡¯m not going to the Thousand Battalion. I¡¯m not going!¡± Madam Ma yelled.


    Zhao Chichi dragged madam Ma into the Zhao n¡¯s courtyard. She looked at Madam Yang and the others, thenughed and said, ¡°Repeat what you just said in front of them. If you¡¯re not genuine, you¡¯ll be struck by lightning and suffer for eternity!¡±


    Madam Ma trembled in fear.


    She didn¡¯t dare to swear like that.


    ¡°Say it!¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t kill Zhizhi. She brought it upon herself. It had nothing to do with you!¡±


    ¡°If I hear anything trying to smear me for killing Zhao Zhizhi in the future, don¡¯t me me for taking action.¡±


    Old Man Zhao and the rest didn¡¯t dare to say a single word.


    Zhao Zhizhi said coldly, ¡°I¡¯lle here every day to change the medicine for them. Without my permission, no one is allowed to go near them except to feed them food and medication. Otherwise, if their legs can¡¯t be cured, all of you will give me an exnation.¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll supervise them,¡± Old Man Zhao said obsequiously.


    He was used to being a coward.


    He couldn¡¯t discipline his daughter-inw, and neither could he discipline his son.


    Now, he didn¡¯t dare to say anything against Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°Zhao Baotian¡¯s leg can be cured, but Zhao Baogen won¡¯t be able to walk properly even after training. If you guys are unhappy with that, I¡¯ll stop treatment immediately. They remain bedridden for the rest of their lives.¡±


    ¡°Please treat them. At least it¡¯ll be better than being bedridden.¡±


    Madam Ma and Madam Yang didn¡¯t dare to make a sound, while Madam Liu shed tears of joy.


    Even the doctor said that Zhao Baotian¡¯s leg couldn¡¯t be cured, but now Zhao Chuchu said it could be cured. Of course, she would be happy.


    ¡°All of you better not try to do anything funny. If you dare toe to my house and do anything shady, you¡¯ll end up just like Zhao Baogen.¡±


    ¡°No, no, they won¡¯t. I¡¯ll make sure of that.¡±


    Old Man Zhao kept repeating the same thing. Zhao Chuchu was getting tired of listening to him.


    She tossed two packets of medication to Madam Ma and Madam Liu, then said, ¡°Cook these for them three times a day, don¡¯t make any mistakes!¡±


    After working the entire morning, Zhao Chuchu was also getting very tired. Just as she was about to leave and have a good meal, someone dashed into the Zhao n¡¯s courtyard and said, ¡°Chuchu¡­¡±

 Chapter 104 - 104 Stop Trying to Make Yourself Look Good

    104 Stop Trying to Make Yourself Look Good


    Zhao Chuchu turned her body slightly to evade the person who dashed into the courtyard as disgust shed across her eyes.


    ¡°Chuchu, are you alright?¡± The man looked at Zhao Chuchu affectionately, his face filled with a worried expression.


    Zhao Chuchu looked at him coldly. She wasn¡¯t moved by his performance at all.


    ¡°Chuchu, what¡¯s wrong?¡± He walked forward and tried to grab Zhao Chuchu¡¯s hand, but Zhao Chuchu evaded him again.


    !!


    This scumbag is finally back here!


    She hadn¡¯t even had time to help the original owner give this scumbag a lesson. How dare he jump out on his own!


    Niu Ziming, the man who toyed with the original owner and made her fall head over heels for him!


    He seduced the original owner and secretly established a rtionship with Zhao Chuchu. He toyed with the feelings of Zhao Chuchu and her sister like it was nothing!


    Niu Ziming had been studying in an academy in the county previously. No one had heard anything about him since the outbreak of the gue.


    Zhao Chuchu felt appalled as she looked at this young man with powder on his face.


    He didn¡¯t seem to be good at studying, but he quickly picked up many ridiculous habits.


    His face was as pale as a dead person¡¯s. Zhao Chuchu wondered where he learned such peculiar tastes.


    Oh, right, he even had a floral hairpin on his head!


    ¡°Chuchu, I¡¯m sorry, I wanted toe back to see you during the gue, but the academy didn¡¯t let us leave. They said that the lives of students are especially precious. I was so worried about you that I could barely eat. Look, I slimmed down quite a lot, right?¡± Niu Ziming stepped forward.


    Zhao Chuchu seemed like apletely different person now. Back then, she was cowardly, dirty, and sloppy. Now, she looked so confident. There was more flesh on her face as well. Her skin was like a spelled hard-boiled egg, white and smooth. He couldn¡¯t help but want to touch her.


    Her eyes were lively and bright, full of energy and youthful vitality.


    She looked way better than Zhao Zhizhi previously. She looked even better than the daughters of the rich and powerful families in the county. How did she change so much?


    Countless thoughts started to form in Niu Ziming¡¯s mind.


    He knew that Zhao Chuchu was fond of him. Even though she married Xie Heng, she still desired him.


    Zhao Chuchu was now an actual doctor, and people were even calling her a miracle worker. If he sucked up to her a little in the future, he would probably never have to worry about money!


    When Zhao Chuchu saw Niu Ziming¡¯s calctive expression, she knew what he was thinking about without even guessing.


    Girl, look at this man. How could he possibly be worth your sacrifice? If you somehow had the miraculous opportunity like me to be reborn, please live a good life, and do not lose your dignity for men¡­


    ¡°Chuchu, why aren¡¯t you talking? Brother Ziming is back!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu almost vomited her breakfast out.


    ¡°You don¡¯t look like you¡¯ve gotten slimmer at all. In fact, I think you got fat. Look at your waist. I can see the fats bulging over your belt!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu looked at Niu Ziming¡¯s waist.


    He had indeed gotten fatter!


    Niu Ziming felt a little awkward, but he exined. ¡°I was even more fat than this previously. Chuchu, are you angry that brother Ziming didn¡¯te back earlier? Brother Ziming really had difficulties and reasons that stopped me from doing so. Please listen to me exin, okay?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu thought the original owner had never called him ¡°brother Ziming¡± before. Why was he trying to make himself look good and ruin the original owner¡¯s reputation?!


    Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t take it anymore. She said, ¡°Niu Ziming, if you have a mental illness and want me to treat it, you shoulde to me properly as a patient. What¡¯s all this brother Ziming nonsense? Do you think you can just say anything you like and sully my reputation because I couldn¡¯t speak previously?¡±


    Niu Ziming seemed like he didn¡¯t understand humannguage. He continued, ¡°Chuchu, please don¡¯t get angry. I know you¡¯re saying this because you still hold me dear to your heart¡­¡±


    Zhao Chuchu cut him off impatiently and said, ¡°I¡¯m already married now. What do you mean by I still hold you dear to my heart? I know you put that powder on your face to look good, but you don¡¯t have to go to such extents to embellish yourself!¡±

 Chapter 105 - 105 Destroy Him

    105 Destroy Him


    ¡°Niu Ziming, people study to be wiser and smarter. Why are you trying to tarnish my reputation with all this nonsense? Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re no different from those unreasonable shrews by doing this? What did I do to you that you have to smear me like this?¡±


    ¡°Did you waste all your years in the academy? Are you not even able to respect a marrieddy now? Does your teacher know how much of a fool you are right now?¡±


    NIu Ziming was stunned by Zhao Chuchu¡¯s scolding.


    He couldn¡¯t believe this was the same person who followed everything he said and always looked at him with infatuated eyes!


    !!


    ¡°Chuchu, how did you be like this? Did Xie Heng do something to you? Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯ll help you!¡± Niu Ziming regained his senses. He thought that Zhao Chuchu was just angry about him noting back. Things would probably be fine after he coaxed her a little.


    The only person whom Zhao Chuchu loved was him. She didn¡¯t like that blind man Xie Heng at all.


    Zhao Chuchu hit him with a firm front kick.


    Niu Ziming flew backward and dropped to the ground with a thud. The floral hairpin dropped off his head as he let out a painful groan.


    The people from the Zhao n didn¡¯t dare to say a word. They all lowered their body a little to appear less conspicuous. They were afraid that Zhao Chuchu would also beat them up while she was at it.


    Zhao Chuchu walked to Niu Ziming and looked at him from above, ¡°If you dare to smear me like this again and make people think that I have anything to do with a disgusting pervert like you, I¡¯ll destroy your third leg!¡±


    Niu Ziming raised his head in pain. He looked at Zhao Chuchu, who appeared so familiar yet extremely strange. His eyes filled up with shock and disbelief. Did Zhao Chuchu just kick him to the ground?


    ¡°Chuchu, you weren¡¯t like this previously¡­¡±


    His voice was stifled before he could finish his sentence.


    Zhao Chuchu grabbed a handful of straw and stuffed it in his mouth.


    She looked at Madam Yang and the other with threatening eyes as she asked, ¡°Was I rted to Niu Ziming in any way previously?¡±


    Madam Yang shook her head profusely and said, ¡°No such thing. You were doing chores at home all day. You had no time to be with him at all!¡±


    Old Man Zhao also hurriedly spoke. ¡°You¡¯re a good kid. You won¡¯t do anything like that!¡±


    Madam Ma thought that Zhao Zhizhi could get married to Niu Ziming previously. Now that Zhao Zhizhi was dead, Niu Ziming turned to fawn on Zhao Chuchu instead. Madam Ma didn¡¯t dare tosh out at Zhao Chuchu, so she took it out on Niu Ziming instead, ¡°Just look at the way he dresses. He¡¯s definitely not a good person. No proper man would dress so mboyantly! He¡¯s trying to trick you!¡±


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu, ignore him. If he tried to make any more noise, go look for the vige chief and get him to stand up for you! We can prove your innocence. You have nothing to do with him. He¡¯s just trying to frame you!¡± Madam Liu agreed as well.


    Zhao Chuchu raised her eyebrows. Were these people actually helping her? Had they finally learned their lesson from the beatings?


    Niu Ziming got anxious. He pulled the straw from his mouth and said, ¡°I¡¯m speaking the truth. Chuchu said I¡¯m the man she likes the most in this world!¡±


    ¡°How did I say that? I couldn¡¯t speak, and I couldn¡¯t read or write. Did you hear that in your dreams?¡± Zhao Chuchu sneered.


    At this point, many people gathered outside the Zhao n¡¯s courtyard to watch the show.


    Upon hearing Zhao Chuchu, they all started mocking Niu Ziming.


    ¡°Tsk tsk, how can a man dress like that? You don¡¯t look like a man, nor do you look like a woman, disgusting. Chuchu must be blind if she liked you!¡±


    ¡°Everyone here knows that Chuchu couldn¡¯t speak back then! She only cured herself after marrying Xie Heng and learning how to be a doctor!¡±


    ¡°Niu Ziming is trying to take advantage of Chuchu because Chuchu can earn money now, and Xie Heng can¡¯t see! Quick, get the vige chief. What a deplorable person!¡±

 Chapter 106 - 106 She Has Good Eyes

    106 She Has Good Eyes


    Niu Ziming¡¯s face turned red upon hearing those words.


    ¡°All of you are being so absurdly unreasonable and foolish. What nonsense are you spouting?¡± He said angrily, ¡°How dare you humiliate a schr like that? Don¡¯t you have any respect for the intellectual and wise? Don¡¯t you know that all professions are inferior to academics?¡±


    ¡°Niu Ziming, you¡¯re older than Xie Heng, and you started studying earlier than Xie Heng. Xie Heng became a real schr at age 12. You¡¯re 15 now and can¡¯t even pass the county exams. How dare you even call yourself a schr? I won¡¯t even consider you a halfway decent student!¡± Zhao Chuchu scoffed.


    ¡°All professions are inferior to academics? Seriously? I wonder what the real academics would think if they knew that someone like you was iming to be a schr.¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, I know your angeres from a ce of love. So I can forgive what you¡¯re saying right now¡­¡±


    ¡°So you insist on clinging to my wife?¡±


    Just then, a cold voice cut off Niu Ziming¡¯s disgusting monologue.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll have to take things to the government to seek justice for my wife. I don¡¯t want her good reputation to be ruined by you.¡± Xie Heng walked over and pulled Zhao Chuchu behind him.


    ¡°Chuchu, don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m here. I believe that you have nothing to do with him.¡±


    Niu Ziming¡¯s face turned pale when he saw Xie Heng.


    ¡°Xie Heng, you¡¯re just a blind man. You can¡¯t see anything. Even if I did something together with Chuchu right in front of you, you wouldn¡¯t know!¡± Niu Ziming hated Xie Heng the most.


    This so-called prodigy had been an insurmountablepetitor to him since he was young.


    Fortunately, god was kind enough to make him blind. Only then did he manage to surpass Xie Heng.


    The moment he said that, several people from the crowd eximed:


    ¡°Eldest son of the Xie n, your eyes can see again?¡±


    ¡°I think his eyes have been cured. He wasn¡¯t like this previously. Junjun isn¡¯t even helping him. He came over on his own.¡±


    ¡°Did Chuchu really heal his eyes?¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your kind concern, uncles and aunties. My eyes can see again now. Although it¡¯s still a little blurry, I can carry on with my daily life normally,¡± Xie said to the people around him. ¡°Thank you for taking care of me for the past few years.¡±


    Niu Ziming¡¯s face turnedpletely pale.


    Zhao Chuchu sneered and questioned Niu Ziming, ¡°Tell me now, why would I abandon such a handsome husband and have some kind of rtionship with you? Am I blind? Niu Ziming, you¡¯re pretty bad at studying, but you¡¯re certainly amazing at smearing!¡±


    Niu Ziming felt like someone was stepping on his face.


    ¡°I¡¯ll continue to study in the future and make up for the troubles that I¡¯ve caused Chuchu since she married me. It¡¯s also to let certain people know that my wife has great eyes,¡± Xie Heng stared at Niu Ziming as he spoke.


    When his intense rended on Niu Ziming, Niu Ziming felt a chill spread through his body.


    Xie Heng was just a teenage boy who was around the same age as him. How could he have such a terrifying gaze?


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Just then, Niu Tongsheng came over, panting as he arrived.


    ¡°Vige chief, thank god you¡¯re here. Niu Ziming came here and immediately started smearing me with all sorts of bullshit, saying things like I hold him dear to my heart and trying to tarnish my reputation. Everyone knows that a woman¡¯s reputation and dignity are as important as her life. So he¡¯s basically trying to ruin my life by smearing me like this! If Da Lang didn¡¯t believe in me, I would be trying to end my life by now.¡±


    That fierce Zhao Chuchu, who kicked Niu Ziming to the ground just a few minutes ago, had now turned into a poor, helpless girl who was being bullied.


    Madam Yang and the others were all speechless.


    But they didn¡¯t dare to say anything.


    ¡°Third Uncle, I¡¯m telling the truth. Chuchu said that she would divorce Xie Heng and marry me.¡± Niu Ziming thought his savior hade when he saw the vige chief. How dare Zhao Chuchu treat him like this? Niu Ziming wanted her to kneel down and beg him!

 Chapter 107 - 107 Shame? Do You Even Know What That Is?

    107 Shame? Do You Even Know What That Is?


    Niu Tongsheng was so mad that he almost fell backward.


    ¡°Niu Ziming, had all your years of studying gone to waste? How could you say such vicious, harmful things? Are you really trying to force Chuchu to die?¡± Niu Tongheng scolded angrily, ¡°Has studying made you a shameless prick? Zhao Chuchu is Xie Heng¡¯s wife. She¡¯s already married!¡±


    Niu Ziming was stunned by Niu Tongsheng¡¯s scolding.


    Niu Tongsheng was from the same n as him. How could he help an outsider instead of him?


    !!


    ¡°Third Uncle, how can you chastise me like that? I¡¯m doing this for the sake of the Niu n¡­¡±


    ¡°Get out of here with that bullshit. The Niu n doesn¡¯t need you to do such nonsense!¡±


    ¡°Regardless of what happens, I¡¯m still your nephew. How can you talk to me like that? I¡¯m a schr. I need to be respected!¡±


    ¡°Are you done now? You¡¯re being a shameless rogue right now. Schrs should be respected, but you don¡¯t deserve it!¡±


    If Niu Ziming were his son, Niu Tongsheng would beat him until he couldn¡¯t get down from his bed.


    What the heck is wrong with this guy?


    How could he say something like this when Zhao Chuchu¡¯s husband was here? If Xie Heng weren¡¯t a trusting person, Zhao Chuchu would be trying to end his life now!


    Cheating on one¡¯s spouse is punishment by drowning!


    ¡°Vige chief, enough. He¡¯s trying to abduct ady from a good family. We should bring this up to the county governing bureau,¡± Xie Heng said coldly. ¡°Of course, someone like him isn¡¯t worthy of studying academia in the future.¡±


    ¡°Xie Heng, how dare you! You blind¡­¡±


    ¡°Da Lang, I can¡¯t stand this shameless man spouting such filthynguage!¡± Zhao Chuchu cut Niu Ziming off impatiently as she suddenly drew a dagger. ¡°Just cut off his tongue so he can¡¯t nder me in the future.¡±


    Right after Niu Ziming stood up, his world shook and spun as someone grabbed him by his cor. A sharp dagger was ced flush against the corner of his mouth. He felt his soul trembling in fear as cold sweat started to form all over his body.


    ¡°What, what are you doing? Zhao Chuchu, let go of me. Are you insane?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m insane. You are the shameless liar who made me go insane! Aren¡¯t you aware of how disgusting your face looks? The powder on your face looks like you¡¯re trying to paint a wall. Who gave you the courage to say that I am interested in a filthy, disgusting guy like you? Is Xie Heng not good-looking enough? Or is he not smart enough? Who the heck do you think you are?¡±


    ¡°Let go of me. Otherwise, I won¡¯t forgive¡­ Ah!¡±


    In an eerie tone, Zhao Chuchu sliced open his lips and said, ¡°Do you want to be mute?¡±


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu, you mad woman, let go of me! Help! She¡¯s trying to kill me¡­¡± Niu Ziming screamed at the top of his lungs. The powder on his face fell off as he struggled, and yellowish liquid dripped down from his pants onto the ground.


    ¡°Schr?¡± Zhao Chuchu pped him so hard that he lost his sense of direction for a while. ¡°How dare a scum like you tarnish the reputation of schrs?¡±


    Niu Ziming had never been treated so harshly in his life before.


    He yelled in pain again.


    Niu Tongsheng and the other vigers were stunned by the fierce, killing intent on Zhao Chuchu¡¯s face and didn¡¯t dare to say anything.


    ¡°Am I fond of you?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu pped him again.


    ¡°Tell me!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was extremely disgusted by this shameless man.


    If the original owner was here instead of her, she could end up dead from his nder.


    In this era, doing something like this to a woman was no different from forcing her to die. It was basically murder.


    Niu Ziming was the same age as Xie Heng, yet he looked like he had been overindulging in his desires.


    Studying in the academy? He must have been spending most of his time in the brothel!


    ¡°Do I like you?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu gave Niu Ziming a p every time she asked a question.


    Niu Ziming yelled like an animal. His mouth was covered in blood, and both his cheeks were swollen.


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t use all her strength. Otherwise, she would have smashed his pig head into pieces with a single p.


    ¡°No, you¡¯ve never said that you liked me. I was lying just now. Please let me go, and I won¡¯t do it ever again!¡± Niu Ziming couldn¡¯t even speak clearly now. He was afraid that Zhao Chuchu would beat him to death if he didn¡¯t apologize.


    ¡°Louder, I can¡¯t hear you.¡± Zhao Chuchu stopped for a moment.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I won¡¯t tell lies ever again. There¡¯s nothing between you and me. You have done nothing immoral¡­¡± Niu Ziming yelled painfully. ¡°Everything I said just now was just lies and nonsense.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu shoved Niu Ziming away.


    Niu Ziming fell to the ground. The powder on his face was messed up from the pping, and both his cheeks were severely swollen. His hair was scattered messily. He looked just as pathetic and hideous as he was mboyant when he arrived.


    Zhao Chuchu red at Niu Ziming and said coldly, ¡°If I ever hear anything rted to what you said just now from you, I swear I will cut off your tongue. Whoever tries to make my life difficult or force me to die, I¡¯ll make his life miserable!¡±


    After saying that, Zhao Chuchu looked around and warned the others, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if your surname is Zhao or Xie or Niu or Ma. I mean what I say. Worsees to worst; I can sacrifice this life. I think it¡¯s worth it if I can get your entire family to die with me!¡±


    Xie Heng looked at Zhao Chuchu, who was emanating a killer aura. For a moment, he thought he saw her walk out of a field of blood and corpses!


    What did Zhao Chuchu experience?


    How could a girl like her have such a terrifying killing intent?


    Everyone shut their mouths, including Niu Tongsheng. They didn¡¯t even dare to breathe loudly.


    Madam Yang and Madam Ma both squirmed a little. They lowered their bodies even more as they were afraid of Zhao Chuchu remembering something they had done in the past. They didn¡¯t want to end up like Niu Ziming.


    Niu Zimingy on the ground and groaned in pain.


    Whatever coquettish thoughts he had just now hadpletely disappeared. Zhao Chuchu looked like a demon to him now.


    Xie Heng looked at Niu Tongsheng impassively and asked, ¡°Vige chief, Niu Ziming tried to nder and smear my wife. I don¡¯t think we can let him off the hook just like that, right?¡±


    Niu Tongsheng realized that something had to be done upon hearing Xie Heng.


    He intended to let Niu Ziming go initially.


    But Xie Heng clearly wasn¡¯t willing to end this so easily.


    That was understandable. No man could tolerate another person iming to have an affair with his wife.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already apologized. What do you want? Don¡¯t try to exploit me. If it wasn¡¯t for Chu¡­¡± Before Niu Tongsheng could say anything, Niu Ziming started getting agitated. ¡°Why leave no room for reconciliation? Aren¡¯t you afraid that you might need my help someday?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the difference between seeking help from you and seeking help from a pig? Oh, wait, pigs can be eaten, but you arepletely useless.¡± Xie Heng looked at Niu Ziming in disdain. He paused for a while, then turned to look at Niu Tongsheng and said, ¡°We need to put an end to such deeds from their roots. Otherwise, people would attempt simr acts and cause the deaths of innocent women.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°Vige chief, if you don¡¯t want to do this, I have no choice but to write to the county governing bureau to seek justice.¡±


    ¡°No, no, no. Please, let¡¯s just talk first. I¡¯ll get my uncle here now.¡±


    Niu Tongsheng was definitely not willing to let this issue go up to the county governing bureau.


    But Niu Ziming was the one at fault right now. It wasn¡¯t worth getting into a conflict with Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng for Niu Ziming.


    At Niu Tongsheng¡¯s age, he could easily tell that Niu Ziming waspletely helpless.


    He¡¯s good at coaxing women, but studying? Haha, his vocabry might even be sparser than Niu Tongsheng¡¯s!


    Niu Tongsheng¡¯s uncle was the oldest person in the Niu n right now. He was essentially the chief of the n. So naturally, he had to stand up for Niu Tongsheng¡¯s mistake.


    On the other hand, Niu Ziming¡¯s mother, Madam Qian, had been waiting in vain for her son for quite a while. She came out of her house to search for him and ran into Niu le, who hade back to get Niu Tongsheng¡¯s uncle. Niu Le was Niu Tongsheng¡¯s second son.


    ¡°Niu Le, did you see my son?¡± Madam Qian stopped Niu Le and ordered bossily, ¡°Go find him.¡±


    Niu Le raised his eyebrows and said, ¡°Auntie, you should go to Old Man Zhao¡¯s ce yourself and take a look.¡±

 Chapter 108 - 108 Yeah, I’m Crazy!

    108 Yeah, I¡¯m Crazy!


    Madam Qian had a bad feeling about this.


    Usually, whenever she returned to the vige, Niu Le was very respectful toward her. So why was he talking to her like that now?


    ¡°What is going on? Niu Le, I am your aunt. Don¡¯t just tell me half of the information. If something happens to my Ziming, do you think you can be responsible for it? He is the only schr in Lengshui Vige right now. He¡¯s going to be a big official in the future.¡±


    Niu Le felt likeughing when he heard that. He said, ¡°Auntie, I think you should head there and take a look yourself. It¡¯s not a small issue.¡±


    He didn¡¯t continue wasting time with Madam Qian.


    After all, Madam Qian had a son who was a schr. She had always been very arrogant and unreasonable in the vige. He was no match for her.


    Madam Qian was very unhappy with Niu Le¡¯s response. ¡°Niu Le, how can you talk to me like that?¡±


    Niu Le ran away.


    Madam Qian stomped her feet and said, ¡°You¡¯ll get it from meter.¡±


    After saying that, she ran toward Old Man Zhao¡¯s ce hurriedly.


    On the whole way there, she was guessing what had happened. Could it be that Zhao Chuchu wanted to divorce Xie Heng and get together with her son? She had heard that Zhao Chuchu was the one who had solved the gue in Yuanjiang County, and the imperial court had given her lots of silver as her reward. That meant that, with Zhao Chuchu as their cash cow in the future, they wouldn¡¯t need to worry about food or clothing anymore. Also, with Zhao Chuchu serving them, they wouldn¡¯t even need servants¡­


    The more Madam Qian thought about it, the more she became certain about her wild spection.


    However, when she reached Old Man Zhao¡¯s ce, she immediately saw Niu Ziming, who was lying on the ground with his hair scattered and his face swollen like a pig. She could barely recognize her own son!


    Upon regaining her senses, Madam Qian pushed away the people in front of her like a mad woman and screamed loudly, ¡°Ziming, what happened to you? Who¡¯s the damn bastard who beat you like that? Tongsheng, hurry up and capture that person and beat him back!¡±


    Niu Ziming burst into tears the moment he saw Madam Qian. ¡°Mommy, my face hurts. Waah..¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    Goddamn mommy¡¯s boy!


    ¡°Who¡¯s the bastard who beat him? Get your ass over here right now. Kneel down and kowtow 18 times. Then pay us 100 taels of silver and get caned 50 times. Only then will we forgive you. Otherwise, we¡¯ll pursue this to the fullest extent! I¡¯m going to the county governing bureau to sue you!¡± Madam Qian yelled at the crowd.


    ¡°Niu Tongsheng, why are you just standing there? Capture the culprit!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu pped loudly.


    ¡°Wow, the thug is even more arrogant than the vige chief. Someone who doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s going on might just think you¡¯re some sort of noblewoman!¡± Zhao Chuchu said mockingly. ¡°I¡¯m the one who beat him up. Since you cannot educate and discipline your son as a mother, I have no choice but to help you. No need to thank me, it¡¯s nothing at all.¡±


    When Madam Qian heard Zhao Chuchu, she turned her head fiercely to look at the girl. Then, she said ferociously, ¡°You bitch, kneel down right now. Otherwise, don¡¯t even think about entering my family¡¯s door. How dare you beat my son? I¡¯ll tear your mouth apart today. Let¡¯s see what a bastard with no parents like you can do.¡±


    Madam Qian let go of Niu Ziming and pounced toward Zhao Chuchu, iling her arms wildly.


    Zhao Chuchu raised her foot lethargically and kicked Madam Qian when she was about to reach her.


    Madam Qian flew backward andnded beside Niu Ziming. She yelled in pain for quite a while but could not get back up.


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu, you damned¡­¡±


    Madam Qian¡¯s voice broke off halfway through her sentence, and she looked at Zhao Chuchu in shock and fear.


    A sharp dagger was raised right next to her beck. Zhao Chuchu said with an eerie smile on her face, ¡°Please continue. Let me hear how you¡¯re going to scold me. I¡¯ll make a slice for every sentence you say. Let¡¯s see¡­will your scolding feel better, or will my knife kill you faster?¡±


    ¡°Are, are you insane?¡± Madam Qian was so afraid that her voice was trembling.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m insane. You and your son forced me to go insane. Beating one wasn¡¯t enough, and herees a second! Who do you think your son is? Why would I abandon Xie Heng and go for a disgusting pig like your son?¡±


    ¡°My son is a schr!¡±


    ¡°Schr? Sure thing. My husband became a certified schr at the age of 12 when your pig of a son can¡¯t even pass the county¡¯s exam now. He knows his way around women, though. He¡¯s so young, yet his kidneys are already exhausted, and he has be impotent. I wouldn¡¯t even want him to carry my husband¡¯s shoes. He¡¯s too filthy!¡±


    ¡°What nonsense¡­ I know you hate my son because he didn¡¯t marry you back then¡­¡±


    [p!]


    Zhao Chuchu pped her and stopped her from talking.


    Fear consumed Madam Qian like a rising tide.


    Zhao Chuchu stared at her and said, ¡°Would you like to repeat what you wanted to say just now again?¡±


    Madam Qian subconsciously wanted to say something, but the coldness in Zhao Chuchu¡¯s eyes made her swallow the words that had already reached her throat.


    ¡°Hmm? Why aren¡¯t you talking?¡± Zhao Chuchu tapped Madam Qian¡¯s throat with the de.


    The cold sensation from the metallic de made Madam Qian¡¯s hair stand on end. She trembled in fear.


    ¡°Not talking?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know anything!¡±


    Madam Qian felt that if she spoke, Zhao Chuchu would slice her throat right then and there.


    This woman was insane!


    She could actually kill her!


    ¡°Just now, you weren¡¯t here, so you didn¡¯t know what I said. However, I don¡¯t mind repeating this. If I hear any rumors about an affair between your pig of a son and me, I¡¯ll be the first person to kill your entire family!¡± Zhao Chuchu threatened. ¡°Try me if you dare!¡±


    After that, Zhao Chuchu stared at Madam Qian menacingly. Then, without even looking, she tossed the dagger forward.


    The dagger shot forward and plunged into the door of Old Man Zhao¡¯s courtyard.


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s knife-throwing technique stunned everyone present.


    ¡°Madam Qian, would you like to try?¡±


    ¡°No, no, no, I don¡¯t want to try. I don¡¯t know anything.¡±


    Madam Qian covered her mouth in fear. She feared that Zhao Chuchu would take out that dagger and stab her head!


    When Madam Yang saw this, she felt chills all over her body as her legs turned to jelly. She nearly fell to the ground as she lost her bnce.


    Zhao Chuchu sneered and stood up, ¡°I am a good person and can be very easy-going. However, I suggest you guys let the words go through your brain before talking. Think about what can and cannot be said. Otherwise, if you infuriate me and I cannot control myself, there will be terrible consequences.¡±


    ¡°I, I understand¡­¡± Madam Qian nodded profusely.


    ¡°Good.¡± Zhao Chuchu pped.


    Niu Le had brought the elders over from the Niu n.


    When they heard that Niu Ziming and his mother tried to nder Zhao Chuchu, they were instantly enraged.


    ¡°How did someone as shameless as youe out of the Niu n? You tried smearing Zhao Chuchu right before Xie Heng in broad daylight! This is ridiculous! Xie Heng is right. If we don¡¯t severely punish you for something like this, people will follow suit. How will the girls of Lengshui Vige have any dignity or respect that way?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no point in more talk. Open up the ancestral hall and retrieve the n punishment instrument.¡±


    Madam Qian started to panic. ¡°Ziming is still studying. What if he gets injured? He¡¯s the only academic in the entire Niu n!¡±


    ¡°We may as well not have such a shameful academic! Somebody capture Niu Ziming and bring him to the ancestral hall,¡± ordered the elders of the Niu n.


    Niu Ziming struggled like his life depended on it. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry. I won¡¯t do it ever again. I don¡¯t want to go to the ancestral hall.¡±


    Niu Tongsheng pretended not to hear him.


    They had to give Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng an answer for Niu Ziming¡¯s actions. Otherwise, nothing good woulde out of it if they really took things to the county governing bureau.


    Niu Ziming was dragged to the Niu n¡¯s ancestral hall by force.


    Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng were invited there as well.


    Madam Qian wailed and pleaded nonstop.

 Chapter 109 - 109 I’ll Knock On Your Door At Midnight

    109 I¡¯ll Knock On Your Door At Midnight


    ¡°Chuchu, I¡¯ve realized my mistake now. This mouth of mine just spouts all sorts of nonsense when it has nothing better to say, but I really didn¡¯t do it on purpose. So please let us off the hook, alright?¡± The elders from the Niu n didn¡¯t listen to Madam Qian¡¯s pleas, so she went to beg Zhao Chuchu instead.


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s face waspletely expressionless. A crocodile¡¯s tears wouldn¡¯t make her feel pitiful at all.


    Xie Heng pulled Zhao Chuchu behind him, then looked at Madam Qian straight on and said, ¡°Words that have been spoken are like water that has been spilled from a cup. You can¡¯t take them back so easily. If I had had any semnce of mistrust or suspicion toward Chuchu, these words would have been lethal to her. You made a nned, deliberate attempt to smear her. This cannot be brushed off as an unintentional act!¡±


    Xie Heng was adamant about it. He insisted that Madam Qian and her son needed to be punished.


    Otherwise, he didn¡¯t mind bringing this up to the county governing bureau.


    Madam Qian¡¯s wails halted. Then, she asked, ¡°I¡¯ve already apologized. What more do you want?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not about what I want. I think you guys should ask yourselves what you wanted just now by doing this!¡±


    ¡°Non¡­nonsense.¡±


    Madam Qian realized that Xie Heng saw straight through her intentions. She didn¡¯t dare look him in the eye.


    Xie Heng smiled and stopped talking.


    Madam Qian wanted to say something else, but the people of the Niu n brought her into the ancestral hall.


    Opening up the ancestral hall was a very serious thing for ancient people.


    As an outsider, Zhao Chuchu wasn¡¯t allowed to enter the Niu n¡¯s ancestral hall. However, because she was the victim, the Niu n made an exception and allowed her to enter with the apaniment of Xie Heng.


    The Niu n¡¯s punishment instrument was a cane soaked in oil. One could tell just by looking that this cane would hurt a lot.


    Niu Ziming came up withpletely false ims out of nowhere and defamed the character of a woman. As a result, he would be beaten 30 times ording to the n¡¯s rules.


    Madam Qian was at fault for not educating her son well, so she would be beaten ten times.


    With Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng standing right beside them, the Niu n didn¡¯t dare spare any strength when administering the punishment.


    The screams of Madam Qian and Niu Ziming made everyone¡¯s hair stand on end.


    Madam Qian kept begging for Zhao Chuchu¡¯s forgiveness, but Zhao Chuchu simply watched on with cold eyes.


    Niu Ziming toyed with the original owner like a ything. One could even say that she died from anger because of Niu Ziming and Zhao Chuchu.


    Even though the internals of this body had been swapped out with another soul from the apocalypse in the future, in the eyes of everyone else, Zhao Chuchu was still the same person.


    Zhao Chuchu wasn¡¯t willing to let a scumbag like Niu Ziming nder the original owner after she had already died.


    After 30 strokes from the cane, Niu Ziming was barely breathing.


    Madam Qian was still alright. Although ten strokes of the cane were painful, she wasn¡¯t very severely injured.


    When she saw Niu Ziming looking like he was breathing hisst breath, she ignored her aching body and climbed over to hug her son. She cried at the top of her lungs, ¡°My son, please don¡¯t scare me!¡±


    Niu Ziming opened his eyes, barely breathing. He moved his lips a little, but before he could make a sound, his eyes closed, and he fainted.


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu, quick, save my son¡­¡± Madam Qian yelled at Zhao Chuchu. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a doctor? If my son died, I¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do? Kill me? Who do you think you are? Save your son? Stop dreaming! Who said that doctors have to save whoever asks? Besides, do you think your son deserves to be saved? I¡¯m already being very kind by not killing him,¡± Zhao Chuchu cut off Madam Qian and spoke slowly.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be struck by lightning and punished by god for not saving a dying person!¡±


    ¡°If god can see what¡¯s going on, the first people that he should be smiting are vile, immoral people like you and your son.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu sneered, then looked at Xie Heng and said, ¡°Da Lang, let¡¯s head back. I still need to do acupuncture and apply medication for you. You¡¯ve just regained your vision, so you shouldn¡¯t over-exert your eyes.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± said Xie Heng as he nodded.


    Zhao Chuchu was standing very close to Xie Heng. Xie Heng could even smell the faint, refreshing fragrance of her body.


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s scent seemed to be changing every day¡­


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu¡­¡±


    Madam Qian screamed hysterically.


    Zhao Chuchu stopped in her tracks, then turned and looked at Madam Qian. She sneered and said, ¡°If you howl one more time, I¡¯ll break your legs and join them back together for you. I would like to see whether you can endure half a year of pain!¡±


    The killing intent in Zhao Chuchu¡¯s eyes made Madam Qian instantly shut up. She didn¡¯t even dare to breathe loudly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind letting you see what I¡¯m capable of.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not Zhao Chuchu. You must be a wandering ghost who has upied Zhao Chuchu¡¯s body!¡±


    Momentster, Madam Qian mustered the courage to yell again.


    Zhao Chuchu nodded and said, ¡°You¡¯re right. I am a roaming ghost. So be careful when I knock on your door at midnight and take away you and your son¡¯s souls!¡±


    Madam Qian staggered back several steps upon hearing that. She looked at Zhao Chuchu as though she was looking at a demonic ghost.


    Zhao Chuchu retracted her gaze, then turned and walked away with Xie Heng without even looking back.


    Madam Qian didn¡¯t dare make any more noise.


    Niu Ziming was only injured on the outside. The people from the Niu n didn¡¯t dare spare any strength, but they didn¡¯t hit Niu Ziming that hard either.


    Niu Ziming could probably move around as usual after resting on the bed for about two weeks.


    Upon returning to the Xie n, Zhao Chuchu looked toward Xie Heng and asked, ¡°Why did you let other people know that your eyes could see again? I thought you said we should wait for a while more?¡±


    ¡°As your husband in name, I can¡¯t just watch as someone else is trying to nder you for having an affair. No man can ept being cheated on!¡± Xie Heng said in a joking yet serious manner.


    As for what he was actually thinking, he was the only one who knew.


    Zhao Chuchu doubted him. ¡°Have you disliked Niu Ziming for a very long time? After all, this scumbag had been tricking your wife for quite a while.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I suppose that¡¯s half the reason.¡± Xie Heng agreed with Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°This scumbag has really renewed my perspective on how bad a person can be. That was disgusting,¡± Zhao Chuchu said disdainfully. ¡°I wonder if he will return to his old ways after healing from his injuries.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s afraid of dying, so we won¡¯te to pester you again. But, I¡¯m afraid disgusting things will still happen.¡±


    ¡°Alright, but the person who will be disgusted may not be the same. The vige chief and the others will definitelye over to visit youter. Come here. I¡¯ll put on some ¡®medicine¡¯ for you!¡±


    Xie Heng nodded.


    Zhao Chuchu took out a clean strip of cloth, thenced it with some non-agitating and harmless organic paint to make it look like she was putting on medicine for Xie Heng before tying it around his eyes.


    She stood right in front of Xie Heng while doing so.


    Xie Heng was sitting down. When he raised his head a little, he could see Zhao Chuchu¡¯s little face, which had been getting increasingly white and exquisite recently.


    Perhaps because she was too close to him, Xie Heng felt the tip of his ears getting a little hot. He lowered his eyes as though he was evading Zhao Chuchu and avoided looking at her.


    Fortunately, Zhao Chuchu was rather quick. It only took a short while for her to finish dressing Xie Heng¡¯s eyes.


    She touched her stomach and said, ¡°Da Lang, did you cook? I¡¯m so hungry.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s in the pot, stir-fried garlic sprouts with preserved bacon,¡± Xie Heng said. He paused for a while, then asked as though he had just remembered, ¡°Do you eat garlic?¡±


    ¡°Of course, the taste is a little strong, but it goes well with rice,¡± Zhao Chuchu answered as she walked toward the kitchen.


    The stove cavity still had some lingering heat, so the rice and dish were still hot.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Junjun?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s voice came from the kitchen andnded in Xie Heng¡¯s ears. It made him feel different.


    It felt as though they were really a couple that had been married and living together for many years.


    Zhao Chuchu had never given Xie Heng this feeling before!


    ¡°He had already eaten. So I told him to go to the Chen n.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so you haven¡¯t eaten, right?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu walked in with the dish and two full bowls of rice.


    Other than the stir-fried garlic sprouts with preserved bacon, there was also spicy and sour cabbage.


    Xie Heng was a great chef.


    The food that Xie Heng cooked could be called a meal, while her cooking should be called pig food. Wait, no, even pigs were probably not willing to eat her cooking!

 Chapter 110 - 110 I Don’t Repay Hatred With Kindness

    110 I Don¡¯t Repay Hatred With Kindness


    ¡°Is it good?¡± Xie Heng asked.


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s mouth was stuffed full of food. She said, with a muffled voice, ¡°Absolutely delicious. You know you¡¯re a master chef when you can make home-cooked dishes taste so good. Da Lang, you¡¯re not just good at studying. You¡¯re a talented cook as well.¡±


    ¡°My parents passed away early, and I have a younger brother. So, of course, I needed to learn to do these things,¡± said Xie Heng as he smiled.


    Zhao Chuchu paused for a while, then said, ¡°The people who have passed away are in the past. I think we should look forward to it as living people. I¡¯ve thought about it. When you start studying again, we¡¯ll hire a servant who can cook. How¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°No need, I can do it. It doesn¡¯t take much time.¡± Xie Heng rejected her suggestion.


    He didn¡¯t like outsiders in his house!


    ¡°Studying is more important.¡±


    ¡°That little bit of time wouldn¡¯t make a difference.¡±


    Upon hearing Xie Heng say that, Zhao Chuchu stopped insisting.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll still have to depend on you for Junjun.¡±


    ¡°Oh right, I¡¯ve found part of the herbs. We can start making the medicine now.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu remembered this.


    She wanted to ask Yuan Hui to help her search for part of the herbs instead of using those that she had stored in her carry-on space. But on second thought, Yuan Hui had enough trouble right now, and she shouldn¡¯t drag her into this ordeal.


    Besides, secrets were no longer secrets in front of Xie Heng anyway.


    If Xie Heng were really going to suspect her of something like this, she would just divorce him, and the two of them would go their separate ways!


    Xie Heng raised his head and ¡°looked¡± toward Zhao Chuchu. ¡°You have them all? Are you going to leave after making the medicine?¡±


    For some reason, the thought of that made Xie Heng feel an unprecedented sense of agitation.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that fast! Junjun¡¯s body is very frail now. We need to detoxify him progressively. Otherwise, his body won¡¯t be able to take it. We need at least half a year, provided everything goes smoothly. If Junjun¡¯s body is unable to hold up halfway through the treatment, we¡¯ll need to let his body rest and rejuvenate before continuing. Anyways, this is going to be a very long process, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu thought Xie Heng was worried about Xie Jun and hoped to shorten the treatment, so she exined it to him patiently.


    Upon hearing that, the uneasy feeling was magically soothed.


    ¡°I¡¯m not in a hurry. I¡¯m just afraid that it¡¯ll take up too much of your time.¡±


    ¡°No way! I have no family or rtives, so I don¡¯t really care where I live. Besides, you¡¯re such a good cook. So I want to stay here and eat your cooking for a while more,¡± Zhao Chuchu joked.


    Although the food in her carry-on space was hot, it wasn¡¯t as good as freshly-cooked meals.


    Furthermore, in order to gather as many supplies as she could in the shortest possible amount of time, she didn¡¯t have very high standards for the chefs. As long as the food didn¡¯t taste too bad and could be cooked quickly in the quantity that she needed, she was alright with it. It was iparable to Xie Heng¡¯s cooking.


    She only knew how precious food was after experiencing the apocalypse!


    ¡°As long as you like them, it makes me feel a little better,¡± Xie Heng said. ¡°Next time, just tell me whatever you want to eat, and I¡¯ll try my best to learn the recipe.


    ¡°Da Lang, you¡¯re so different from when I met you! Back then, I saw you tell Li Jiang to kill those people in such a ruthless manner, and I thought you were a cold-blooded person.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as requiring hatred with kindness for me.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, I like people like you who are clear on their gratitude and hatred.¡±


    Like?


    The corner of Xie Heng¡¯s lips curled up into a slight, almost undetectable curve.


    After getting a good beating, Niu Ziming and her mother became a lot quieter and more well-behaved.


    The rest of Niu Ziming¡¯s family heard about the news and came over. They wanted to seek revenge on Zhao Chuchu, but Madam Qian held them back as if her life depended on it and prevented them from going.


    She was terrified that Zhao Chuchu woulde to knock on her door at midnight to take her life.


    Madam Qian waspletely convinced that Zhao Chuchu¡¯s body had been upied by a wild ghost.


    Although she had actually guessed part of the truth, it didn¡¯t matter!


    Old Man Zhao and his family turned quiet as well.


    When Zhao Chuchu went over to change their medicine, Madam Yang and Madam Ma both hid from her and didn¡¯t appear.


    Perhaps because they saw that Zhao Chuchu was really helping Zhao Baogen and Zhao Baotian treat their legs, the other families in the Zhao n brought money to Zhao Chuchu and politely asked her to treat them as well.


    Naturally, Zhao Chuchu wouldn¡¯t reject money that was sent right to her door.


    Twenty-five taels of silver for each patient, and she made her own medicine. That meant that, besides time, there was no other cost to this!


    While she was busy with this, Zhao Chuchu took some time off to head to the county. Why? To buy the seedling cultivation trays!


    She went out early in the morning and came homete at night, then took out the seedling cultivation tray from her carry-on space and pretended that she had bought it from the merchants in the county. The next day, she would give the seedling cultivation trays to Niu Tongsheng together with the seeds.


    Niu Tongsheng had never seen a seedling cultivation tray before, so this waspletely new to him.


    Zhao Chuchu told Niu Tongsheng the theory that she knew and told him to try the method.


    ¡°Chuchu, you really saw this in a book?¡± Niu Tongsheng found it incredible.


    Zhao Chuchu said with a genuine expression, ¡°Yeah, but unfortunately, Da Lang burned that book together with the medical books. Otherwise, I can bring it over for you to see.¡±


    The vige chief waved his hand and said, ¡°I can barely read. So there¡¯s no way I¡¯d understand what¡¯s written in the book. But since you said it was, we¡¯ll try it. But Chuchu, you can¡¯t me us if it fails.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t know for sure either. If it doesn¡¯t work, we¡¯ll just try again next year. How can I me you for it?¡±


    ¡°That makes me feel much more at ease.¡±


    Niu Tongsheng picked up the paddy rice seeds that were ced beside them.


    He picked up a handful of them habitually. He was immediately stunned by this plump, golden-skinned seed with absolutely no impurities.


    He could even smell a faint fragrance.


    He quickly peeled a seed and threw it into his mouth. He couldn¡¯t believe it when he realized that the fragrance came from the rice itself!


    ¡°Chuchu, where did you buy these seeds?¡± Niu Tongsheng asked frantically. ¡°I¡¯ve been farming rice for many years, but I¡¯ve never seen such high-quality seeds. I want to buy some of these too!¡±


    ¡°I forgot, I bought a lot of stuff previously. Some of them were gifts from the store owner.¡±


    ¡°Sigh, could you try to recall?¡±


    ¡°I really can¡¯t remember. But if you want, I think I have quite a bit of these. After I¡¯m done farming mynd, I¡¯ll give you the rest. How¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°There are only about 16 pounds here. An acre ofnd would require more than 10 pounds of seeds. I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t even have enough for yournd. You guys rented around three acres ofnd.¡±


    ¡°The seedling tossing methods actually don¡¯t need so many seeds. Around three pounds per acre should be enough. We¡¯ll definitely have seeds to spare.¡±


    Niu Tongsheng thought Zhao Chuchu simply didn¡¯t understand how farming works. Upon seeing that Zhao Chuchu really couldn¡¯t recall where she bought the seeds, he stopped asking.


    After that, Zhao Chuchu used the nt growth elerator to get the potato nts to start sprouting. At the same time, she helped Niu Tongsheng cultivate seedlings using the seedling cultivation trays.


    While the people of Lengshui Vige found this novel interesting, people who disliked Zhao Chuchu started to mock her behind her back.


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu is fond of random, meaningless things. What a waste of those seeds. Oh well, she¡¯s rich.¡±


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t you see that the entire family of the vige chief is following every word she says? What she does has nothing to do with us. So whatever happens, she won¡¯t be begging for food at our door.¡±


    ¡°Do you guys think Zhao Chuchu is actually possessed by a wild ghost? Don¡¯t you think that she¡¯s acting really strange?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I am a wild ghost. How about we have a good conversation at night about whether women or children taste better?¡± Zhao Chuchu, who just happened to overhear their conversation, stood behind them and said eerily.

 Chapter 111 - 111 Good Sprouts From Bad Roots

    111 Good Sprouts From Bad Roots


    When the gossiping women heard her voice, they jerked their heads back to see who was talking. When they saw Zhao Chuchu, their faces turnedpletely pale.


    ¡°Since you dislike me so much, why don¡¯t youe to me and say it right to my face? That way, I can listen to what you have to say and see if I can make any improvements!¡± Zhao Chuchu tilted her head slightly and looked at them as she said, ¡°I may not be able to hear you if you speak behind my back.¡±


    ¡°We were just speaking nonsense because we had nothing better to do. So please don¡¯t take it to heart, Chuchu.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, Chuchu, you¡¯re such a capable person. Everything you do must be right!¡±


    !!


    ¡°Oh crap, Chuchu, I just remembered that I haven¡¯t fed the chickens and ducks at home. So I¡¯ll go first.¡±


    The moment Zhao Chuchu appeared, all these people scattered like birds in a forest.


    ¡°Cowards!¡± Zhao Chuchu sneered, then turned and walked toward Zhao Guitang¡¯s ce.


    Zhao Guitang¡¯s leg was much better now. Besides needing help from Madam He when showering, he was pretty much able to live normally on his own.


    When Zhao Men saw Zhao Chuchu heading over, she walked forward and greeted her, ¡°Chuchu, you¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°Mhm, how¡¯s your dad doing today?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s doing pretty well. He was sunbathing on the wall just now. I think he has probablyid down inside the house now.¡±


    Zhao Men apanied Zhao Chuchu into the house.


    ¡°Chuchu, I heard that you and the vige chief are farming with a new method.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you heard about it too?¡±


    ¡°The whole vige is talking about it. I heard about it while I was doingundry by the river this morning. Those people are all just speaking nonsense. Ignore them. You¡¯re so capable. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll work.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu looked toward Zhao Men and said, ¡°I broke your dad¡¯s leg. Don¡¯t you hate me? Why are you helping me?¡±


    Zhao Men lowered her head and said, ¡°Although my dad was forced to do it, he did try to rob you. He deserves this punishment. Chuchu, at the start, it was impossible not to hate you. But now that my dad¡¯s leg is almost healed, I started thinking. Perhaps this is that thing about luck being a coin?¡±


    ¡°Good luck and misfortune are two sides of the same coin?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. You know how my grandmother treated my family. My dad suffered, but he and the family were able to leave that n. So we don¡¯t need to endure their bullying anymore. This is actually a good thing.¡±


    Good sprouts can grow from bad roots. It¡¯s fortunate that Zhao Guitang¡¯s family could be so upright in a n like that.


    They¡¯re rather reasonable people.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Your dad¡¯s leg will get better.¡±


    ¡°I know, and I believe you. Chuchu, thank you. My mom and my dad both told me not to hate you. Although life is a little tougher now, we finally have something to look forward to. We don¡¯t need to hand up all of our earnings.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu could tell that Zhao Men was being genuine.


    She thought about it for a moment, then asked, ¡°Men, if I were to show you a path, would you dare to walk it?¡±


    Zhao Men halted for quite a while before asking, ¡°What path?¡±


    ¡°Would you guys like to do some small business?¡±


    ¡°Business?¡±


    ¡°Yes, have you heard of tofu?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu had been here for more than a month. Yet, she had neither eaten nor seen tofu.


    The people here farm soybeans but haven¡¯t discovered many uses for the crop.


    Other than feeding the poultry and cattle, they simply fried the soybeans and boiled them to eat as snacks to go with alcohol.


    Soybeans have so many uses¡­ it¡¯s a real pity if they don¡¯t dig deeper into this crop.


    However, Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t want to start a tofu business because she waszy. She didn¡¯t want to wake up before sunrise every day to make tofu!


    She had seen Zhao Guitang¡¯s family¡¯s character with her own two eyes. So she wanted to teach them how to make tofu aspensation for breaking Zhao Guitang¡¯s leg.


    ¡°What¡¯s tofu?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a food made from soybeans. I saw it in a book. I heard that it¡¯s really good. Would you like to try it?¡±


    ¡°Are you going to teach me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but I have a condition.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°When you make money from it, I want 30 percent of your profits.¡±


    ¡°If we can make money from it, I¡¯ll give you half!¡±


    Zhao Men didn¡¯t even think about the offer.


    ¡°Sure, we¡¯ll discuss it next time. Let me see how your dad¡¯s doing first.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Zhao Men nodded.


    ¡°Oh right, have you eaten? I¡¯m going to make some egg pancakes. Would you like to have a try?¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s your cooking? I¡¯ll try some if it¡¯s good.¡±


    Zhao Menughed and said, ¡°I think it¡¯s pretty good. I didn¡¯t know you¡¯re such a picky eater!¡±


    ¡°Yup, now you know.¡±


    ¡°Hold on. I¡¯ll get some for you.


    The He family sent the eggs over. They were meant for Zhao Guitang to aid his recovery.


    Zhao Men didn¡¯t want to cook pancakes initially, but Zhao Chuchu just said that she would teach them to make tofu and earn money. She felt that she should do something for Zhao Chuchu in return. She had the impression that Zhao Chuchu really liked good food, so she decided to make some egg pancakes for her.


    Zhao Guitang overheard their conversation as well.


    After Zhao Chuchu entered the house, he asked her cautiously, ¡°Chuchu, are you really going to teach Men how to make tofu?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but I can¡¯t guarantee that it¡¯s going to work.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll work. Chuchu, you¡¯re such a capable person. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Thank me? For what? For breaking your leg?¡±


    Zhao Guitang¡¯s face turned red as he said, ¡°I deserved it for doing something stupid. Besides, you¡¯ve cured my leg now, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Are you guys still going to listen to them for everything you do in the future?¡±


    ¡°No, after this incident, I finally saw who they really are. So, Chuchu, don¡¯t worry. When you¡¯re really teaching Men how to make tofu, I¡¯ll tell them that you were the one who gave us the tofu. That way, they wouldn¡¯t dare snatch it from us. It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re alright with that?¡±


    ¡°Of course, go ahead.¡±


    Zhao Guitang heaved a sigh of relief.


    Zhao Chuchu left after changing medication for Zhao Guitang.


    The scent of pancakes from the kitchen lured her away.


    Zhao Men was squatting beside the stove and carefullyying out the pancakes.


    ¡°It smells pretty good. You¡¯re a lot better at this than you seem!¡± Zhao Chuchuplimented her. She felt a little defeated when she thought about how she couldn¡¯t cook anything but in porridge.


    ¡°Try it.¡±


    Zhao Men passed the cooked pancakes to Zhao Chuchu.


    Although they weren¡¯t as good as Xie Heng¡¯s cooking, they were definitely leaps and bounds ahead of Zhao Chuchu¡¯s cooking.


    Zhao Men took the opportunity to ask her about tofu.


    Zhao Chuchu exined it to her briefly.


    When Zhao Men heard about the amount of soybeans they needed and the stone mill, she thought about how much money it would cost and started feeling rather anxious.


    They had almost no money left at all. So right now, almost all their foodes from the He n.


    Zhao Chuchu could tell what Zhao Men was feeling troubled about. So she said, ¡°I can loan the money to you, but you¡¯ll have to write me a statement and promise that you¡¯ll return the money, alright?¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, how about we work for you and take 30 percent of the profits, and you can have the rest?¡±


    Zhao Men was a quick thinker.


    ¡°Are you sure? Are you sure you won¡¯t regret this arrangement?¡±


    ¡°Nope, you helped us. We¡¯re not ungrateful people!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu took a good look at Zhao Men.


    Zhao Men was being genuine.


    Zhao Zhizhi was inferior to Zhao Men in every possible way.


    ¡°I respect that. Alright then, we¡¯ll go with that arrangement. I¡¯ll get someone to settle the stone mill for you. It¡¯ll be set up in no time.¡±


    ¡°What do I need to do?¡±


    ¡°Empty out a room for the stone mill.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Zhao Men answered exuberantly.


    She didn¡¯t even think about whether this would actually work.


    She had absolute faith in Zhao Chuchu right now.


    She felt that everything Zhao Chuchu did must be right.


    When Zhao Chuchu came out of Zhao Guitang¡¯s house, she ran into Madam Qian.


    Madam Qian frantically ran away as though she had just run into a ghost. She was afraid of being beaten up by Zhao Chuchu again.


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    Her beating was pretty effective!

 Chapter 112 - 112 Hurry Up, Save Him!

    112 Hurry Up, Save Him!


    All those people who came to pester Zhao Chuchu previously became quiet and well-behaved after being beaten up by her. Now, they all hide far away the moment they see her. They were afraid of being beaten up again!


    Especially Niu Ziming, who didn¡¯t even dare to step out of his door anymore.


    Zhao Chuchu ¡°convinced¡± everyone to treat her well with her iron fist!


    The Chen n had a stone mill, so Zhao Chuchu went to them to ask where they had bought it from.


    !!


    She had not seen a stone mill anywhere else in the vige or the county.


    When Old Lady Chen heard her question, she said, ¡°You sounded so serious, I thought you were going to talk to me about something big. This stone mill was made by a brother from my maternal family. Chuchu, do you want to make one as well?¡±


    ¡°Yup, since your brother makes this, can I ask if they can make it ording to my specifications?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked.


    ¡°Of course. If you really want, I can get someone to send them a message. My brother cane over to see how you would like it.¡±


    ¡°Alright, sorry for the trouble, Grandma Chen.¡±


    ¡°No need to be so polite. Do you need this urgently?¡±


    ¡°No, everyone¡¯s busy with spring seeding right now. You can ask him toe over after spring seeding.¡±


    ¡°Okay then,¡± Old Lady Chen agreed.


    Although Zhao Chuchu had said that, Old Lady Chen didn¡¯t actually dy her request. She asked someone to send the message the very next day.


    Zhao Chuchu went back and told Xie Heng about this.


    Xie Heng¡¯s eyes lit up ever so slightly.


    ¡°Tofu? If we¡¯re really going to coborate with Zhao Guitang, when you leave in the future, will you sell all of the tofu to them? Or will youe back every year?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. We¡¯ll see how it goes. Maybe after Junjun is cured, I can¡¯t bear to leave this beautiful, scenic ce,¡± Zhao Chuchu joked.


    Can¡¯t bear to leave this ce?


    Xie Heng lowered his eyes to hide the intention in his expression.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of tofu before, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯s really good if you brought it up. But do you know how to make it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t, but I know the steps. We¡¯ll just need to experiment a few times, right?¡±


    ¡°You can tell me first. I¡¯ll learn it, then teach them.¡±


    ¡°You?¡±


    ¡°Mhm, can I not?¡±


    Of course, he can!


    The sess rate would be much higher if Xie Heng tried it!


    ¡°Alright then. We¡¯ll start after the stone mill ispleted.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu rubbed her hands against each other.


    Xie Heng raised his head to look at her and said, ¡°You seem to like money a lot.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu asked him curiously, ¡°Is there anyone who doesn¡¯t like money?¡±


    Xie Hengughed and said, ¡°Maybe.¡±


    ¡°Even the strongest man can be defeated by a single penny!¡± Zhao Chuchu looked at him and said, ¡°You¡¯re not stupid.¡±


    Xie Heng didn¡¯t know how to reply.


    He changed the topic. ¡°How¡¯s the farm thing going?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s already done. Now we just wait for it to grow,¡± Zhao Chuchu said. ¡°I¡¯m nning to plow the plot ofnd behind our house in a few days.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you,¡± Xie Heng said without even thinking. ¡°Not all schrs are physically incapable andpletely clueless about farming. I think I can do these things.¡±


    Of course, Zhao Chuchu wouldn¡¯t reject him.


    Xie Heng wasn¡¯t the frail schr that he pretended to be!


    That said, he was so good at pretending that she would be tricked if she wasn¡¯t a doctor!


    Xie Heng held many secrets, and Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t see through them from the beginning.


    Everything about him seemed odd. They also seemed logical.


    Zhao Chuchu decided to give up on probing these things.


    She started talking to Xie Heng about how to make tofu.


    Xie Heng memorized it after listening just once.


    ¡°You ate this often?¡±


    ¡°I guess. But soybeans can make a lot of things. Yuba is also really good, and soymilk is very nutritious. There¡¯s also tempeh¡­ Soybeans are like a treasure trove. Da Lang, I feel like we can get rich from just soybeans alone.¡±


    The word ¡°we¡± sounded exceptionally pleasing to Xie Heng¡¯s ear.


    ¡°So you bought thend in the mountains to nt soybeans?¡± Xie Heng asked with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re nning to nt soybeans after harvesting the potatoes?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I think I told you before. Actually, I wanted to convince the vige chief to nt it as well, but¡­¡±


    ¡°But what? You ran into difficulties?¡±


    ¡°I was just thinking how many people would actually listen to me. Soybean is an excellent crop.¡±


    In her previous life, her country paid hefty economic prices for soybeans historically. They spent a very long time regaining control over soybeans.


    ¡°We¡¯re only nting the soybeans at the end of May. So you still have time to get them to believe you,¡± Xie Heng consoled her. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be too worried about it.¡±


    ¡°Right, what¡¯s the point of overthinking this?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu felt that Xie Heng was right.


    The paddy rice would start growing by the end of May. People would know whether it¡¯s good with just one look. There would definitely be a lot more people who would be willing to farm soybeans by then.


    Zhao Chuchu really wanted to be rich off of soybeans.


    This was apletely vacant market. However, once she upied this market, it would only be a matter of time before she became the wealthiest person in the country!


    Zhao Chuchu wasn¡¯t a good cook, but she was amazing at everything else.


    Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to umte a worth of more than one billion in her previous life!


    Before the apocalypse came, she couldn¡¯t process all of her property.


    In other words, her carry-on space only contained half of what she owned.


    That said, being able to live another life was already a miracle for Zhao Chuchu. So she didn¡¯t want much. Although dying from high-rise litter hitting her was rather sad¡­


    Until today, Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t understand why it happened. She had already awakened her superpowers at the time. So how did she not detect the item that fell? Could it be that there were people who had long since awakened their superpowers?


    There were no answers to these questions. Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t feel like she could go back anyway.


    As a woman, she felt that she needed money in her pocket to feel safe.


    After experiencing the apocalypse, Zhao Chuchu learned to be prudent and vignt. She had picked up some characteristics of hamsters. If she didn¡¯t need the supplies right now, she would save them. What if they were in short supply in the future?


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Xie Heng saw Zhao Chuchu spacing out, so he reached his hand out and waved it in front of her.


    Zhao Chuchu suppressed her messy thoughts, thenughed and said, ¡°I¡¯m thinking about how to achieve world domination with soybeans!¡±


    Xie Hengughed heartily. He subconsciously knocked on Zhao Chuchu¡¯s forehead with his knuckles and said, ¡°You should think about how to dominate Lengshui Vige first!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mock me¡­¡±


    Before Zhao Chuchu finished her sentence, their conversation was interrupted by a yell. ¡°Oh no! Junjun! Brother Heng, sister-inw, quick! Go take a look!¡±


    The smiles on their faces instantly faded. They stood up and briskly walked outside.


    Old Lady Chen¡¯s grandson, Chen Liang, ran in, panting. He said with a teary voice, ¡°Junjun fell into the water. Waah, Sister-inw, quickly go save him.¡±


    The moment he spoke, Chen Liang felt a breeze brush past him. When he looked up again, Zhao Chuchu was already gone.


    ¡°Bring me there.¡± Xie Heng walked out. His eyes were filled with worry.


    Chen Liang wiped away his tears and ran outside as well.


    ¡°Junjun said that Sister-inw had been saying that she wanted to eat wild Shepherd¡¯s Purse, so he tried to pick some and bring it back. He didn¡¯t expect to run into Niu Ziming. Niu Ziming pushed him into the water. Junjun was saved by Uncle Niu, but he¡¯s not breathing anymore¡­¡±


    Xie Heng¡¯s expression turned ugly.


    At this point, Zhao Chuchu had already arrived at the riverbank. Xie Jun was lying there. His face waspletely pale, and his chest wasn¡¯t moving anymore.

 Chapter 113 - 113 Immediate Revenge

    113 Immediate Revenge


    When the crowd saw Zhao Chuchu arrive, they all took a step backward.


    Niu An waspletely wet from head to toe. He said, ¡°Chuchu, I tried my best to rush here and save Junjun. But I was still one step toote. Junjun is¡­¡±


    Dead.


    But Niu An didn¡¯t say thest word.


    Xie Heng¡¯s eyes had only just recovered, and such a tragic ident happened to Xie Jun.


    He¡¯s not breathing anymore. No matter how good of a doctor Zhao Chuchu was, there was no way she could revive Xie Jun from the dead¡­ If only he had run just a little faster just now, Xie Jun would definitely have survived!


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t say anything. Instead, she took a few big steps forward and crouched down beside Xie Jun. After checking his breath, she tilted Xie Jun¡¯s head to one side to check if there was anything in his throat.


    The whole crowd stared at Zhao Chuchu. For a moment, the only sound they could hear came from the running river.


    At the same time, Xie Heng arrived at the river bank as well. When he saw Xie Jun lying lifelessly, an intense killing intent welled up in his eyes.


    ¡°Da Lang,e here,¡± Zhao Chuchu said when he saw Xie Heng arrive. ¡°Help me.¡±


    ...


    Xie Heng suppressed the thought of killing Niu Ziming and stepped forward quickly.


    ¡°Take mymandter on. When I say one, you pinch Junjun¡¯s nose, cover his mouth, and blow air into his mouth. When I say two, let go. Do it ording to my rhythm,¡± Zhao Chuchu said to Xie Heng at a very fast pace.


    ¡°Alright!¡± Xie Heng nodded, then kneeled beside Xie Jun and got ready.


    More and more people came to the river bank to check out what was happening. Some of the women who liked to gossip started to run their mouths again.


    ¡°She¡¯s touching her brother-inw¡¯s body. How shameless.¡±


    ¡°I thought Xie Heng was a schr. So why is he allowing his wife to do something so shameless?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s already dead, yet he¡¯s enduring such treatment. How sad!¡±


    Xie Heng was furious. He wanted to say something, but Zhao Chuchu was faster than him.


    ¡°All of you do nothing every day. The only thing you know is to spit crap out of your mouth. If you don¡¯t shut your filthy mouths, I¡¯ll press all of you under the water so you get a taste of what it¡¯s like to be groped!¡±


    Once she said that, all of the gossiping women shut their mouths.


    The other onlookers criticized them as well, saying, ¡°Chuchu is trying to save someone here. Can you guys just shut up and umte some karma with your mouth? Aren¡¯t you afraid of divine retribution?¡±


    ...


    Zhao Chuchu ignored them. She said to Xie Heng, ¡°One!¡±


    Xie Heng followed her instructions.


    ¡°Two.¡±


    ¡°One.¡±


    ¡°Two.¡±


    Under the effort of Xie Heng and Zhao Chuchu, Xie Jun finally started breathing again.


    When Xie Heng sensed Xie Jun breathing, he felt as though a heavy weight had been lifted off his heart.


    Zhao Chuchu used a slight bit of her healing superpower to help Xie Jun regain consciousness in the shortest possible time.


    He opened his eyes and spat out a mouthful of water.


    The crowd couldn¡¯t believe what they were seeing.


    Niu An¡¯s eyes widened.


    ...


    Zhao Chuchu managed to bring Xie Jun back from the dead!


    ¡°Sis, drowning feels so bad.¡± The first thing that Xie Jun did wasin. He didn¡¯t know the difference between the heart and lungs. He said, ¡°I felt like my heart was about to explode.¡±


    ¡°Everything¡¯s fine now. We¡¯ll eat a good meal when we get back; then you won¡¯t feel so bad anymore.¡± Zhao Chuchu pitied him.


    ¡°Brother, why are you here as well?¡± Only then did Xie Jun see Xie Heng.


    Xie Heng rubbed his head and said, ¡°I was worried, so I came over to take a look.¡±


    ¡°There are so many people here.¡± Xie Jun looked at therge crowd around him and felt rather strange.


    Xie Heng said, ¡°You almost died just now. Some of these people came because they were worried about you, and the others just came to watch. But it¡¯s all over now. So let¡¯s go home first, alright?¡±


    ¡°Brother, all the shepherd¡¯s purses that I dug got washed away by the water,¡± Xie Jun said, a little upset. ¡°Brother Liang and I took so long to dig them.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯lle back and dig them again when you¡¯ve recovered. But let¡¯s go home first,¡± Xie Heng consoled him.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Xie Heng looked toward Zhao Chuchu and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sis. I didn¡¯t get you the shepherd¡¯s purse.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu felt something warm trickle through her heart. Xie Jun seemed to be thinking about her more than anything else. She said, ¡°I¡¯ve already received your goodwill. We¡¯lle back again to dig them in a few days.¡±


    ...


    Only then did Xie Jun nod.


    Xie Heng carried Xie Jun, then looked toward the women who were gossiping just now and said, ¡°Apologize!¡¯


    His voice sounded normal. There was nothing different about it. Yet, it made those women shiver for some reason.


    ¡°Chuchu is such an amazing doctor. She managed to revive someone from the dead. That¡¯s incredible.¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, I was just running my mouth without thinking just now. You won¡¯t mind it, right?¡±


    ¡°He was saved. That¡¯s wonderful. You guys should have a good meal and celebrateter.¡±


    They joked andughed, intending to move on from what they had said earlier.


    Zhao Chuchu smiled and said, ¡°Humans won¡¯t be calctive toward mad dogs because if they do, they turn into mad dogs themselves. I am a human, and I speak humannguage. I don¡¯t bark.¡±


    Their smiles froze on their faces.


    ¡°I¡¯m not the type to let things slip and move on. I always get my revenge immediately.¡±


    Right after she said that, the gossiping women flew out before they even realized what was going on. They fell into the water one by one, like dumplings falling into soup!


    ...


    ¡°Help¡­ Ahh, help¡­¡±


    The water wasn¡¯t that deep, and it was not actually possible to drown inside. Yet those people floated and sank nonstop.


    Zhao Chuchu looked at them from the shore coldly. Then, sheughed and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t do that on purpose. I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t me me, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t do it ever again.¡±


    ¡°Help¡­¡±


    They iled their limbs in the water and shrieked.


    ¡°This water isn¡¯t deep enough to drown in. What are you yelling for?¡± Zhao Chuchu sneered at their ridiculous act, then turned and left.


    They continued yelling.


    Someone couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and said, ¡°Stop it. You might really drown if you continue. Stand up. The water level is lower than your height!¡±


    Upon hearing those words, the ¡°drowning¡± women all stood up straight. They realized that the water only reached their necks. It was indeed impossible for them to drown.


    ...


    It¡¯s just that when their heads were on the surface just now, they felt like drowning when the river water hit their faces.


    ¡°Da Lang, when you return home, get Junjun a change of clothes, then heat up a bucket of ginger water for him to take a bath,¡± said Zhao Chuchu when she caught up to Xie Heng.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to make the culprit pay for this. I am at fault for what Niu Ziming did.¡±


    ¡°Return home with me and take care of Junjun. I should be the one seeking revenge for my brother.¡±


    ¡°Da Lang, don¡¯t contend with me on this.¡± Zhao Chuchu looked at him from an angle and said, ¡°I¡¯m more suitable for certain things.¡±


    A schr should behave like one.


    Xie Heng went silent for a while, then said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Sis, I didn¡¯t provoke Niu Ziming. I even tried to evade him every time I saw him. I don¡¯t know why he was so mean to me and pushed me into the water.¡± Xie Jun was still too young. He couldn¡¯t figure out how he provoked Niu Ziming at all.


    ¡°A mad dog doesn¡¯t need a reason to bite people. So don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯ll make him kneel down and apologize to you.¡±


    ¡°Sis¡­¡±


    ¡°Good boy.¡±


    When they reached the fork in the road, Zhao Chuchu went straight toward Niu Ziming¡¯s ce.


    Niu Ziming¡¯s door was shut tight, but Zhao Chuchu could still hear the conversation going on inside. ¡°Ziming, stop packing. Let¡¯s go. When Zhao Chuchu realizes what happened, there¡¯s no way that we can escape!¡±

 Chapter 114 - 114 How’s Does The Retribution Feel?

    114 How¡¯s Does The Retribution Feel?


    Just as she said that, the two of them heard a bang.


    The door, which was initially closed, was kicked off its frame. It was barely left hanging on the doorframe.


    Zhao Chuchu walked in with the light behind her. She emanated a terrifying murderous error that sent chills down the spine of whoever saw her.


    Madam Qian and Niu Ziming both backed off in fear.


    ¡°You, what are you doing? This is my home. You broke into my home without my permission. I can go to the governing bureau to sue you!¡± Madam Qian pulled Niu Ziming behind her in an attempt to protect him as she said with a trembling voice.


    Zhao Chuchu sneered. ¡°We will be heading to the governing bureau. But before we go there, I think there¡¯s something that needs to be settled,¡± she said as she walked forward.


    Madam Qian and her son had no more space to retreat. Their faces were filled with fear as they stood with their backs flushed to the wall.


    ¡°Don¡¯te here, Zhao Chuchu. Murder is against thew!¡±


    ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t want to get blood on my hands because of you useless trash. However, I can still make you wish that you were dead!¡±


    After saying that, Zhao Chuchu pulled Madam Qian away. She grabbed Niu Ziming¡¯s cor and slowly lifted him off the ground.


    ...


    ¡°What are you doing? Zhao Chuchu, if you kill me, you¡¯ll have to pay with your life. If I die, you won¡¯t be able to stay alive either!¡± Niu Ziming was so afraid that his voice cracked. Urine started dripping down from his crotch.


    Zhao Chuchu threw him onto the ground in disgust.


    ¡°Ahh!¡± Niu Ziming shrieked in pain as hended on the ground.


    Zhao Chuchu dragged him out into the courtyard where the water vat was ced. Then, she threw Niu Ziming into the water vat and pushed his head down into the water.


    Niu Ziming struggled like mad.


    Water started pouring into his body from all directions. Fear deluged him.


    He wanted to shout for help but couldn¡¯t make a sound.


    Madam Qian screamed as she saw what was happening. ¡°Help, Zhao Chuchu is killing my son. Help!¡±


    Niu Ziming¡¯s father was sleeping in another room. When he heard the sound from outside, he woke up and dashed into the courtyard just in time to see Zhao Chuchu drowning his son. His eyes turned red as he yelled, ¡°Zhao Chuchu, I¡¯m going to kill you!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu waited for him to get close, then kicked him away without even looking.


    She pulled Niu Ziming¡¯s head out from the water.


    ...


    Air flowed into Niu Ziming¡¯s lungs again, and he started to cough profusely.


    He wanted to shout for help, but Zhao Chuchu pressed his head into the water again.


    Niu Ziming¡¯s family almost went insane when they saw what Zhao Chuchu was doing.


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu, let go of my grandson, or I won¡¯t forgive you even if I turn into a ghost!¡±


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu, if you dare to kill him today, I¡¯ll make you go down with him.¡±


    ¡°Help, Zhao Chuchu has gone insane!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu waspletely unfazed. She continued what she was doing.


    She pulled him out, then pressed him back down.


    Niu Ziming¡¯s house was soon surrounded by people from the vige.


    Only then did Zhao Chuchu drag Niu Ziming out from the water vat. She tossed Niu Ziming onto the ground and stepped on his back. She looked at his family and said, ¡°Niu Ziming pushed Xie Jun into the water for no reason just now. If I had reached anyter, Xie Jun would be dead by now.


    What do you think I¡¯m doing to him now? A murderer should pay for his deeds with his own life. He deserves to die. You can go to the governing bureau and sue me. I was just about to go to the governing bureau and seek justice for Xie Jun! Do you really think you can just bully my family like that? Do you really think you can just bully Xie Jun like that?¡±


    ...


    ¡°But Xie Jun didn¡¯t die! You¡¯re the one trying to kill Ziming now!¡±


    Zhao Chuchuughed. ¡°Yeah, I am going to kill him! I let him gost time, but now you¡¯re the one asking to die, so you can¡¯t really me me for it!¡±


    ¡°You, what are you trying to do?¡±


    They had a bad feeling about this.


    Zhao Chuchu tossed a dagger onto the ground and said, ¡°Whichever hand Niu Ziming used to push Xie Jun, you will slice the tendon in that hand. Only then will I let him live.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible. You¡¯re dreaming!¡±


    ¡°Alright, then you have another choice!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu turned to look at the vigers and said, ¡°Uncles, can you do me a favor and help me send Niu Ziming to the county governing bureau? Junjun was almost killed by him, so I have to seek justice for Junjun! But, of course, before that happens, I want to punish him myself first.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu raised her leg and flipped Niu Ziming over with her foot, so he was facing the sky. She crouched down, picked up the dagger, and then pointed it at Niu Ziming¡¯s crotch.


    ¡°Do you want him to lose all of his sons and grandsons? Or go to the Xie n, kneel down and kowtow to Xie Jun to ask for forgiveness?¡±


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu¡­¡± Madam Qian¡¯s eyes widened as she shouted. ¡°Are you insane? Let go of my son! If anything happens to my son, I¡¯ll make you pay for it with your life!¡±


    ...


    ¡°You¡¯ve said that many times, and I¡¯m getting tired of hearing it. But, unfortunately, things won¡¯t go your way just because you¡¯re loud! Since you¡¯re not willing, I have no choice but to cut off his descendants!¡±


    A vicious smile appeared on Zhao Chuchu¡¯s face as she lowered the dagger inch by inch.


    Niu Ziming spent too much energy struggling just now. He didn¡¯t have any strength left to run away.


    He watched the dagger in terror. He could even feel the coldness of the de on his crotch, which made his soul tremble.


    ¡°I¡¯ll kowtow and ask for forgiveness. Please don¡¯t sterilize me¡­¡± He yelled with thest bit of his energy.


    Zhao Chuchu flipped the dagger around.


    Niu Ziming¡¯s family nearly fainted from fear.


    They were afraid that Zhao Chuchu would really sterilize Niu Ziming if her hand weren¡¯t stable enough.


    Zhao Chuchu retracted the dagger and stood up, then looked at Niu Ziming from above, and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    ¡°I, I don¡¯t have energy now. Just a moment¡­¡±


    Zhao Chuchu took out the dagger again and said, ¡°I think I should just castrate you now. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m a doctor. You won¡¯t die from this. Though it might be very painful, and it¡¯ll keep bleeding, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ...


    ¡°I¡¯ll go right now.¡±


    A person¡¯s potential bes limitless under the influence of fear. Niu Ziming mustered the strength out of nowhere and managed to stand up, gritting his teeth.


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu, my son ispletely wet now. You¡¯re trying to kill him!¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t he try to kill Xie Jun? What did Xie Jun do? He¡¯s still a child!¡±


    ¡°You will receive retribution for this!¡±


    ¡°I will make your whole family receive retribution right now.¡±


    After saying that, Zhao Chuchu carried the water vat and hurled it away.


    The kitchen, which was beside the main house, immediately copsed.


    ¡°How does the retribution feel?¡± An eerie smile appeared on Zhao Chuchu¡¯s face.


    The crowd looked in disbelief at the kitchen, which was now a pile of rubble.


    ¡°Actually, if you like, I can help to demolish your entire house,¡± Zhao Chuchu said.


    ...


    Madam Qian was terrified. ¡°You, you¡¯re not human¡­¡±


    ¡°Hah.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll kowtow and apologize.¡±


    Niu Ziming walked toward the door with tears in his eyes.


    ¡°Hold on. You¡¯re going to kneel down and crawl there, not walk there!¡± Zhao Chuchu stopped Niu Ziming with a cold voice.


    The temperature was still rather low in March.


    But nothing could be colder than Zhao Chuchu¡¯s words.


    Niu Ziming didn¡¯t dare to resist at all. Instead, he kneeled on the ground and slowly crawled toward the Xie n¡¯s house.


    All the other vigers followed him.


    Niu Ziming was so cold that his teeth chattered, but he didn¡¯t dare to say anything against Zhao Chuchu.


    Fortunately, the Xie n¡¯s home wasn¡¯t very far from his home.


    However, there were a lot of little pebbles on the path, which really made Niu Ziming suffer.


    When they finally reached the Xie family, they realized that no one was there.


    Both Xie Heng and Xie Jun were absent.


    Upon asking, they learned that the two of them had gone to the Chen n¡¯s home because Old Lady Chen happened to have hot water.


    So Niu Ziming had to go to the Chen family now.


    The Chen n¡¯s home wasn¡¯t close to the Xie n¡¯s home.


    By the time Niu Ziming reached the Chen n¡¯s home, his knees were bloody.

 Chapter 115 - 115 You Don’t Deserve Forgiveness!

    115 You Don¡¯t Deserve Forgiveness!


    Xie Jun had already had his bath and changed into clean clothes. Xie Heng was wringing his hair dry with a towel.


    Niu Ziming started kowtowing at the door the moment he saw them.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. It¡¯s all my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have pushed Junjun into the water identally. I¡¯m sorry. I won¡¯t do it again. Please forgive me. I¡¯ve realized my mistake. I¡¯ll kowtow and apologize.¡±


    Xie Heng continued to dry Xie Jun¡¯s hair as though he didn¡¯t hear Niu Ziming at all.


    Xie Jun raised his head and looked at Xie Heng to ask him what to do.


    Xie Heng put his arm around Xie Jun¡¯s shoulder to make Xie Jun sit up straight. He said, ¡°Don¡¯t move. It¡¯ll hurt if I pull on your hair.¡±


    Regardless of what Niu Ziming did, Xie Heng did not look at him.


    ¡°Deportment is very important for schrs. You should always walk straight and sit upright, alright?¡± A few momentster, Xie Heng lowered his head and lectured Xie Jun.


    Xie Jun nodded and said, ¡°Yes, brother, I will remember that in the future.¡±


    ¡°A viin may be able to get instant gratification from his actions, but he should consider whether he can pay the price for his actions. Junjun, I have taught you before¡ªwhat kind of people should you not sympathize with?¡±


    ¡°People who try to kill me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, so will you ept apologies from those people?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°So what should you do?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯spletely justified for murderers to pay the price for their crimes with their lives. Although I am still alive, it is undeniable that he tried to kill me. That¡¯s against thews of the royal court.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to report him!¡±


    Xie Jun suddenly pointed at Niu Ziming, who was still kneeling on the ground and kowtowing.


    Madam Qian started screaming upon hearing that. ¡°My son has already apologized. What do you want from him?¡±


    Xie Heng raised his head and looked at Madam Qian impassively. ¡°Not all apologies are requited with forgiveness. Likewise, it¡¯s your freedom whether you want to forgive someone else. You don¡¯t have the right to ask for forgiveness!¡±


    ¡°Xie Heng, you are a schr as well¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I am reasonable and logical. I know what to do and what not to do. I can choose to forgive him, but I can also choose to pursue it to the fullest extent. Today, I choose thetter.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°Xie Heng, don¡¯t you have any sympathy? Ziming is the only child in our family. Do you want to wipe out our descendants?¡±


    ¡°Xie Heng, has all your studying gone to the trash can? Don¡¯t you know that you should be magnanimous toward other people?¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be too ruthless toward people, lest you might need them one day. What if Ziming manages to ace the exam and be an official one day? You¡¯ll regret your actions!¡±


    Niu Ziming¡¯s family was extremely worked up.


    Xie Heng smiled lightly and said, ¡°Is that so? If that¡¯s the case, he can make me feel regretful when it happens. Right now, I can only think about seeking justice for my poor brother.¡±


    The panic in Madam Qian¡¯s heart grew as she realized that Xie Heng wasn¡¯t just saying this to scare them.


    Niu Ziming said desperately, ¡°What should I do to get you guys to move on? I¡¯ve already apologized and done what Zhao Chuchu told me to do. You¡¯re going back on your word! You¡¯ll be struck by lightning for this!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll move on when you receive the punishment that you deserve! Compared to Junjun when he was no longer breathing, you¡¯re still very much alive. So, tell me, do you think we can move on?¡±


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu had already sought revenge on me!¡±


    ¡°She was just helping her brother-inw vent his anger for being harmed. That was her personal decision. What I¡¯m doing now is fulfilling the duties and responsibilities of a brother. I¡¯m caring for him and protecting him!¡±


    ¡°You guys¡­¡±


    Xie Heng signaled Zhao Chuchu toe to him. He passed the towel to her so she could help Xie Jun dry his hair.


    He walked in front of Niu Ziming and looked down on him from above. His gaze looked as though he was looking at an insect. There was not a tinge of sympathy in his eyes. ¡°You were the one who deliberately decided to do this, so you do not deserve forgiveness!¡±


    Niu Ziming felt a chill rise up from the bottom of his feet.


    ¡°Tongsheng, Ziming is your nephew! How can you just watch as Xie Heng bullies him like that? Please just say something! The Xie n ispletely dominating the Niu n now!¡± Madam Qian suddenly grabbed Niu Tongsheng.


    Niu Tongsheng didn¡¯t know what to say.


    What could he say?


    Niu Ziming deserved it!


    Xie Jun was digging for shepherd¡¯s purse nts at the river bank, and he didn¡¯t even interact with Niu Ziming. So why did he push Xie Jun into the river?


    If Zhao Chuchu weren¡¯t such a great doctor or reached just a littleter, Xie Jun would be a corpse by now!


    ¡°If you¡¯re regretting it so much now, why did you do it back then?¡± Niu Tongsheng shoved Madam Qian¡¯s hand away and said, ¡°He attempted murder. There¡¯s nothing I can do about such vicious acts, regardless of whether I am the vige chief!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re his uncle. You can¡¯t just watch him die!¡±


    ¡°As the vige chief, you can¡¯t even order Xie Heng?¡±


    ¡°If Ziming dies, I¡¯ll hang myself at your door!¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s the shameless old hag who wants to hang herself at my door? Come out. I¡¯ll strangle you to death right now so you don¡¯t dirty my door!¡± Madam Kong arrived with great ferocity.


    ¡°All of you immoral, disgusting, rotten scums! You were the ones who tried to harm him, and now you¡¯re acting innocent? If your ancestors knew that they had such disgraceful descendants, they would jump out of their coffins to wipe you out!¡±


    Madam Kong ced one hand on her hips and pointed at Madam Qian with the other hand. She yelled and scolded the Niu family with tremendous force.


    Zhao Chuchu behaved as though nothing out of the ordinary was happening. She removed the water from Xie Jun¡¯s hair with her powers to dry it.


    While Madam Qian was quarreling with Madam Kong, Xie Heng found a rope and tied Niu Ziming up. Niu Ziming had no energy to struggle at all.


    ¡°Dad, Mom, save me¡­¡± Niu Ziming yelled.


    Madam Qian pounced on Xie Heng.


    ...


    Xie Heng turned his body a little and dodged her. Madam Qian fell heavily to the ground and could not pick herself up for a long while.


    Xie Heng looked toward Niu Tongsheng and said, ¡°Vige chief, a member of the Niu n has done something wrong. Would you like to send him to the county governing bureau yourself, or should I bring him there?¡±


    Niu Tongsheng could tell that Xie Heng was threatening them.


    He was angry at how vicious Niu Ziming was as well.


    After doing something like this, it was nearly impossible for Niu Ziming to rise up again.


    Niu Tongsheng didn¡¯t want to offend Xie Heng with a scumbag like Niu Ziming, so he told Niu An and Niu Le to help Xie Heng take Niu Ziming away.


    Madam Qian and her family started yelling nasty insults at Niu Tongsheng. They kept saying that Niu Tongsheng betrayed his people by helping an outsider persecute Niu Ziming.


    Niu Tongsheng was so mad that he almost felt likeughing. Instead, he said, ¡°Our ancestors are watching us from above. If they saw this, they would want to kill all of you deplorable fools by striking you with lightning! Don¡¯t you know what Niu Ziming did? If you keep making noise, I¡¯ll open up the ancestral hall and chase all of you out!¡±


    Once he said that, Madam Qian and her family went silent.


    They didn¡¯t have the guts to leave the n like Zhao Chuchu because they weren¡¯t nearly as capable as her.


    Without the protection of their n, they would be bullied wherever they go.


    ...


    They didn¡¯t dare risk that.


    Besides, Niu Ziming had uncles and aunties as well. None of them were willing to get chased out of the family for him!


    Just like that, Niu Ziming was sent to the county governing bureau.


    They didn¡¯t even need to interrogate him. So many vigers had witnessed his crime. Niu Ziming was unable to deny his wrongdoing. He had no choice but to plead guilty.


    Country Magistrate Qiao chose the most severe punishment and sentenced Niu Ziming to exile.


    When Madam Qian heard the verdict, she began to make a big fuss in court.

 Chapter 116 - 116 They Got Scolded Instead

    116 They Got Scolded Instead


    ¡°God, open your eyes and look at this world that inverts right and wrong, where people are being eaten alive. Good people are being wiped out and eliminated! My son is innocent! Please save my son!¡±


    Madam Qiany on the ground and started rolling around hysterically.


    County Magistrate Qiao¡¯s face was dark with anger.


    He mmed the gavel and said, ¡°This is a court. It¡¯s not a ce for you to throw tantrums! Security, take down this woman who¡¯s disturbing the court, and give her twenty strokes of the cane as a warning!¡±


    Madam Qian immediately picked herself up from the ground when she heard that and tried to run away.


    But this was an official court. How could she possibly run away?


    The officials from the court caught her and forced her into a chair.


    Madam Qian¡¯s shrieks were so agonizing that no one else dared to look at her.


    Zhao Chuchu wanted to cover Xie Jun¡¯s eyes and not let him see it, but Xie Heng stopped her.


    Xie Heng even turned Xie Jun to face Madam Qian¡¯s direction so he could see more clearly.


    Xie Jun was a little afraid, but Xie Heng didn¡¯t let him back away.


    ¡°Junjun, look at this. Thew exists to restrict and govern the morals of people. So in the future, if anyone tries to harm you, you cannot have any sympathy, alright?¡±


    ¡°But I have you, brother.¡±


    ¡°Brother can¡¯t protect you forever, Junjun. Everyone has to grow up one day.¡±


    Xie Heng had previously protected Xie Jun because Xie Jun was poisoned, and he couldn¡¯t find an antidote. So all he could do was try his best to let Xie Jun enjoy his life every day.


    But now, the situation has changed. Zhao Chuchu was able to detoxify Xie Jun. Xie Jun had to start learning how to face the cruel reality.


    Xie Heng didn¡¯t want to let Xie Jun remain an innocent, uncorrupted child.


    Xie Jun trembled slightly, but he understood what Xie Heng was saying. So, although he was afraid, he decided to face it courageously instead of running away.


    After 20 strokes of the cane, Madam Qian was barely breathing.


    The people from the Niu family didn¡¯t dare say anything. Regardless of how much they hated Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng, they didn¡¯t dare show any of it.


    They witnessed what happened to Madam Qian themselves, and no one dared to court death anymore.


    County Magistrate Qiao made the security carry Madam Qian to Niu Ziming¡¯s family.


    The court officials were extremely ruthless in administering the punishment.


    They didn¡¯t spare any strength at all.


    However, Madam Qian wasn¡¯t in any mortal danger, but she would be in pain for a long time after this.


    ¡°Dismissed.¡±


    County Magistrate Qiao exited the court.


    Niu Ziming¡¯s grandmother red at Zhao Chuchu and said, ¡°You caused my daughter-inw to be like this. Hurry up and save her.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu grabbed Xie Jun¡¯s hand and started walking out as though she didn¡¯t hear Niu Ziming¡¯s grandmother. ¡°Junjun survived such an ordeal, and we managed to seek justice for him. This is worth celebrating. How about a good meal?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll listen to sis.¡± Xie Jun¡¯s eyes lit up the moment Zhao Chuchu mentioned a good meal. Then, he asked, ¡°Brother, what about you?¡±


    ¡°Yup, let¡¯s go.¡± Xie Heng nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu, stop!¡± Niu Ziming¡¯s grandmother yelled.


    Zhao Chuchu ignored her and continued walking out.


    The old woman sprinted forward and stood in front of Zhao Chuchu. ¡°I told you to save her!¡±


    Only then did Zhao Chuchu look at her. ¡°Save her?¡± she asked.


    ¡°You ruined my entire family. If you don¡¯t save her, you will be the murderer because you caused her to die. My grandson is already suffering such a terrible fate. Are you trying to force my daughter-inw to die as well?¡±


    The old woman said aggressively, ¡°Guys, look at this. Does this woman think she can kill anyone she likes just because she solved the gue? Is there stillw and order in this world?¡±


    Zhao Chuchuughed.


    But before she could say anything, the bystanders spoke first.


    ¡°Ptui, what the hell is wrong with this old hag? No wonder she has a grandson like this and such a ridiculous daughter-inw. It turns out it was passed down from the family!¡±


    ¡°Her grandson almost killed someone else. How could she be shameless and say they were forcing her to die? If it¡¯s up to me, the county magistrate should have sentenced their entire family to death! Why leave them here to continue harming other people?¡±


    ¡°Take a look at what you did yourself. You want us to help you seek justice. Who do you think you are? Look at yourself in the mirror! Immoral, ck-hearted scum, you¡¯ll be punished by god!¡±


    ¡°Olddy, don¡¯t overestimate how much power you have. If this weren¡¯t the court, I would beat you up first. You¡¯re disgusting and annoying. Doctor Zhao is unfortunate to be in the same vige as you!¡±


    ¡°Scram, don¡¯t try to gain our sympathy. I can¡¯t wait for wicked scums like you to die!¡±


    Madam Qian and the Niu family didn¡¯t think that they would fail so miserably at riling up the crowd. The bystanders scolded them instead.


    Niu Ziming¡¯s uncle felt extremely ashamed. They carried Madam Qian and ran away miserably. No one dared tell Zhao Chuchu to save Madam Qian anymore.


    ¡°Thank you, everyone, for standing up for me. Fortunately, you guys know right from wrong and didn¡¯t get used by them. Otherwise, I would have been wronged!¡± Zhao Chuchu thanked the bystanders.


    ¡°Doctor Zhao, don¡¯t worry about it. We¡¯re not blind, so we can tell who¡¯s evil here. If that family dares to bully you again, don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll support you!¡±


    All of the bystanders expressed their opinion and supported Zhao Chuchu.


    Niu Ziming¡¯s family wasn¡¯t far away yet. They quickly hastened their footsteps when they heard them, afraid that they might be verbally beaten up again if they were too slow.


    Zhao Chuchu thanked the bystanders again and brought Xie Heng and Xie Jun to Visitor¡¯s Aroma.


    Unexpectedly, they ran into Qiao Heting at the entrance of Visitor¡¯s Aroma.


    ¡°Miss Xie, what a coincidence,¡± Qiao Heting greeted them politely. He asked as his gazended on Xie Heng. ¡°Is this Mr. Xie, Xie Heng?¡±


    Xie Heng nodded and said, ¡°Yes, I am. May I know who you are?¡±


    ...


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot of stories about you. I am Qiao Heting,¡± Qiao Heting greeted.


    ¡°Mr. Qiao, nice to meet you.¡±


    For some reason, Zhao Chuchu felt like Xie Heng behaved really distant when interacting with Qiao Heting.


    It¡¯s not that Xie Heng gets close to people very easily, but Zhao Chuchu had never seen Xie Heng treat anyone else like that.


    Xie Chuchu recalled when she first met Qiao Heting and told Xie Heng about it when she returned home. She felt like something wasn¡¯t right, but she couldn¡¯t quite put her finger on it.


    ¡°What a coincidence. Shall we have a meal together? My treat. Please don¡¯t reject me, Mr. Xie.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, but Chuchu said we¡¯ll celebrate with Junjun as a family. It may be a little inconvenient with you present.¡±


    Xie Heng¡¯s rejection was rather tant.


    Of course, Qiao Heting understood what he was trying to say.


    But he waited here to ¡°run into¡± them, so he pressed on. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m not a picky eater.¡±


    Xie Heng didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ...


    He didn¡¯t know that Qiao Heting could be so shameless!


    ¡°How about tomorrow?¡± said Zhao Chuchu, trying to diffuse the situation. ¡°It¡¯s already getting quitete, so we¡¯re staying the night in the county.¡±


    ¡°I need to head out for business tomorrow. Since we happened to meet here right now, let¡¯s do it today.¡± Qiao Heting had already made up his mind. He would not let Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng reject him.


    Zhao Chuchu looked toward Xie Heng helplessly.


    Xiao Heng nodded and said, ¡°Alright then.¡±


    Qiao Heting smiled and said, ¡°Sorry for the inconvenience.¡±


    ¡°You knew that you were being inconvenient, yet you insisted on following,¡± Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t help but remark silently.


    Xie Jun felt rather unhappy as well.


    He was going to eat with his brother and sister-inw!


    Xie Heng looked toward Zhao Chuchu and said, ¡°Chuchu, call Uncle Niu and the others here as well, so we don¡¯t dy their mealtime. We can look for a hotelter.¡±


    Qiao Heting frowned slightly. Why was Xie Heng hostile toward him for no apparent reason?

 Chapter 117 - 117 Those Words Can Cause Misunderstandings

    117 Those Words Can Cause Misunderstandings


    Zhao Chuchu was sent away by Xie Heng, and she brought Xie Jun with her to invite Niu An and the others over.


    Xie Heng entered Visitor¡¯s Aroma first.


    Qiao Heting suppressed his questions and followed him.


    The owner of the restaurant was very happy to see Xie Heng. ¡°Mr. Xie, hello. Please head up to the private room.¡±


    !!


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Xie Heng replied, nodding.


    The owner smiled and said, ¡°No worries, sir. Please head up first.¡±


    After saying that, he realized that Qiao Heting was there as well.


    Naturally, the owner of the restaurant knew County Magistrate Qiao¡¯s nephew. He hurriedly greeted Qiao Heting as well, then brought them up to the best private dining room on the second floor.


    ¡°Shall we serve the dishes now?¡±


    ¡°Hold on. We¡¯re still waiting for someone.¡±


    ¡°Alright, let me know when you want us to serve the food. I won¡¯t disturb you now.¡±


    After the owner went out, Qiao Heting couldn¡¯t help but ask the question that had been bothering him. ¡°Mr. Xie, have we met before?¡±


    ¡°I just recovered recently. So this is the first time that I¡¯m meeting you, Mr. Qiao,¡± Xie Heng answered as he poured a cup of tea. ¡°Have you seen me before?¡±


    Qiao Heting remembered the rumors about how Xie Heng was blind.


    ¡°Your wife is an amazing doctor. Was she the one who cured your eyes?¡±


    Xie Heng raised his head to look at Qiao Heting.


    Qiao Heting felt like Xie Heng was looking down on him.


    He subconsciously touched his nose.


    For some reason, although this was definitely the first time he had met Xie Heng, he felt like he was at a disadvantage against Xie Heng.


    It was as though Xie Heng was born to suppress him.


    Heting was outstanding among those of his age. It was the first time that he felt that way.


    ¡°Chuchu learned to be a doctor because she wanted to cure my eyes. Now, my eyes have been cured. I think that¡¯s quite normal, right?¡± Xie Heng said. ¡°Mr. Qiao, your words can cause a misunderstanding. Please be more careful.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean that. Please don¡¯t misunderstand, Mr. Xie,¡± Qiao Heting apologized.


    They were the only ones in the room.


    Xie Heng said, ¡°Chuchu is just an ordinary person. If you need any help from her, I suggest you seek her permission first. If you dare to force her to do anything¡­¡±


    It was rather obvious what Xie Heng meant. He was saying that he wouldn¡¯t let it slip.


    Qiao Heting looked at Xie Heng and said, ¡°I was wrong. Mr. Xie, your eyes couldn¡¯t see, but your heart wasn¡¯t blinded. Did your wife tell you about what happened when we first met?¡±


    ¡°She is my wife. Should she not have told me?¡± Xie Heng performed his role as a protective husband to perfection.


    In actual fact, he wanted to do this.


    He was a man, and he could tell that Qiao Heting was very curious about Zhao Chuchu.


    A man being curious about a woman wasn¡¯t a good sign.


    To be honest, Xie Heng didn¡¯t want Zhao Chuchu to get too close to Qiao Heting.


    ¡°Mr. Xie, I think you may have misunderstood.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m simply impressed by your wife¡¯s skills as a doctor.¡±


    ¡°That would be great.¡±


    Xie Heng ended the conversation.


    The two of them looked at each other silently as they drank tea.


    Qiao He Ting attempted to start a conversation several times, but whenever he saw Xie Heng¡¯s cold expression, he couldn¡¯t say anything.


    He was a proud person as well, and he could have almost anything he desired.


    Why would he be willing to cater to the attitude of a little schr?


    That¡¯s impossible!


    Qiao Heting rested the thought of conversing with Xie Heng and waited patiently for Zhao Chuchu to arrive.


    When Zhao Chuchu returned, she felt that the atmosphere in the room was very strange.


    But she was big-hearted and didn¡¯t think that Xie Heng and Qiao Heting would do anything inappropriate in a public setting like this.


    It wasn¡¯t the first time Niu An had been there, so he appeared calmer than Niu Le.


    Niu Le¡¯s behavior was exactly the same as Niu An¡¯s previously. He was so nervous that he didn¡¯t know where to put his arms and legs.


    With Zhao Chuchu in the room to set the atmosphere, the mood in the room returned to normal.


    Qiao Heting wanted to ask Zhao Chuchu about something, but he couldn¡¯t bring it up now after what Xie Heng said.


    After all, what he wanted to ask did involve a bit of scheming.


    Xie Heng had already warned him, so he couldn¡¯t go back on his word now.


    Zhao Chuchu had no idea what happened in the room while she had gone to get Niu An and the rest.


    Xie Heng conversed with Qiao Heting as though nothing had happened at all.


    Qiao Heting tried to probe how knowledgeable Xie Heng was. Unexpectedly, Xie Heng was not only very knowledgeable but also a deep thinker.


    ...


    Qiao Heting benefited quite a bit from the conversation, which made him dismiss the thought that Xie Heng was overplemented by the people around him.


    ¡°Listening to you talk was more beneficial than studying for a decade. Mr. Xie, you¡¯re an impressive man,¡± Qiao Heting said genuinely. ¡°I wonder if we can continue our discussion some other time.¡±


    ¡°Not really. My family is busy with spring seeding. We don¡¯t have time,¡± Xie Heng rejected him.


    Qiao Heting was speechless.


    But he wasn¡¯t mad.


    Xie Heng was knowledgeable and highly talented. He had the right to be arrogant.


    Zhao Chuchu wasn¡¯t interested in the topics that they were talking about. Instead, she focused on the food with Xie Jun and the Niu brothers. When she heard Xie Heng, she subconsciouslymented, ¡°It¡¯s fine. You don¡¯t need to worry about spring seeding. I think it¡¯s good for you to discuss academic matters with Mr. Qiao.¡±


    Now it was Xie Heng¡¯s turn to be speechless.


    ¡°But the county is quite a distance away from our house. I think Mr. Qiao shouldn¡¯t travel so much. After all, the rural region isn¡¯t a suitable ce for Mr. Qiao, and there¡¯s no space at our home for him to stay as well.¡±


    Xie Heng felt better.


    Qiao Heting smiled bitterly and said, ¡°That¡¯s very humorous of you, Ms. Zhao.¡±


    ...


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t joking. We¡¯re very poor.¡± Zhao Chuchu had finished her meal, so she started speaking nonsense. ¡°If we have to provide food for one more person, we¡¯ll probably go hungry. So we can¡¯t let Mr. Qiao eat wild vegetables with us, right?¡±


    Qiao Heting didn¡¯t know how to respond.


    He simply admired Xie Heng¡¯s talent. So why were both of them so hostile toward him?


    He only followed Zhao Chuchu twice.


    He didn¡¯t do anything to harm her!


    Both of them are so petty.


    But there was nothing that Qiao Heting could do.


    He was the one at fault here.


    After paying for the meal, Qiao Heting found lodging for them and helped them settle down. He was very genuine in his apology.


    Zhao Chuchu appreciated that, but she still wasn¡¯t very friendly toward him.


    She remembered that Qiao Heting followed her once.


    Regardless of whether he had harmed her, he refused to listen to her warning, so he couldn¡¯t me her for being a little hostile.


    Qiao Heting had no choice but to leave. He had to look for another opportunity to seek help from her.


    ¡°Sis, is that Mr. Qiao a bad person?¡± Xie Jun asked Chuchu. ¡°Why do you and brother not like him? I feel like he¡¯s quite a good person. He paid for our meal and found a hotel for us.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu said earnestly, ¡°Junjun, you must remember¡ªif someone tries to suck up to you for no apparent reason, he must be scheming something. I barely even know him. So why do you think he¡¯s treating us like this?¡±


    ¡°Is it because he wants sis to do something?¡±


    ¡°Yup, but I know nothing about who he is or where he came from. If I help him carelessly, who knows if I might get myself into danger?¡±


    ¡°But what if there¡¯s no danger?¡±


    ¡°If there was no danger, he could have just asked me straight up instead of probing me like this.¡±


    Xie Jun didn¡¯t really understand.


    But whatever his sister-inw says must be right!


    He had to remember this.


    Zhao Chuchu was telling Xie Jun these things because she wanted Xie Jun to understand how cunning and evil people can be.


    Xie Heng had protected Xie Jun too well.

 Chapter 118 - 118 If You Can Do It, Go Ahead!

    118 If You Can Do It, Go Ahead!


    The next day.


    Zhao Chuchu left her house early in the morning.


    Xie Heng opened his eyes and looked at the closed door. An unknown emotion appeared in his eyes.


    Where did Zhao Chuchu go?


    Of course, she went to ¡°buy¡± seeds!


    She went to thergest department store in Yuanjiang County.


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t understand why the Wei Dynasty didn¡¯t make soybeans their main crop. Yet, in the history of her country in her previous life, soybeans entered the homes of tens of thousands of families as their primary food source.


    ¡°How much are the soybeans?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu walked straight to the barrel containing the soybeans. She picked up a handful and examined them.


    ¡°14 cents for every kilogram.¡±


    Rice costs 30 cents per kilogram, and soybeans cost less than half the price of rice!


    ¡°If I buy inrge quantities, how much discount can you give me?¡± Zhao Chuchu put down the soybeans, then walked toward the counter and looked at the store owner.


    The store owner stopped settling ounts and raised his head to look Zhao Chuchu in the eyes.


    ¡°What do you mean byrge quantities? 50 kilograms? Girl, I¡¯m not just running my mouth here. You can ask any store. Edible crops cost more than this. I didn¡¯t charge you anything ridiculous. 14 cents is as low as it gets.¡±


    The gue had just passed, and everything was expensive right now. He didn¡¯t jack up the prices to take advantage of the situation and make a fortune.


    ¡°How much do you have?¡±


    The store owner sized Zhao Chuchu up, and he tried to judge whether Zhao Chuchu was being serious or joking based on her expression.


    ¡°I have several thousand kilograms in stock. If you want all of them, I can sell them to you for 12 cents per kilogram.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu agreed without even thinking.


    The people of this era didn¡¯t bother to find out how to eat soybeans. Other than boiling, frying, and stewing them in soup, there was pretty much no other way to eat soybeans.


    The store owner was shocked. He said, ¡°Girl, it¡¯s early in the morning. Don¡¯t joke with me!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not joking. I¡¯ll take everything you have. Will you deliver it to my ce?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked.


    The store owner got a little more serious. ¡°Soybeans aren¡¯t eaten every day, unlike rice. There¡¯s no way you can finish several thousand kilograms before they go bad. Girl, were you trying to buy rice and got it wrong?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu rubbed her face. This was the disadvantage of looking too young. She even coiled her hair up, yet this store owner still wouldn¡¯t believe her!


    [In ancient times, when a girl coiled her hair up, it indicated that she was mature and ready for marriage.]


    She took out her purse and mmed it on the counter. ¡°Are you going to sell them to me or not?¡±


    The store owner picked up the purse doubtfully. The purse was full of silver. There were around 20 taels inside and two bank notes worth 100 taels of silver each.


    ¡°1000 kilograms, delivered to Lengshui vige.¡±


    When the store owner heard her words, he recalled the doctor who solved the gue. He vaguely remembered that Zhao Chuchu was from Lengshui vige as well. Rumors had it that Zhao Chuchu was around the same age as the girl standing before him.


    He asked cautiously, ¡°Girl, are you that miracle doctor, Zhao Chuchu?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s me,¡± Zhao Chuchu admitted.


    ¡°Really?¡± the store owner asked, surprised.


    Zhao Chuchu smiled and said, ¡°Yup, I guarantee you.¡±


    ¡°The whole of Yuanjiang County is in your debt,¡± the store owner said sincerely. ¡°When do you need the soybeans? Should I deliver it today?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not in a hurry.¡± She hadn¡¯t even made the stone mill yet, and the soybeans would upy space for no reason if they were delivered now. She said, ¡°Deliver it in five days. Also, do you have seeds that nobody else wants?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I do.¡±


    After learning who Zhao Chuchu was, the store owner was much friendlier.


    He found a pouch in a random corner and brought it to Zhao Chuchu. ¡°This was sold to me by a traveling merchant whose business failed. He said that he just wanted to exchange them for travel funds to go home. I¡¯d never seen this before, and no one dared to buy it. So take a look and see if it¡¯s useful for you.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu opened up the pouch. Damn, even god is helping her. These are sweet potato seeds!


    ¡°The traveling merchant didn¡¯t tell you how to nt these?¡±


    ¡°He was drunk when he came here. I didn¡¯t want him to make trouble, so I just gave him a bit of silver without asking. He grabbed the money and left. After that, I threw the pouch aside. I wouldn¡¯t have remembered if you hadn¡¯t asked me.¡±


    ¡°How much is this?¡±


    ¡°No one knows how to nt them, so you can have them for free.¡±


    The store owner was very generous.


    ¡°Just sell it to me for the price you bought it!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t believe in karma back then. But after being reincarnated two times, she had no choice but to believe it.


    Being alive is always better than being dead. Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t want to owe other people too much. What if it affected her karma?


    It was best for her to buy these seeds with money.


    Since Zhao Chuchu insisted on paying for the seeds, he said, ¡°That person sold it to me for two taels of silver. You can buy it at this price.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu nodded, then bought several other types of seeds as well.


    She wasn¡¯t going to nt them. Instead, she wanted to use them to exchange for the seeds in her carry-on space.


    Those seeds needed a ce of origin. Otherwise, she might get into trouble.


    All in all, Zhao Chuchu bought 20 silver taels¡¯ worth of goods.


    ...


    The store owner grinned from ear to ear. He even offered to round the total down for Zhao Chuchu.


    He wanted to deliver the goods to Zhao Chuchu, but she rejected him.


    When she returned to the hotel with the two bags of seeds, Xie Heng and the others were eating breakfast.


    ¡°Sis, what did you buy?¡± Xie Junjun shifted his attention away from the food, hopped off his stool, and ran over to see what Zhao Chuchu had bought.


    ¡°Just some seeds. It¡¯s not food,¡± Zhao Chuchu exined. She could instantly tell what Xie Jun was thinking.


    Xie Jun felt a little embarrassed. He said, ¡°Sis, you haven¡¯t eaten breakfast, right? We just started. Come, eat with us.¡±


    After saying that, he ran back to the table and scooped Zhao Chuchu a bowl of porridge.


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat breakfast first. Then, if there¡¯s nothing else we need to doter, we¡¯ll head back.¡± Xie Heng looked toward Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu put down the bags, then washed her hands and sat down.


    After breakfast, Zhao Chuchu went to Doctor Lu¡¯s clinic to ask about the pregnantdy from before.


    ...


    Before she could even enter the clinic, she heard Doctor Lu¡¯s frantic voice. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m not knowledgeable enough to deal with this. I heard that Mrs. Xie from Lengshui Vige came to the county yesterday to sue someone from his vige. I think she¡¯s still in the county. You should hurry up and look for her. She¡¯s the only one who can save her!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s senses were sharp, and she smelled a thick scent of blood.


    ¡°Doctor Lu, you were looking for me?¡± Zhao Chuchu spoke as she stepped forward and pushed open the door of the courtyard.


    Doctor Lu looked toward the door in disbelief when he heard Zhao Chuchu¡¯s voice. ¡°Chuchu, why are you here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here to check on the pregnantdy. How is she doing?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s fine. She just got discharged and went back home yesterday. But wait, that¡¯s not important now. I need your help to save someone now.¡±


    Doctor Lu pulled Zhao Chuchu into the clinic.


    When the plump woman saw what Doctor Lu was doing, she stretched her arm out to stop them and said, ¡°Doctor, what is the meaning of this? You¡¯re letting this little girl go inside to save madam? Do you know who she is? If anything happens to her, do you think you can take responsibility for it? You can¡¯t scam people like this!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu looked at her. The plump woman was dressed like a servant. Her gaze was as sharp as a de as she looked toward Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen all sorts of people. I can tell by one look that a little girl like you¡­¡±


    Zhao Chuchu cut her off coldly and said, ¡°You have pretty lousy eyesight. I¡¯m already married. Also, if I can¡¯t save her, can you? If you can, go ahead. Why are you just running your mouth here?¡±


    ¡°Mammy, Mom¡¯s already in such a bad condition. So don¡¯t stop her!¡±


    Just then, a young girl walked out of the room.


    When Zhao Chuchu saw the girl, she was startled.

 Chapter 119 - 119 She Treated Her Like Nothing

    119 She Treated Her Like Nothing


    If this girl were five or six years younger, she would look almost the same as the original owner.


    Could she be a rtive of the original owner?


    The girl looked at Zhao Chuchu in astonishment as well.


    ¡°Girl, this isn¡¯t a small issue. If anything happens to Madam, no one can bear the responsibility, right? Since there is no doctor in Yuanjiang County that can treat her, we should return to Fu City as soon as possible, and we might still be able to keep Madam alive!¡± said the plump woman coldly as she stepped forward.


    !!


    Her tone wasn¡¯t exactly respectful. She pretty much treated the girl like nothing.


    The girl¡¯s expression turned dark. She said, ¡°Mammy, what do you mean by that? Didn¡¯t you hear the doctor? There¡¯s nothing he can do. If we return to Fu City now, do you think we can make it in time? Mother is already in such bad condition. If we don¡¯t do anything, she will die for sure. I would rather seize ourst bit of hope than watch her die on the way back!¡±


    ¡°Girl, you¡¯re being unfilial!¡± Mammy said fiercely. ¡°Do you know how sinful being unfilial is for you? Before we came out, Old Madam said that if anything happens during the journey, I will be in charge.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t wee to Yuanjiang County to search for that Mrs. Xie?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just a rumor. However, now that something like this has happened to Madam, we must return to Fu City immediately. Dying in a foreign ce is very inauspicious!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu retracted her gaze.


    It would be strange if she couldn¡¯t tell what was going on by now.


    There was definitely something wrong with this mammy.


    She was clearly restricting this young girl!


    This mammy was acting superior to her employer.


    What kind of servant is this?


    After saying that, the mammy didn¡¯t even wait for the girl to say anything. She immediately ordered the others to pack up their things and embark on a journey back to Fu City.


    The girl was so anxious that she was about to cry. She said, ¡°Mammy, Mother is already in such bad condition. Do you think it can get any worse than this?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still young. There are a lot of things that you don¡¯t understand. You will thank me in the future!¡± the mammy said arrogantly.


    Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t help but p as she said, ¡°You¡¯re disobeying and offending your owner as a servant. This is eye-opening. This girl is young indeed, but she¡¯s not an idiot. What do you want her to thank you for? Thank you for forcing her to watch as her mother dies?¡±


    The moment Zhao Chuchu said that, the mammy¡¯s expression changed. She yelled, ¡°You little bitch, there is no ce for you to speak here. So shut up, or don¡¯t me me for taking action!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s lips curled up. She looked toward the young girl and said, ¡°Girl, is your surname Xia? Do you know someone named Xia Chenn?¡±


    The girl¡¯s eyes widened. Then, she asked, ¡°Who? Xia Chenn? You know her? Where is she now?¡±


    ¡°Hah, that slutty filth who ran away with someone else is still alive?¡± the mammy said mockingly. ¡°No wonder. Are you the daughter of that slut?¡±


    [p!]


    Zhao Chuchu pped her face, dislodging several teeth from her arrogant and filthy mouth.


    The mammy was stunned.


    Zhao Chuchu grabbed her by her cor and tossed her onto the ground.


    ¡°Ahh¡­¡±


    The mammy shrieked in pain.


    Zhao Chuchu stepped on her chest. After applying just a bit of force, she could hear the sound of the mammy¡¯s ribs breaking.


    ¡°Old hag, who gave you the right to scold my mother? You disgusting scum!¡± Zhao Chuchu red at the mammy with cold, vicious eyes. Then, she said, ¡°Since your mouth is so filthy, you shall not talk anymore in the future!¡±


    After saying that, Zhao Chuchu dislocated her jaw with a loud crack.


    The mammy covered her mouth, and blood from her broken teeth seeped from the gaps between her fingers.


    Zhao Chuchu looked toward the young girl and asked, ¡°Do you know my mother?¡±


    ¡°You are my aunt¡¯s daughter?¡± the girl asked with her voice trembling. She was stunned by Zhao Chuchu¡¯s ruthlessness.


    ¡°Yeah, if Xia Chenn is your aunt, we¡¯re cousins.¡± Then, Zhao Chuchu asked, ¡°What happened here?¡±


    ¡°We came to Yuanjiang City to look for Aunt. But right before we reached the county, the horse was startled. In order to save me, Mother was thrown from the carriage. Now she¡¯s in critical condition. I¡­¡± As she spoke, tears started flowing out of her eyes.


    ¡°We brought Mother to Doctor Lu, but Doctor Lu said that there was nothing he could do. So Mammy said she wanted to go back. She said she couldn¡¯t let Mother die out here. I¡¯m useless. I can¡¯t save Mother¡­ My name is Kang Xiuwan. What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu.¡±


    When Zhao Chuchu entered the room, she saw the woman lying on the bed, barely breathing.


    The woman had blood all over her body. Zhao Chuchu wondered how many injuries she had had.


    However¡­


    ¡°Are you sure that your mother only fell from a carriage?¡±


    Kang Xiuwan¡¯s expression changed.


    ¡°I am a doctor. The Mrs. Xie that you were searching for is me.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu decided to tell her straight up.


    ¡°Cousin, you¡¯re already married?¡± Kang Xiuwan eximed in disbelief. ¡°You look like you¡¯re only 12 or 13!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m 14, and you haven¡¯t answered me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, after the horse was startled, we ran into a group of bandits, and Mother was stabbed a few times.¡±


    ¡°Bandits? What did they take from you?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. After stabbing Mother, they said that someone wasing and ran away.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    This was obviously a setup. Bandits?


    This cousin of hers was too innocent to the point of being a little dumb.


    ...


    No wonder the mammy could dominate her!


    ¡°Go out first and watch your mammy. Don¡¯t let her run. I will save your mother,¡± Zhao Chuchu turned her head and said to Kang Xiuwan. ¡°I don¡¯t like people to disturb me while I¡¯m treating my patients. If you don¡¯t want your mother to pass away, follow my instructions.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Kang Xiuwan was at a loss for what to do at that point. She subconsciously relied on her cousin, whom she was meeting for the first time.


    Zhao Chuchu grabbed Doctor Lu¡¯s medical box, closed the door, and removed the woman¡¯s clothes.


    The skin and flesh of her wounds were curling outwards. It looked terrifying.


    These people were quite perverted. Instead of killing her, they wanted her to suffer and die in terrible pain.


    Xie Chenn never told the original owner about her maternal family. In the original owner¡¯s family, her maternal family didn¡¯t exist.


    If Kang Xiuwan didn¡¯t resemble the original owner so much, Zhao Chuchu wouldn¡¯t have asked them whether they knew Xia Chenn.


    Zhao Chuchu treated the woman¡¯s wounds as quickly as she could¡ªstitching and applying ointments wherever appropriate. Finally, after half an hour, she managed to bring the woman back from the verge of death.


    Xie Heng arrived at some point during the treatment. When he saw Zhao Chuchue out, he immediately walked forward and took out a handkerchief to wipe her sweat for her. ¡°Are you hungry? I cooked your favorite sesame peanut glutinous rice balls in Doctor Lu¡¯s kitchen. Would you like some? I¡¯ll scoop some for you.¡±


    ¡°Okay, thank you,¡± Zhao Chuchu smiled.


    ...


    Every time she had to treat severe external injuries for people, she felt like eating when she was done.


    Xie Heng remembered it and even borrowed someone else¡¯s kitchen to cook for her.


    Zhao Chuchu felt warm and fuzzy being cared for by someone else.


    Xie Heng passed the handkerchief to Zhao Chuchu, then turned and walked into the kitchen to get the glutinous rice balls for Zhao Chuchu.


    The moment Zhao Chuchu came out, Kang Xiuwan dashed into the room to check on her mother. Perhaps it was because her mother was still unconscious; she came out of the room frantically and asked, ¡°Chuchu, how¡¯s my mother?¡±

 Chapter 120 - 120 Is It Very Hard To Leave A Scum?

    120 Is It Very Hard To Leave A Scum?


    ¡°She¡¯s pretty much fine now. But she suffered very severe injuries, so she would need to rest and recover for quite a while. You can¡¯t return to Fu City right now.¡± Zhao Chuchu looked toward Kang Xiuwan.


    ¡°Really? That¡¯s great, Chuchu. Thank you. If you weren¡¯t here, I would have had no idea what to do.¡± Kang Xiuwan¡¯s eyes started turning red as she thanked Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°No need to be so polite. Just pay me.¡± Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t warm up to Kang Xiuwan.


    They had nevere to search for the original owner before.


    !!


    They came to Yuanjiang County this time to search for Mrs. Xie, the miracle doctor. Xia Chenn was only a secondary goal.


    Kang Xiuwan felt like someone had just poured a pail of cold water on her head. She couldn¡¯t cry anymore.


    Just then, Xie Heng came out of the kitchen with a bowl of glutinous rice balls. He ced the bowl on the stone table in the courtyard and waved at Zhao Chuchu to go over. ¡°Chuchu,e and eat. It¡¯s going to get cold.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Zhao Chuchu walked over. She ate an entire glutinous rice ball with each bite.


    ¡°Slowly, there¡¯s still a lot left in the kitchen.¡± Xie Heng sat beside Zhao Chuchu and watched her. He didn¡¯t even realize how gentle his eyes looked.


    ¡°I used to feel that glutinous rice balls made me sick if I ate too many of them. But the ones you cook don¡¯t feel greasy at all. They¡¯re delicious. It would be great if we had sweet glutinous rice wine. Sweet rice wine glutinous rice balls are delicious too!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s try it next time.¡±


    Kang Xiuwan looked at them interact as though no one else was present. Her eyes were filled with surprise.


    She heard that Xie Heng was a schr, yet he cooked for Zhao Chuchu.


    That was a rare sight!


    After Zhao Chuchu finished the bowl of rice balls, she passed the bowl to Xie Heng naturally. Xie Heng took it, stood up, and went to the kitchen to scoop another bowl for Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°Where are Junjun and the others?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re still at the hotel. I followed you and came over.¡±


    ¡°Alright, then, let¡¯s return in a while.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Xie Heng¡¯s gaze was fixated on Zhao Chuchu the entire time.


    This was the first time that Kang Xiuwan saw such tenderness and care in a man¡¯s eyes.


    Not to mention how handsome this man was.


    Zhao Chuchu realized that Kang Xiuwan had been staring at Xie Heng the entire time.


    She felt a little ufortable, so she looked at her and asked, ¡°Do you want some?¡±


    Kang Xiuwan regained her senses. She felt a little nervous, as though she had just been caught doing something wrong. She said frantically, with her face a little red, ¡°No need, I¡¯m not hungry.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Zhao Chuchu continued eating. She had no intention of introducing Xie Heng to Kang Xiuwan at all.


    She had never interacted with the original owner before, so she was no different from aplete stranger.


    She looked like she had been living a rather luxurious life. The original owner suffered alone for so many years, yet none of her rtives hade to search for her before.


    Now that the soul in Zhao Chuchu¡¯s body had been swapped, Zhao Chuchu felt no emotions toward them at all.


    As for Xie Heng?


    Xie Heng ignored her from the very beginning.


    Kang Xiuwan stood around for a while. After feeling Zhao Chuchu¡¯s cold attitude, she took off the only two gold essories left on her and presented them to Zhao Chuchu. She said, ¡°Chuchu, we lost all our belongings in the chaos. These are the only ones left. Please ept them. After I return home, I will send over the consultation fee.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu took the gold essories and said, ¡°This is enough.¡±


    Kang Xiuwan wanted to say something, but Zhao Chuchu was clearly not interested in talking to her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go look after my mother.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead. I¡¯ll write down the prescription for youter. Come to my ce tomorrow or the day after.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Kang Xiuwan thought that Zhao Chuchu was inviting her over for a gathering, which made her very d.


    The next moment, Kang Xiuwan realized that she was overthinking it.


    ¡°I only brought enough external wound ointment for one day. I¡¯ll make more in the next two days. Soe over and get them.¡±


    It was just to get the medicine!


    Zhao Chuchu had no intention of establishing a connection with them. In fact, she wanted to treat them asplete strangers.


    ¡°Chuchu, I¡¯m not sure what happened in the past, but we were a family, and we will take care of you in the future,¡± Kang Xiuwan said. ¡°I heard that there were no more elders in your family. How about youe back to Fu City with us? Your husband wants to study, right?¡±


    ¡°Yuanjiang County is great. I can study here,¡± Xie Heng said impassively. ¡°I appreciate the goodwill, but Chuchu is quite timid, so Fu City probably isn¡¯t suitable for her. However, we can discuss it again when she¡¯s older.¡±


    Timid?


    Kang Xiuwan nearly couldn¡¯t hold herself back from rebutting Xie Heng.


    She made the mammy afraid of even seeing her.


    But she couldn¡¯t say something like that.


    Xie Heng was her cousin¡¯s husband, after all.


    Since both Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng looked like they didn¡¯t want to get close to them, Kang Xiuwan didn¡¯t continue to bother them.


    She entered the room.


    Doctor Lu walked out.


    ¡°Chuchu, is she fine now?¡± Doctor Lu asked.


    ¡°If I decide to treat the patient, that means I can save her.¡±


    ...


    If anyone else had said something like that, Doctor Lu would have thought that it was nonsense.


    But he believed Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°Doctor Lu, do you know them?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t they your rtives?¡±


    ¡°To be honest, this is my first time seeing them.¡±


    Doctor Lu was somewhat surprised.


    ¡°They¡¯ve nevere to look for you?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Doctor Lu understood the situation.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will take care of them.¡±


    He will charge whatever fees are necessary.


    ...


    ¡°Okay. She¡¯s pretty much fine now, but she¡¯ll need to rest for quite a while. So it¡¯s best to let them stay at a hotel.¡±


    ¡°I know what to do.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu pondered for a while, then said, ¡°Since there are bandits outside the county, we should report it to the governing bureau!¡±


    Doctor Lu understood what she was trying to say.


    ¡°Bring the mammy straight to the court,¡± Xie Heng said. ¡°She¡¯spletely unharmed. It¡¯s not impossible that she was an aplice. It could be very troublesome for us if they decide to be soft-hearted with her.¡±


    ¡°Should we ask them first?¡±


    ¡°No need. After all, they¡¯re my aunt and cousin¡­I think it¡¯s normal for me to want to seek justice for them.¡±


    ¡°But the mammy¡¯s jaw¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. She can still speak.¡±


    It was just dislocated. She could fix it back quite easily.


    However, Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t expect that Kang Xiuwan wasn¡¯t soft-hearted. She simply refused to report this to the governing bureau.


    ¡°If other people knew about this, it would damage the reputation of both my mother and me. Cousin, you might not know this, but our lives in the Kang n aren¡¯tfortable. Mother took someone else¡¯s ce. Now, someone wants her to move away from that ce,¡± Kang Xiuwan said softly.


    ¡°If Mother dies, that person can rece her. If Mother is alive and the encounter with the bandits gets leaked, she will be divorced because her reputation will be tarnished. So regardless of what we do, this is a dead end. I¡¯m sorry, cousin. I would rather my mother remain alive, even if it¡¯s a little more miserable.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    ¡°Based on how you¡¯re putting it, your dad knows about this, right?¡±


    ¡°He¡­might not know about it.¡±


    Kang Xiuwan wasn¡¯t too sure herself.


    She was her mother¡¯s only child, but they wanted a son. Now, someone else gave birth to a son for him, so they want Mother to move from her position.


    Her father was probably¡­thinking the same thing.


    For a moment, Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t know how toment on this situation.


    ¡°So you¡¯re just going to let it happen and pretend like nothing is going on?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯ve already experienced the worst possible oue. Compared to that, the situation right now is good,¡± Kang Xiuwan said. ¡°I know you would say that I¡¯m a coward. However, I only have one mother. I can¡¯t just watch her die in front of me.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu stared at her, then asked coldly, ¡°When the mammy forced you to return home, you almost had to watch her die once. That was the worst possible oue. Is it really that difficult to leave those people?¡±

 Chapter 121 - 121 No Place For You To Talk

    121 No ce For You To Talk


    Kang Xiuwan was stunned.


    Zhao Chuchu continued, ¡°You kept saying that you don¡¯t want your mother to die, but do you think she has any chance to survive in that household? She managed to escape death this time, but what about next time? Some things cannot be reverted once they¡¯ve been started.


    ¡°I¡¯m in no position to reprimand you. However, do you really think that they will feel guilty and change their ways after you return home? Wake up, and stop being so naive. The only thing waiting for you when you head back is death!¡±


    ¡°Then what should I do?¡± Kang Xiuwan asked in a daze.


    Zhao Chuchu said seriously, ¡°Make this whole issue as big a deal as you can. That way, you¡¯ll gain the upper hand. Rather than hoping that heartless people will turn back, it¡¯s better to find a path for yourself. Your mother may not die if she leaves your father, but she will definitely die if she stays by his side!¡±


    ¡°Make it a big deal?¡±


    ¡°Rather than letting them control you with this incident, you should act before them! Even if you go back now, the only oue for your mother is to get divorced or be a mistress!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible. How could she be a mistress when she¡¯s his wife?¡±


    ¡°From my point of view, that¡¯s something that the Kang n can do.¡±


    Kang Xiuwan remained silent for quite a while.


    She knew very well that Zhao Chuchu was speaking the truth.


    But, as a child, what could she do for her mother?


    She wanted her mother to leave that household, but would her mother agree?


    ¡°Have you made up your mind?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked.


    ¡°My mind is in a mess. I don¡¯t know what to do.¡± Kang Xiuwan shook her head.


    ording to what she had been taught, those things that Zhao Chuchu said were incredibly immoral.


    The most daring thing she had ever done in her entire life was to catch a caterpir and put it on that woman¡¯s shirt.


    ¡°If you have the intention, you should make up your mind as soon as possible. Time can wipe out a lot of clues. If you wait too long, they¡¯ll take advantage of the situation instead. Miss Kang, do you want to be controlled by someone else for the rest of your life, or are you willing to fight for yourself for once?¡±


    Kang Xiuwan looked toward Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s words could be considered absolutely shocking, but Xie Heng simply stood aside and listened. He didn¡¯t say anything to refute her.


    Were there really couples in this world that would respect each other to such an extent?


    Just then, Doctor Lu¡¯s daughter-inw brought the mammy out.


    Kang Xiuwan happened to meet the mammy¡¯s eyes.


    The mammy¡¯s eyes were filled with resentment. She said, ¡°Miss, how daring of you. You conspired with an outsider to harm someone from your household. I wonder how you will exin this to Old Madam when we return to Fu City.


    ¡°There¡¯s no ce for you to talk here!¡± Zhao Chuchu nced at her coldly.


    When the mammy heard Zhao Chuchu speak, she felt chills all over her body. She lowered her head and didn¡¯t dare look at Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°I¡¯m reporting this to the governing bureau.¡± Kang Xiuwan gritted her teeth and made her decision. ¡°Chuchu, please help me.¡±


    The moment she said that, the mammy panicked. ¡°Miss, are you insane? Your reputation will bepletely ruined if you report this to the governing bureau. You¡¯re going to get married soon. Aren¡¯t you afraid that he¡¯ll call off the wedding because of this? Don¡¯t you know what you can and cannot do? Shouldn¡¯t you think about this?¡±


    ¡°My mother almost died, and we weren¡¯t the only ones there. How is this supposed to ruin my reputation?¡± Kang Xiuwan said angrily. ¡°Mammy, you refused to let the doctor save my mother, and you tried to force me to return to Fu City immediately. What was your intention?¡±


    The mammy didn¡¯t dare look at Kang Xiuwan. Instead, she argued, ¡°I did those things for your sake. This was one of the few times Madam went out with you, yet she ran into bandits and almost lost her life. If other people find out about this, they will think that you¡¯re bringing bad luck to your family and will despise you for it. Anyway, we need to return to Fu City as soon as possible and ask Old Madam for a solution!¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that getting ambushed by bandits wasn¡¯t the bandits¡¯ fault but your fault? Your madam was almost killed in the incident, yet you won¡¯t allow her to report it to the governing bureau, and you¡¯re insisting on returning to Fu City¡­The more I think about it, the more interesting it seems, doesn¡¯t it? Could it be that you were involved in this ambush?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu cut into the conversation and looked at the mammy with a half-smile.


    ¡°The Fu City is too far to be helpful right now. You¡¯re ignoring the local governing bureau and insisting on going all the way back. This all seems like you are desperately trying to hide something.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense, you¡¯re trying to frame me!¡± the mammy said nervously. The moment she panicked and tried to speak faster, her jaw hurt so much that a cold sweat formed on her forehead.


    ¡°You know the truth yourself.¡± Zhao Chuchu raised her chin and said, ¡°What are you waiting for? You want her to return to Fu City to get reinforcements?¡±


    Kang Xiuwan stopped hesitating. She asked Doctor Lu¡¯s family for help. She ignored the mammy¡¯s struggling and sent her to the governing bureau.


    Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng didn¡¯t follow them.


    This was someone else¡¯s family matter. As long as Kang Xiuwan wasn¡¯t helplessly stupid, she would know how to eliminate this mammy.


    When that happens, even if they cannot get the person behind the mammy, they will still be able to make him pay a hefty price.


    As for whether they woulde to Zhao Chuchu and look for trouble, Zhao Chuchu wasn¡¯t worried at all.


    If they dared do something like that, she would make sure they wouldn¡¯t be able to return.


    The mammy exposed a lot of information about the original owner¡¯s mother.


    She ran away with another man¡­


    Kang Xiuwan¡¯s mother didn¡¯t look like she came from a poor family. The original owner¡¯s father also looked like an honest person and didn¡¯t look like someone who would deceive girls.


    Zhao Chuchu doubted the im about the original owner¡¯s mother running away with another man.


    She was more convinced that the original owner¡¯s mother was sold here by human traffickers.


    On the way back to the hotel, Zhao Chuchu asked Xie Heng, ¡°How much do you know about the ori¡­ my mother? I never knew where her hometown was.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way that she had run away. If that were true, Madam Yang would have treated her even worse. Did you forget that she said her father was a doctor?¡±


    Of course, Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t forget. She even used this as a reason to deceive other people.


    But both the original owner and she knew that this grandfather, a doctor, didn¡¯t exist.


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing she was trafficked here. After someone saved her, she decided to marry him,¡± Zhao Chuchu said. ording to the original owner¡¯s memories, her father and mother were very affectionate toward each other. Her father cared a lot for her mother.


    That was also the reason why Madam Yang hated her family very much. She felt that her mother had caused her to lose a son.


    After the original owner¡¯s parents died, Madam Yang stopped treating the original owner as a human.


    ¡°Do you want to investigate this?¡± Xie Heng asked.


    ...


    ¡°Yes, in some sense, they gave me a new life.¡±


    She should seek revenge when she was wronged and give back to the people who helped her. She couldn¡¯t let the original owner¡¯s mother get smeared like this after she died.


    That was unfair toward her.


    ¡°If you¡¯re talking about the Xia n of Guangqing Province, they¡¯re arch-enemies with the Yuan n. The Xia n is also in the salt business.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was shocked.


    The original owner¡¯s mother was born into a wealthy family?


    But based on the original owner¡¯s memories, her mother didn¡¯t look like she was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. Instead, she was a great worker both at home and out on the farm. Clearly, she was used to doing those things.


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s shock onlysted for a while.


    ¡°There are too many points of suspicion here,¡± Zhao Chuchu said. ¡°A salt merchant cannot be poor, yet the Kang n dares to scheme against a woman from a salt merchant n. Besides, the Kang n doesn¡¯t look very powerful either.¡±


    ¡°The Xia n has been going downhill in recent years. It¡¯s also very possible that the Kang n managed to establish connections with someone else higher than them.¡± A dim light shed across Xie Heng¡¯s eyes as he said, ¡°There are some people who forget who they are the moment they get their hands on power.¡±


    ...

 Chapter 122 - 122 Who Dared To Said It?

    122 Who Dared To Said It?


    Zhao Chuchu looked at Xie Heng deeply upon hearing that. Then, she said, ¡°I feel like you know a lot of things.¡±


    Xie Heng choked for a moment but quickly shifted the conversation away from the topic. ¡°I¡¯m just thinking of Junjun.¡±


    ¡°Sure you are!¡± Zhao Chuchu remarked silently inside.


    ¡°It¡¯s normal for you to doubt me,¡± Xie Hengughed. He seemed to disagree with Zhao Chuchu. ¡°I can tell you if you really want to know.¡±


    !!


    ¡°No, no, no, I won¡¯t listen,¡± said Zhao Chuchu as she covered her ears. ¡°John died because he knew too many things.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s John?¡± asked Xie Heng, frowning slightly. ¡°Is that someone important to you?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, he and Sarah are good friends,¡± Zhao Chuchu said. These two names dominated all of her elementary school textbooks back then.


    When Xie Heng heard that there was a Sarah, his brows ttened out again.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. We should go back soon. Let¡¯s stop wasting time here. Otherwise, it will be veryte when we return.¡± Zhao Chuchu grabbed Xie Heng¡¯s arm and tugged him as she walked forward.


    Xie Heng lowered his head to look at the ce where Zhao Chuchu was grabbing, and his lips curled up slightly.


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t notice Xie Heng¡¯s actions at all. Instead, she told Xie Heng they should buy some pork before returning home, as she wanted to try braised foods.


    Xie Heng didn¡¯t feel annoyed at all listening to Zhao Chuchu talk about these trivial matters. On the contrary, he even felt quite happy about it.


    He enjoyed such interactions in their daily lives.


    ¡°Do you know how to make it?¡± Zhao Chuchu suddenly turned back and looked toward Xie Heng.


    Xie Heng nodded and said, ¡°I can try.¡±


    ¡°Nice, I can always trust you when ites to cooking,¡± Zhao Chuchu said, with her eyes curled into a crescent.


    Xie Heng went silent for a while, then said, ¡°What about other things?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t really tell right now. That¡¯ll depend on your actions in the future.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu blinked.


    Her eyes glimmered like stars in the night sky, shining into Xie Heng¡¯s heart.


    Xie Heng felt his heartbeat bing a little messy.


    ¡°Actually, braised pork head is pretty good, but I don¡¯t know how to clean up a pork head. That smell can make anyone lose appetite.¡±


    ¡°You like it?¡±


    ¡°As long as it¡¯s against humanity, I can ept any food.¡±


    ¡°Alright, then we can try it.¡±


    Since Xie Heng had agreed, Zhao Chuchu started pondering whether she should buy a pork headter.


    There was no need to buy the ingredients for the brine since she had those in her carry-on space.


    When the two of them returned to the hotel, Xie Jun jumped over and asked, ¡°Sis, where did you and my brother go? Why are you only back now? I was so worried about you.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t really like kids in the past.


    But it was very difficult to dislike Xie Jun.


    Because of the poison that red up frequently and weakened his body, Xie Jun appeared younger than other children his age. However, he¡¯s exceptionally well-behaved and obedient. He never troubles other people if he¡¯s able to do something himself.


    ¡°There was a patient in critical condition, and we didn¡¯t have time to get someone to send a message back. Sorry for making you worried, Junjun.¡± Zhao Chuchu crouched down and looked into Xie Jun¡¯s eyes as she said, ¡°We¡¯ll remember to get someone to send a message back next time.¡±


    ¡°As long as you¡¯re okay, it¡¯s alright. Saving people is more important,¡± Xie Jun said hurriedly. ¡°I don¡¯t mind waiting.¡±


    ¡°Good boy.¡± Zhao Chuchu rubbed his head and said to the Niu brothers, ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡±


    ¡°Is it done now?¡± Niu An asked. ¡°Niu Ziming¡­¡±


    ¡°Niu Ziming is in jail right now, waiting to be exiled,¡± Zhao Chuchu said. ¡°Uncle Niu, do you want to save him?¡±


    ¡°No, no, no,¡± Niu An hurriedly denied, ¡°I just want to stay as far away as possible from someone like that. Who knows if he might push my children into the water when he¡¯s feeling grumpy someday?¡±


    If Zhao Chuchu weren¡¯t such a good doctor, Xie Jun would have died by now.


    Niu Ziming is an attempted murderer, and no one would be willing to get close to a murderer.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back then.¡±


    Before exiting the county, Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng dropped by the butcher¡¯s shop.


    There were usually more people buying meat in the morning. By afternoon, there weren¡¯t many customers at the shop.


    ¡°Hello, how much for pork?¡±


    ¡°60 cents per kilogram.¡±


    That¡¯s expensive.


    They were all out of pork belly. Instead, they had some bones with almost all the meat sliced off, a pork head, a hind leg, and some leftover meat from other parts.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take them all. Can you make it cheaper?¡±


    ¡°50 cents per kilo. I¡¯ll get off work after this,¡± the butcher said readily. ¡°You can take the pork head for 30 cents.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu did a quick calction. It was not expensive at all. Besides, this meat can be eaten for several days after braising.


    The butcher bagged up everything for her. After paying for the meat, Xie Heng took the bag and returned to the carriage with Zhao Chuchu.


    Niu An asked, ¡°Chuchu, why did you buy pork head? Pork heads are tough to clean. It has a pretty bad smell.¡±


    ¡°We can clean it,¡± Zhao Chuchu put down the bags and said. ¡°You cane to have a taste when we¡¯re done cooking.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, no need. I was just trying to remind you. If you have a way to clean it, just ignore what I said,¡± Niu Anughed and said.


    ¡°The dishes that my sises up with are all delicious,¡± Xie Jun smacked his lips and said. ¡°I really want to eat the potato fries that Sis cookedst time.¡±


    ...


    ¡°You can¡¯t eat too much of those. When you¡¯re cured, I¡¯ll cook as much as you want.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay, I¡¯ll listen to Sis.¡±


    By the time the group reached the vige again, it was already evening.


    News about Niu Ziming being sentenced to exile had spread across the vige.


    All those people who pestered Zhao Chuchu and tried to take advantage of her were terrified, especially Madam Yang. She acted as if she had seen a ghost whenever she saw Zhao Chuchu. She didn¡¯t even dare to appear in front of her anymore.


    Look at what happened to Niu Ziming.


    He was a schr! There was no way for them to be more capable than Niu Ziming.


    Zhao Baogen, who had been thinking about seeking revenge this whole time, immediately abandoned that thought.


    Madam Yang sobbed, ¡°Hubby, please stop trying to look for trouble with Zhao Chuchu. Changrong might die because of this. She is so ruthless and cruel. She¡¯s not human! Let¡¯s just wait and see what kind of retribution she will receive in the future. Xie Heng¡¯s eyes are cured now, and he will take the exams sooner orter. When he gets chosen to be an official, he will definitely divorce her!¡±


    Zhao Baogen clenched his teeth and didn¡¯t say anything.


    He had once been hopeful about Niu Ziming bing his son-inw, so he gave silent consent to the rtionship between Niu Ziming and Zhao Zhizhi.


    ...


    Zhao Chuchu liked Niu Ziming, but she was just a cover for Zhao Zhizhi and Niu Ziming.


    But who dared to say it out loud?


    ¡°I¡¯ll just wait to see when she¡¯ll run out of luck,¡± Zhao Baogen said after a long silence. ¡°I don¡¯t believe that everything will go her way for the rest of her life!¡±


    Madam Ma finally felt at ease.


    She hated Zhao Chuchu because she caused Zhao Zhizhi¡¯s death.


    But Zhao Chuchu wasn¡¯t that little girl they could control and toy with anymore.


    ¡°Remind Changrongter to stay away from Zhao Chuchu. Tell the others as well. We can¡¯t afford to provoke that demon.¡±


    ¡°Yup, I know.¡±


    Madam Yang thought so too. Other than their families, Old Madam Ma thought the same way as well.


    Those who bullied the original owner were terrified of Zhao Chuchu. So they tried their best to hide away from Zhao Chuchu and refused to show up in front of her.


    But those people who formed good rtionships with Zhao Chuchu felt that she was even more dependable than before.


    After Niu Ziming was sentenced to exile, those barbaric, unreasonable families in the vige would have to rethink their actions before trying to bully innocent folks.


    One could say that Zhao Chuchu set an excellent example for the honest people in the vige.


    Of course, Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t know about any of this. Now, she was helping Xie Heng make the brine for the braised pork.

 Chapter 123 - 123 I Think He’s Angry

    123 I Think He¡¯s Angry


    In novels where the main character slowly develops, braised foods almost always take center stage.


    There will always be a plot where the female lead makes loads of money with braised foods.


    But Zhao Chuchu was different. She just wanted to eat it herself!


    There was a master chef at home. Zhao Chuchu felt like she could stay there for a long time, so she asked Xie Heng to cook lots of good food for her.


    The supplies in her carry-on space were umted at the fastest pace possible, so the requirement for quality was not very high.


    In the apocalypse, it was good enough to have warm food to eat. So what was the point of being overly delicate?


    Xie Heng didn¡¯t want to wash the pork head at home because it was too smelly, so he went to the riverside.


    Zhao Chuchu followed him as well.


    When the vigers saw the two of them, they joked, ¡°The two of you are stuck together wherever you go. Is little Heng going to be born soon?¡±


    Xie Heng¡¯s handsome face turned slightly red.


    Zhao Chuchuughed heartily and said, ¡°Yup, very soon. We¡¯ll try to treat you guys to the one-month celebration as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting!¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡±


    After they walked away, Xie Heng took a deep breath and said to Zhao Chuchu, ¡°They were just joking. No need to respond.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°I was joking as well.¡±


    They can keep waiting. When Xie Heng marries a new wife, they will be able to celebrate little Heng¡¯s one-month-old celebration.


    Zhao Chuchu appearedpletely unbothered by the conversation. But, on the other hand, Xie Heng felt like something was blocking his heart, making him feel a little upset.


    He frowned slightly and said, ¡°You¡¯re a girl. There are some things that you shouldn¡¯t joke about.¡±


    ¡°Da Lang, are you embarrassed?¡± Zhao Chuchu looked at Xie Heng from the corner of her eye and said, ¡°This is nothing. It¡¯s very normal where I came from.¡±


    ¡°You often joke with other people like this?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, pretty much.¡±


    Xie Heng felt the blockage in his heart be even more severe.


    He pressed his lips together and went silent.


    Zhao Chuchu could tell that Xie Heng was upset.


    ¡°Are you mad?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Xie Heng denied it.


    He was in no position to be angry!


    ¡°You¡¯re still young, so don¡¯t be so conservative and uptight. Jokes can improve people¡¯s moods and mental states. If you want to give birth to little Heng right now, as a doctor, I must tell you that girls shouldn¡¯t give birth at 15 or 16 years old. It¡¯s better to wait until after 18 years of age.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Zhao Chuchu continued, ¡°At 15 or 16 years old, the mother would still be growing. Having a child too early is bad for her body.¡±


    As they spoke, they reached the river bank.


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t know how to help, so she squatted beside Xie Heng and continued to convince him earnestly, ¡°It¡¯s fine if you want to get married first, but I really think you should wait to have a child.¡±


    Xie Heng felt the veins on his forehead pop a little. Finally, he said, ¡°Chuchu, go home.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too noisy!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    Did he dislike her for being too naggy?¡±


    She¡¯s saying this for his sake!


    Seriously!


    Zhao Chuchu stared at Xie Heng and said, ¡°So ungrateful.¡±


    Xie Heng didn¡¯t reply and washed the pork head silently. He rubbed it so hard as though he had a grudge against the pork head.


    ¡°Okay, okay, I¡¯ll stop talking. I¡¯ll go back,¡± Zhao Chuchu said as she stood up and left.


    Xie Heng raised his head and looked at Zhao Chuchu¡¯s figure.


    The strange anger in his heart didn¡¯t disappear when Zhao Chuchu left.


    He didn¡¯t say anything. He washed the pork head so hard that its skin almost peeled off.


    Zhao Chuchu realized that after talking about getting a child, Xie Heng seemed to be behaving really awkwardly.


    He would answer when she talked to him, but his tone sounded exceptionally cold.


    But why?


    Does this young man really want children that desperately?


    He was only 15, and he was still in the prime of his teenage years. So why does he want to be a father?


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t really understand ancient people¡¯s thinking. From her perspective, he was still a child at 15 years old!


    Even Xie Jun realized that Xie Heng¡¯s mood wasn¡¯t quite right.


    He asked Zhao Chuchu softly, ¡°Sis, I think my brother is angry. Do you know why?¡±


    ...


    Zhao Chuchu thought, how would she know?


    ¡°This is the first time that I¡¯ve seen my brother so angry. Sis, what do we do? Can you calm him down?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu replied, ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know how.¡±


    ¡°Please, Sis,¡± Xie Jun put his palms together and said. ¡°I don¡¯t want my brother to be angry.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu sighed.


    She probably owed something to these brothers in her previous life.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Sis.¡±


    Xie Jun ran back to the room instead of third wheeling in the courtyard. He didn¡¯t want to be a hindrance to Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu pondered for quite a while. In her previous life, when a teenager got angry, giving him the newest electronic product was a surefire way to improve his mood.


    But Xie Heng¡­


    ...


    Zhao Chuchu felt that it probably wouldn¡¯t work.


    She thought about it for a while, then took out a chocte bar and walked over.


    ¡°Here, sweets.¡± Zhao Chuchu reached out and opened her palm in front of him. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have said those nonsense things. Da Lang, can you please not be angry?¡±


    Xie Heng didn¡¯t know what to say for a moment.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a kid.¡±


    ¡°Life is too bitter. Even adults need a bit of sweetness. Quick, I didn¡¯t leave a portion for Junjun. You keep this.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu stuffed the chocte into Xie Heng¡¯s hand forcefully.


    Xie Heng took it silently.


    He had never seen a sweet with such delicate wrapping.


    However, Xie Heng¡¯s mood improved when he thought about this being the only one.


    Zhao Chuchu unwrapped one of them, then said, ¡°Open your mouth.¡±


    Xie Heng felt the tip of his ears turning a little hot. He opened his mouth and bit on the ck candy.


    It tasted slightly bitter, but the texture was exceptionally fine and smooth. Its rich sweetness and aroma quickly spread out in his mouth.


    Xie Heng had never tasted something so sweet before.


    ¡°What sweet is this?¡± He raised his eyes to look at Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°Where I came from, we call it chocte. Is it good?¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡± Xie Heng nodded.


    The candies in the Wei Dynasty weren¡¯t nearly as sweet, and they were all quite rough. The one that Zhao Chuchu gave him waspletely different.


    ¡°You ate my candy, so you can¡¯t be angry anymore,¡± Zhao Chuchu said seriously.


    Xie Heng denied, ¡°I wasn¡¯t angry.¡±


    ¡°Even Junjun could tell that you were angry, though he doesn¡¯t know why you were angry. However, if you don¡¯t like what I said just now, I¡¯ll apologize and never repeat it.¡±


    If there¡¯s an issue, they should talk about it. Otherwise, it will cause internal damage if it¡¯s kept inside.


    Many conflicts umte and worsen because of ack ofmunication.


    Xie Heng went silent for a while, then said, ¡°I wasn¡¯t angry. I just felt that discussing the issue of having kids with you would offend you.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu raised her eyebrows and said, ¡°I¡¯m a doctor. I even assisted women in delivery before. So why would I be offended?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still not good to talk to a girl about these things. My upbringing doesn¡¯t allow me to do that.¡± Xie Heng found an excuse for himself.


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless. She decided to change the topic. ¡°Are you done washing the pig head? Can we start making the brine?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll start the fire.¡±


    She had to break the awkward atmosphere somehow. So Zhao Chuchu decided to look for chores herself.


    Xie Jun¡¯s little head reached out from behind the door. When he saw that her brother and sister-inw started talking again, he finally felt rxed. He said, ¡°I hope that Brother and Sis can remain together forever!¡±


    That way, he would have a sister-inw who loves and cares for him.


    When Zhao Chuchu heard him, she didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Children are so naive.


    For a man and a woman to be together forever, getting married isn¡¯t enough.


    Zhao Chuchu told Xie Heng how to make braised meat, and Xie Heng made it.


    The aroma started to spread in Lengshui vige.


    Zhao Chuchu looked at the pot of braised pork head and gulped. ¡°Da Lang, I think even if you are not a schr, you can still be sessful by being a businessman.¡±


    Xie Heng said impassively, ¡°Money isn¡¯t as good as power.¡±

 Chapter 124 - 124 An Extremely Blunt and Oblivious Man

    124 An Extremely Blunt and Oblivious Man


    Power is better than money¡­


    There¡¯s a saying¡ªschrs, soldiers, farmers, workers, merchants, in that order.


    ¡°You really do know what you¡¯re doing!¡± Zhao Chuchu gave him a thumbs-up.


    Xie Hengughed in a self-deprecating manner. ¡°Sometimes, I actually hope that I wasn¡¯t so clear on certain things.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t understand why he said that at first, but then he thought about Xie Jun¡¯s identity. Although Xie Heng didn¡¯t say anything, Zhao Chuchu could still guess that Xie Jun¡¯s identity was definitely not as simple as it seemed!


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t overprotect Xie Jun to the point that he doesn¡¯t know anything about the real world,¡± Zhao Chuchu said in a hushed voice. Then, her expression became serious as she continued, ¡°Regardless of who Junjun is, you can¡¯t protect him forever.¡±


    ¡°Previously, I couldn¡¯t do anything to defeat the poison that gued his body. Junjun¡¯s days were numbered. I just wanted him to see the good, pretty parts of this world. I can take on the burden of all the ugliness and sins.¡± Xie Heng¡¯s gaze was intense. ¡°But now, things are different.¡±


    ¡°Da Lang, all I know is the violent stuff. But I think one can never have too many skills. Besides studying, I think it¡¯s good for Junjun to learn some self-defense skills.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I want to teach him some knowledge about medicine.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu made this decision after careful consideration.


    ¡°I thought you said you would leave after eliminating the poisons from Junjun¡¯s body?¡±


    ¡°If you trust me, you can let Junjun follow me for a few years. I don¡¯t know about other stuff, but I know that he¡¯s much safer with me than with you!¡±


    Xie Heng didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°I want to teach Junjun simply because I feel that we get along. That¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, I have never doubted your intention.¡±


    Initially, he actually suspected Zhao Chuchu. But after being with her for so long, Xie Heng could sense that Zhao Chuchu had no ill intentions toward him or Xie Jun.


    ¡°You should start studying,¡± Zhao Chuchu said. ¡°It¡¯s rare toe by a first-rank schr. But a first-rank schr in his teenage years, that¡¯s impossible to ignore. So, Da Lang, work hard. I hope to see you be a first-rank schr someday.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for the good wishes. I will work hard.¡±


    Xie Heng paused for a while and then asked again, ¡°Do you want to know about Junjun¡¯s background?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu shook her head and said, ¡°No.¡±


    Xie Heng was rather disappointed.


    ¡°You want to tell me?¡± Zhao Chuchu sensed the change in Xie Heng¡¯s emotions, so she looked at him again.


    Xie Hengughed and said, ¡°You don¡¯t want to know, so I won¡¯t force you.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    The conversation ended there.


    Although Xie Heng didn¡¯t expose too much information, it was enough for intelligent people to know what they wanted to know.


    Xie Heng said that he wanted to be an official for Xie Jun¡¯s sake, so one could imagine how prestigious Xie Jun¡¯s identity was.


    Zhao Chuchu felt that she might have unintentionally established connections with two people who would be highly sessful.


    Xie Heng would definitely be able to do what he wanted to aplish with his wisdom and intelligence.


    ¡°Brother, Sis, is the pork head done? It smells so good from the room that I can¡¯t even focus on studying,¡± said Xie Jun as he ran into the kitchen. He gulped as he looked at the pot of braised pork head. ¡°Sis, can we eat it yet?¡±


    He looked toward Zhao Chuchu with hopeful eyes. The desire to eat was written all over his expression.


    Xie Hengughed and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were such a gluttonous cat.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, Sis, please don¡¯t get angry, but I found the dishes that Sis cooked so bad,¡± Xie Jun said cautiously. ¡°But after that, Sis¡¯s cooking improved greatly, and Brother¡¯s cooking is even better.¡±


    ¡°Grab some bowls and chopsticks, and we¡¯ll eat soon.¡± Xie Heng couldn¡¯t bear to reprimand his brother, who depended on him.


    Xie Heng cheered and then sprinted over to the cab to get the utensils.


    Zhao Chuchu said to Xie Heng, ¡°I¡¯ll bring some to the Chen n and the vige chief¡¯s family.¡±


    ¡°You decide.¡± Xie Heng had nothing against that.


    Xie Heng¡¯s response made Zhao Chuchu very happy.


    She scooped two big bowls of braised pork head meat and brought them to the Chen n and the vige chief¡¯s house.


    ¡°So it was your family that was cooking. No wonder the entire vige could smell it,¡± said olddy Chen, smiling when Zhao Chuchu entered the door. ¡°You¡¯re bringing some for us again?¡±


    ¡°Yup, back when Da Lang¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t see, you guys took care of him. This pork head isn¡¯t worth much, but I thought we cooked it quite well, and it tastes decent. Have a taste.¡± Zhao Chuchu took one bowl and ced it on the table.


    The children all stared at the bowl of braised pork head and gulped non-stop.


    ¡°Thank you. We¡¯re taking things from you again.¡± Olddy Chen didn¡¯t reject Zhao Chuchu, but she gave Zhao Chuchu a basket of fresh vegetables and said, ¡°This is all we have at home. Please take it.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu took the vegetables and then headed to the vige chief¡¯s home.


    ¡°This is all pork head?¡± Niu An couldn¡¯t believe it as he asked. ¡°How can it smell so good? I had it once before, and I swore never to eat it again, regardless of how much I craved meat. Howe the pork head that you cooked ispletely different from the one that I ate before?¡±


    ¡°This is called braised pork head. We braised it in brine for a really long time. Of course, it tastes good,¡± Zhao Chuchu said as she took out the bowl of meat. ¡°Vige chief,e have a taste too.¡±


    The bowl of braised pork head had grabbed Niu Tongsheng¡¯s attention a long while ago.


    When he heard Zhao Chuchu¡¯s invitation, he didn¡¯t act overly polite and immediately picked up a piece. His eyes lit up upon tasting it. ¡°Oh my, it¡¯s delicious. It¡¯s not smelly at all. How did you wash the pork head?¡±


    ¡°Da Lang washed it. I¡¯m not sure, either. If you want to know, you can ask Da Lang.¡±


    ¡°Definitely! Next time, I can buy pork head and try cooking it when we want something special to eat. Also, pork heads are cheaper!¡±


    ¡°You guys enjoy it. I need to go home and eat as well.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t continue the conversation with the vige chief¡¯s family. She put down the bowl of pork head and left.


    Madam Kong called her, ¡°Chuchu, hold on.¡±


    ...


    After a while, she brought out a packet of peanuts and passed it to Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°I picked out these peanut seeds. You can nt some of this when you¡¯re farming the barren plot ofnd.¡±


    ¡°All right, thank you.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu epted it.


    If she ever got the chance to return to the modern era, these organic seeds that had not been selectively bred and gically modified would have a lot of research value.


    Xie Jun had been waiting eagerly for Zhao Chuchu to return. He kept craning his neck and going to the courtyard door to see if she was on her way back.


    Zhao Chuchu saw Xie Jun¡¯s small figure from a long distance away. She couldn¡¯t stop the corners of her lips from curling upward.


    ¡°Junjun, what are you doing?¡± she yelled.


    ¡°Sis, you¡¯re finally back! I¡¯ve already scooped the rice. We¡¯re just waiting for you now,¡± Xie Jun hurriedly told Zhao Chuchu.


    He is definitely a gluttonous little cat.


    Zhao Chuchu hastened her footsteps to return to the Xie family quickly.


    ...


    Xie Jun hurriedly went to the water vat to get water for Zhao Chuchu to wash her hands. He was afraid that Zhao Chuchu would be slow.


    Zhao Chuchu could tell that Xie Jun wanted to eat the braised pork head really badly, but she hadn¡¯t returned, so he controlled himself.


    Xie Heng protected Xie Jun and educated him really well.


    Zhao Chuchu enjoyed the food so much that Xie Heng felt like his appetite had improved.


    ¡°Da Lang, if this continues, I¡¯m definitely going to get fat.¡± Zhao Chuchu worried as she ate. Xie Heng was too good of a cook. Compared to Xie Heng¡¯s cooking, the warm, packaged food in her carry-on space was inedible!


    ¡°You¡¯re not fat,¡± Xie Heng said seriously after looking at Zhao Chuchu. ¡°Skeletons don¡¯t look good.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Xie Heng was an extremely blunt and oblivious man.


    What did he mean by ¡°skeletons¡±?


    Boy, you will be looked down upon by people if you despise slim girls like that.

 Chapter 125 - 125 She Was Enthralled At That Moment

    125 She Was Enthralled At That Moment


    ¡°I¡¯m serious,¡± Xie Heng reiterated his point, as though he was afraid that Zhao Chuchu wouldn¡¯t believe him.


    Zhao Chuchu nced at him. Did he take all the points on EQ and shift them to his looks and IQ instead?


    Fortunately, God favored him and gave him a good-looking face. Otherwise, he would definitely be alone for the rest of his life.


    ¡°Whether someone is slim or plump, there¡¯s something good about every body type. But, brother, you can¡¯t say that Sis looks like a skeleton. She¡¯s being very nice by not beating you to death.¡± Xie Jun despised the way Xie Heng spoke. He looked toward Zhao Chuchu with his cheeks puffed up and said, ¡°Sis is the most beautiful person. No other arguments are epted.¡±


    Every woman likes to beplimented, even if it¡¯s by a child.


    ¡°Children speak the most truthful words. Da Lang, I¡¯m being very nice by not beating you to death,¡± Zhao Chuchu said a little angrily.


    Xie Heng was being attacked. He touched his nose and stopped speaking.


    ¡°Brother, girls all like to listen to nice words. You can¡¯t speak to Sis like this. No one in the vige looks better than Sis,¡± Xie Jun reprimanded Xie Heng like a little adult.


    Xie Heng was speechless.


    Zhao Chuchuughed heartily.


    After the meal, Xie Heng didn¡¯t need Zhao Chuchu to wash the dishes.


    After Xie Jun fell asleep, Zhao Chuchu took out a torchlight and herbs to make medicine for external injuries.


    After showering, Xie Heng came out of the bathroom and saw lighting from the room. His expression immediately changed. He thought something had happened to Zhao Chuchu.


    He ran over at the fastest possible pace. When he entered the room, he saw Zhao Chuchu preparing the herbs, and a bright light came from the long cylinder on the table.


    When she heard his footsteps, Zhao Chuchu raised her head to look at Xie Heng.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Xie Heng pointed at the torchlight, asking Zhao Chuchu. ¡°It¡¯s so bright.¡±


    ¡°I brought it out from my hometown. Here, take one, so you don¡¯t need to use oilmps for studying at night. Those are bad for your eyes.¡± Zhao Chuchu grabbed another one and passed it to Xie Heng. She then taught him how to use it. ¡°Just press this button here. If you feel that it¡¯s getting darker, open up this cover, then plug it in and put it under the sun.¡±


    It was a sr-powered rechargeable torchlight. Zhao Chuchu passed a sr-powered charger to Xie Heng as well.


    Xie Heng¡¯s face was filled with a curious expression. ¡°What is this thing made of? It¡¯s amazing. Can this little cube store sunlight?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, in a way. But remember to keep it away from fire. Otherwise, it might explode.¡±


    ¡°Explode?¡±


    ¡°Like a firecracker. But the explosion is a lot more powerful than firecrackers. It could kill you if you¡¯re not careful.¡±


    Xie Heng nodded and remembered what Zhao Chuchu had said.


    This thing lights the room up like daylight at night. It is really great.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said sincerely.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡±


    ¡°Do you need help with anything?¡±


    ¡°Help me mash this up.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu wasn¡¯t overly polite to Xie Heng. She pointed to a small pile of herbs and told Xie Heng to mash it up with the mortar and pestle.


    Xie Heng sat on the opposite side of Zhao Chuchu and started mashing up the herbs.


    Neither of them spoke. The only sound left in the room was that of them mashing up the herbs. Despite that, the atmosphere wasn¡¯t awkward at all.


    After quite a while, Xie Heng asked, ¡°What are you making?¡±


    ¡°An ointment.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to cook itter?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll cook it tomorrow. I don¡¯t want to stay upte.¡±


    ¡°I can help you.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu raised her head and looked at him. The young man looked exceptionally handsome¡ªhis lips were red, and his teeth were white like jade. He wore nothing but a thin bathrobe. The robe was slightly ajar under his long, slim neck. The muscles that were usually covered up tightly could vaguely be seen. He looked like a budding flower¡ªa flower that Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t help but want to pick.


    Despite having gotten used to seeing handsome guys in her past life, Zhao Chuchu had to admit that she was enthralled by him at that moment.


    Perhaps because Zhao Chuchu¡¯s gaze was too straightforward, Xie Heng noticed it. He lowered his head to nce down. Immediately, his face heated up a little.


    He pretended as though nothing had happened and tidied up his robes a little, then continued to mash up the herbs. He looked extremely calm, but his heart was palpitating vigorously.


    Zhao Chuchu felt rather regretful, and she should have whistled just now to tease Xie Heng.


    When Zhao Chuchu imagined Xie Heng¡¯s face turning all red from embarrassment, she felt like she should have done it.


    She wasn¡¯t a thirsty animal, but everyone desires beauty.


    He is so good-looking. If she didn¡¯t appreciate his beauty, could she still be considered human?


    ¡°You¡¯re still growing, don¡¯t stay upte. Otherwise, you won¡¯t be able to grow tall,¡± Zhao Chuchu said, as though she was an elder. She continued earnestly, ¡°This applies to studying as well. You must go to sleep before 11 o¡¯clock. Burning the midnight oil will cause you to be unenergetic, deteriorate your memory, and, most importantly, it will make you uglier!¡±


    ¡°Thest part is the most important point?¡± Xie Heng raised his head and asked teasingly.


    He thought he would be able to see Zhao Chuchu get embarrassed.


    He didn¡¯t expect Zhao Chuchu to nod and say, ¡°Yeah, looking good is very important. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t stay upte.¡±


    Xie Heng didn¡¯t know what to say.


    This girl never does what other people expect.


    He had never seen a girl as daring as her. Sheplimented a man¡¯s looks openly and even stared at him without hiding her gaze. Yet, her gaze wasn¡¯t perverted. It didn¡¯t make him feel that she was frivolous or slutty.


    ¡°Da Lang, you have such nice skin. You must take good care of it. It would be awful if you grew pimples.¡±


    ¡°Pimples?¡±


    ¡°The stuff on Fugui¡¯s face.¡±


    ...


    Xie Heng thought about it. He had never had those before.


    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine even if you do. I know how to treat them.¡±


    Of course, it¡¯s best if he doesn¡¯t grow them.


    Skin is only perfect when there are no ws.


    Xie Heng was speechless once again.


    There¡¯s something very wrong about discussing his face with a woman in the middle of the night.


    Seeing that the herbs were done being mashed up, Xie Heng shifted the topic of the conversation and asked, ¡°Anything else that we need to do?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu looked at those herbs and said, ¡°Nothing. You can go read a book and sleep. Oh, right, don¡¯t use the torchlight under a nket. It will deteriorate your eyesight.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Xie Heng picked up the torchlight calmly and returned to the room.


    The moment he returned to the room, Xie Heng¡¯s attention was fixated on the torchlight.


    ...


    He had never seen anything this amazing before.


    Zhao Chuchu just gave it to him like that.


    He pondered for a long while, then walked to the bookshelf. He moved the bookshelf away to reveal a hole that was just big enough for one person to enter.


    He walked down with the torchlight.


    This was a secret space that was about half the size of his room.


    Under the intense illumination of the torchlight, brilliant lights were reflected from the jewelry inside.


    That¡¯s right. Jewelry, gemstones, and precious metals were piled across this secret room.


    Never in her wildest dreams had Zhao Chuchu imagined that not only was Xie Heng not poor, but he was also wealthy!


    Xie Heng squatted on the ground and started choosing carefully.


    The next day, before Zhao Chuchu even woke up, Xie Heng had already prepared breakfast.


    Xie Jun wanted to knock on the door to wake Zhao Chuchu, but Xie Heng stopped him. ¡°Let her sleep. She was tired from saving people yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Brother, why do you sleep in separate rooms with Sis? When can I be an uncle at this rate?¡± Xie Jun said in a dissatisfied tone. ¡°Last time, Sis ignored you. But now, Sis treats you so well. So why are you still doing this? Do you dislike Sis?¡±


    Xie Heng felt the veins on his forehead popping. ¡°Nonsense!¡±


    ¡°All those people who get married sleep together in the same room, yet you and Sis sleep in rooms on opposite ends of the house. You¡¯re further from her than I am! Brother, if you continue doing this, you¡¯re going to lose Sis,¡± Xie Jun said, feeling somewhat disappointed in his brother.

 Chapter 126 - 126 She Almost Died From Their Conspiracy

    126 She Almost Died From Their Conspiracy


    Zhao Chuchu was in her room. She was at a loss for words after overhearing the words that came out of Xie Jun¡¯s mouth.


    How did a kid like him know so much about all these?


    Xie Heng was speechless. Even if he lectured Xie Jun, the boy did not know who the current Zhao Chuchu was.


    But if he remained silent, Zhao Chuchu might think they were plotting against her should she hear their conversation.


    !!


    ¡°Brother, when will I be an uncle?¡± Xie Jun did not want to back down. Even he could tell that the rtionship between his brother and sister-inw had improved a lot as ofte, yet they did not act like typical spouses. ¡°Are you perhaps nning to divorce her in the future?¡±


    Xie Heng replied resignedly, ¡°It¡¯s not what you think. Don¡¯t spout such nonsense. Your sister-inw wants me to focus on my education now. Please don¡¯t misunderstand her goodwill.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is.¡±


    ¡°Alright, then. I¡¯ll ask her myself once she wakes up. Brother, if you were to mistreat her, I would cut off my rtionship with you!¡±


    Xie Heng was dumbfounded.


    ¡°Go have breakfast now. She¡¯ll need to decoct some ointmentter. You should help her.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    With that, Xie Jun left to have his breakfast.


    Xie Heng rubbed his brows as he recounted Xie Jun¡¯s words earlier. Aplicated emotion aroused in him all of a sudden.


    However, he regained hisposure in no time and made his n.


    Zhao Chuchu was stillzing on the bed at that time.


    She did so to avoid making Xie Heng awkward if Xie Jun were to mention asking her and the former to share the marriage bed.


    Xie Jun came and stopped by in front of her room door multiple times but left after some hesitation each time. It seemed like he did not want to interrupt her slumber.


    Sometimeter, Zhao Chuchu finally got up from bed.


    Xie Jun immediately brought her washbowl filled with water to wash up and served her a bowl of porridge.


    ¡°Sister-inw, will you be making herbal ointment today? I won¡¯t be going out to yter. So, I can be your helper.¡±


    Xie Jun sat across Zhao Chuchu and cupped his chin while looking at her.


    Zhao Chuchu asked with a smile, ¡°How did you know I¡¯ll be making ointment today?¡±


    ¡°My brother was the one who told me. Sister-inw, he usually keeps everything to himself and won¡¯t even express his care for others. Please don¡¯t mind that part about him.¡± Xie Jun assisted in bringing them closer.


    As he loved his current sister-inw a lot, he didn¡¯t want his brother to hold her cheap that she ended up leaving him.


    ¡°Junjun, what is your type of girl? Do you want me to look for a cute girlfriend for you?¡± Zhao Chuchu changed the subject because she didn¡¯t want to continue that topic with Xie Jun.


    Children would get embarrassed quickly.


    As expected, Xie Jun was red to his ear after hearing her question.


    ¡°Sister-inw, please don¡¯t make fun of me. I¡¯m still too young.¡± Xie Jun moved his eyeballs around, did not know where to look at. ¡°I don¡¯t want a girlfriend. She will take my food away.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°Well, can¡¯t you share some of your food with her?¡±


    ¡°I will only share good food with you,¡± Xie Jun answered.


    ¡°I see. Thank you, Junjun. Oh. By the way, are you feeling ufortable anywhere?¡±


    ¡°Nah. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Okay. But still, don¡¯t overexpose yourself to the chilly weather. You should stay at home these few days. Otherwise, you might catch a cold. Your body has always been weak. So, you¡¯ll have nothing but sufferingter.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll listen to you.¡±


    Xie Jun uttered those words out of his mouth.


    ¡°In that case, can you help me start the fire on the stove?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Xie Jun immediately started working after responding.


    Staring at the young child¡¯s silhouette, she yed a smile on her face.


    A retirement life like that did not seem to be a bad idea.


    ¡­


    The next day, Kang Xiuwan rented a horse carriage and traveled to Lengshui Vige to meet Zhao Chuchu.


    Tears welled up in her eyes when she saw Zhao Chuchu¡¯s living condition was worse than even her servants. ¡°Chuchu, did you grow up living in this environment?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s getting better now. It was the worst when I was with my family. However, you don¡¯t have to feel bad for me. I¡¯m okay with the current condition. At the very least, I can make every decision by myself.¡±


    ¡°I¡ª¡±


    ¡°This is the ointment. You should apply it twice a day¡ªmorning and evening.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu interrupted Kang Xiuwan. In fact, the former felt that thetter was way more tragic than her.


    So what if she were married into a wealthy family? She almost lost her life after being caught up in their conspiracy against her.


    ¡°Thank you. Mother is a lot better now. I was nning toe and visit you earlier, but my physical condition wouldn¡¯t allow me to do so. When do you think is the best time for us to pay you a formal visit?¡± Kang Xiuwan questioned.


    Zhao Chuchu sighed, ¡°To be honest, we are not much different from strangers. I only saved your mother because I am a doctor. It doesn¡¯t matter whether we are rtives or not. As long as you are not vicious criminals, I will definitely save you!¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, that¡¯s not what I meant.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s mammy doing?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu tried to sidetrack Kang Xiuwan.


    ...


    She was doing great at that moment. After all, the original owner, who they should sympathize with, had already passed away.


    Besides, she was not too fond of the rtives who had never visited the original owner when she was still alive. It was not like she hated them. She only saw them as strangers.


    ¡°She¡¯s been put to prison. The magistrate is investigating the case thoroughly. But there¡¯s still no new process at the moment.¡±


    ¡°What would you do if your family were responsible for this?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. My mother said that she already had an answer. But I didn¡¯t dare to ask.¡±


    Kang Xiuwan lowered her head.


    Her mind was in turmoil.


    ¡°Are you afraid of hardship?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m just worried about where my mother should go after this.¡±


    ¡°The world is a vast ce. What makes you think you¡¯ll have no ce to go? By the way, how much do you know about my mother? Can you tell me more about her?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not so sure myself either. My mother should know more.¡±


    ...


    After contemting, Zhao Chuchu stated, ¡°I¡¯ll go to the county town to see your mother for further consultation in a few days.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Chuchu.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte now. You should go back first. Or else, you¡¯ll miss the city gate¡¯s curfew. Then, you¡¯ll have no ce to stay for the night.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Kang Xiuwan knew Zhao Chuchu did not wee her here. Hence, she took out a pouch and handed it to thetter. ¡°This is the consultation fee. Please ept it. We¡¯ll leave now.¡±


    Just then, Kang Xiuwan got into the horse carriage before Zhao Chuchu said a word.


    Zhao Chuchu lifted a smirk. There was no way I would return the silver that I had received.


    ¡°Have a safe journey.¡± She waved her hand, grabbing the pouch as she entered the house.


    There were five pieces of silver, two 500 banknotes, and four gold beads inside.


    These salt merchants were really an affluent bunch.


    Zhao Chuchu let out a sigh.


    After storing the banknotes and gold beads in the carry-on space, she set aside the five silver pieces.


    ¡°Chuchu.¡±


    Xie Heng knocked on the door.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Zhao Chuchu opened the door and caught sight of Xie Heng in proper and formal apparel as if he was about to leave the house. ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s some business I need to attend to. I¡¯ll probably be back in four or five days. Is there anything you want me to get for you?¡± Xie Heng queried. After pausing for a moment, he said, ¡°I¡¯m going to get something from a schoolmate in the neighboring county.¡±


    ¡°Nothing at the moment. Please do take care of yourself, though,¡± Zhao Chuchu responded. Then, she shoved into his hands the five silver pieces she had received from Kang Xiuwan earlier. ¡°Take this. Feel free to spend as much as you want.¡±


    Xie Heng was a little dumbfounded.


    He came here to ask if Zhao Chuchu needed anything, not to get silver from her.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I have some silver with me.¡±


    Xie Heng returned the silver to Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°Please take care of Junjun for me.


    ¡°And, um, he likes to eat steamed buns.¡±


    In other words, the boy was not a picky eater.


    Zhao Chuchu did not know what to say.


    Xie Heng pondered for a moment before saying, ¡°I have a short bow on my bookshelf. If there¡¯s any imbecile who gets on your nerves, go ahead and shoot them. I¡¯ll handle it when I¡¯m back.¡±

 Chapter 127 - 127 Acted Out of Character

    127 Acted Out of Character


    ¡°Woah! A life for a life¡­¡± Zhao Chuchu raised her brows. ¡°We can¡¯t be going around and killing people, can we?¡±


    Xie Heng did not expose how brutal Zhao Chuchu was. He replied, ¡°Nothing will happen to you.¡±


    ¡°What if they found me out?¡± Zhao Chuchu retorted on purpose.


    ¡°Then you should get away from the scene and wait until I¡¯m back.¡±


    ¡°Are you suggesting that you¡¯ll do the dirty job?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu raised a corner of her lips and scrutinized Xie Heng.


    ¡°Hey, hey. Quit talking about taking life all the time. You¡¯re an educated person.¡±


    ¡°An educated person? The quill pen in a learned person¡¯s hand is the deadliest murder weapon. Stop thinking so highly of polymaths.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re not wrong. But, Da Lang, you¡¯ve changed.¡±


    At first, he was a blind and frail schr. But he somehow became crueler as ofte.


    Previously, he would only let them suffer a fate worse than death. Yet, he would not hesitate to end their lives now.


    He was definitely acting out of character!


    Xie Heng stared at Zhao Chuchu with a serious look. ¡°Are you afraid?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu smiled nonchntly. ¡°I¡¯m not scared or anything. But, aren¡¯t you worried that you might catch some other people¡¯s attention by acting without reserve?¡±


    I know what I¡¯m doing.¡±


    ¡°Alright, as long as you get it. And have a safe trip, then. I¡¯ll take good care of Junjun. No one shall harm him in any way.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡±


    Out of reflex, Zhao Chuchu clenched her fist and hit Xie Heng¡¯s shoulder like she would with her teammates in her previous life.


    On the other hand, he caught her fist unconsciously.


    Zhao Chuchu was stunned by the happening.


    Then, she turned to peer at her hand.


    After looking in the direction of her gaze, Xie Heng immediately let go of her fist after regaining his senses.


    ¡°Sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to do that.¡±


    Although Xie Heng apologized, his mind was filled with images of him catching Zhao Chuchu¡¯s fist.


    Zhao Chuchu could still feel the warmth of Xie Heng¡¯s palm on her hand. For some reason, the rate of her heartbeat was a little different than usual.


    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. You should depart now. Otherwise, you might not make it to the neighboring county on time.¡± Zhao Chuchu digressed, ¡°Please wait outside for a while. I¡¯ll go prepare some food supply for you.¡±


    With that, Zhao Chuchu hurriedly closed the door.


    She took a deep breath to regte her heartbeat.


    That was close!


    Men who were too good-looking were like Homme Fatale. Even someone like her, who was used to seeing handsome guys, couldn¡¯t help but get fidgety.


    Outside of the room, Xie Heng had already calmed himself down. He lowered his head and stared at the palm that caught Zhao Chuchu¡¯s fist earlier. He could still feel the sensation of the softness of her skin.


    At that, Xie Heng closed his eyes. Zhao Chuchu¡¯s appearance changed many things around him.


    For instance, the fate of Zhao Zhizhi and his heart¡­


    Zhao Chuchu came out of her room after a while and handed Xie Heng a square box. ¡°Eat it during your journey.¡±


    It was a box that Xie Heng never saw before.


    He did not say a word but thanked her as he took it from her hand.


    Xie Jun dragged Zhao Chuchu along and sent Xie Heng off to the vige¡¯s entrance.


    ¡°Brother, you have toe back faster.¡± Xie Jun was a little reluctant to see Xie Heng leave. After all, it was the first time he had to part with his brother after the passing of their parents. He couldn¡¯t get used to it even though it was only a few days.


    ¡°You should listen to your sister-inw and don¡¯t misbehave, okay?¡± Xie Heng patted Xie Jun¡¯s head and added, ¡°Try your best to help her in any way you can. Also, don¡¯t forget about your studies.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    After instructing Xie Jun, Xie Heng turned to look at Zhao Chuchu. ¡°There is a box filled with silver on top of the silver. Don¡¯t hesitate to spend them.¡±


    Following that, Xie Heng got into the carriage and departed from Lengshui Vige before Zhao Chuchu uttered a word.


    Xie Jun remained in the same spot and finally returned home after he could no longer see Xie Heng¡¯s silhouette.


    ¡°Sister-inw, is my brother angry or anything?¡±


    ¡°What makes you think so?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve only said a few things the other day, and now he has gone from the house.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t read into things too much. Now that your brother¡¯s eyes have recovered, he will prepare for the next examination. Meeting up with his schoolmates is nothing out of the ordinary.¡± Zhao Chuchu pinched Xie Jun¡¯s cheeks andmented, ¡°Don¡¯t be oversensitive. It¡¯s not good for you and other people.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°Come, let¡¯s go home.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu took Xie Jun¡¯s hand as they strolled back home.


    Halfway through their journey, they stumbled upon Madam Yang, who tucked her tail between her legs and fled from the scene.


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless at the sight of it.


    ...


    There was no need to do that at all.


    So long as they didn¡¯t annoy her, she wouldn¡¯t go around breaking other people¡¯s legs.


    ¡°She seems to be afraid of you.¡± Xie Jun raised his head to look at Zhao Chuchu. ¡°Could it be that she would stop harassing and bullying you anymore?¡±


    ¡°No doubt.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that. They were so terrible and fierce back then.¡±


    ¡°Are you scared of them?¡±


    ¡°I used to be afraid of them. But not anymore.¡±


    ¡­


    Zhao Chuchu suddenly recalled that she promised the town medical hall¡¯s owner to make some medicines for him to sell. Thus, she took out the medical herbs she had bought previously and beganpounding them since she had nothing better to do.


    Xie Jun was beside her at that time. So, Zhao Chuchu took the opportunity to teach him to recognize all those medical herbs. Moreover, she also exined to him the correct methods to handlemon injuries and illnesses.


    Needless to say, Xie Jun memorized everything she told him earnestly.


    ...


    ¡°Junjun, do you want to learn medical science from me?¡±


    ¡°Can I?¡±


    ¡°Of course, you can. As long as you¡¯re willing to learn.¡±


    ¡°Alright, then. I¡¯ll learn from you.¡±


    Xie Jun agreed without any hesitation.


    Zhao Chuchu raised a smile and remarked, ¡°Medical science isn¡¯t something simple. The learning path will be arduous. Are you afraid?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not. I can work hard and endure hardships,¡± Xie Jun eximed sternly.


    ¡°Alright. In that case, you¡¯ll be following me around to learn. I¡¯ll prepare some beginner-level books for you after a few days.¡±


    ¡°Thank you so much. You are the best. Can you be my sister-inw forever?¡±


    Xie Jun stared at Zhao Chuchu with expectation. His eyes widened like that of a puppy.


    Zhao Chuchu met his innocent gaze and patted his head with a smile. ¡°That will depend on you. If you became a naughty boy and learned the ways of the corrupted adults, I would disown you as my brother-inw.¡±


    She had to answer in a roundabout way. After all, he was still a kid.


    Xie Jun did not get the subtle meaning of her words. He thought she said she would disown him if he stopped being a decent human.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, sister-inw. I will not follow the bad examples.¡±


    ¡°Good boy.¡±


    Just as they were in the middle of handling the medical herbs, Old Mrs. Chen¡¯s loud voice could be hearding from afar.


    ¡°Chuchu, are you home? Someone is looking for you.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Zhao Chuchu opened the door and noticed a man standing beside Old Mrs. Chen.


    ¡°Thank goodness you¡¯re home, Chuchu. This young man here told me he¡¯s here to thank you. He seemed to be a decent man, so I brought him here.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me, Doctor Zhao.¡±


    The man immediately moved forward and greeted her. He was the husband of the woman with difficultbor who Zhao Chuchu had rescued previously.


    He carried a chicken cage in his left hand, had some pork meat in his right, and a bundle of something slung over his shoulder.


    ¡°I thank you for what you¡¯ve done that day. I would¡¯ve lost my wife and daughter if it weren¡¯t for you. We just returned home two days ago. These are the gifts from our family. Please ept them, Doctor Zhao,¡± the man said courteously.


    Zhao Chuchu frowned a little when she noticed his tattered apparel that was full of patches. ¡°You should save all these for your wife¡¯s postpartum recovery. I do not need them.¡±


    ¡°Doctor Zhao, I¡­¡±


    ¡°I appreciate the thought. I¡¯ll happily ept if you give me red-dyed eggs, but not the other things.¡±


    Men were not good with words. His mind went nk after Zhao Chuchu expressed her thoughts. Just as he was at his wits¡¯ end as to what to do, he turned to seek help from Old Mrs. Chen who he had just gotten acquainted a while ago.


    Old Mrs. Chen got his distress signal, but she did not want to get involved with Zhao Chuchu¡¯s matter.


    ¡°Um¡­ Er¡­¡±


    In a moment of desperation, the man put the chicken cage and pork meat on the ground and skedaddled from the scene.

 Chapter 128 - 128 Sister-In-Law Is Enough for Him

    128 Sister-In-Law Is Enough for Him


    She grabbed the man by the cor before he could even reach for the fifth step. Before he knew it, he could no longer take a step further.


    ¡°Stop running! Why did you act like a thief when you only handed me gifts?¡± Zhao Chuchu dragged him back and said, ¡°I told you I didn¡¯t want that. Stop forcing me to ept it.¡±


    The man was horrified.


    Old Mr.s Chen couldn¡¯t help butugh at the sight of it. ¡°Young man, you should really stop that. Chuchu has already said no to you. Quit putting her on the spot already!¡±


    !!


    Zhao Chuchu took the bundle in wrapping cloth, opened it, and saw a few red-dyed eggs inside. After grabbing them, she lectured, ¡°Take the rest back with you. I¡¯ll only ept the red-dyed eggs to celebrate this auspicious event. Treat your wife and daughter better if you truly want to thank me. Don¡¯t forget that they had a narrow escape from the jaws of death.¡±


    Upon hearing that, the man¡¯s eyes were filled to the brim with tears. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Doctor Zhao. I¡¯ll take good care of them both. However, I insist that you ept these gifts. Although they didn¡¯t cost much, they were a token of our appreciation for you. If you didn¡¯t ept them, my mother would smack me when I¡¯m back.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu raised her brows andmented, ¡°A man of your size and age still gets a beating from his mother?¡±


    ¡°Mm, yeah. My wife only suffered difficultbor because I got under her skin. When I got home that day, my mother almost broke my legs.¡± After he spoke, the man pulled up his sleeves. ¡°Here, look. These are the beating marks left by my mother.¡±


    Multiple bruises could be seen on his tanned arms, clearly showing that he was beaten to a pulp.


    Although Zhao Chuchu had never seen the man¡¯s mother before, she got a feeling that they would get along well.


    Mothers-inw in this era would rarely stand up for their daughters-inw. Plus, the woman didn¡¯te across as someone sour and petnt. Their interaction really showed the closeness of their rtionship.


    Zhao Chuchu grabbed a bottle of medicine and threw it at the man. ¡°Take it. Let your wife apply the medicine for you if your mother hits you again.¡±


    The man remained silent as she spoke.


    He did not expect Doctor Zhao to react that way.


    ¡°I still have a lot on my te. You should get back now.¡± Zhao Chuchu went on. ¡°My husband is not at home currently. It is not appropriate for you to remain here.¡±


    The man¡¯s face flushed, and he eximed, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for being inconsiderate!¡±


    With that, he hurriedly left Xie n¡¯s courtyard gate and said, ¡°I won¡¯t go in. This is good enough for me.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu cupped her forehead and grumbled at the man¡¯s stubbornness.


    ¡°How about this? I will ept your gifts, and you will take some convalescent tonics back for your daughter.¡± Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t like to eat her words. She would not take the gifts since she had refused to ept them earlier. However, exchanging goods would be a different story. ¡°Hey, wait. Stop right there.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was worried that the woman¡¯s breast milk would be insufficient since thetter was skinny. Therefore, she took two cans of milk powder and removed the graphics and words from the packaging before handing them out.


    ¡°Come here. I¡¯ll let you know how to use them.¡± Zhao Chuchu beckoned at the man to enter and taught him the milk preparation process, including the suitable temperature for the child¡¯s consumption.


    The aroma of the milk attracted Old Mrs. Chen¡¯s attention. ¡°Chuchu, what is this?¡±


    ¡°Powdered milk. It is a recement for mothers whose breast milk production is insufficient. ording to my observation, thatdy¡¯s breast milk should be in short supply,¡± Zhao Chuchu exined.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. My wife¡¯s breast milk isn¡¯t enough for my daughter. So, we can only feed her some congee.¡± Tears rolled down the man¡¯s cheek as he uttered those words.


    Zhao Chuchu turned to look at him. ¡°Have you learned how to prepare it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Remember carefully. You should keep the powdered milk in a dry ce. It must not be exposed to moisture.¡±


    ¡°Got it. Thank you so much, Doctor Zhao.¡±


    ¡°Get in, Junjun,¡± Zhao Chuchu called out to Xie Jun.


    Xie Jun had gotten a whiff of the milk¡¯s aroma earlier. He wanted to taste it but didn¡¯t dare to ask Zhao Chuchu.


    Now that he heard his name being called, he immediately rushed toward the source of the sound, knowing she wanted to let him taste it.


    ¡°Drink it.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Xie Jun held the bowl of milk in his hands delightedly.


    The taste was too good. It was something he had never tried before.


    ¡°What milk is this?¡± Old Mrs. Chen asked.


    ¡°This is not human milk.¡± Zhao Chuchu continued, ¡°You won¡¯t find this in Guangqing Province. I got them from a traveling merchant the other day. I was told these couldn¡¯t be stored for too long. They should be consumed as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Old Mrs. Chen stopped probing upon hearing that. All the kids were no longer little children. Those unusual things they brought back were already beyond her.


    The man carried two cans of powdered milk and left after expressing gratitude.


    ¡°Hold on, Grandma Chen. I wanna give you one.¡± Zhao Chuchu had many of them with her, thinking it wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to do others a favor.


    Old Mrs. Chen immediately rejected it. ¡°We don¡¯t have babies at home. Giving it to me is such a waste. You should keep it for yourself.¡±


    ¡°No. They can be separated into different age groups. I still have a few cans that are suitable for Junjun¡¯s age. You should take one back for Chen Liang.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu went into the house. Immediately after, she handed two cans to Old Mrs. Chen after removing the graphics and words on the packaging.


    Nevertheless, Old Mrs. Chen didn¡¯t dare to ept it.


    ¡°Grandma Chen, I¡¯m not giving it to you for free. Please ask aunt to help out at the field in the backyard.¡± Zhao Chuchu shoved it to Old Mrs. Chen. ¡°I need to prepare medicines for my patients after this. So, I don¡¯t think I have enough time to work in the field. I might even miss the best time to grow them.¡±


    ¡°This is just a trivial matter. You only need to inform me about it. Why did you feel the need to give me the powdered milk?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a different matter. I can¡¯t let you do the work for free, can I? Reciprocity is crucial. Next time, I can be at ease when I ask for your help.¡±


    ¡°You really are¡­¡±


    ¡°Please ept it.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I shall ept it, then. I¡¯ll ask her toe to help youter. Guess I¡¯ll take my leave now. The clothes still need to be aired.¡±


    ¡°Have a nice day, Grandma Chen.¡±


    Old Mrs. Chen found a handful of straw and hid the powdered milk with it. Otherwise, the others woulde and bug Zhao Chuchu after seeing it.


    Zhao Chuchu closed the door and turned around. She noticed Xie Jun licking the bowl and was at a loss for words.


    Was the boy starved?


    ...


    ¡°If you clean the bowl, I¡¯ll let you drink a bowl of milk every night. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°Did I ever lie to you?¡±


    Xie Jun jumped in ecstasy.


    Zhao Chuchu was a little fluttery after seeing the high-spirited Xie Jun.


    She had already nned to let Xie Jun start drinking milk.


    Xie Jun was too short for his age. A child as good-looking as him should grow taller.


    ¡°Sister-inw, what should I do?¡±


    ¡°Sister-inw, what can I do to help you?¡±


    ¡­


    Xie Jun had been following Zhao Chuchu around that day. What about his brother?


    ...


    Oh, well. His sister-inw alone was enough for him.


    The people of the Chen n did not ck at all. Old Mrs. Chen¡¯s eldest daughter-inw, Madam Zheng, plowed the field of the Xie n¡¯s backyard in one evening. She even asked Zhao Chuchu what she was nning to nt, hoping to help thetter do it.


    ¡°I want to set up a shed. It needs to be firmer.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu pointed in the direction of the open space nearby.


    She wanted to grow some pumpkins.


    Pumpkin pie was delicious, after all.


    ¡°Are you going to grow some cbashes? They take up too much space. You can grow them at some random barren hill.¡±


    ¡°This is not cbash. It is called a pumpkin. I¡¯m not sure what it is myself. I thought I should set up a melon shed first.¡±


    ¡°What did you get it from?¡±


    ¡°I bought a lot of stuff from the grocery store. The owner gave it to me.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you try something else? We don¡¯t even know what a pumpkin looks like. It¡¯d be a waste of this piece ofnd if we were cheated and nothing grew from it.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t be a waste. I wanted to grow some seedlings.¡±


    ¡°What kind of seedlings?¡±

 Chapter 129 - 129 Worried That Zhao Chuchu Will Be in the Red

    129 Worried That Zhao Chuchu Will Be in the Red


    Madam Zheng had never heard of nts that required seedling raising before.


    Zhao Chuchu would always be found messing around with strange and unusual things.


    ¡°Hehe. You¡¯ll understand once you see it. If you trust me, leave a few ridges of drnd to grow them.¡± Zhao Chuchu kept her in suspense.


    At first, Madam Zheng wanted to reject her. After recalling the two cans of powdered milk Zhao Chuchu gave the children, she held back the words she wanted to say and replied, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll listen to you. Speaking of which, what are you going to grow on Tripe Mountain? You should start the nning now.¡±


    !!


    ¡°I have my ns already.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all good as long as you know what to do. Otherwise, you¡¯ll miss the proper season and waste the remaining time of the year.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t happen. I¡¯ll need Uncle Dashi and the other¡¯s help for the hardbor.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu could not manage all the fields on the hill by herself.


    Madam Zheng knew Zhao Chuchu would hire her husband to take care of the unds. The former was a little excited at the idea of it.


    Cultivating the wastnds on Tripe Mountain for the past month had been much better than the odd jobs he had taken elsewhere.


    Nevertheless, Madam Zheng smiled and uttered, ¡°You just have to inform Uncle Chen at that time. The things outside are beyond us women.¡±


    After Madam Zheng left, Zhao Chuchu looked at the farm, thinking about whether to grow sponge gourd or tomato.


    Tomato was pretty delicious.


    Those were the thoughts in Zhao Chuchu¡¯s mind as she returned to the house.


    At that time, Xie Jun was preparing rice for the dogs.


    Xie Heng didn¡¯t like dogs. So, the pets had to stay inside a hut in the courtyard. They could not enter the house.


    ¡°Junjun, should we have some steamed buns today?¡± Zhao Chuchu entered the kitchen and asked, ¡°Do you wanna eat meat buns or vegan buns?¡±


    ¡°Meat buns!¡±


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll have meat buns then!¡±


    Xiaolongbao and char siu bao would be the ideal choice.


    Since she bought the buns from a long-established stall, the taste was better than the hot meals from her carry-on space.


    Zhao Chuchu was pretty busy when Xie Heng was away from home.


    She ordered a custom-built stone mill from Old Mrs. Chen¡¯s rtive and took some time to check out the wastnd cultivation on Tripe Mountain.


    After thend avable for farming had increased, Zhao Chuchu ordered Chen Dashan and the others to burn the wood ash. Then, they would plow thend ording to her instruction.


    ¡°Chuchu, what are you going to nt?¡± Chen Dashan questioned.


    ¡°A kind of crop called potato. These are the ones I bought from some traveling merchant. Now is the most suitable time to cultivate them.¡±


    ¡°Why have I never heard of it before?¡±


    ¡°It should be from overseas. As you know, traveling merchants move from ce to ce. They have all kinds of things we¡¯ve never seen before in their collection.¡±


    ¡°What if it won¡¯t grow? Won¡¯t you waste half a year of cultivation for nothing?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯ve asked the merchant the correct way to grow this thing. After the harvest, you can grow them next year as well.¡±


    Chen Dashan thought Zhao Chuchu was fooling around. So, he tried persuading her to grow other crops. ¡°Why don¡¯t you grow some soy?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be growing that as well.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯ll be growing potatoes earlier?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be doing ry cropping. I¡¯ll grow potatoes first, then soyter. This way, I can fully utilize thend.¡±


    Chen Dashan did not know about this cultivation method before. ¡°After cultivating the soy, what will you do with the potatoes?¡±


    ¡°We can begin harvesting the potatoes by the end of the sixth month. We¡¯ll have to be careful not to damage the seedling of the soy at the time.¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, where did you learn all these from?¡±


    ¡°I learned these from the traveling merchants and the books. There are many methods for ry cropping in the books.¡±


    Chen Dashan did not say a word after hearing that she had learned it from the books.


    Nevertheless, he was worried that Zhao Chuchu would be in the red at this rate.


    Still, Zhao Chuchu did not give any further exnation.


    After the plowing, she meticulously cut the potatoes ording to the buds into many tiny pieces. Then, she hired workers to sow them with twenty cents per day¡¯s wage.


    ¡°Chuchu, can it grow with just a tiny piece like this?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve grown many things in my life, but I¡¯ve never seen this so-called potato before. Are you sure the merchants did not scam you?¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t wanna grow the soy first? I¡¯m worried that they will be impractical for staples.¡±


    ¡­


    Zhao Chuchu was around when they were growing the potatoes. The women were chiming in, trying to convince her to change her mind.


    Zhao Chuchu knew they were saying those things out of goodwill. So, she exined patiently, ¡°If they wouldn¡¯t grow, we could start sowing the soy around the end of the fifth month. I¡¯ll be wasting somebor costs at most. It¡¯s alright. I can afford to spend this much.¡±


    Since she made her statement, the others stopped trying to persuade her. They could only let out sighs secretly. They all thought Zhao Chuchu had be more impulsive after her personality change.


    Needless to say, Zhao Chuchu knew their thoughts and heard their remarks.


    The following day after the potatoes were sowed, 2000 catties of soy arrived at the grocery store.


    The vigers in Lengshui Vige were blown away by Zhao Chuchu¡¯s conduct once again.


    Even Niu Tongsheng couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Chuchu, I know I shouldn¡¯tment on how you spend your money, but what are you going to do with this much soy? We don¡¯t need this many seeds. You can¡¯t be eating this every day, right? Are you sure the merchants did not swindle you?¡±


    ¡°Chief, I wasn¡¯t ripped off by the merchants. I have ns for the soy. Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s not easy for others to pull a fast one on me.¡± Zhao Chuchu chuckled. ¡°Soon, you¡¯ll know what I¡¯m going to do with the soy. Oh, by the way. If you trust me, you should grow more soy.¡±


    ...


    The vigers were staring at one another. They did not understand what Zhao Chuchu had up her sleeve.


    The more they observed the current Zhao Chuchu, the more they couldn¡¯t associate her with her previous timid and taciturn self.


    Just then, Xie Heng returned from his trip looking weary.


    Noticing the vigers in front of his house, he thought something must have befallen his household. Taking a deep breath, he strode ahead and pushed through the crowd.


    ¡°What is going on?¡±


    Everyone¡¯s attention was on him upon hearing that.


    After seeing him, Niu Tongsheng remarked, ¡°Wee back, Da Lang. Here¡¯s the thing. I noticed Chuchu bought a huge amount of soy. Worried that the merchants ripped her off, I came to see what happened.¡±


    ¡°I was the one who asked Chuchu to buy the soy.¡± Xie Heng immediately covered up for Zhao Chuchu so the others wouldn¡¯t misunderstand her. ¡°I¡¯m nning to experiment with a new type of dish. But I¡¯m not sure whether it will work or not. So, I bought some extra ones for spare.¡±


    The crowd remained silent after hearing that it was Xie Heng¡¯s idea.


    Xie Heng was an educated person. For some reason, they had blind faith in people like him.


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it is. I thought the merchants hoaxed Chuchu,¡± Niu Tongshengmented.


    ...


    Xie Heng turned to gaze at Zhao Chuchu and replied, ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone can trick Chuchu. So don¡¯t worry about it, Chief.¡±


    ¡°In any case, we¡¯re d that you¡¯re back. Let¡¯s go home and leave these two lovebirds alone. They¡¯ve seen each other for days.¡± Niu Tongsheng evacuated the vigers. ¡°We should let them spend some time alone.¡±


    The crowd chortled after hearing what he said.


    His words were that of a banter toward Xie Heng and Zhao Chuchu.


    Although Zhao Chuchu was okay with it, Xie Heng¡¯s ears were visibly red.


    But none of them thought much about it. They assumed it resulted from Xie Heng¡¯s hastened journey back home.


    Xie Heng closed the door of the courtyard after the vigers left. Then, he turned around and gave Zhao Chuchu a simple yet exquisite box.

 Chapter 130 - 130 Just Tell Me That You Got Me a Gift

    130 Just Tell Me That You Got Me a Gift


    Zhao Chuchu was surprised. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°A friend gave it to me. He told me to pass it to you,¡± Xie Heng said calmly, reaching his hand forward a little more.


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t suspect anything. She received the box and opened it. It was a gorgeous hairpin made of extremely high-grade jade.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± Zhao Chuchu ran her fingers across the hairpin and said, ¡°Thank you to your friend.¡±


    ¡°As long as you like it,¡± Xie Heng said, the clenched fist hidden in his sleeves immediately rxed. ¡°I¡¯ll put down the stuff first.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu nodded.


    She took out the hairpin and scrutinized it.


    Zhao Chuchu was fond of jade. Before the apocalypse, most of the jewelry pieces she collected were made of jade.


    But after the apocalypse, jade was worth less than sausages, which was why she immediately sold her entire jade collection after she reincarnated.


    The jade hairpin that Xie Heng brought her today once again kindled her liking for jade.


    When Xie Heng put down his stuff and walked out, he saw Zhao Chuchu flipping the jade hairpin around and looking at it from every angle. She seemed to like the gift a lot.


    ¡°Do you like it?¡± Xie Heng asked. ¡°My friend showed me a lot of things. I picked this jade hairpin for you in the end.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu turned around when she heard his voice. A smile appeared on her face as she asked, ¡°Da Lang, did your friend give me this, or did you give me this?¡±


    Xie Heng¡¯s heart skipped a beat, but he didn¡¯t show it on his face at all. He said, ¡°A friend gave it to you, but I picked it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.


    ¡°How much did it cost?¡±


    ¡°It didn¡¯t cost anything.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu put the hairpin on her hair and said, ¡°I like it a lot, thank you.¡±


    He should have just said it if he had bought a gift for her. It was not like she wouldugh at him for this. There was no need to say it in such a roundabout way to hide it from her.


    As Xie Heng watched Zhao Chuchu don the hairpin, he heaved a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Did you run into any trouble at home in the past few days?¡±


    ¡°Nope, who would dare to look for trouble with me now? They¡¯re all afraid of getting their legs broken! By the way, did you finish your business?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Are you still going to go out after this?¡±


    ¡°Not anymore. I need to start preparing for the exam.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu counted the days. The previous exam wasst year, so the next exam would be in two years.


    ¡°Two years to go. You got this. I¡¯m waiting for you to be an official in the royal court so you can be my backing.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Xie Heng liked to hear Zhao Chuchu say the word ¡°backing.¡±


    He had never wanted to be anyone¡¯s backing in his life, but now, there was someone he wanted to support.


    He wanted to be Zhao Chuchu¡¯s backing.


    ¡°What do you want to eat today?¡± It¡¯s going to be noon soon. Xie Heng pulled up his sleeves and walked toward the kitchen.


    ¡°I¡¯m not picky.¡±


    Anything that Xie Heng cooked was delicious. Even the mostmon dish would be something different in his hands.


    After several days of eating just buns, she started getting tired of them.


    Xie Heng¡¯s cooking was so much better.


    ¡°Can youe to help me start the fire?¡± Xie Heng turned around and asked Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Zhao Chuchu answered and hurriedly followed him in.


    Someone was cooking for her. Of course, she would be willing to start the fire and help out.


    That was the dedication of a foodie toward food.


    The two were so close that they would inevitably bump into and frequently meet each other¡¯s eyes. There was a flirtatious, rosy atmosphere around them.


    But Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t notice it. She started talking about what had happened in the past few days.


    Xie Heng asked questions once in a while. This conversation mode, where she spoke and he listened, made him feel exceptionally rxed. Although it was petty, it feltfortable and cozy.


    ¡°You mentioned milk powder? What¡¯s that?¡± This was another thing that Zhao Chuchu brought up that Xie Heng had never heard before. Xie Heng could be considered very well-read and experienced in life. Yet, in front of Zhao Chuchu, it was like he lived under a rock.


    ¡°It¡¯s a supplement used to supply nutrients people need. It¡¯s from the ce where I came from. Many mothers would use to feed their babies with milk made from powder if they weren¡¯t willing to breastfeed their children or didn¡¯t have enough breast milk.¡±


    ¡°Are they¡­ the same?¡±


    Although it was a little embarrassing, Xie Heng still wanted to know.


    ¡°Pretty much, I think it¡¯s put to personal choice. Da Lang, Junjun looks much younger than the other kids his age. I¡¯m going to tell him to start drinking milk.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Was he not going to get some as well?


    Didn¡¯t she say that he was still growing?


    This made Xie Heng feel a little upset.


    Even Old Lady Chen¡¯s grandson got some. Xie Heng¡¯s rtionship with Zhao Chuchu was much more than friends, yet he was excluded from this¡­


    ...


    Zhao Chuchu continued looking down and putting the firewood into the stove cavity. She didn¡¯t notice that Xie Heng¡¯s mood had changed.


    She continued. ¡°You¡¯re going to get tired from studying, so you should drink some in the morning and at night as well.¡±


    ¡°I have it too?¡±


    Xie Heng couldn¡¯t help but feel happy.


    ¡°Of course, you¡¯re growing too.¡± Zhao Chuchu looked up. Her expression showed that she was clearly a little confused at Xie Heng¡¯s reaction.


    Since she was already feeding people, she could afford one more person.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pass you someter on.¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, where did you get all this stuff?¡±


    Xie Heng couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    He could better help her cover up if he knew about it.


    ¡°It might scare you. Are you sure you want to know?¡±


    ...


    ¡°Yes, I can be mentally prepared if anything happens in the future.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve read books about myths and legends before, right? Do you know about the ¡®Universe in a Sleeve¡¯?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu started to make up stories that were somewhat true.


    ¡°You¡¯re a divine being?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not, but this is a real thing in the world where I came from. It¡¯s an ability that every person is born with. No one can take it away from us. I umted all of these things in my previous life. I was nning to travel around the world with it, but an ident happened, and I ended up here!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu sighed. She reached out her hand. A lollipop appeared in her palm out of nowhere.


    Xie Heng had never lost his cool before, yet now, he could no longer keep calm.


    ¡°Are you afraid?¡± Zhao Chuchu said jokingly, ¡°Here, have some candy.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu peeled off the packaging paper and stuffed the lollipop into Xie HEng¡¯s mouth.


    The sweet taste spread on Xie Heng¡¯s tongue. It was a taste that he had never tried before.


    ¡°Strawberry vored, do you like it?¡± Zhao Chuchu blinked as she asked.


    She was prepared to kill Xie Heng immediately if he appeared to be even slightly greedy for her carry-on space.


    Xie Heng took out the lollipop from his mouth and looked at Zhao Chuchu deeply. He said, ¡°Don¡¯t let other people know about this. You may not know this, but they would see you as a freak if you show this to them. They might want to take your ¡®Universe in a Sleeve¡¯ from you.¡±


    ¡°No one can take it from me. If I die, this ability will no longer exist. My life and my ¡®Universe in a Sleeve¡¯ are bound to each other,¡± Zhao Chuchu made things up as she spoke, ¡°You¡¯re the only one who knows right now. I¡¯ll know you¡¯ve let me down if anyone else bes aware of this.¡±


    ¡°This ability is too absurd to the people of this world. Actually, Chuchu, the phrase ¡®Universe in a Sleeve¡± doesn¡¯t exist in this society. But I heard that in a faraway, foreign ce, a n of witches had abilities close to gods. Rumors have it that the witches could connect with spirits and exchange items with gods. Everyone in the Wei Dynasty, from the royal court to themon folk, firmly believe in the existence of witches.¡±


    ¡°You want me to im that I¡¯m a witch if anyone starts to get suspicious?¡±


    ¡°Yes, this is the best cover-up. You have so many talents and skills. No one would doubt you.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was starting to get confused.


    She thought that Xie Heng was a person who would be willing to do anything to reach the top.


    Why was he so kind toward her?


    Was he really not interested in the carry-on space at all?


    Zhao Chuchu asked, ¡°Da Lang, do you want the ¡®Universe in a Sleeve¡¯?¡±


    Xie Heng shook his head and said, ¡°I won¡¯t take things away from you. But for fairness, I¡¯ll tell you a secret too.¡±

 Chapter 131 - 131 Xie Heng’s Secret

    131 Xie Heng¡¯s Secret


    Zhao Chuchu raised her eyebrows.


    Xie Heng swiftly approached her. His warm breath swept past her ear like a feather gently brushing as he whispered, ¡°Actually, I am the same as you.¡±


    These seven words hit Zhao Chuchu like a heavy sledgehammer.


    Her mood instantly improved.


    She had found the answer for the thing she had noticed was off from time to time.


    Zhao Chuchu suddenly looked at Xie Heng.


    Xie Heng¡¯s gaze was calm and steady as he allowed her to probe him.


    The two of them were standing very close to each other. They could even clearly see the fine hairs on each other¡¯s faces.


    She asked, ¡°You did not stop Li Jiang and the others from setting fire to you because you knew it was going to rain heavilyter?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    She continued asking, ¡°You knew that I was not your original wife because she was originally going to die?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then, why did you pretend to be blind?¡±


    ¡°To avoid unnecessary trouble.¡±


    Xie Heng¡¯s honesty made Zhao Chuchu draw in a breath of cold air.


    She interrogated, ¡°So you have been watching me make a fool of myself all this while?¡±


    He replied, ¡°No. I have not hidden the fact that I knew about your identity from the very beginning.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu did not know how to respond.


    After thinking about it, it was indeed, as he said.


    However, Xie Heng had exposed her identity with the intention of testing her.


    Xie Heng was a person who had been reborn!


    She initially believed that only Zhao Zhizhi had been reborn. She never imagined that another reborn person had been hiding around her all this while.


    She honestly had not noticed that Xie Heng was also not ordinary.


    It might be because Zhao Zhizhi hade out to kill her, causing her to shift all her attention to the former. Hence, she had never suspected Xie Heng before.


    After all, it was a matter of life and death back then, but Xie Heng had not done anything. No one would have guessed that he would be so calm because he was certain that heavy rain would stop Li Jiang and the others from setting fire to him.


    ¡°Then, why are you willing to tell me now?¡±


    ¡°To instill trust.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu questioned, ¡°You are the same as Zhao Zhizhi. Is she so anxious to kill me off because she knows you will bring her riches in the future?¡±


    Xie Heng smiled and said, ¡°If you want my riches, I can give them to you right now.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was shocked.


    She was speechless.


    Did this youth know what he was saying?


    Xie Heng revealed, ¡°There is a secret room under the bookshelf in my room. If youck funds or want to buy essories, you can go down there to take some money.¡±


    ¡°If you are so rich, why were you unwilling to let Junjun eat?¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t that I was unwilling¡­¡±


    After Xie Heng said this, he fell silent for a moment.


    Then, he continued, ¡°It was because I did not dare to do so. He has never lived past the age of 22.¡±


    A tinge of pain shed past in Xie Heng¡¯s eyes.


    Zhao Chuchu gave him a deep look.


    ¡°Then, how was the gue quelled in your previous life?¡±


    ¡°Many people died, but the gue disappeared gradually over time.¡±


    This was due to herd immunity. Those with weaker constitutions were eliminated, and only those who could survive the flu this time would live on!


    ¡°What happened to you after that?¡± asked Zhao Chuchu curiously. ¡°Did you be emperor or¡­¡±


    ¡°My identity is what you see now. I am not hiding anything. I am not a leftover pearl of some royal family.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu understood.


    Xie Heng¡¯s identity was not a secret.


    The one with the secret was Xie Jun.


    The answer was already obvious. She did not pursue the matter further.


    Xie Heng promised, ¡°You already know my secret, so you do not need to worry about your secret getting out.¡±


    ¡°Will you keep my secret?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Good things should happen to good people.¡±


    When Zhao Chuchu heard this, she could not help butugh.


    ...


    ¡°Good things should happen to good people?¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    She teased, ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll be a good person! However, Da Lang, your dish is burnt.¡±


    Xie Heng came to his senses. He discovered that the kitchen was already filled with the smell of burnt food.


    He was speechless.


    This dish was naturally inedible.


    He could only start making a new dish.


    Zhao Chuchu could not hold back herughter. She said, ¡°Da Lang, this is the first time I saw you act so pathetic.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I have been even more pathetic before. However, you will probably never see it,¡± replied Xie Heng calmly.


    Something might change because they knew each other¡¯s greatest secret. However, both of them had yet to notice it.


    Xie Jun rubbed his stomach as he emerged from inside the house. He said, ¡°Bro, Sis, I know a couple needs time to deepen their rtionship, but I am hungry. Can you wait until after dinner to act all lovey-dovey? I have watched both of you going on and on for quite some time now.¡±


    ...


    Zhao Chuchu blushed as she said, ¡°Your brother had a misfire today. He burnt the dish. Let us mock him together!¡±


    ¡°Sis, why don¡¯t you step out, and I will take care of the fire. When my brother is with you, he forgets how to cook,¡± said Xie Jun as he pouted.


    Xie Heng had no counter.


    Zhao Chuchu cleared her throat and said awkwardly, ¡°Anyone can make mistakes. Moreover, your brother recovered his sight, so it is normal for his vision to be blurry asionally.¡±


    ¡°Sis, you spoke up for my brother!¡± eximed Xie Jun in astonishment.


    Upon hearing this, Xie Heng secretly looked at Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu raised her eyebrows and retorted, ¡°What about it? Can¡¯t I do so?¡±


    Xie Jun replied, ¡°You can. Hehe, will I be an uncle soon?¡±


    For a moment, Zhao Chuchu did not know how to respond.


    ¡°If you continue standing there, you will soon not have anything left to eat,¡± said Xie Heng as he looked at Xie Jun with a cold look.


    Xie Jun did not respond.


    He quickly ran out in case he would not have anything to eat.


    Seeing this, Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°He is still a kid. He means no harm.¡±


    Xie Heng looked at her and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that others will misunderstand?¡±


    ¡°What is there to misunderstand? Even if we say nothing, others will believe whatever they want to. Since I cannot control how others think, why do I need to bother?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu did not mind at all.


    After all, she and Xie Heng were officially husband and wife.


    Even if they revealed that they had yet to consummate their marriage, who would believe them?


    Aside from Xie Jun, no one knew both of them had been sleeping separately.


    After their meal, Zhao Chuchu followed Xie Heng to his room.


    This was the first time Zhao Chuchu had stepped foot into this ce.


    Xie Heng¡¯s room was spotless. It was partitioned into two sections. The inner part was his bedroom, while the outer part served as his study.


    Two walls of his study were lined with bookshelves stacked with books. These books had worn spines. At a nce, it was apparent that they were frequently read.


    Xie Heng told Zhao Chuchu about the entrance to the secret room.


    She asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid I will take all your money and run off with it?¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t do that.¡±


    Xie Heng was very certain.


    Aside from that one time, he had never misjudged a person again.


    If Zhao Chuchu were indeed such a person, she would have long fled.


    A person like her could not be contained with persuasion or force.


    ¡°You sure are confident,¡± said Zhao Chuchu as she sat before a bookcase. ¡°May I flip through these?¡±


    She gestured at the books on the bookcase.


    ¡°Do as you please.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu took up a book. It was a book that Xie Heng was working on copying.


    Xie Heng¡¯s handwriting made Zhao Chuchu gasp involuntarily. She eximed, ¡°Your strokes are fluid, dynamic, and solid. Da Lang, your handwriting is really beautiful.¡±


    Xie Heng could not help but feel somewhat awkward about being praised by Zhao Chuchu. He humbly brushed it off, saying, ¡°They are just some scribbles I made.¡±


    ¡°You had better not say such things. Those who act ignorant will be struck by lightning,¡± said Zhao Chuchu as she rolled her eyes at him. ¡°Back in my hometown, you would definitely be a calligraphy master. Your handwriting could be sold for a high price!¡±


    ¡°I will not sell my handwriting,¡± dered Xie Heng. His pride forbade him from turning his handwriting into a product to sell.


    ¡°100 years after you die, how would you know how your writings are handled?¡±


    ¡°That is after I die. Right now, while I am still alive, I will handle it.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you write a few pieces for me?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was itching to get her hands on some copies of Xie Heng¡¯s work. His handwriting was really beautiful.

 Chapter 132 - 132 His Brother Seems Bewildered

    132 His Brother Seems Bewildered


    ¡°Why do you want copies of my handwriting?¡± Xie Heng asked as he raised his eyebrows.


    Zhao Chuchu fluttered her eyshes and said yfully, ¡°You are not mediocre. You will one day go far. Your handwriting will be treasures coveted by the masses. When that happens, even a thousand gold coins cannot purchase one. Now, when you have yet to be famous, it is not too much to ask for a few copies, right?¡±


    ¡°It is not too much to ask, but I want something in exchange.¡±


    ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°I will let you knowter after I think about it.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t I buy them from you?¡±


    ¡°I will not sell my handwriting. However, if you do things that please me, I will write something for you. How about it?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu felt that Xie Heng had some n in mind.


    However, she had no proof.


    ¡°Alright,¡± she replied.


    Zhao Chuchu put down the book and looked at the books on the shelves.


    Most sages had the same thoughts. Therefore, when Zhao Chuchu flipped through the books, she noticed that the contents were simr to those of books tested in the Imperial Examination of her previous life.


    However, these books contained more than just the thoughts of the sages.


    ¡°Did you write all these annotations?¡± asked Zhao Chuchu as she looked at Xie Heng.


    Xie Heng nodded.


    This youth had a bright future of endless possibilities ahead of him.


    Most of the annotations of the ssics and books that the candidates read were usually left behind by generations of schrs before them.


    Xie Heng had written his own annotations!


    How was she so sure? It was because there were signs of many corrections.


    ¡°I feel I might still have a chance to ride your coattails.¡±


    ¡°Ride my coattails?¡±


    Xie Heng was momentarily stunned. When he imagined the scene of her doing so, he blushed suddenly.


    Zhao Chuchu immediately knew why he was blushing.


    She was speechless.


    ¡°I mean that, as a capable person with authority, I wish for you to look after me.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± answered Xie Heng without even thinking.


    He answered so decisively that, for a moment, Zhao Chuchu wondered whether she had sold herself away!


    She recalled why she was there and took out two cans of toddler form. Both had theirbels removed.


    ¡°This is milk form. Drink a cup every morning and night, and it will help you grow taller and stronger.¡±


    Xie Heng felt weird when he heard this. However, he chose to remain silent and did not retort.


    The writing of the Wei Dynasty was the same as the writing of Zhao Chuchu¡¯s previous life. They also used simplified characters. Only their writing direction was the same as history; they wrote from top to bottom and from right to left.


    When she was hoarding resources, she stored many things in bulk. Hence, besides weapons that were hard to get her hands on, she had everything.


    Zhao Chuchu thought for a moment and passed a set of books to Xie Heng. They were the Four Books and Five ssics.


    ¡°These are the contents of the Imperial Examinations from where I came from. Do you want to look at them?¡± asked Zhao Chuchu as she ced them on the bookcase.


    Xie Heng looked at them. He was not used to such typesetting.


    However, the fine printing and small print astonished him.


    He eximed, ¡°Who copied these books? Their handwriting is so neat and tidy.¡±


    She exined, ¡°They aren¡¯t copied by hand. Aside from students in schools, no one from where I came from copied books. We used a tool called a machine. It can print tens of thousands of books a day.¡±


    ¡°There actually exists such an intricate tool?¡±


    ¡°Sadly, you don¡¯t have the conditions to make one such machine here. However, I know the technique of printing. Although it is rather tedious,pared to copying books, it is far more efficient.¡±


    ¡°Tell me more.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu gave a simple exnation of movable type printing.


    Xie Heng was once again astonished.


    The Wei Dynasty did not have such a thing. Even paper was a luxury.


    If an ordinary person wanted to be a schr, they required the assistance of an entire n.


    To arge extent, the Imperial Examination had set a high threshold. Someone without money wanted to study? It was too difficult for them to do so.


    Xie Heng took up a copy of the Analects. After casually flipping through its contents, his gaze became serious.


    It was as though he had obtained a treasure. Although he was not used to horizontal typesetting, he could ovee this.


    ¡°Chuchu, I want to have a look at these books. If you are interested in any books in my collection, feel free to take them.¡±


    When Zhao Chuchu heard this, she turned around. Xie Heng had already sat down and was reading intently.


    She was speechless.


    He lived up to his name of being an academic prodigy. He could enjoy such aplex and dry book.


    She did not disturb Xie Heng. She chose a few history books and left his room.


    Xie Heng kept reading until the evening before emerging from his room.


    ...


    Zhao Chuchu could tell that he was in an excellent mood.


    ¡°Chuchu, let¡¯s have steamed buns for dinner.¡±


    When Zhao Chuchu, who was prepared to help Xie Heng, heard this, she thought she had misheard him.


    Didn¡¯t he hate steamed buns the most?


    Why is it that he was eating uncharacteristically today?


    ¡°Sorry to trouble you.¡±


    After saying this, Xie Heng turned around and returned to the house.


    Even Xie Jun felt this was strange. He quickly whispered to Zhao Chuchu, ¡°Sis, what happened to my brother? He seems to be in a good mood. Is it a happy thing to be locked in a room for the entire afternoon?¡±


    ¡°Oh, maybe your brother has obtained valuable wealth?¡± suggested Zhao Chuchu. Be it in productivity or technology, the Wei Dynasty wascking.


    A government burning people alive to control the gue outbreak would not be very advanced.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± said Xie Jun with suspicion.


    ...


    He felt that his brother was just bewildered.


    For the next two days, Xie Heng always stayed in his room.


    Zhao Chuchu felt that she did not know Xie Heng well. After all, aside from when she was in school, she rarely touched these books.


    The potatoes were nted along with the sprouting sweet potatoes.


    In the blink of an eye, it was time to transnt the seedlings.


    Zhao Chuchu was not anxious to reim Tripe Mountain. Therefore, even Chen Dashi returned to help with the farm work.


    The Niu brothers plowed Xie Heng¡¯s acres ofnd.


    ¡°Chuchu, you already want to nt these seedlings when they are only this big?¡± asked Niu Tongsheng, somewhat worried. Zhao Chuchu really did not know how to farm. Who transnts the seedlings to the field when they are still so small?


    ¡°This is fine. If we wait until they grow too tall, it will be difficult to keep them alive.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu squatted down in the field, pulled out the seedlings, and arranged them neatly in the pan.


    Xie Heng also put down his books and wore his working clothes to help Zhao Chuchu in the field.


    Many of the vigers of Lengshui Vige came over to spectate.


    The idea of throwing seedlings was unheard of.


    No one knew where Zhao Chuchu got this bizarre idea to nt rice like this!


    Each vige had gossipers who would provoke couples into disputes despite no one offending them.


    One of them said, ¡°Da Lang, why aren¡¯t you teaching Chuchu? Who nts crops like this? You have quite a several seedlings here. You must have spent quite some money. What a waste. You won¡¯t even have a harvest!¡±


    Another gossiper admonished, ¡°As a husband, you are weak. If it were my man, he would have already hit me. You are so good-tempered to allow Chuchu to do as she pleases. No matter how much money you have, you will not be able to handle such a loss, no? Junjun still needs medication. How can you squander your family¡¯s wealth like that?¡±


    ¡°In my opinion, Chuchu, if you don¡¯t know how to farm crops, you can ask others to do it for you. Why do you need to throw your money into the ditch? Money doesn¡¯t just drop from the sky. You can¡¯t do as you please just because Da Lang focuses on studying all day!¡±


    ¡­


    Lengshui Vige¡¯s gossipers stood in the field, yapping away to rile up Xie Heng¡¯s anger. It was as though they would not stop until Xie Heng beat and scolded Zhao Chuchu for bringing shame to the family!


    Xie Heng stopped what he was doing and said, ¡°As long as Chuchu is happy, she can do anything she wants with our money.¡±

 Chapter 133 - 133 What Can I Do? It Must Be My Good Fortune

    133 What Can I Do? It Must Be My Good Fortune


    Xie Heng¡¯s words caused the expressions of the gossipers to change drastically.


    They looked as though they had eaten flies. They had failed to make Xie Heng disgusted at Zhao Chuchu and instead gagged at his response.


    None of them could spend their families¡¯ money in such a manner. If they misspent even one cent, they would be scolded by their mothers-inw and husbands!


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t sit well with you to see Da Lang letting me spend money like this, right? Bear with it. I still have many areas that I will spend money on. Da Lang will let me do as I please. No matter how you provoke him, he will not listen to you. Marrying a schr is the beauty; they are very reasonable.¡±


    !!


    Zhao Chuchu chimed in, pouring oil onto the fire.


    ¡°Da Lang, all your money is mine, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeap. It is all yours.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu looked at the gossipers. She shrugged and said, ¡°I also do not know what to do. Why is Da Lang so nice to me? What can I do? It must be my good fortune.¡±


    The gossipers nearly coughed blood after hearing Zhao Chuchu say this. Their expressions were dark as they left without another nce.


    Madam Kong, who was also helping in the field, could not help butugh and say, ¡°Da Lang is really nice to you. Those girls always get scolded by their mothers-inw and husbands. They provoked you because they are jealous of you.¡±


    ¡°The more jealous they get, the more it reminds them of their misfortune when they see me,¡± replied Zhao Chuchu. ¡°They have too much time on their hands if they have time toe between a couple. These people will sooner orter get their just desserts due to their mouths!¡±


    ¡°Why are you so concerned about them? The pan is already full. Why don¡¯t we head to that side of the field first?¡±


    ¡°I can do it,¡± said Zhao Chuchu as she walked over to the pan and prepared to carry it over herself.


    She had not expected Xie Heng to reach there first. While he lifted a load on his shoulders, he also carried a wooden bucket full of seedlings with his left hand.


    Madam Kong said, ¡°Aiyo, Da Lang, put that down at once. Let my eldest carry it. You are a schr. How can you do such hardbor? Don¡¯t hurt your hands.¡± She then shouted at Niu An, ¡°Son, go over and help him. Da Lang¡¯s hands are meant for reading and writing. They are essential.¡±


    ¡°Schrs aren¡¯t different from ordinary people. I can do this,¡± said Xie Heng, turning down Niu An¡¯s help.


    Niu An looked at Madam Kong.


    Thetter wanted to say more, but Xie Heng had already disappeared into the distance.


    He was even more stable than Niu An when carrying his load.


    However, when Zhao Chuchu wanted to carry the seedlings, Madam Kong did not relent.


    Zhao Chuchu could only allow Niu An to carry them.


    Neither Xie Heng nor Niu Tongsheng knew how to throw the seedlings, so Zhao Chuchu followed them to that side of the field. Madam Kong, her mother-inw, and the Chen n sisters-inw were helping pull out the seedlings in the field.


    Niu Tongsheng was fertilizing the field.


    Not all the people who came to see the throwing of seedlings were here just for fun.


    All of the vigers were farmers. Once they heard Zhao Chuchu¡¯s exnation of how to throw the seedlings, they all understood what to do. Many people came to help out.


    It wasn¡¯t long before the two loads of seedlings were all nted.


    At the same time, the vigers miraculously found that throwing seedlings was actually very easy.


    ¡°Chuchu, if these seedlings truly can live, it will be much faster than nting them one by one!¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it? With so many hands, it only took a while for us to finish such arge field. We didn¡¯t even need to bend our backs.¡±


    ¡°Da Lang, was this method of throwing seedlings really written in the books?¡±


    ¡­


    Xie Heng nodded his head and answered, ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t know where my father found these books. I saw that they were of no use in the examination, so I burnt them with the medical book. Fortunately, Chuchu read it and remembered it. Otherwise I would havemitted a grave sin.¡±


    ¡°Is this actually useful?¡±


    ¡°Chuchu¡¯s prescriptions are all useful. I believe this method will also work out.¡±


    ¡°In a few days, all of you will see whether these seedlings live,¡± Zhao Chuchu replied. ¡°ording to the book, the seedlings will usually grow out in five days.¡±


    ¡°We will see then. If they can truly grow this way, we will adopt this method in the future. Otherwise, each time we nt the seedlings, our backs will hurt like crazy,¡± said Niu Tongsheng. ¡°Come, bring over the remaining seedlings. I believe, at this rate, we will be done with the other fields by noon.¡±


    Under normal circumstances, it would take a day for three people to nt seedlings on more than an acre ofnd.


    However, with the speed of throwing seedlings, three people could cover three acres in a day!


    Today, many people were here, so they would only need the morning to finish Zhao Chuchu¡¯s several acres of fields.


    There were two furrows of seedlings left in the field. Zhao Chuchu gave these to Niu Tongsheng.


    However, she reserved some to fill any rtively empty patches that appeared after the seedlings sprouted.


    ¡°Thank you for your help, everyone. Pleasee to my house for lunch,¡± Zhao Chuchu invited the people who had helped out. ¡°I went to town yesterday to buy supplies.¡±


    ¡°There is no need to be so courteous. It was but a simple matter,¡± they said as they turned down her offer while smiling.


    ¡°The food has already been prepared. If all of you don¡¯te, how long will we need to finish all the food? Please don¡¯t turn down my offer. Once the vige chief is done, all of you cane over to my ce to eat,¡± insisted Zhao Chuchu, not allowing them to reject.


    Yesterday, Xie Heng had already braised a pig head, trotters, duck, and eggs. Today, with a few more dishes, it would be enough to feed everyone.


    While the vigers continued helping Niu Tongsheng with seedling throwing, Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng returned first.


    The wok they had was too small. Zhao Chuchu went to the Niu residence to borrow their rice pot. She also invited their family over for lunch.


    When Madam Kong saw Xie Heng holding thedle, she could not believe her eyes.


    ¡°Da Lang, are you the one who cooks for the household?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Chuchu doesn¡¯t like working in the kitchen.¡±


    ¡°Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. You did not look like you would treat your wife so nicely. None of the men in the vigee into the kitchen like you. Moreover, you are a schr.¡±


    Every family treated their schrs like treasures.


    A schr in the kitchen was unheard of.


    ¡°A schr also needs to eat. Chuchu has her own matters to attend to. It also doesn¡¯t take much time to prepare a meal,¡± said Xie Heng. It was rare for him to exin in such detail.


    ...


    Madam Kong quickly said, ¡°You¡¯d better get out of the kitchen. Tell me what dish you are making. I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    She could not ept a schr in the kitchen. She pushed Xie Heng out and said, ¡°With us around, you and Chuchu can just sit back and rx.¡±


    Xie Heng was speechless.


    When he saw that Madam Kong and her daughters-inw had already upied the kitchen, he could only surrender the ce to them.


    ¡°Just stir fry some vegetables, get the chicken ready and add some salt to the winter melon bone soup simmering on the stove,¡± instructed Xie Heng as he left the remaining dishes to them.


    When Madam Kong looked into the pot of master stock, she smelled a rich aroma that made her swallow her saliva involuntarily.


    She eximed, ¡°The Xie n is truly generous in spending!¡±


    Until now, Madam Kong still remembered the pork meat that Zhao Chuchu had given them that day.


    She never imagined that she could taste it again today.


    However, what astonished them the most was that the rice they would have was pure white!


    They were eating better than during the new year!


    ...


    Madam Kong looked distressed as she could not help but tell Zhao Chuchu, ¡°Chuchu, why don¡¯t you mix in some brown rice? Life is not easy on you as well. Don¡¯t be so wasteful.¡±


    ¡°It is normal to have some white rice after a hard day¡¯s work. You don¡¯t need to worry. Da Lang said that now that he can see, he can earn more money in the future,¡± said Zhao Chuchu. She felt tired of having to exin this every time.


    Sigh. The farmers of the Wei Dynasty were too poor.


    Hence, when they cooked, they even had to keep count of how much rice they ate!


    When she collected her bountiful rice harvest and everyone else nted this improved crop the following year, they would not need to go hungry again.

 Chapter 134 - 134 Being Humbled

    134 Being Humbled


    Madam Kong kept quiet after she heard Zhao Chuchu say this.


    Since thetter had made up her mind, Madam Kong saying any more would serve to get on her nerves.


    Zhao Chuchu knew that Madam Kong and her daughters-inw would be thrifty. Hence, she did not leave the kitchen when they were stir-frying the vegetables. She was afraid that Madam Kong would even skimp on the oil.


    As expected, Madam Kong only used a little oil when stir-frying the vegetables.


    !!


    Zhao Chuchu suspected that no trace of oil could be seen after the dish was ready.


    ¡°Use more oil. The vegetables won¡¯t taste nice without it,¡± instructed Zhao Chuchu from the side.


    Madam Kong poured a little bit more in.


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    ¡°Put half of what you added just now.¡±


    ¡°We must save oil. We usually eat it this way.¡±


    Madam Kong was in pain.


    She could cook several meals with this amount of oil.


    ¡°Everyone is tired from manualbor. They can only replenish their strength with more oil in the dishes.¡±


    When Zhao Chuchu saw that Madam Kong was reluctant to pour in the oil, she did it herself.


    Madam Kong said, ¡°That¡¯s more than enough!¡±


    Why was this child so stubborn?


    They could cook many meals with this much oil.


    ¡°Aye, Chuchu. Even if you have the money, you should be thriftier. Da Lang treats you well by giving you money. However, if you spend it so frivolously, what if he doesn¡¯t like it?¡± Madam Kong said in a low voice. ¡°Women need to manage the family well and not let the men worry.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu knew that Madam Kong meant well.


    However, her mindset was from a different periodpared to Madam Kong¡¯s. She merely acknowledged thetter verbally.


    Madam Kong thought that Zhao Chuchu took it to heart, so she began to teach her ways to control her husband. She told Zhao Chuchu to have Xie Heng¡¯s child sooner to tie him down and prevent him from being snatched away by sly vixens during the Imperial Examination.


    She even told Zhao Chuchu, in front of her daughters-inw, what position was easiest to conceive.


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    She always believed herself to be a seasoned veteran on the topic of sex, but she was being humbled now.


    Even Madam Kong¡¯s two daughters-inw were embarrassed just from listening.


    ¡°Chuchu, men hate the old and like the new. Think about it. You don¡¯t have any family to back you up. In the future, when he has achieved great things, if he bes an ungrateful bastard, you won¡¯t be able to do anything. With a child, things will be different. Even if he doesn¡¯t care about you, he will still think about the child.¡±


    Madam Kong sincerely spoke from the heart to Zhao Chuchu.


    Thetter was very embarrassed.


    From her own point of view, children were not ropes to tie down a man. If a man had a change of heart, even if she had ten children with him, he would still leave.


    Zhao Chuchu did not retort. After all, they had different mindsets. She would not go about brainwashing people to believe in gender equality.


    Madam Kong thought she was silent because she was shy.


    Fortunately, Niu Tongsheng and the others returned, and it became lively outside. Madam Kong ended the topic there.


    Zhao Chuchu quickly found an excuse to leave the kitchen.


    She had skipped past romance, proposals, and marriage and jumped straight to being told to have children!


    Once she emerged from the kitchen, her eyes met Xie Heng¡¯s.


    She immediately heard Madam Kong¡¯s lecture urging her to have children ringing in her ear. She shifted her gaze away in embarrassment.


    Was she a beast? How could she have such thoughts for a minor?


    ¡°What¡¯s cooking? Smells good,¡± said Niu Tongsheng as he came in. ¡°It seems that we are in for a treat today. Is it the braised pork head fromst time?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu nodded and replied, ¡°That¡¯s right. Aside from pork head, we also have trotters, eggs, and duck.¡±


    ¡°Let me tell you. Chuchu¡¯s pork head dish is absolutely delicious. Last time, she gave us some, and even now, I still long for it!¡± said Niu Tongsheng as he turned toward the other vigers. ¡°All of you will find out in a moment.¡±


    ¡°I am hungry from just smelling it.¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, how do you manage toe up with so many dishes?¡±


    ¡°I passed by a tavern in the city once, and even then, I did not smell such fragrant dishes. Chuchu, would you consider starting a food business?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu smiled and said, ¡°Where would I find the time? Da Lang needs to study, and I need to care for Junjun. Right now, I want to focus on looking after the crops, so I will pass on starting a business.¡±


    Xie Heng, who was setting up tables, added, ¡°Chuchu¡¯s medical skills are more important. I will find her some medical books over the next few days. Having a business cannotpare to having good medical skills.¡±


    Since Xie Heng had said so, Niu Tongsheng and the others did not pursue the matter further. They all went over to help him out.


    Madam Kong finished the other two dishes and served them.


    Aside from the braised meat and vegetables, Zhao Chuchu also took out a roasted duck and preserved meat from her carry-on space. Hence, almost all of the dishes on the table were meat dishes.


    Since when had the vigers of Lengshui Vige seen so many delicacies in one ce?


    They lost all restraint and began to eat heartily. Tworge tablesden with dishes were cleaned off thoroughly.


    ¡°Thanks to you, this is the first time I have had such a delicious meal in my life.¡±


    ¡°The braised meat and the roasted duck were perfect. The skin of the roasted duck was especially delectable. It was so aromatic and crispy. Chuchu, how did you make it?¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, if I may be so bold to ask, could I take back some of the master stock?¡±


    ¡­


    ...


    After their meal, they remained in the Xie residence courtyard, praising the lunch they had just feasted on.


    There was still some master stock left over. Seeing everyone enjoying it, Zhao Chuchu divided what remained and gave each a bowl to take back home.


    The vigers were extremely grateful. They had an even better impression of Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng.


    Madam Yang and Madam Ma just happened to pass by the Xie residence. When they saw Zhao Chuchu distributing stuff, they felt irritated.


    Madam Ma said in a low voice, ¡°Mother, let us leave quickly. Don¡¯t let Zhao Chuchu think we are here to cause trouble and act against us.¡±


    Madam Ma was afraid of offending Zhao Chuchu. If that happened, Zhao Baogen would end up bedridden for the rest of his life.


    Madam Yang furiously said, ¡°If your daughter had not tried to kill Zhao Chuchu, would she keep her distance from us now? Look at what she is giving out to others. Meat. All of it is meat! We can¡¯t even afford to have meat once a year!¡±


    Madam Ma did not dare to retort.


    This mother and daughter-inw duo only dared toin about Zhao Chuchu privately. They had lost the courage to criticize her to her face.


    The incident of Niu Ziming would forever be etched in their memory.


    Zhao Chuchu noticed the two of them when they passed by the entrance. Of course, she overheard their conversation.


    ...


    The corner of her lips curled up as she thought to herself, ¡°Now, they know better than to mess with me!¡±


    The vigers still had to work in the field past noon, so they didn¡¯t stay long in the Xie residence.


    Madam Kong and her daughters-inw helped with the clean-up. Then, they went home.


    Xie Jun hung around Zhao Chuchu, asking whether they could eat roasted duck for dinner.


    Zhao Chuchu looked at this little glutton and said helplessly, ¡°You have yet to recover. You can¡¯t eat too much unhealthy food.¡±


    Recently, she had been controlling the poison in Xie Jun¡¯s body with medicine. She had yet to issue him the antidote because the weather was still cold. The antidote would not be as effective if she gave it to him now.


    After all, medicinal herbs were precious. They had to be used to the fullest and could not be wasted.


    Xie Jun was somewhat disappointed. However, he had always been obedient. Even if he could not get his way, he would not make a fuss about it.


    Just as Zhao Chuchu was nning to say that he could have roasted duck a few dayster, Old Mrs. Chen, who had just left not long ago, returned.


    In her booming voice, which did not sound like an old person, she said, ¡°Chuchu, my brother haspleted the stone mill you wanted. It is now at the entrance of the vige. Where should we put it?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu opened the door and nearly crashed into Old Mrs. Chen.


    The two of them went to the entrance of the vige together. When the vigers heard that Zhao Chuchu wanted to send the stone mill to Zhao Guitang¡¯s house, everyone looked at her in horror.


    Someone asked, ¡°Chuchu, are you going to smash Zhao Guitang to death with the stone mill?¡±

 Chapter 135 - 135 You Lose Nothing by Marrying Into the Family

    135 You Lose Nothing by Marrying Into the Family


    So, they thought she was giving them false hope when she said she could heal his leg and that her true intention was to kill him?


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    She said coldly, ¡°What makes you think I am so savage and that I will kill someone on a whim?¡±


    The viger who said this coughed in embarrassment and said, ¡°I was joking. Please don¡¯t take it to heart.¡±


    Even so, Old Mrs. Chen felt that it was strange. She asked, ¡°Chuchu, why did you request the stone mill to be sent to Zhao Guitang¡¯s house?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because I like Men.¡± Zhao Chuchu came up with an excuse.


    If she genuinely liked Men, would she break thetter¡¯s father¡¯s leg?


    Old Mrs. Chen did not believe what Zhao Chuchu said.


    However, thetter always had her way of doing things, so the rest of them could never guess her true intention if she hid it from them.


    Old Mrs. Chen¡¯s elder brother was a man of few words. He directly instructed his sister to lead the way.


    Old Mrs. Chen still had much to say, but Zhao Chuchu had walked away.


    While they were still far from Zhao Guitang¡¯s house, Zhao Chuchu could hear someone wailing and shouting.


    ¡°You have chased us out of the n, so you don¡¯t have a say in Men¡¯s marriage. Who gives you the right to marry Men off to Blockhead? Since his family is offering you many betrothal gifts, why don¡¯t you let your daughter marry him?¡± Madam He¡¯s hysterical scream could be heard from a distance away.


    Zhao Chuchu raised her eyebrows slightly.


    ¡°Aiyo, what happened here?¡± asked Old Mrs. Chen as she quickened her pace. ¡°Is someone fighting?¡±


    ¡°Someone wants to force Men to marry Blockhead,¡± Zhao Chuchu told Old Mrs. Chen.


    Old Mrs. Chen immediately snorted coldly and said, ¡°It must be Zhao Guiqing¡¯s wife¡¯s idea. Blockhead is Zhao Meijuan¡¯s betrothed. At first, Blockhead was not a fool. When he was four, he nearly died from a fever. Later, they managed to save his life, but he became a fool after he recovered.¡±


    She continued, ¡°Zhao Guiqing is a sly person. He has long wanted Zhao Men to take Zhao Meijuan¡¯s ce and marry Blockhead. Zhao Guitang and his wife are usually meek. However, on this matter, they have always been adamantly against it. Blockhead¡¯s family is well off. His family must have offered a hefty sum as a betrothal gift for the n to force Men to marry him.¡±


    ¡°Ally load on the docile horse!¡± Zhao Chuchu said with a sigh. She hastened her footsteps.


    Zhao Guitang and his family now lived in the n¡¯s old residence. The house appeared dpidated.


    However, Madam He¡¯s siblings could not bear to see their sister¡¯s family suffer, so they helped to renovate the house a little. Now, the house was much better than it used to be.


    ¡°He is Meijuan¡¯s betrothed. Men will not marry him!¡± roared Zhao Guitang just as Zhao Chuchu was about to enter. ¡°My leg is broken because of you, and I was driven from the n by you. Now, you want to push my daughter into the fire pit. Mother, am I born from you?¡±


    Old Madam Ma answered coldly, ¡°If I didn¡¯t give birth to you, could you havee from a rock? I am your mother. You will do as I say. Otherwise, you are unfilial! The Hu n is so nice. It is Men¡¯s good fortune to be able to marry into their family. Don¡¯t be foolish!¡±


    ¡°We cannot bear such good fortune. Let Meijuan marry Blockhead. He was originally her man,¡± said Madam He furiously.


    Madam Zhu, Zhao Guiqing¡¯s wife, red at Madam He with her tiny triangr eyes as she said, ¡°Sis, Meijuan is now dating the son of Ministry Councilor He. Can you bear the consequences of offending Young Master He? The son of the Hu n is dimwitted, but he likes Men. Men loses nothing by marrying into their family.¡±


    ¡°You!¡±


    ¡°Look at Men. Then look at Meijuan. Meijuan is born to be a rich madam. After she marries into a good family, as her aunt, you will surely benefit from her status too. Moreover, Men¡¯s virginity is questionable now. She was alone with Blockhead. Who else will she marry if not him?¡±


    ¡°Blockhead is a fool. What does he know about sex?¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t, but Men does. You should be grateful that I didn¡¯t me you for stealing Meijuan¡¯s man. If you wish to make a fuss, then go ahead and do so. We are not the ones getting embarrassed here.¡±


    Madam Zhu had an indifferent look.


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    There was someone who was that shameless.


    Madam Zhu made her scheme seem so justified.


    Zhao Men was standing behind Madam He. Her face was pale, and she was weeping. Her entire body shivered uncontrobly. She stood in stark contrast against the arrogant figures of Old Madam Ma and the others.


    Standing not far away from Zhao Men was a youth with a handsome face and crystal-clear eyes. He seemed restless. From a nce, there was nothing wrong with him. However, his small actions revealed that he was mentally disabled.


    Zhao Chuchu roughly knew what was going on.


    They must have gone out of the way to invite this youth from the Hu n toe over as a guest. They brought him to Zhao Guitang¡¯s house and used the worst means to frame Zhao Men and this youth from the Hu n.


    Objectively speaking, Zhao Chuchu felt that this youth from the Hu n had made the right call not to marry Zhao Meijuan.


    Although he was a blockhead, his eyes could not lie. He was a very innocent child. More importantly, from what he was wearing, it was apparent that his family was very well-to-do.


    ¡°What a coincidence. I seemed to have made it in time for some event,¡± said Zhao Chuchu, breaking the tense atmosphere in the courtyard. She smiled and asked, ¡°Have Ie at the right moment?¡±


    When Zhao Men saw Zhao Chuchu, tears rolled down her cheeks continuously. She was at her limit of feeling aggrieved.


    ¡°What are you doing here? This is our family affair. Don¡¯t you meddle in it.¡± Old Madam Ma was a little afraid of Zhao Chuchu, but she still mustered her courage to scold her. After all, this case involved 30 Taels of betrothal gifts from the Hu n. Old Madam Ma would not let Zhao Chuchu ruin this opportunity.


    In Old Madam Ma¡¯s opinion, her eldest son was useless now. On the other hand, Zhao Men could still bring in a sum of money for the family.


    ¡°I beg to differ. Since when have I meddled in your family affair? I am here because I have something I need to take care of. This is a coincidence. What¡¯s the matter? Are you forcing your eldest son to sell his daughter? Your entire family is here.¡±


    ¡°What are you insinuating? What sale are you referring to? Is it considered selling if we agree upon marriage as a family?¡± retorted Old Madam Ma furiously. However, she did not dare to curse with every sentence she uttered like before.


    ¡°Men isn¡¯t even 13 yet. Meijuan is already 15, right? Why is it that the older one isn¡¯t getting married, and the younger one needs to get married first?¡± questioned Zhao Chuchu.


    Although Zhao Guitang was older than Zhao Guiqing, thetter spent his dayszing around and chatting. At night, he had time to indulge in entertainment.


    Zhao Guitang was different. He ved away and fell asleep immediately at night. Where would he have the energy to think about sex throughout his day? Hence, Madam Zhu got pregnant earlier than Madam He. Thetter was also chastised countless times by Old Madam Ma for not conceiving for a few years right after their marriage.


    Madam Zhu said, ¡°It is fine as long as they are suitable for one another. Didn¡¯t you marry earlier than Zhizhi? Chuchu, this is a n matter. Since you have already been married off into the Xie n and have severed connections with the Zhao n, I would advise that you do not interfere with our matters. If word of this got out, it would not be good for your image.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu smiled and did not say anymore. She made Old Mrs. Chen¡¯s elder brother and the others bring in the stone mill and install it in the pre-built shed in the courtyard.


    Forcing a marriage required everything to be settled in one go. However, with the interruption due to Zhao Chuchu¡¯s appearance, the atmosphere became awkward.

 Chapter 136 - 136 I Didn’t Mind Your Stealing Her Man

    136 I Didn¡¯t Mind Your Stealing Her Man


    Old Madam Ma and the others were absolutely furious.


    But they didn¡¯t dare to say a single word, despite being extremely mad.


    They didn¡¯t stand a chance against Zhao Chuchu, and they didn¡¯t want to get their legs broken again.


    The teenage boy from the Hu n moved closer to Zhao Men slowly, bit by bit. He cautiously tugged at Zhao Men¡¯s sleeve as he asked, ¡°Big Sis, can I marry you? I don¡¯t eat much, so I¡¯m easy to feed.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu almost burst outughing when she heard that.


    But Zhao Men behaved like a startled bunny. She suddenly shoved the boy from the Hu n away and took several steps back. ¡°Don¡¯te near me.¡±


    The young boy pouted his lips as tears started rolling down his cheeks.


    ¡°Sister, why do you hate me now?¡±


    The young boy didn¡¯t understand.


    Zhao Men treated him so wellst time.


    Zhao Chuchu looked at the young boy who was crying his eyes out but bit his lip not to make any sound. He looked like he was around the same age as Xie Heng, but he was behaving like a little child.


    Zhao Men felt angry with herself. This whole issue had nothing to do with him. It was Old Madam Ma who schemed against them. She shouldn¡¯t have taken it out on him.


    ¡°Men, you¡¯ve seen it. Yiming likes you. You¡¯re a perfect couple,¡± Madam Zhu hurriedly said upon seeing what was happening. ¡°We¡¯re family, so I won¡¯t me you for stealing Meijuan¡¯s man!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s nonsense! He doesn¡¯t know anything! Didn¡¯t you hear him call me Big Sis? Do you think a normal person would call someone younger than him Big Sis?¡± Madam He said with a stern expression.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care whether you want them to get married. Anyway, what¡¯s done is done. Men¡¯s reputation is down the drain now. Girls with reputations like that are to be drowned in the pond. I¡¯m kind enough to let you have the boy. You should be grateful,¡± Madam Zhu said, as though she had just done something charitable.


    Zhao Guitang mmed the ground with his cane as hard as he could and yelled powerlessly.


    Zhao Men was as important to Zhao Guitang and his wife as their own lives. She was also the ultimate weapon of Old Madam Ma.


    Old Mrs. Chen couldn¡¯t bear to listen anymore and said, ¡°Guitang is your son. How could you force him to do something like this? Men is his only child!¡±


    ¡°Keep your nose out of our business.¡± Old Madam Ma red at Old Mrs. Chen. She was afraid of Zhao Chuchu, but she wasn¡¯t afraid of Old Mrs. Chen. She said, ¡°You need to get a life! Don¡¯te and run your mouth at my home.¡±


    ¡°You!¡±


    Old Mrs. Chen was so angry that she almost fell backward.


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°Grandma Chen, it¡¯s their business. Let¡¯s just leave it. We should go. Let them discuss it among themselves.¡±


    Zhao Men thought that Zhao Chuchu would help her, yet she had left.


    She couldn¡¯t help but feel somewhat disappointed.


    Upon hearing Zhao Chuchu¡¯s suggestion, Old Mrs.Chen left with her.


    ¡°Chuchu, are you really just going to watch them ruin Men¡¯s life like that? I thought you and Men were getting along now.¡± Old Mrs. Chen was a little confused.


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°I have nothing to do with the Zhao n anymore, so I¡¯m in no position to stand up for them.¡±


    Actually, Zhao Chuchu wanted Zhao Guitang to lose all hope in the Zhao n.


    Otherwise, if the tofu business seeded, these people might pressure them into foolishly fulfilling their ¡°filial duties.¡± That would be both hrious and sad.


    Zhao Guitang and Madam Ma only had one child, Zhao Men. Given how Old Madam Ma and the others were forcing Zhao Guitang to give up his daughter, it would probably make them lose all hope and feelings toward the Zhao n.


    ¡°I think Hu Yiming is pretty good.¡±


    ¡°But he has an intellectual disability.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but that means he is a simple person and won¡¯t have all those crafty, cunning ideas. And don¡¯t you realize that he really likes Men?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s so good about marrying a retard?¡±


    ¡°Well, that may not be true as long as the retard cares for her. Don¡¯t you hear people say that getting married is just about getting food and clothing? Hu Yiming is a retard, but I think his family groomed him quite well. Have you ever seen a retard that¡¯s as clean as him?¡±


    Most importantly, it was absolutely true that Hu Yiming liked Zhao Men.


    ¡°What if their children develop an intellectual disability as well?¡±


    ¡°He wasn¡¯t born like that. He fell ill, and the fever affected his brain. So it won¡¯t be passed down to the children.¡±


    Old Mrs.Chen didn¡¯t know what to say after that.


    Although Zhao Chuchu¡¯s reasoning was quite logical, she still felt that it was an absolute disaster for any woman if she had to marry an intellectually disabled person.


    When Old Madam Ma saw that Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t care about this issue and walked away, they started to pressure Zhao Guitang again.


    Zhao Guitang didn¡¯t agree, so she started crying and yelling. As his brothers pointed fingers at him and reprimanded him, Zhao Guitang was so mad that he coughed up blood and fainted.


    Madam He was at a loss as to what to do, but Old Madam Ma didn¡¯t allow them to run out and seek help from Zhao Chuchu.


    In the end, to save Zhao Guitang, Zhao Men agreed to the marriage with tears in her eyes.


    Hu Yiming was, of course, over the moon.


    ¡°Sis, I swear I will treat you well,¡± he said as he ran happily to Zhao Men¡¯s side. ¡°Quick, get a doctor to save your dad.¡±


    Zhao Men couldn¡¯t hold back her tears. She wanted to yell at Hu Yiming, but she couldn¡¯t do it after seeing Hu Yiming¡¯s innocent expression. She could only weep for her own fate.


    ¡°This is a wonderful thing. What are you crying for? Don¡¯t be an inauspicious prick! If you dare to spout nonsense when the Hu familyes, I¡¯ll make you regret it. I¡¯m your father¡¯s mother,¡± Old Madam Ma warned Zhao Men. ¡°If the engagement with the Hu family fails, I¡¯ll marry you to some old widower.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve already backed us into a corner. What more do you want from us? Do you want us dead?¡± Madam He yelled angrily, ¡°Get out of my house. I never want to see you again. Don¡¯t even think about getting any money from us in the future.¡±


    ¡°You dare?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I dare! The worst thing would be for Men to be single for the rest of her life, but Meijuan can forget about having a good life, either!¡±


    Madam Zhu¡¯s expression sank. She said, ¡°Sister-inw, you better think before opening your mouth. You have no son. If you die someday, don¡¯t beg my son to be your pallbearer!¡±


    That instantly made Madam He feel defeated.


    One must admit that Old Madam Ma and the Zhao n had a hold on every one of Zhao Guitang¡¯s family¡¯s weak spots.


    Zhao Guitang was different from Zhao Chuchu. Filial piety alone was enough to force them to do whatever the Zhao n pleased.


    After giving Zhao Guitang and his family a stern warning, Madam Zhu tried to coax Hu Yiming to go home with them.


    Hu Yiming shoved Madam Zhu and said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to be with all of you bad guys. Go away!¡±


    Madam Zhu wasn¡¯t prepared for it at all. She fell onto the ground and felt like her buttock had broken into four pieces.


    She was infuriated, but when she thought about Hu Yiming¡¯s engagement, she swallowed her rage.


    There was no way she could give up the 30 taels of silver for dowry.


    ¡°Useless,¡± Old Madam cursed before leaving her eldest son¡¯s house.


    Zhao Men hurriedly sprinted to the Xie family to look for Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°Chuchu, please save my dad. He just coughed up blood,¡± Zhao Men cried sorrowfully. ¡°Is he going to be okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go take a look.¡± Zhao Chuchu put down the herbs that she was preparing and went out with Zhao Men.


    Zhao Guitang wasn¡¯t actually coughing blood from anger just now. Zhao Chuchu secretly did something to him.


    To be frank, Old Madam Ma¡¯s family was even weirder and more messed up than Madam Yang¡¯s. If Zhao Guitang couldpletely give up on them, he might be able to live a new life.


    It was rare for a good person toe out of this nasty family, so Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t mind helping them out a little.


    If they still decided to foolishly fulfill their ¡°filial duties¡± at this point, Zhao Chuchu would have no choice but to give up.


    Although Hu Yiming was intellectually disabled, he knew that Zhao Guitang was ill when he saw the old man spit blood. So he helped Madam He to move Zhao Guitang into the room, then waited anxiously beside his bed.


    ¡°Men, do you like Hu Yiming? Would you be willing to marry him if no one forced you?¡± After entering the door, Zhao Chuchu suddenly asked Zhao Men this question as she looked at Hu Yiming.

 Chapter 137 - 137 I Have A Way To Cancel The Engagement

    137 I Have A Way To Cancel The Engagement


    Zhao Men and Madam He were both stunned.


    ¡°If you think that Hu Yiming is not bad, I actually think it¡¯s not a bad decision to marry him. But, of course, you¡¯ll have to ask yourself seriously. I¡¯m not trying to kick you while you¡¯re down; I¡¯m just giving you a suggestion. Think about it. Let me know when you¡¯ve made your decision, and I¡¯ll help you,¡± Zhao Chuchu said seriously.


    She wasn¡¯t going to abandon them, but she needed to take drastic action.


    Zhao Men and her mother looked at each other while Zhao Chuchu walked to the bedside. She took out her silver needle and started performing acupuncture on Zhao Guitang.


    Hu Yiming looked at Zhao Men and said innocently, ¡°Sis, I will be good to you. Can you please not abandon me? I don¡¯t want Zhao Meijuan. She¡¯s so fierce, and she snatched my silver. She told me not to tell my parents, or she would beat me.¡±


    Zhao Men looked at Hu Yiming. Her mind was a mess.


    Was she really going to get married at such a young age? She wasn¡¯t even 13!


    But it was true that Hu Yiming tailed behind her every time he went to Lengshui Vige.


    She was thinking about what Zhao Chuchu said.


    If she rejected her suggestion, does that mean she didn¡¯t need to marry Hu Yiming?


    Just as Zhao Men struggled to sort out her thoughts, Zhao Guitang woke up.


    ¡°Hubby, are you feeling alright now?¡± Madam He asked anxiously.


    Zhao Guitang looked at Madam He and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Where¡¯s Men?¡±


    ¡°Dad, I¡¯m here,¡± Men hurriedly took a step forward and answered.


    ¡°He¡¯s alright, but please control your emotions better in the future. Don¡¯t get too angry or anxious. If you vomit blood again next time, things will get quite troublesome.¡± Zhao Chuchu told a partial lie. She then said, ¡°I think this engagement isn¡¯t as bad as you think.¡±


    Zhao Guitang sighed and said, ¡°Chuchu, you don¡¯t know this. Yiming, he¡¯s forever a child! If Men marries him, then...¡±


    Zhao Guitang didn¡¯t even dare to imagine what their future would be like.


    It was all his fault for being so useless. His parents were controlling every aspect of his life. They chased his family out of the n, and he couldn¡¯t even dictate his own daughter¡¯s marriage.


    ¡°Well, now you¡¯ve seen how they treat you. Are you still going to be soft with them in the future?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not soft. I¡¯m just... I¡¯m useless.¡± Zhao Guitang lowered his head in shame.


    ¡°I will be good to Sis,¡± Hu Yiming said anxiously. ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever Sis tells me to do. I¡¯ll listen to her for everything.¡±


    Zhao Guitang and Madam He looked at Hu Yiming.


    He¡¯s already 16, yet he¡¯s still as innocent and simple as a child. He didn¡¯t know anything.


    He might not even know the meaning of marriage.


    Zhao Guitang and Madam He couldn¡¯t imagine how much suffering their daughter would go through if she married him.


    When Zhao Chuchu saw this, she said, ¡°Even if you rejected the Hu n, there would be someone else in the future. It might be a Zhang n or a Li n. Besides, your mother doesn¡¯t care about Men¡¯s life. All she cares about is how much money she can exchange Men for. So, rtively speaking, the Hu n is quite decent.¡±


    Furthermore, Hu Yiming was different from the other intellectually disabled people. He is very clean, and he doesn¡¯t throw tantrums. Even though he is a child, he is an obedient and well-behaved child, not one of those crazy rascals.


    ¡°Do you think the Hu n is good?¡± Madam He was in despair.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have an opinion. I¡¯m just making a suggestion. You can decide what you want to do. But, of course, I will help you with whatever decision you make.¡±


    ¡°If you want Men to marry Hu Yiming, then do it. However, if you don¡¯t want her to marry into the Hu n, I have a way to make them call off the engagement.¡±


    Zhao Guitang and Madam He looked at each other.


    ¡°Call off the engagement?¡±


    ¡°Yes, think about it carefully. I suggest that if Men really likes Hu Yiming, it¡¯s not bad to marry him. Then, at least you wouldn¡¯t have to be threatened by your mother anymore in the future.¡±


    Zhao Men was as important to Zhao Guitang and Madam He as their own lives.


    But if she married into the Hu n, things would be different. Based on Zhao Chuchu¡¯s thinking, she would be a member of the Hu n, and Old Madam Ma wouldn¡¯t be able to make decisions for her anymore.


    Besides, it¡¯s not like she couldn¡¯t cure Hu Yiming.


    If Men decided to marry Hu Yiming, Zhao Chuchu could cure Hu Yiming after they married.


    If Zhao Men wasn¡¯t willing to marry him, she could ask the Hu n to call off the engagement by promising to cure Hu Yiming. Surely the Hu n would be happy to do it.


    ¡°Sis, please don¡¯t abandon me,¡± Hu Yiming seemed to be aware that Zhao Men didn¡¯t want to marry him. He tugged on Zhao Men¡¯s sleeve cautiously. His eyes turned red, but he didn¡¯t make any noise or throw tantrums.


    Zhao Men didn¡¯t dare look at Hu Yiming. She said, ¡°Yiming, your family will be here to fetch you back in a while. You should go home. I have a lot of things to do starting tomorrow. You cane after this period.¡±


    ¡°Sis, do you not want me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just busy.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay. I¡¯ll listen to you, but you can¡¯t abandon me.¡±


    Zhao Men wasn¡¯t sure how to answer Hu Yiming.


    Although Hu Yiming was a child, he treated her really well. Whenever he went to Lengshui Vige, he would secretly give her candies.


    ¡°You need to formally propose and promise a dowry to marry a girl. You can¡¯t just cling to her like that. You¡¯re going to taint her reputation this way. If that happens, people will look down on her even if she marries you, understand?¡± Zhao Chuchu said to Hu Yiming. ¡°If you really like her, go home and ask your mother how to marry a girl.¡±


    ¡°Oh really? I¡¯ll go home and ask my mother right now.¡±


    Hu Yiming ran out the door immediately after saying that.


    Zhao Men wanted to stop her, but when the words reached her mouth, she swallowed them back down.


    Hu Yiming didn¡¯t go to Lengshui Vige alone. A mammy had apanied him there.


    But the mammy had already been bribed by Old Madam Ma so that she would help them scheme against Zhao Men. Besides, it didn¡¯t matter who Hu Yiming married. If it¡¯s Zhao Men, she would still be able to get money from it.


    Hu Yiming ran to Old Madam Ma¡¯s ce and tugged on the mammy to bring him home.


    ¡°Young master, what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I want to go home now. Immediately!¡±


    Hu Yiming appeared very anxious.


    ¡°Sis, I think you should go home with him first. I¡¯m sure Yiming has something urgent to attend to. By the way, please help us speak a few words in front of his parents,¡± Old Madam Ma hurriedly reminded the mammy, then secretly stuffed a tael of silver into her hand.


    The mammy was very satisfied. She held Hu Yiming¡¯s hand and walked away.


    Only then did Zhao Meijuane out of the room. She came to Old Madam Ma and asked, ¡°Grandma, is Zhao Men definitely going to marry that retard?¡±


    ¡°Of course. We¡¯re taking the dowry from the Hu n, and we¡¯re not calling off the engagement with the He n. Don¡¯t worry. I have everything nned out. All you need to do is to wait patiently to be Mrs. He and live a life of luxury and wealth.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Grandma. I know that Grandma wants the best for me, and I promise I will be filial to you next time.¡±


    Zhao Meijuan blushed shyly.


    She touched her stomach, which was still t at the moment.


    When she married into the He n, she would be the well-respected Mrs. He.


    She wouldn¡¯t need to worry about not having pretty clothes or jewelry anymore.


    Everyone, including Zhao Chuchu, would only feel jealousy and envy toward her.


    When Zhao Meijuan thought about this, she felt rather proud.


    But she didn¡¯t know that Zhao Chuchu wasn¡¯t jealous of her at all upon hearing about the engagement. Instead, after hearing from Xie Heng about what kind of person the young master of the He n was, she wanted to p her hands and cheer.


    ¡°You know what this is? A bitch and a dog¡ªa perfect pair! I hope they willst till the end of time.¡±


    Although the way Zhao Chuchu put it was rather vulgar, Xie Heng smiled and said, ¡°Hu Yiming is intellectually disabled, but marrying him would still be way better than marrying the young master of the He n.¡±


    ¡°Yup, that¡¯s what I told Zhao Men. If she thinks that Hu Yiming is not bad, marrying Hu Yiming would actually be a good choice. Hu Yiming probably had good parents. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t be able to raise such a well-behaved child.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yup, of course. I have excellent eyes. For example, you...¡±

 Chapter 138 - 138 What If She Betrays You?

    138 What If She Betrays You?


    Other than not seeing that Xie Heng had reincarnated before, she had never been wrong about anything else!


    Xie Hengughed and said, ¡°It¡¯s my honor.¡±


    ¡°If Zhao Men is willing to marry Hu Yiming, I will give her a great gift. If she¡¯s not willing to marry him, I¡¯ll owe her a favor.¡± Zhao Chuchu stood up. Her eyes gleamed with confidence, which enthralled Xie Heng.


    ¡°As long as I will it, there¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t do.¡±


    She suddenly looked toward Xie Heng and smiled brightly.


    Xie Heng felt like something had just grabbed his heart, and he lost control of his breathing.


    ¡°Are you not afraid that Zhao Men might betray you in the future?¡± Xie Heng looked back at Zhao Chuchu with heated eyes.


    Zhao Chuchu said confidently, ¡°I told you just now. I have great eyes, and I¡¯ll never mistake someone¡¯s character. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have helped their family in the first ce.¡±¡®


    Zhao Chuchu was like a miniature sun. She radiated light that illuminated and warmed other people.


    She could be ruthless and cruel when she needed to be, but she could also be kind andpassionate like an angel.


    Xie Heng had never seen a girl like that.


    ¡°Sigh, this is the only thing we¡¯ve been talking about recently. Da Lang, did you make the gypsum that I mentionedst time for treating the tofu?¡±


    The stone mill had arrived, and they were going to start making tofu soon. Zhao Chuchu suddenly remembered this. She had been busy with farm work for the past few days, and it had slipped her mind.


    ¡°Yup, it should be done. We¡¯ll know when we test it tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Let me have a look.¡±


    Xie Heng took out the gypsum. Zhao Chuchu lifted the cover and took a look. The product made her rather satisfied.


    ¡°How many tries did it take?¡±


    ¡°Three.¡±


    ¡°Amazing.¡±


    All she needed to do was to tell him the procedure, and Xie Heng would be able to make it.


    If this person were alive in the modern era, he would definitely be an all-rounded genius.


    ¡°I wanted to install the stone mill in our courtyard, but you need to study. The noise from tofu-making would disturb you. So I told them to deliver it to Zhao Guitang¡¯s ce,¡± Zhao Chuchu said to Xie Heng. ¡°We¡¯ll soak the soybeanster on and bring them to Zhao Guitang¡¯s family tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°Yup, I¡¯m also very curious about what the tofu would look like.¡±


    ¡°There are so many things that we can make with soybeans. Soymilk, tofu, beancurd, stinky tofu, Yuba...¡±


    As Zhao Chuchu spoke, she suddenly remembered a joke from her previous life about tofu, so she told it to Xie Heng.


    Xie Heng was startled for a moment, then couldn¡¯t hold back hisughter after a while. ¡°I¡¯m really interested in the dried tofu and tofu pudding that you mentioned.¡±


    ¡°Once we manage to make tofu, we¡¯ll be very close to those things,¡± Zhao Chuchu smiled and said. ¡°Soymilk is delicious too. It¡¯s quite nice to have a bowl of it every morning. The most ssic thing about tofu is probably the fight between the sweet faction and the salty faction for tofu pudding.¡±


    ¡°Sweet tofu pudding and salty tofu pudding?¡±


    ¡°Yup, and I¡¯m adamant that tofu pudding should be enjoyed in every vor!¡±


    She thought about how she could eat the tofu pudding that she had been craving for a long time. Zhao Chuchu really looked forward to it.


    After sunset, Zhao Chuchu soaked the whole bucket of soybeans in water, and Xie Heng came to help her as well.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to study?¡±


    Who was the one who waspletely engrossed in books for the past few days?


    ¡°I¡¯m not in a hurry, and this short amount of time wouldn¡¯t really matter.¡±


    Now that he had a torchlight, he could studyte into the night. It wouldn¡¯t hurt his eyes like using an oilmp or candles.


    Besides, Xie Heng realized that his sleep quality seemed to be a lot better nowadays.


    ¡°If we manage to make the tofu tomorrow, you can focus on studying. I¡¯ll get someone else to do the farm work.¡±


    She didn¡¯t even think about working on the farm personally. It¡¯s not like she didn¡¯t have money. So what was the point of making things so exhausting for herself?


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, should we hire a cook?¡±


    ¡°No need for that. Cooking doesn¡¯t take up that much time, and I don¡¯t like outsiders in this house. It¡¯s bad for Junjun.¡±


    Xie Heng rejected the suggestion without even thinking. He even used Xie Jun as the reason.


    ¡°Alright, you decide.¡±


    This was someone else¡¯s home, after all. Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t just make such decisions on her own.


    After soaking the soybeans, Zhao Chuchu had afortable shower, theny on the bed.


    There were no zombies here. She didn¡¯t have to worry about food, and she didn¡¯t need to fight for survival...Zhao Chuchu loved this easy-going, effortless retirement life.


    The next day.


    Zhao Chuchu woke up early in the morning.


    Xie Heng was cooking a pot of porridge in the kitchen while reading ¡°Essays of the Greats.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu felt a little ashamed.


    A genius who had reincarnated was still studying so hard. But, on the contrary, she seemed like azy bum.


    However, this emotion onlysted a few seconds. After that, Zhao Chuchu feltpletely rxed.


    There was nothing wrong with enjoying life. After all, even the most hardworking geniuses retire at some point.


    Xie Heng turned around when he heard the footsteps. ¡°The porridge will be ready in a while. Go brush your teeth first.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu fetched a bucket of water from the well, then brushed her teeth.


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t like topromise her quality of life. This is why she let Xie Heng know about the ¡°alternate space in her sleeves.¡± It was because she wanted to take out and use the good stuff as and when she liked! Otherwise, what was the point of storing them in the carry-on space?


    The whole reason she even umted the supplies in the first ce was to make her life more enjoyable, wasn¡¯t it?


    Xie Heng didn¡¯t feel odd seeing Zhao Chuchu use her carry-on space anymore. On the contrary, he was actually quite used to it.


    Other than that, Xie Heng also really liked the mint-scented shower gel. It was much better than the primitive soap made from the animal pancreas they were using.


    Xie Jun was very curious about the carry-on space, but he hadplete trust in whatever Zhao Chuchu did and said. After Zhao Chuchu said she bought all these things from a traveling merchant, Xie Heng stopped asking questions.


    After breakfast, Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng washed the skin off the soaked soybeans, then carried the buckets to Zhao Guitang¡¯s ce. They just happened to be washing the stone mill.


    ¡°Sister Chuchu, you¡¯re so early.¡± Zhao Men wanted to help her with the buckets.


    Of course, Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t need her help at all.


    She carried the buckets of soybeans to the stone mill on her own.


    ¡°Are you guys done washing? If you¡¯re done, we can start grinding up the soybeans.¡±


    Xie Heng grabbed two clean buckets and brought them to the stone mill.


    Zhao Chuchu taught Madam He and Zhao Men how to add water to the beans and grind them into soymilk. After they became used to doing it, Zhao Chuchu prepared the cloth used for filtering the soymilk.


    Before they were chased out of the n, Madam He was already very adept at doing regr household chores, so grinding soymilk wasn¡¯t a difficult task for her.


    On several asions, Zhao Guitang wanted to help, but Madam He pushed him away and said, ¡°Rest and let your leg recover first. Don¡¯t worry about not having work to do.¡±


    After the first wooden bucket was full of raw soymilk, Zhao Chuchu took it to filter.


    ¡°Call Junjun toe over and get a taste of the soymilkter,¡± Zhao Chuchu said to Xie Heng. ¡°Also, get the jar of sugar and the side dish that we cookedst night.¡±


    Soymilk and tofu pudding should, of course, be eaten together!


    ¡°Men, start the fire. We¡¯re going to cook the soymilk soon.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Zhao Men immediately ran to the kitchen.


    They had never heard of tofu, but they were all extremely driven to make it now.


    ¡°Chuchu, do we throw away the soy pulp?¡±


    ¡°No, we¡¯ll make the tofu first, then deal with soy pulpter.¡±


    Soy pulp can be used to make a variety of delicious foods as well. So it would be a waste to throw it away!


    After the fire started, Zhao Chuchu carried the bucket of raw soymilk over to cook it. As she cooked the soymilk, she stirred it constantly. After the soymilk started boiling, she used a leaf to scoop away the scum floating on the surface.


    Xie Heng and Xie Jun arrived soon.


    The fragrance of the soymilk made Xie Jun immediately go to the kitchen. ¡°Sis-inw, did you make something delicious again? It smells amazing!¡±


    ¡°Yup, you¡¯ll be able to eat it very soon. Just a moment.¡± Zhao Chuchu scooped several bowls of soy milk out of the pot, added some sugar, and passed one to Xie Jun.


    Xie Jun scooped a spoonful, blew on it to cool it down, and then tasted it. The moment the soymilk entered his mouth, his eyes lit up. ¡°Sis-inw, this is delicious!¡±


    ¡°Right? I never lie,¡± Zhao Chuchu smiled and said as she passed another bowl to Xie Heng. She then called Zhao Men to get her parents toe in and taste the soymilk too.


    Xie Heng received the bowl, and a smile spread across his face.

 Chapter 139 - 139 They’re Such A Good Match

    139 They¡¯re Such A Good Match


    The thick and rich taste of soymilk was met with unanimous good reviews from everyone.


    After Xie Jun and Zhao Men finished a bowl of soymilk, they wanted another serving.


    ¡°Go ahead and scoop yourself another bowl. But remember, the soymilk must be fully cooked through before drinking. Otherwise, it will cause nausea, diarrhea, and stomachache. Also, cooked soymilk can¡¯t be stored for a very long time. It should be consumed within the day; don¡¯t leave it out overnight.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay. I got it.¡±


    Zhao Men nodded. After getting permission from Zhao Chuchu, she went to scoop herself another bowl of soymilk.


    After Xie Heng finished his bowl of soymilk, he went to treat the tofu with gypsum.


    He seeded in a single attempt!


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    Xie Heng really made her mad at her own ipetence.


    Zhao Chuchu felt like she was as good as Xie Heng in any aspect, except for food-rted skills. It was as though all her cooking-rted skills werepletely disabled and could not be activated.


    ¡°It worked?¡± Zhao Guitang looked at the tofu, which had already curdled. He felt thrilled.


    ¡°Almost, just one more step,¡± Zhao Chuchu replied. ¡°Where are the wooden molds that I asked you to prepare?¡±


    ¡°Here, here.¡± Madam He quickly brought the wooden molds over.


    Zhao Chuchu lined the bottom of the wooden container with clean white cloth, then poured the curdled tofu into the container. Next, she covered the tofu and pressed it tight to remove any excess moisture.


    After doing that, Zhao Chuchu made a bowl of sweet tofu pudding and a bowl of salty tofu pudding. ¡°Try this too.¡±


    ¡°Is this already cooked?¡± Madam He asked curiously.


    Zhao Chuchu smiled and exined, ¡°This is tofu pudding. It¡¯s really smooth and soft. You¡¯ll know what I mean when you taste it.¡±


    ¡°I want some too.¡± Xie Jun immediately passed his bowl to Zhao Chuchu despite finishing two bowls of soymilk. ¡°Sis, can I have a bowl, please?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re eating a lot. Aren¡¯t you afraid of overeating?¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t happen. I can still eat more!¡±


    Xie Jun touched his little stomach, which was already starting to bulge, then looked at Zhao Chuchu with a pitiful expression.


    How could Zhao Chuchu refuse?


    She couldn¡¯t.


    Xie Jun finally got a taste of the tofu pudding that he had been thinking about for a very long time.


    Zhao Chuchu asked Xie Heng, ¡°You want it sweet or salty?¡±


    ¡°Salty, thank you,¡± Xie Heng replied.


    ¡°Wah, this is amazing. Sister Chuchu, how did you manage to figure out how to make this?¡± Zhao Men felt like that was the best thing she had ever tasted.


    Zhao Chuchu poked her forehead and said, ¡°You¡¯ll get to eat something even betterter. But first, we need to make the rest of the tofu after you¡¯re done eating. Auntie, Da Lang will teach you how to make tofuter.¡±


    ¡°What do we do with the tofu?¡± Madam He asked. ¡°Do we leave it overnight and bring it to the county to sell it tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°No hurry, let¡¯s give the tofu that we made today to the people in the vige and let them taste it. Then, we¡¯ll sell the tofu tomorrow at the county,¡± Zhao Chuchu said.


    ¡°Sure, we¡¯ll follow your instructions.¡± Madam He felt that this novel food would definitely sell very well, which made her feel pumped about tofu-making.


    After finishing her portion of tofu pudding, she got back to work.


    Zhao Men went to help her as well.


    Zhao Guitang was really anxious. He wanted to help his wife, but there was nothing that he could help with.


    ¡°Uncle Guitang, you should just rest for now. If you hurt your leg again, it will be very difficult to heal next time. Auntie and Men still have to depend on you in the future. So the most important task for you right now is to recover from your injury,¡± warned Zhao Chuchu as she looked at Zhao Guitang. ¡°Otherwise, you won¡¯t be the only one suffering.¡±


    Zhao Guitang felt somewhat ashamed. He said, ¡°I, I just wanted to see what I could do to help.¡±


    ¡°Just sit there and stop moving around,¡± Madam He scolded. ¡°Chuchu is right. If you injure your leg again, Men and I will lose all hope in life.¡±


    Zhao Guitang didn¡¯t dare argue anymore.


    Zhao Chuchu saw that Madam He was really slow, so she went forward and helped her with the stone mill.


    She was stronger and could push the mill a lot faster than Madam He.


    ¡°Go filter the raw soymilk. I got this.¡± Zhao Chuchu saw that the bucket was full again, so she told Madam He to deal with it.


    Xie Heng came over to push the stone mill together with Zhao Chuchu.


    The two were very close to each other and worked together seamlessly.


    Upon seeing that, Zhao Men nudged Madam He and looked in Zhao Chuchu¡¯s direction as she said, ¡°Mom, Chuchu and Xie Da Lang look so suitable together.¡±


    ¡°Did you just call him Da Lang? You should call him brother-inw!¡± Madam He red at her.


    Zhao Men stuck her tongue out for a moment and said, ¡°Alright, alright, I got it.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng heard every word of their conversation.


    Zhao Chuchu pretended not to hear it.


    The corners of Xie Heng¡¯s mouth curled up slightly.


    At noon, Zhao Chuchu made all the soybeans they soaked into tofust night.


    Xie Heng cooked the soy pulp into soy pulp egg pancakes, soy pulp balls, and soy pulp porridge. Then, he followed Zhao Chuchu¡¯s instructions and made fried scallion tofu and Mapo tofu.


    Xie Jun and the Zhao family couldn¡¯t stop eating.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that tofu can be made into something so delicious. All we knew back then was boiling or frying. What a waste of soybeans.¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, did you learn about tofu from books?¡±


    ...


    ¡°Being literate is such a good thing. We wouldn¡¯t be able to figure this out even if we spent our whole life trying.¡±


    They kept speaking right after one another. Zhao Chuchu wasn¡¯t even able to cut in.


    Zhao Chuchu felt a little helpless. She smiled and waited until they were doneplimenting her before saying, ¡°It¡¯s not just white tofu. After lunch, we can try deep-fried tofu. That¡¯s even more fragrant.¡±


    ¡°Deep fried tofu?¡± Zhao Guitang was startled for a moment, then said in an embarrassed tone, ¡°But Chuchu, we don¡¯t have oil. Deep-fried tofu would require a lot of oil, right?¡±


    ¡°I have some.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t keep using your stuff¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s get the tofu business started first. Then, after the business is set up, we can talk about splitting the profits.¡±


    Zhao Guitang, Madam He, and Zhao Men all went silent.


    Madam He said softly, ¡°Chuchu, Guitang followed the Zhao n and did so many ridiculous, scummy things to you. Why are you still treating us so well?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu smiled and said, ¡°Just take it that I¡¯m doing good deeds to umte karma. Let¡¯s forget about what happened in the past. Uncle Guitang has been punished ordingly, so we can put this behind us now. I¡¯m not an unreasonable person. Since you guys are willing to turn over a new leaf, I¡¯m willing to give you an opportunity to change for the better.¡±


    ¡°What about them?¡± Madam He asked.


    ...


    ¡°Them¡± referred to Old Man Zhao and other members of the n.


    ¡°I won¡¯t forgive them,¡± Zhao Chuchu raised her eyebrows and said. ¡°I¡¯ve already cut ties with them. They areplete strangers to me now. So as long as they don¡¯te and annoy me, I¡¯ll just treat them as nonexistent. Otherwise, they will face the same consequences as Niu Ziming.¡±


    Xie Heng kept quiet as though Zhao Chuchu had just described the weather.


    Zhao Guitang rejoiced that he didn¡¯t bully Zhao Chuchu back then. Otherwise, he couldn¡¯t even imagine how miserable his family would be right now!


    ¡°I remember what other people have done to me, and I won¡¯t mix them up,¡± Zhao Chuchu said. ¡°I won¡¯t just forgive everyone.¡±


    Zhao Guitang¡¯s family didn¡¯t dare speak.


    Although they were forced to do what they did, they still felt rather guilty about it.


    Zhao Chuchu saw their reaction, but she didn¡¯t say anything. Instead, she went back home and returned with a bucket of oil to deep fry the tofu.


    They first cut the tofu into smaller pieces, then fried them until they had a golden brown exterior and an incredibly tender interior. When Zhao Chuchu squeezed it, it became a ball, but the deep-fried tofu returned to its original shape when she released it. Deep-fried tofu was also known as tofu puffs.


    But Zhao Chuchu remembered that in her previous life, there was a type of fried tofu in the southern part of her country. The exterior was golden, but the inside was more solid. People soaked it in water. It was fragrant and soft but tastedpletely different from the silky, crumbly tofu puff.

 Chapter 140 - 140 It Won’t Kill You, But You’ll Wish That You Were Dead

    140 It Won¡¯t Kill You, But You¡¯ll Wish That You Were Dead


    The deep-fried tofu was so fragrant that it attracted Old Madam Ma and the others.


    Xie Heng fried the tofu in the kitchen while Zhao Chuchu and Zhao Guitang fanned the mes of the stove in front of the stove cavity.


    Madam He and Zhao Men carried the fried tofu out to put it in the dining room. Old Madam Ma just happened to walk in and see them.


    ¡°Seriously? How dare you hide from me and eat behind my back? You unfilial, ungrateful brat. Did you toss all your morals into the trash? It¡¯s your duty to be filial toward me. Put it down!¡± Old Madam Ma stepped forward. The fragrance of the tofu from the basket was starting to make her feel hungry.


    Madam He¡¯s expression turned cold. Finally, she said, ¡°We¡¯ve already moved out of the Zhao n. Whatever we make has nothing to do with you, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Madam He¡¯s face was filled with disbelief. How much oil did they use for frying this thing? Did Zhao Guitang hide money from them?


    ¡°Sis-inw, what are you talking about? It¡¯s the natural order for us to fulfill our filial duties toward our mother! Although you¡¯ve moved out of the house, you can¡¯t forget about filial piety!¡± Madam Zhu wanted to snatch the tofu from her right then.


    But she didn¡¯t do that. Instead, she tried to rile up Old Madam Ma even more. ¡°Mother, I think my brother-inw and sister-inw have been hiding money from us! They kept crying that they had no money to treat his leg back then, but look at them now! They had so much money to make all this food!


    ¡°This is so unfair! Whatever money my husband made was handed up to the family, and we didn¡¯t keep a single cent for ourselves! I think my brother-inw has been scheming this whole time. He hid money from us and nned to move away from the family long ago to live their own happy life! They don¡¯t care about you and Father at all!¡±


    Old Madam Ma was infuriated when she heard that and said, ¡°You ungrateful, unappreciative imbeciles. How dare you treat your mother like this? You filthy slut! Did you convince my son to do this? I¡¯ll tell you right now. Regardless of how much money you hid from us, you must hand it out now!¡±


    When Zhao Guitang heard Old Madam Ma yelling from the kitchen, he wanted to stand up and go out there to defend his wife.


    But Zhao Chuchu tugged at him and said, ¡°Wait, just wait and see what happens first.¡±


    Zhao Guitang sat down again.


    Madam Zhu continued to fan the mes. ¡°Sis-inw, we were a big family back then. We all handed our money over to Mother to manage. Don¡¯t you think that what you¡¯re doing is wrong? We submitted all the money that we worked so hard for so it could be shared while you guys hid your money and pretended to be living a tough life so that you could move out of the family.¡±


    ¡°Enough with the talking. Take all these and bring them back. Where¡¯s Guitang? Tell him toe out! Give us all the money that he hid!¡± Old Madam Ma said in a harsh tone.


    Old Madam Ma knew very well that Zhao Guitang didn¡¯t actually keep any money for themselves. They probably got the money from Madam He¡¯s family.


    Old Madam Ma felt rather resentful. Those selfish, inhumane bastards from Madam He¡¯s family didn¡¯t give her any money back then, yet now they gave her so much after they moved out of the n!


    Never mind, all of the money would be hers soon.


    Old Madam Ma had made up her mind to take all of it from them.


    Madam He was extremely mad. Finally, she yelled, ¡°Can you stop doing this? First, you chased us out of the n, and now you¡¯re trying to suck our blood dry.¡±


    ¡°Watch your mouth! How dare you speak to your mother-inw like that? I have to give you a lesson today. Otherwise, you¡¯ll forget who¡¯s your elder! Take the things out now! Don¡¯t make me use force!¡±


    Old Madam Ma pointed at Madam He¡¯s nose and ordered.


    Zhao Men was trembling from anger. She said, ¡°All these belong to Sister Chuchu. You can try to snatch them if you dare.¡±


    ¡°Men, don¡¯t think that you can use Zhao Chuchu¡¯s name to protect yourselves. Do you think she cares about you? If you didn¡¯t hide money from us, you must have stolen it from the n. How can you possibly afford all this oil? Mother, you can¡¯t let them off the hook easily this time.¡±


    Old Madam Ma took several big steps forward, then snatched the deep-fried tofu from them.


    How could Madam He and Zhao Men fight against Old Madam Ma and Madam Zhu?


    Madam Zhu shoved them to the ground and snatched away the basket of deep-fried tofu.


    ¡°Selfish scoundrels, how much money did you steal from us to buy oil?¡± Old Madam Ma spat on Madam He and walked toward the kitchen. ¡°The oil is mine as well. I¡¯m taking it all.¡±


    Old Madam Ma felt a chill down her spine when she saw Zhao Chuchu sitting in the kitchen, staring at her with an eerie smile on her face.


    ¡°Oh my, that¡¯s quite daring of you. So you¡¯re trying to snatch my things?¡± Zhao Chuchu stood up with the firece poker in her hand.


    Old Madam Ma¡¯s face turned pale. She took several steps back in horror. ¡°I, I just wanted to take back what belonged to me.¡±


    ¡°Belonged to you? Does anything here belong to you? Oh, right, Zhao Guitang is your son. Would you like to bring him back?¡± Zhao Chuchu said as she inched closer toward Old Madam Ma. ¡°I¡¯ve told you before that whoever tries to snatch anything from me will face the consequences.¡±


    Before Old Madam Ma could react, she felt a stinging pain in her stomach, and then her entire body flew backward.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    She let out a painful groan as she fell to the ground.


    Madam Zhu immediately started running away with the basket in her hands.


    But how could she possibly run away in front of Zhao Chuchu?


    Within a few steps, Zhao Chuchu appeared before her and blocked her path.


    Zhao Chuchu smiled and said, ¡°You took something from me, right?¡±


    Madam Zhu was terrified, and she subconsciously tossed the basket away.


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s expression turned cold. ¡°Did you try to throw away my things?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu grabbed the basket before it hit the ground, then gave Madam Zhu a kick as well.


    Madam Zhu fell to the ground beside Old Madam Ma and shrieked in pain.


    Zhao Chuchu signaled to Madam He to take back the basket.


    She walked to Old Madam Ma and Madam He, stared down at them, and said, ¡°God must have made a mistake in creating someone as vicious and disgusting as you. Look at the state Zhao Guitang is in. How can you continue exploiting him like this? I¡¯ll tell you right now. All these things belong to me. I¡¯m hiring Zhao Guitang to make it, and it has nothing to do with you!¡±


    ¡°I know; I get it now. I won¡¯t do it again!¡± Old Madam Ma begged for mercy. She was absolutely terrified. ¡°They didn¡¯t tell me. I thought it belonged to them.¡±


    ¡°You knew. You just pretended not to realize it. Don¡¯t think that I can¡¯t tell what you¡¯re thinking!¡± Zhao Chuchu stepped on Madam Chu¡¯s chest with one leg and said, ¡°The only thinging out of your mouth is bullshit. I think you shouldn¡¯t have a mouth!¡±


    Madam Zhu was petrified and begged, ¡°I won¡¯t do it again. Please let me go!¡±


    ¡°You good-for-nothing scoundrels. You have nothing to do all day, so you keep trying to oppress and exploit your brother-inw. How vicious!¡± Zhao Chuchu red at her and said, ¡°Let me think. How should I make you remember this lesson and stop spouting nonsense all day?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. Please let me go.¡± Madam Zhu started sobbing.


    But Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t want to let this vicious woman off the hook.


    She took out a pill and fed it to Madam Zhu. Then, she said, ¡°Enjoy the next 15 days.¡±


    ¡°What did you feed me?¡±


    ¡°A type of poison that won¡¯t kill you.¡±


    ...


    Madam Zhu was so scared that her voice cracked. ¡°If you kill me, you¡¯ll have to pay with your life!¡±


    Zhao Chuchuughed and said, ¡°Kill you? You don¡¯t deserve that much effort. For the next two weeks, every day at midnight, you¡¯ll feel like there are thousands of ants crawling and biting you all over your body. It won¡¯t kill you, but you¡¯ll wish that you were dead.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t do this to me. I didn¡¯t snatch your things on purpose.¡±


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you involved with encouraging Madam Yang to beat me back then?¡±

 Chapter 141 - 141 Da Lang, You Are Truly Virtuous

    141 Da Lang, You Are Truly Virtuous


    When Madam Zhu heard this, her face went pale.


    She had been doing such things for a long time.


    Zhao Chuchu only had herself to me for being the daughter of that vixen, Xia Chenn.


    Even though Xia Chenn was already dead, each time she saw Zhao Chuchu, Madam Zhu¡¯s jealousy consumed her like ants. She looked forward to Zhao Chuchu living as miserable as possible.


    She had done precisely that.


    ¡°Did you think that I wanted to stand up for them? You¡¯re mistaken. I was waiting for you to show up at my doorstep. Otherwise, how would Ie across such a good opportunity to settle old scores?¡± said Zhao Chuchu as she smiled radiantly. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. It is only for half a month. I trust that you can bear with it.¡±


    Madam Zhu stuttered, ¡°You¡­ you¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you trying to say about me? If you want tomit suicide, by all means, go ahead. Then, Zhao Guiqing could get married to a younger girl. They will sleep on your bed and mistreat your children. Their stepmother might even marry your daughter off to a widower. Tsk. Now, that¡¯s karma.¡±


    Terrified, Madam Zhu stared at Zhao Chuchu as though she was looking at a demon.


    Old Madam Ma cautiously held her breath, fearing that Zhao Chuchu would also force the poison down her throat.


    Zhao Chuchu sneered when she saw their panic-stricken faces. Her mocking smile perfectly conveyed her despise towards them.


    She ordered. ¡°Get lost. I won¡¯t hold back if you dare to set foot in here again. I wonder how serious the offense of robbery is. Perhaps I don¡¯t even need to bring the case to the county office. The vige chief can decide on a punishment for you.¡±


    Old Madam Ma and Madam Zhu did not dare refute even a single word. They endured their pain as they scampered out of Zhao Guitang¡¯s house.


    Zhao Chuchu pped.


    ¡°All of you have witnessed how they have tried to squeeze everyst bit of benefit they can get out of you. If you cannot stand up for yourselves after this, I will have helped you for naught!¡± said Zhao Chuchu as she turned around and looked at Madam He and her daughter sternly.


    ¡°First, it will be Men¡¯s marriage. Then, it will be money. For all we know, they might force Uncle Guitang to divorce you and take a new wife. You can make some concessions for some things. However, there are some lines that they absolutely cannot cross. Otherwise, they will ask for a foot when given an inch until all of you are dead.¡±


    Madam He lowered her head in shame and apologized. ¡°Sorry, Chuchu. I¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t owe me an apology. You have to ask yourself whether you owe an apology to yourself and Men. This is thest time I will intervene in your household¡¯s shitty mess. If there is a next time, I will not lend you my aid,¡± said Zhao Chuchu with a straight face.


    Zhao Guitang emerged from the kitchen and swore to Zhao Chuchu. ¡°There will definitely not be a next time. I will not allow them to continue bullying our family of three.¡±


    ¡°Actions speak more than words. I know that filial piety is weighing down on you like a mountain. However, if you still wish to be filial even when cornered, then you only have yourselves to me.¡±


    ¡°I understand, Chuchu. You have helped us so much. I will remember this.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu nodded her head and then entered the kitchen.


    Zhao Guitang walked up to his wife and daughter. He lowered his head and said, ¡°Darling, I have wronged you. Do not worry. I will not be like I once was and obey my mother in everything. Let us close our doors and live our own lives. Things will definitely not be like before.¡±


    Madam He replied, ¡°I believe you.¡±


    Zhao Men did not say anything.


    She once again sensed the malice from Old Madam Ma and the others.


    Just as Zhao Chuchu said, if they did not be stronger, Old Madam Ma and the others would still harass them to no end.


    This interlude was soon known across Lengshui Vige.


    However, no one sympathized with Old Madam Ma and the others.


    It was because they had gone too far.


    They also knew she did not want Zhao Meijuan to marry Blockhead Hu Yiming because of his dimwittedness. However, she forced Zhao Men to marry him instead because of the betrothal gift.


    No one would push their own granddaughter into the fire pit like that!


    When they heard that Zhao Chuchu had fed Madam Zhu poison, most of them pped and cheered.


    When Madam Yang heard this, she quickly rushed home and closed her doors. She feared that Zhao Chuchu woulde to settle old scores and feed her poison as well.


    Zhao Chuchu did not know about this.


    After the tofu was fried, Zhao Chuchu and Zhao Men went door to door to deliver it.


    Of course, the people who wanted Zhao Chuchu beaten and killed did not get a share. It was the same regardless of whether or not they had the surname of Zhao.


    This was the first time the vigers had seen tofu.


    When Zhao Chuchu gave them the tofu, she told them the prices.


    ¡°White tofu costs 12 cents per block. Tofu puffs are worth three cents for two. Soft tofu is one cent per piece. If you want to eat some in the future, you cane to my house to buy some. These prices are only avable in our vige,¡± Zhao Men informed the vigers as she gathered her courage.


    A block of white tofu weighed around half a catty. 23 to 28 tofu puffs were around one catty. Soft tofu was heavier. Zhao Chuchu had not weighed it yet, but one catty of soybeans could produce three catties of white tofu. Even after deducting their cost, Zhao Guitang¡¯s family would surely be able to make a profit.


    Aside from tofu, they also gave out tofu pudding. Overall, the vigers were quite pleased.


    After giving out all of the tofu, Zhao Men massaged her waist and said, ¡°That was so tiring, but it was enjoyable. Sister Chuchu, with tofu being so delicious, there will surely be buyers, right?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu replied, ¡°That is right. Get ready early tomorrow morning. We will make a trip to the county town.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we selling it in the vige?¡± asked Zhao Men. She was momentarily stunned.


    Zhao Chuchu replied, ¡°How much can we sell in the vige? Let me tell you, the taverns in the county town are the truly big spenders. If we can get our products into the taverns, you won¡¯t even need to deliver the tofu to them. They wille and collect the stock themselves.¡±


    ¡°Can¡­can we actually pull it off?¡±


    ¡°Tavern business requires their dishes to be new and exciting. Otherwise, if the dishes are always the same, the customers will quickly grow tired of them.¡±


    ¡°Then, will they want tofu?¡±


    ¡°We will need to send it to them to know whether they want it. Oh, right. Do you remember the recipes for the dishes Da Lang made? Honestly speaking, I am not good at cooking. To make the tavern want our tofu, we must show them how delicious it is.¡±


    Zhao Men replied, ¡°I remembered the recipes. Although it is not as good as what Brother-inw can make, it should be edible. Worstes to worst, we will let the tavern¡¯s chefs cook the dishes. They will certainly be better at it. However, Sister Chuchu, what time will we be leaving tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°It is quite a distance to the county town. I will alsoe over to help out tomorrow. We will leave once we finish. We will most likely need to spend the night in town.¡±


    Zhao Men made a mental note of this. She asked a few more questions before the two of them parted ways.


    Zhao Chuchu returned to the Xie residence and discovered Xie Heng was soaking glutinous rice.


    ...


    ¡°Da Lang, what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to eat stuffed tofu with glutinous rice? I was trying to make some. It just so happened that we had some leftoverrd.¡±


    Others had a woman in the kitchen. Zhao Chuchu had a man in the kitchen. It was perfect.


    ¡°Da Lang, you truly are virtuous,¡± praised Zhao Chuchu.


    Xie Heng froze as he was pouring water.


    After a short while, he helplessly said, ¡°Virtuous is not used to describe men.¡±


    ¡°Why not? Aren¡¯t you being virtuous?¡± asked Zhao Chuchu as she raised her eyebrows.


    Xie Heng swallowed his retort.


    If he was virtuous, so be it.


    There was no benefit to winning such an argument.


    It was fine as long as she was happy.


    ...


    After soaking the glutinous rice, Xie Heng made Zhao Chuchu head over to Old Mrs. Chen¡¯s house to harvest some Chinese chives. He himself went back into his room to read.


    Zhao Chuchu was naturally more than willing to carry out such a menial task.


    While Old Mrs. Chen brought Zhao Chuchu to the vegetable garden, she took the opportunity to gossip. She asked, ¡°Did you actually poison that gossiper, Madam Zhu? Then, Men and Blockhead have not been forced to marry each other, right? Aiyo, their family sure has bad luck.¡±

 Chapter 142 - 142 Disappointed in Elder Brother

    142 Disappointed in Elder Brother


    ¡°I was just scaring her. Poison is very expensive. I don¡¯t want to waste my money on that,¡± said Zhao Chuchu. She then went to Old Mrs. Chen¡¯s ear and whispered, ¡°Shh, this is a secret. Don¡¯t tell anyone.¡±


    Old Mrs. Chen also subconsciously lowered her voice and asked, ¡°Why did I hear that the medicine you gave Madam Zhu would make her feel like ants bit her at midnight?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu blinked and answered, ¡°When the timees, I will tell you.¡±


    Madam Zhu had done something to feel guilty. Her guilt weighed on her conscience. When Zhao Chuchu gave her a scare like this, it would undoubtedly cause psychological effects.


    After being fed something unfamiliar, Madam Zhu subconsciously assumed what Zhao Chuchu said to be true and felt as though she was being bitten all over her body by ants.


    Using poison on Madam Zhu?


    It would cost money to concoct poison.


    Was Madam Zhu worthy of such wastage?


    Zhao Chuchu harvested a bunch of Chinese chives from Old Mrs. Chen¡¯s ce. Thetter helped her choose and clean the Chinese chives.


    ¡°Chuchu, if you ever need vegetables in the future, juste and take whatever you need from the garden. After all, we can¡¯t finish eating so many varieties on our own. The three of you won¡¯t eat that much anyways.¡±


    ¡°Then, don¡¯t mind if I do, Grandma Chen.¡±


    ¡°There is no need to be polite. You have given us plenty of good stuff. By the way, did you teach the Guitang family to make this tofu?¡±


    ¡°Yes. We will see how well this tofu will sell. Then, I will teach you another good thing that can be made from soybeans.¡±


    Tofu skins were a traditional soybean product in her past life. It could be eaten in many ways and was a popr ingredient in steamboats and hotpots.


    Compared to making tofu, it was easier to make tofu skins.


    ¡°Teach us?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, why are you teaching all these methods to outsiders? Other people would kill to keep these methods secret.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do all of these things alone. All of you took care of me before. Now that I havee up with these ideas, I need to repay the favor.¡±


    After all, these things did not require much technical skill. It could be considered a good thing if they could rely on these businesses to earn some money.


    ¡°Seriously, child. You are¡­¡±


    ¡°I draw a clear line between love and hate. Whoever treats me well, I will treat them well. Someone who has bullied me before will never gain benefits from me.¡±


    Old Mrs. Chen paused for a moment and whispered, ¡°Is the Zhao n pressuring you?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu raised her eyebrows and replied, ¡°Grandma Chen, haven¡¯t you seen my conviction? Do you think that the Zhao n can pressure me?¡±


    Old Mrs. Chen could not help butugh. She then said, ¡°That is true. Now, whenever they see you, they will run and hide. Alright, you had better get back home. I will be in the garden clearing the weeds.¡±


    ¡°Okay, don¡¯t work toote. Go back early,¡± said Zhao Chuchu. She then took the Chinese chives and returned home.


    When it was time to cook, Xie Heng emerged from his room.


    He first deep-fried the glutinous rice and stir-fried the Chinese chives. He then poured them into the tofu puffs and ced them into a pot to steam. He then made a te of sauce. When the stuffed tofu was ready, they could have their meal.


    The one who felt the most blessed was Xie Jun.


    After Sis knew how to speak and Bro¡¯s eyes recovered, their life at home got better and better. He had the opportunity to eat good food every day.


    More than anyone else, he wished that Xie Heng and Zhao Chuchu would live together to a ripe old age.


    Hence, the fact that the two slept separately worried him greatly.


    This would not do. After he finished eating, Xie Jun began to scheme.


    He carried a bowl of medicine and entered Zhao Chuchu¡¯s room. He then ¡°identally¡± tripped and spilled the entire bowl onto her bed.


    Xie Jun came before Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng with his head lowered. With a guilty look, he confessed, ¡°Sis, I identally spilled my medicine on your bed. I am sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to do so.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu saw through Xie Jun¡¯s crude scheme immediately. She did not know how to respond.


    Xie Heng was speechless too.


    He cast a sideways nce at Zhao Chuchu silently.


    Zhao Chuchu held back herughter and said, ¡°No worries. I still have a quilt. I can wash the medicine out of the sheets tomorrow.¡±


    Xie Jun was stunned.


    Since when did their house have extra quilts?


    Didn¡¯t each room only have one bed?


    Had he wasted a bowl of medicine?


    Xie Jun was not willing to give up. He looked at Zhao Chuchu and stuttered, ¡°Sis, why don¡¯t you sleep in Bro¡¯s room?¡±


    The tips of Xie Heng¡¯s ears instantly turned red. He silently clenched his fists in his sleeves. He then said, ¡°Junjun, do not interfere with adult matters.¡±


    Xie Jun pouted and said, ¡°Bro, you are only five years older than I am.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was calm and collected. She instantly activated her bluff technique and said, ¡°Your Bro¡¯s eyes have just recovered. He still needs rest. I should not disturb him. Otherwise, I will hinder his eyes from recovering.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t disturb his eyes from being in the same room,¡± retorted Xie Jun softly.


    ¡°Eyes are linked to the brain. If one¡¯s brain is not well, how can their eyes be well? I am a doctor. I know better than you.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Xie Jun looked at his brother in disappointment.


    Xie Heng pretended that he had not noticed.


    Zhao Chuchu took down the wet bedding andid out new ones.


    Xie Jun was even more disappointed.


    ...


    He looked at his brother again.


    Xie Heng silently took the soiled quilt out of Zhao Chuchu¡¯s room.


    Xie Jun felt that his goal of bing an uncle seemed to be getting further and further away from him.


    ¡­


    The next day, Zhao Chuchu got up before the sun had even risen.


    To her surprise, Xie Heng was up even earlier than her!


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you sleep in a little longer?¡± asked Zhao Chuchu in a whisper. ¡°Yesterday, the tofu that Men and the others made,ter on, was eptable. You do not need to go over to take a look. Your studies are more important.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be a problem. An hour or two won¡¯t make a difference.¡±


    He knew his books like the back of his hand. He had just been pretending to study in his room for others to see.


    Zhao Men told Zhao Chuchu to have breakfast at her ce today. So, after Zhao Chuchu got ready, she went to their ce with Xie Heng.


    Zhao Guitang¡¯s family of three was already up and had even finished preparing two trays of tofu!


    ...


    ¡°Don¡¯t all of you need to sleep?¡± asked Zhao Chuchu when she entered the house. ¡°It is still so early, and all of you are already up?¡±


    Zhao Guitang, who was taking care of the fire, scratched his head and said, ¡°Since I was thinking and could not sleep, I got up and started preparing.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°We won¡¯t need that much today. This amount will suffice.¡±


    ¡°Huh. Are we not setting up shop in the vige?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Men inform you? We are heading into town today first.¡±


    ¡°She mentioned. She and her mother thought that since today was also market day, they wanted to make some tofu to bring to the market to sell.¡±


    When Zhao Chuchu heard this, she did not say anymore.


    Having motivation was a good thing. She could not bring herself to dampen their enthusiasm.


    Their breakfast was bean dregs porridge and stir-fried sour cowpeas. After eating, Xie Heng saw that the ready-made tofu was very tender, so he helped to fry it.


    By the time they finished doing all this, it was already morning.


    Madam He brought the tofu personally to Niu Tongsheng¡¯s house. They were borrowing his cart to get their produce into town.


    Xie Heng did not apany Zhao Chuchu into town.


    This was Zhao Men¡¯s first time going into town. She was very nervous.


    Niu An was the driver again. Niu An and Zhao Chuchu were now familiar with each other and spent the journey chatting.


    When they reached the town, it was almost noon.


    Zhao Chuchu immediately went to Visitor¡¯s Aroma.


    The bartender had a good eye. Once he saw Zhao Chuchu arrive, he immediately called Manager Lin over.


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, have you brought us something good again today?¡± Before Manager Lin had even appeared, his voice could already be heard. ¡°Have you hunted another tiger?¡±


    ¡°I have been busy with spring nting recently. Where can I find the time to hunt tigers in the mountains? However, I have even indeed brought something good for Manager Lin today. Are you interested?¡± As Zhao Chuchu said this, she removed the cloth that covered the basket. A fragrance swept over them.

 Chapter 143 - 143 Will You Sell at This Price?

    143 Will You Sell at This Price?


    Manager Lin had a glint in his eyes. He immediately went over and asked, ¡°What is this? How is it so fragrant?¡±


    ¡°Are you interested in discussing this?¡± asked Zhao Chuchu as she raised her eyebrows.


    ¡°Come. Let¡¯s head to the back courtyard,¡± said Manager Lin. He immediately weed Zhao Chuchu and the others inside and ordered the bartender to help them carry their stuff.


    Niu An wanted to do it himself but was pushed aside by the bartender, who said, ¡°Bro, allow me to help. You must be tired from the journey to town.¡±


    ¡°Then, sorry to trouble you.¡±


    ¡°Sigh, there is no need to be so polite. This is what I should do.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Niu An, you shoulde in as well,¡± said Zhao Chuchu as she turned and gestured to Niu An to follow them.


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    He caught up with them.


    Zhao Men followed Zhao Chuchu. Her heart was beating vigorously.


    When they arrived at the back courtyard, only then did Manager Lin ask, ¡°Mrs. Xie, what exactly are these?¡±


    ¡°They are tofu. They are made from soybeans and can be used in cooking,¡± exined Zhao Chuchu. She pointed at the tofu puffs and continued, ¡°These tofu puffs have been fried in oil. You can eat them right away. Would you like to try them?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Manager Lin immediately tasted some.


    ¡°Wow, it tastes delicious. It is really aromatic. Mrs. Xie, let¡¯s cut to the chase. We do not know how to make this tofu. If you want to sell this to us, shouldn¡¯t you give us a few pointers on how to prepare it?¡±


    Manager Lin did not beat around the bush.


    Zhao Chuchu smiled and said, ¡°Naturally. I will certainly not put you at a disadvantage. Don¡¯t underestimate tofu. There are many ways it can be consumed. Why don¡¯t we head over to the kitchen right now? However, I am only good at giving instructions. I cannot do it myself.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem. The chefs of Visitor¡¯s Aroma have decades of experience. As long as you tell them how they will certainly be able to make any dish for you!¡±


    Manager Lin brought Zhao Chuchu to the kitchen.


    She exined to the chefs a few tofu dishes and the rough steps of making them.


    They were all home-cooked dishes, so they posed no problem to the chefs. Thetter soonpleted the dishes.


    After Manager Lin tasted them, he could not stop praising them, saying, ¡°I never imagined that such small pieces of tofu could make so many dishes!¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is marvelous. If you buy our tofu, I can provide you with even more recipes.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, why don¡¯t you sell us the method of making tofu? I can offer you this figure.¡±


    Manager Lin lifted one finger.


    ¡°1,000 Taels.¡±


    He could tell that although tofu seemed insignificant, once it took off with their customers, it would be worth this amount!


    Upon hearing this, Zhao Men immediately looked at Zhao Chuchu nervously.


    Zhao Chuchu rejected his offer and said, ¡°I am not selling the method of making tofu.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°I can make more than just 1,000 Taels by making tofu. Manager, even if you only buy tofu from us, you will definitely make more than this. Doing business requires us to focus on the long term. I can look for other buyers if you do not want my product.¡±


    Manager Lin immediately said, ¡°Mrs. Xie, don¡¯t be so anxious. I did not say that I did not want your tofu. May I know the prices for this tofu?¡±


    The price that Zhao Chuchu gave him was three cents more than the price she offered the vigers of Lengshui Vige.


    Manager Lin wanted to bring the price down.


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, business is not done in one go. You have to leave me some room to earn a profit.¡±


    ¡°Manager, the process of making tofu is veryplicated. The money I am earning covers my manpower. Once it reaches the table, aren¡¯t you the ones who determine the price?¡±


    ¡°Can you make it cheaper? We might sell less than one or two catties a day.¡±


    ¡°I have not set a high price. If I opened my own stall, I would sell it at an even higher price than what I offered you.¡±


    The tofu was indeed a rare sight. For a tavern, the novelty of their dishes was essential. Otherwise, how would they attract customers?


    Zhao Chuchu continued, ¡°I came to you first, Manager. To be frank with you, if tofu bes popr, there is another soybean product that can also be cooked in a variety of ways.¡± She delivered the final blow when she saw Manager Lin beginning to consider her offer.


    Manager Lin thought for a while and then told Zhao Chuchu, ¡°Mrs. Xie, hear me out. I will first buy half of your stock. At noon, I will try it out with my customers. If they like the dishes, we can negotiate further. How about it?¡±


    He was a businessman. He naturally did not want to do business at a loss.


    Before he knew that tofu was popr with the masses, he would not act rashly.


    ¡°That is fine. Then, we will weigh some for you,¡± agreed Zhao Chuchu as she nodded her head.


    Zhao Men was somewhat discouraged.


    She knew that selling a product wasn¡¯t so easy.


    After Zhao Chuchu divided half of the tofu and gave it to Manager Lin, thetter paid her.


    Zhao Chuchu pocketed the money and left the tavern.


    Once they were out of the door, Zhao Men asked, ¡°Sister Chuchu, shall we set up a stall to sell the rest of the tofu?¡±


    ¡°We shall. It is inconvenient to bring the rest back home,¡± replied Zhao Chuchu as she nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t despair. Doing business isn¡¯t easy. If seeding on the first try was that easy, lots of people would be rich.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I know. We can also set up a stall and slowly sell them,¡± said Zhao Men. Zhao Chuchu¡¯s words reassured her.


    Niu An helped to load the tofu back on the ox cart. He followed Zhao Chuchu and Zhao Men to the market area in the city and set up a simple stall.


    ¡°Tofu! Tofu! It is a new food product. Come have a look and taste it for yourself.¡± Zhao Chuchu immediately began promoting.


    She was good-looking, and her voice was clear and crisp. Soon, she caught the attention of the people around her.


    A woman asked, ¡°Is this tofu? What is it made of? Is it edible?¡±


    ...


    ¡°Madam, this is made from soybeans. It is very delicious. This has been fried in oil and can be eaten right away. Here, try some.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu picked up the chopsticks they had prepared beforehand and picked a piece of fried tofu for the woman to try.


    After the woman tried it, she could not help but nod. She said, ¡°Hmm, it is very aromatic. Youngdy, how much does it cost?¡±


    ¡°White tofu is 17 cents a block. Tofu puffs cost 45 cents a catty. This soft tofu is worth 22 cents a catty.¡±


    Soft tofu was solid and had a high water content, so it was heavy.


    ¡°They are quite pricey.¡±


    ¡°Madam, you have tried it yourself. We fry this in oil until it is dry. Take a look. This is all oil. If your family isn¡¯t big, half a catty is enough. Why don¡¯t you buy a block of white tofu first? It tastes delicious when cooked in soup.¡±


    The woman preferred tofu puffs.


    After deliberating for a while, she bought half a catty of tofu puffs.


    ¡°Men, weigh half a catty for this madam.¡±


    ¡°Aye!¡±


    ...


    After selling their first batch of tofu, Zhao Men was ted. She quickly weighed out the tofu.


    Zhao Chuchu specifically found dried lotus leaves to wrap the tofu. Once the woman paid, she gave her another two pieces.


    The woman immediately beamed and said, ¡°Thank you, youngdy.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. I hope you like the tofu.¡±


    With the first customer, there would be a second and a third. This was due to herd mentality.


    Zhao Chuchu was good with words. In less than an hour, the remaining tofu was all sold out.


    Zhao Men was so happy. She never imagined that tofu would sell so well.


    ¡°Sister Chuchu, it seems that what you said was true. Tofu sells really well. Are weing into town to sell tofu in the future?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s up to you. However, it would be best to choose a fixed day toe into town.¡±


    If they came every day, their tofu would lose its novelty!


    Seeing that it was still early, Zhao Chuchu nned to leave town soon. They could still make it back home before dark.


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, I finally found you!¡± Just then, someone called out while rushing over. The person was panting.

 Chapter 144 - 144 I Do Not Accept This Condition

    144 I Do Not ept This Condition


    ¡°Where is the remaining tofu? Our manager says he wants it all!¡±


    The person who hade was none other than Visitor¡¯s Aroma¡¯s bartender.


    During lunch, Manager Lin gave early customers a small portion of tofu per table. The remaining tofu was then almost immediately ordered up by them.


    Whenter customers came and saw the new dishes, they all wanted to try them out. However, the tofu was already sold out. Hence, Manager Lin sent the bartender to find Zhao Chuchu, hoping there was still tofu remaining.


    Zhao Men apologetically said, ¡°Bro, we just sold off ourst bit of tofu.¡±


    ¡°What? Sold out? Is there none left?¡± asked the bartender as he stretched out his neck to take a look. He immediately revealed a look of disappointment. He then said, ¡°Then, what do I do? There are many customers still waiting for the tofu dishes. Mrs. Xie, can I trouble you to follow me back to the tavern to speak with the manager? Otherwise, he will me me.¡±


    This bartender was not like Fuzi. He was an honest person.


    Zhao Chuchu naturally did not turn him down. She was just about to head to Visitor¡¯s Aroma for a meal and buy some of Xie Jun¡¯s favorite snacks.


    Children needed to be pampered!


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The bartender was extremely grateful.


    Zhao Men and Niu An also followed them.


    Manager Lin was waiting anxiously at the door. When he saw Zhao Chuchu arrive, he immediately came to wee her and said, ¡°Mrs. Xie, you have finallye. Where is the remaining tofu? Send them immediately to the kitchen.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°Manager, sorry, but we have already sold all of it off.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Manager Lin looked over hopefully but was immediately discouraged by the empty trays.


    ¡°Did other taverns buy the rest?¡±


    ¡°No, we merely sold the rest at the marketce.¡±


    ¡°Then, that¡¯s fine.¡±


    Manager Lin heaved a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, pleasee in. Let us discuss this business of tofu inside.¡±


    Manager Lin had already made up his mind. If he could not get the method of making tofu, he would get exclusive rights to it.


    Otherwise, he would lose his advantage if other taverns got their hands on the tofu.


    Manager Lin personally invited Zhao Chuchu and the others into his study in the back courtyard.


    This was the ce where he tallied the ounts daily.


    Manager Lin did not beat around the bush and said, ¡°Mrs. Xie, let me get straight to the point. I will ept your price. However, I have a request. Aside from Visitor¡¯s Aroma, you cannot sell tofu to other taverns.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu raised her eyebrows and said, ¡°Manager Lin, you are being too overbearing here. If I can only sell tofu to your tavern, how is that any different from giving you the method of making it? I do not ept this condition. Moreover, if you do not want our product anymore one day, what do we do with our tofu? Do you expect us to throw it out? Be it soybeans orbor, all of these cost money. How can you expect us to waste it?¡±


    When Zhao Men and Niu An heard this, they did not even dare to breathe.


    They had never seen a negotiation like this.


    Manager Lin exined, ¡°You can still set up a stall and sell the tofu yourselves. You just can¡¯t sell them to other taverns.¡±


    ¡°How would I tell whether the person buying tofu from me is yourpetitor? If someone wants all the tofu, are you expecting me not to sell it to them?¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, aside from the tavern, I have other ways to help you sell the tofu. Don¡¯t you wish to sell more?¡±


    ¡°Right now, we don¡¯t have enough manpower. We couldn¡¯t make more even if we wanted to.¡±


    When Zhao Chuchu put it that way, Manager Lin did not know how to respond.


    ¡°Then, Mrs. Xie, how do you think we should proceed?¡±


    He relented.


    Zhao Chuchu was different from the others he had done business with.


    Her greatest trump card was her medical skill.


    The other day, the woman, who had difficulty in childbirth and was dered unsavable, was saved by Zhao Chuchu.


    With such medical skill, Manager Lin did not want to get on her wrong side.


    ¡°We can provide as much tofu as you want. However, it takes almost four hours to deliver the goods from Lengshui Vige to the county town. We need a dedicated deliveryman.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°Either you arrange for someone to collect the tofu from Lengshui Vige, or you pay an additional 30 cents for the delivery.¡±


    ¡°This is not an issue. The problem at hand is the tofu. How do you n to sell it to us?¡±


    ¡°If other taverns wish to buy the tofu from me, I will at most sell them 40 percent of what you buy from me. What do you say?¡±


    Manager Lin thought about it. This seemed eptable. With most of the product being bought up by him, other taverns could not threaten Visitor¡¯s Aroma¡¯s business.


    ¡°Alright, then, we have a deal. However, I would like to request that you don¡¯t sell too much tofu at your stall.¡±


    Otherwise, what difference would all these arrangements make if others could buy more tofu at their stall?


    ¡°Deal.¡±


    Next, the two of them ironed out some finer details.


    When both parties no longer had any issues with the arrangements, Manager Lin got someone to draft an agreement. This would serve as insurance for both parties.


    Zhao Chuchu asked, ¡°As for who will deliver the tofu, do you wish to use your own personnel, or do you want us to deliver it?¡±


    Manager Lin could part with one Tael of silver every month.


    After all, the tofu was not just for their tavern.


    ...


    Most importantly, the owner had other taverns in the Guangqing Province, but they weren¡¯t doing very well.


    If tofu could save these taverns¡¯ business, his standing in the eyes of the owner would improve.


    ¡°Find someone to send it over. Weck manpower here. Even lovers cannot be trusted these days.¡±


    ¡°Alright, then, we have a deal. If that is all, we would like to have a meal.¡±


    ¡°Come, it is my treat today.¡±


    Manager Lin was very generous.


    He added, ¡°Mrs. Xie, please do not forget the other soybean product you mentioned this morning.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t. When we manage to make it, we will send some over. To be frank, many things can be made from soybeans. We are still slowly figuring things out.¡±


    ¡°That is alright. I will await good news from you,¡± said Manager Lin with augh.


    The private rooms were fully upied, and there was no space out in the main hall, so Manager Lin arranged for a table to be prepared in the back courtyard. They were served the tavern¡¯s signature dishes.


    This was the first time Zhao Men had seen so many delicacies. She did not dare touch her chopsticks.


    ...


    ¡°Men, let¡¯s eat.¡± Zhao Chuchu invited her as she passed her a pair of chopsticks. ¡°This is Manager Lin¡¯s treat. Oh, by the way, Manager Lin, we were so busy discussing business that I forgot to introduce my sister. Her family makes the tofu. Please take care of her when shees into town in the future.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Miss Zhao. If there is anything I can help out with, please feel free to seek me out.¡±


    ¡°Many thanks, Manager Lin,¡± said Zhao Men softly.


    Manager Lin served them many dishes. The three of them could not possibly finish them all.


    Zhao Chuchu borrowed some containers from Manager Lin to let Zhao Men and Niu An pack the rest back.


    They would not waste food.


    She also bought the snacks for Xie Jun and left for Lengshui Vige.


    On their way back, Zhao Men was in an exceptionally good mood. She was especially talkative.


    Her family was initially in despair. With a sudden twist of fate, they now had a bright future ahead of them. How could she not be happy?


    It was not just Zhao Men who felt so. It was the same for Zhao Guitang and Madam He.


    Zhao Chuchu and the others arrived in the vige in the evening. They had just entered Zhao Guitang¡¯s house when Madam He came out to wee them. She told them what happened when selling tofu in the vige.


    They sold all the tofu they made today. Not a single piece was left.


    However, there was a minor incident.

 Chapter 145 - 145 Don’t Overdo It, I Can Let Bygones Be Bygones

    145 Don¡¯t Overdo It, I Can Let Bygones Be Bygones


    It turned out that gangsters saw that Madam He was a new face in the marketce. When the former saw their tofu business was very good, they wanted to wreck it.


    Unfortunately for them, they encountered the vige chief.


    The vige chief had seen Madam He before. He knew that she was from Lengshui Vige. After chasing away the gangsters, he asked her about Zhao Chuchu.


    In the end, he discovered that Zhao Chuchu had asked her to make these tofu to sell. When the gangsters heard this, they scampered back to apologize and beg for Madam He¡¯s forgiveness. They pleaded with her not to tell Zhao Chuchu.


    !!


    ¡°Chuchu, your name is even more useful than the government. Those thugs and hooligans fear your name. They also said that they would not do such things in the future. If anyone else causes us trouble, they asked me to find them, and they would help me settle the issue,¡± said Madam He with a smile.


    Zhao Chuchumented, ¡°At least they know what they should do. Otherwise, they would be forfeiting their legs. Sister-inw, do you think you can carry on this tofu business?¡±


    Madam He smiled radiantly and eximed, ¡°Of course, we can. Even if they just bought the tofu as a novelty and we won¡¯t reach this level of business again, we can make do if we can sell half of this amount. Thank you, Chuchu.¡±


    ¡°I can only help you out this much. The rest will depend on your own efforts.¡±


    Zhao Men chipped in, ¡°Father, Mother, Sister Chuchu managed to negotiate a huge deal today. Visitor¡¯s Aroma, a major tavern in town, asked us to deliver tofu to them every day in the future. They want ten trays of white tofu and 50 catties each of tofu puffs and soft tofu. We charged them three cents more than we did in the vige.¡±


    ¡°Is¡­ is this true?¡±


    Zhao Guitang and Madam He were so shocked by this news that their mouths were wide open.


    ¡°It is. I was listening beside her. Sister Chuchu is really incredible. She even discussed many conditions with the manager,¡± said Zhao Men. She looked at Zhao Chuchu with a worshipful look and said, ¡°Sister Chuchu, weren¡¯t you afraid of the manager?¡±


    ¡°Huh? What was there to be afraid of? He is not some man-eating monster with three heads and six arms. Men, you must remember. There must be a suitable amount of give and take when doing business. However, you must draw the line somewhere. You cannot let the other party seize the initiativepletely,¡± instructed Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Men nodded. She agreed with what Zhao Chuchu said. She replied, ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Guitang will not be able to deliver the tofu. I suggest that you let Uncle Niu do it. Manager Lin will pay him 30 cents daily,¡± said Zhao Chuchu as she recalled this matter.


    Niu Tongsheng was definitely on her side now. She would naturally give him and his family benefits.


    ¡°We will do as you say,¡± the three of them replied. They had no objections.


    ¡°Hmm. I¡¯ll leave you to your work. I will head over to the chief¡¯s house to inform them of this matter. From now on, you will make tofu on your own. I still have more than 2000 catties of soybeans at my ce. Take as much as you need. I will put you on credit first. You can pay me back when the moneyes in.¡±


    Madam He¡¯s eyes turned red. She could not help but choke up as she said, ¡°Chuchu, I really do not know how to thank you.¡±


    ¡°Just focus on making tofu well. Don¡¯t forget that a portion of the profit is owed to me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we will definitely do our best.¡±


    They had missed spring nting. Initially, they were in despair. Now, they had this tofu business. Their days seemed more hopeful.


    ¡°Then I will take my leave.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu went to the chief¡¯s house and informed them of the tofu business arrangement. Niu An agreed without a second thought.


    She exined, ¡°How you deliver the tofu is up to your arrangement. A journey to and fro will take at least half a day. However, 30 cents will add up to almost one Tael of silver a month. I feel that the price is reasonable.¡±


    Niu An replied, ¡°This is much better than short-term work. It is at least consistent. My brother will do it if I do not have the time.¡±


    They did not split up their money. It was all handed over to the family. It did not matter who did the job.


    Madam Kong was naturally also keen on this arrangement.


    ¡°Chuchu, you are always looking out for us. To think that we treated you like that before¡­¡±


    ¡°Grandma, you don¡¯t need to say such things. I do not hold grudges. As long as you did not go overboard, I can let bygones be bygones. Of course, don¡¯t expect me to forgive behavior like that of the Zhao n and Niu Ziming.¡±


    Madam Kong felt embarrassed as she said, ¡°You are a good child.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to feel anxious. We will see how Men¡¯s family¡¯s tofu business goes. If it works out, I will teach your family to make something else.¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, you aren¡¯t joking, are you?¡±


    ¡°I am not. If you are well off, the vige will prosper as well.¡±


    ¡°You are right.¡±


    Madam Kong nodded her head in agreement.


    In truth, they admired that Zhao Chuchu taught Zhao Guitang¡¯s family how to make tofu.


    Now that Zhao Chuchu said she would teach them to make other things, Madam Kong was eager for that day to arrive.


    ¡­


    The next day, the Hu n sent someone over.


    Zhao Chuchu was also at Zhao Guitang¡¯s house at that time. However, she excused herself and stayed inside the kitchen, not interfering in their affairs.


    As Zhao Chuchu predicted, the people from the Hu n were reasonable.


    They apologized on behalf of Hu Yiming to Zhao Guitang and his wife for tainting the good name of Zhao Men. On top of that, they offered topensate for Zhao Men¡¯s loss. However, they did not force her to marry Hu Yiming because of this matter.


    Mr. Hu said to Zhao Guitang earnestly, ¡°Yiming ended up in his current state because of our carelessness. I am aware that the Zhao n is not willing to let Meijuan marry him. Nobody wants their daughter to marry someone like Yiming. This is understandable.¡±


    He continued, ¡°Even though Yiming is 15 years old now, his mind is that of a child. If you are not interested in marrying Men off to Yiming, no one can force you to do so. We are at fault for not educating Yiming well. Feel free to make any demands.¡±


    Zhao Guitang had never experienced dealing with polite, schrly people.


    He could only look at Madam He. He hoped that she would say something.


    When Madam He saw Mr. Hu being so sincere and that he hade in person to apologize solemnly, she could not bring herself to criticize them.


    After all, it would be unkind to turn away someone who hade to apologize.


    ¡°As you have mentioned, Yiming thinks like a child. We will let this slide,¡± Madam He replied. She had been observing Hu Yi Ming¡¯s parents silently.


    The Hu n was a wealthy family, yet Mr. and Mrs. Hu showed no signs of disrespect when dealing with them. Instead, they were amiable.


    Madam He was even considering marrying off her daughter to Hu Yiming. If Zhao Men married Hu Yiming, she would most likely be treated fairly, right?


    ¡°Yiming has been asking for his Sister Men. If you agree to marry Men off to our family, I guarantee that we will treat her like one of our own,¡± Mrs. Hu said while looking at Zhao Men. With a gentle voice, she added, ¡°Parents are always a little selfish. We try within our means to please our child.¡±


    In other words, the Hu n was here intending to secure this marriage engagement.


    ...


    If the Zhao n were reluctant to proceed with the marriage engagement, they wouldpensate Zhao Men. However, it would be perfect for them if the Zhao n agreed to proceed with it.


    ¡°I¡¯m still young. We can still wait for another two years,¡± Zhao Men said while blushing.


    Even though Hu Yiming was childlike, he would always save some delicious snacks for her.


    Moreover, Sister Chuchu mentioned that Hu Yiming was a nice guy.


    Madam He could see Zhao Men wavering.


    However, she would not readily agree to Mrs. Hu¡¯s suggestion. Otherwise, it would seem like she was eager to marry her daughter off to Hu Yiming.

 Chapter 146 - 146 Extortion

    146 Extortion


    Mrs. Hu was no idiot.


    She quickly noticed that Zhao Men wasn¡¯tpletely indifferent toward Hu Yiming.


    Realizing it, she immediately changed the topic.


    There were things that couldn¡¯t be rushed after all.


    !!


    If her son liked Zhao Men, then she, as his mother, would do her best to help her son.


    Although Zhao Men grew up in the vige, her personality and attitude were much better than Zhao Meijuan¡¯s.


    Besides, she didn¡¯t like the fact that Madam Zhu had no table manners. She was very disgusted by that.


    The reason Mrs. Hu came to Lengshui Vige was to call off the engagement between Hu Yiming and Zhao Meijuan.


    No mother would be happy to let her son be like a bargaining chip that was tossed around by others.


    Mrs. Hu took the chance to change the topic. Seeing how Zhao Guitang and the rest refused to ept thepensation, she decided to leave Zhao Guitang¡¯s home with her husband. They headed to Zhao You¡¯s home to meet with Madam Zhu so that they could call off the engagement.


    Zhao Men entered the kitchen with her face turning red.


    ¡°Chuchu, you heard everything from the conversation just now, right?¡± she whispered to Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°Yes. I heard everything. Why? Is there something you need?¡± Zhao Chuchu could already tell what Zhao Men wanted to ask her, but as a listener, she just had to listen.


    After a moment of hesitation, Zhao Men struggled to say, ¡°I-I think Hu Yiming¡¯s parents are pretty nice people¡­ What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Their son, who had the mind of a child, has be such a decent person. That says a lot about their personality, right? Also, you can tell that they are sensible people from the way and the things they talk about. Other people would¡¯ve just forced you to marry Hu Yiming on the spot.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu did not deny the fact that Mr. and Mrs. Hu were trying to set up Zhao Guitang and his family.


    However, they did that out of good intentions. In the end, Hu Yiming was hurt in the head, but it wasn¡¯t something that couldn¡¯t be cured.


    And it wasn¡¯t a bad idea for Zhao Men to marry Hu Yiming, either.


    The reason was simple. Hu Yiming was not the type of person who would go crazy after his brain was injured. Instead, he was just like a little boy and the type who was obedient at that.


    ¡°Men, you shouldn¡¯t ask other people whether you should marry Hu Yiming or not. The only person you should ask is yourself. Deep down in your heart, do you think you can ept such a husband? As an outsider, I can tell you that Hu Yiming is a good person. However, it¡¯s clear that your life might not be an easy one if you marry him because he¡¯s pretty much clueless about everything.¡±


    Zhao Men remained silent for a while after that.


    If Hu Yiming was like the way he was because of a gic disease, then Zhao Chuchu would¡¯ve stopped Zhao Men from marrying the childlike man. That was because she had no ability to cure such a disease.


    On the contrary, she had confidence that she could cure Hu Yiming. That was the main reason why she suggested that Zhao Men consider marrying Hu Yiming.


    It would¡¯ve been sinful for her to suggest that Zhao Men marry a person with mental illnesses. She wouldn¡¯t do that, especially when Zhao Men had not done anything wrong.


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know, either. I can¡¯t decide¡­ Yiming has treated me well all the time. Whenever hees to Lengshui Vige, he would sneak good food for me. He never goes crazy in front of me and has never bullied anyone either.¡±


    ¡°Then, do you like him?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    Zhao Chuchu grinned and patted Zhao Men¡¯s head.


    ¡°Everything will be fine. Things will work themselves out in the end.¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, can you cure him?¡±


    ¡°Will you marry him if he¡¯s cured?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ I don¡¯t think that I¡¯ll be a good wife for him if he¡¯s cured. I¡¯m not good enough for him. Still, I really hope that he can return to normal. I heard that before his brain was fried, he was a smart person. It¡¯s a waste for a person with such a bright future to live the rest of his life like this¡­¡±


    Zhao Chuchu had no idea if Zhao Men was kind or just innocent.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure you can start thinking about what your decision is going to be. It¡¯s clear that Hu Yiming likes you. They wille here again.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Trust me.¡± Zhao Chuchu winked.


    Although she did not meet with Hu Yiming¡¯s parents, she could tell what their intention was from their conversation.


    As for Zhao Meijuan, Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t make anyment. It had been two months since she was transmigrated to the Wei Dynasty and she had yet to meet Zhao Meijuan.


    There was only one exnation as to why Zhao Meijuan had been avoiding people and how Old Madam Ma had been so arrogant. It was as if she was sure that the young master of the He n would definitely marry Zhao Meijuan. Zhao Chuchu could guess that Zhao Meijuan was already pregnant.


    That was the only reasonable exnation for their confidence.


    After hearing what Zhao Chuchu had said, Zhao Men was able to make her decision.


    What Zhao Chuchu did not expect was that Old Madam Ma was extremely greedy.


    They were the ones who were forcing Zhao Men to marry Hu Yiming. But when the Hu n went to call off the engagement between Hu Yiming and Zhao Meijuan so that their son could marry Zhao Men, the olddy kept saying that Hu Yiming had tricked the Zhao n. For now, they wanted the parents to pay 100 silvers aspensation to Zhao Meijuan, or else they would not call off the engagement.


    Despite being far away, Zhao Chuchu could still hear the yells of Old Madam Ma clearly. ¡°Huh? Why do I have to ept it? Do you think you can call off the engagement whenever you want? Have you ever thought about how much that would embarrass my granddaughter? You guys want to force her to kill herself, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Hu Yiming¡¯s parents were dumbfounded. They had never, in their entire lives, met such an unreasonable person.


    Mrs. Hu was so furious that her body was shaking. ¡°What do you mean by that? You guys were the ones who tricked my son first! How dare you ask forpensation from us?¡±


    ¡°Well, if you don¡¯t pay up, then we are not calling off the wedding. Your son is the one who wronged our Meijuan first!¡± Old Madam Ma put her hands on her waist and yelled. ¡°If you want to make a scene, then let¡¯s make it big. Let¡¯s see who¡¯llugh to the end. People will see how arrogant a schr family like yours is!¡±


    ¡°Y-you! How can you be so unreasonable?¡±


    ¡°You guys were the ones who forced us to do this. 100 silvers! Nothing more, nothing less. Our Meijuan is now sick because of what your son has done. Isn¡¯t itmon sense for you topensate us?¡±


    Mrs. Hu looked at Madam Zhu unbelievably. ¡°Even you agree to this?¡±


    The two of them grew up together and were really close friends.


    However, after Mrs. Hu married Mr. Hu through an arranged marriage, their rtionship thinned out.


    Thinking of how close they were in the past, Mrs. Hu agreed to the arranged marriage of their children when the kids were still babies.


    She never thought that her old friend would stab her in the back like that.


    ...


    ¡°We aren¡¯t lying about what Yiming did. A lot of people saw it! There¡¯s no way Meijuan could ept that. She always considered you as her aunt. You can¡¯t just watch her kill herself, can you?¡± Madam Zhu said as if her reason was viable.


    Mrs. Hu looked at Madam Zhu only to realize that her childhood friend was gone.


    She was extremely disappointed.


    The mother of Hu Yiming thought that if the marriage didn¡¯t take ce, they would still be friends.


    But from the current circumstances, she had no choice but to ruin that friendship.


    Although 100 silvers were not a lot of money for them, Mrs. Hu could not ept the fact that they were demanding money for her son¡¯s freedom.


    ¡°I¡¯m not giving any money. If that¡¯s what you guys want, then we are not calling the wedding off anymore,¡± Mrs. Hu replied determinedly.


    ¡°What did you just say? Did you just say that you are not giving us money?¡± Old Madam Ma red at the mother. She red so hard that it looked as if her eyes were poking out of the sockets. It just showed how much greedy she was. ¡°I¡¯m warning you. Either you give us 100 silvers now or else¡­ You guys were the ones who wronged our Meijuan first!¡±


    Mr. Hu finally could not hold his anger back any longer. ¡°Is that so? There¡¯s no point in talking with them anymore. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The man grabbed his wife¡¯s hand and walked toward the exit.


    Old Madam Ma reacted almost immediately. Before the married couple could even leave, she shut the door tight and stopped them from leaving.


    ...


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. We¡¯re getting this settled today!¡± Old Madam Ma wasn¡¯t even worried. As she wouldn¡¯t be able to get the betrothal present if the wedding was called off, that was the best time for her to extort the Hu n and fill her pocket now.


    Mr. Hu¡¯s expression got even darker. He tried to charge his way out.


    Zhao Guiqing and his two younger brothers immediately tried to stop the leaving couple.


    In the midst of their struggles, Mr. Hu was pushed back by Zhao Guiqing. He fell and hit his head hard against the edge of the well in the garden. His head was injured and blood started to gush out as he fell unconscious.

 Chapter 147 - 147 He Can’t Die in Our House

    147 He Can¡¯t Die in Our House


    Zhao Guiqing¡¯s expression immediately changed. He jumped back and quickly put his hands behind his back. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything. He fell on his own!¡±


    Madam Zhou nearly fainted when she saw her husband lying unconscious on the floor. She didn¡¯t even know how she ran up to her husband, but her body was covered in Mr. Hu¡¯s blood. Her hands were cold as the color was drained from her face.


    She knelt down as her hands started to shake. ¡°B-Bingyu?¡±


    Hu Bingyu did not show any reaction. Blood continued to spill from the wound on his head.


    !!


    ¡°Ugh! How unlucky. Carry him out. Don¡¯t let him die inside our house!¡± Old Madam Ma got anxious too. ¡°Hey, hurry up!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you guys dare to touch him!¡± Madam Zhou roared. ¡°You guys killed him. You guys will pay for this!¡±


    ¡°Bullshit! He¡¯s the one who fell on his own and hit his head against the well. Do you think you can frame us just because your family is rich? Don¡¯t even think about it!¡± Old Madam Ma shouted back. ¡°What are you guys doing? Take him out. We can¡¯t have him die here!¡±


    Zhao Guiqing mustered the guts and approached Hu Bingyu.


    The wife stood in front of her husband with her arms out as her eyes turned red from anger. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare touch him!¡±


    However, Madam Zhou was still a woman in the end. There was no way she was strong enough to stop Zhao Guiqing who had been farming his whole life.


    Madam Zhu also noticed how bad the situation had be and she signaled her sister-inw. Both of them grabbed Madam Zhou on each side and dragged her out of the house.


    ¡°Let go of me. You are all murderers. You¡¯ll pay for this!¡± Madam Zhou hadpletely lost her coolposure.


    The wife thought that her husband had passed away from the fall and was trying her best to fight them.


    Madam Zhu pped her old friend in the face. ¡°Wake the hell up. Look at yourself. How can you frame my husband when your husband is the one who fell on his own?¡±


    ¡°Argh!¡± That only made Madam Zhou even crazier. She managed to pull her arms back and lunged forward to grab her husband.


    However, Old Madam Ma reacted quickly despite her old age. She ran to the door and opened it before stopping Madam Zhou from moving forward. She then had her sons drag Hu Bingyu out and threw the unconscious man outside the entrance.


    They then dragged Madam Zhou out, and once the sons were all back inside, she immediately shut the door close.


    No matter how loud Madam Zhou was yelling outside, they pretended that they didn¡¯t hear it.


    ¡°What the hell was that?¡± Old Madam Ma sounded discontented. ¡°How can you be so careless? Don¡¯t you know schrs have weaker bodies? What should we do if they report this?¡±


    ¡°How would I even know that? We have no choice but to push everything to them. They have no evidence to prove that I was the one who pushed him anyway. But if he really dies, can we still get the money?¡±


    Even after the deadly ident, Zhao Guiqing still thought that him identally killing someone was a small matter. The thing he was more worried about was the money that he might not get.


    ¡°Well, we were just unlucky, I guess.¡± Old Madam Ma thought about it. ¡°At least we still have Meijuan, right? As long as Meijuan marries the young master of the He n, then the Hu n is nothing inparison. There¡¯s nothing for us to be worried about.¡±


    Madam Zhu frowned a little. ¡°Mom, that won¡¯t do. What if the Hu n really reports this? Won¡¯t that affect our n for Meijuan to marry the young master of the He n?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do about that. Didn¡¯t that young master say that even if they couldn¡¯t get married this year, they could always do it next year? He doesn¡¯t mind waiting. As long as Meijuan is all that he can think about, there¡¯s no way he will call this off. Don¡¯t you see how much he adores her? Look at all the gifts he gave us.¡±


    Despite the olddy¡¯s assurance, Madam Zhu still felt worried.


    Yet, there was nothing she could do about it as she had no power to make decisions in the family. No matter what she said, no one would take her seriously.


    On the other hand, just outside the entrance of the Zhao n¡¯s house, Madam Zhou looked at her unconscious husband. She was inplete despair.


    Because they didn¡¯t want to pressure Zhao Guitang and the family too much, she and her husband decided to meet the family alone. That was why they left their coachman by the entrance of the vige.


    Fortunately, Madam Kong was nearby and heard themotion. She came to check what was going on.


    She did not expect to see a man covered in blood lying in the arms of a woman. She was so shocked that her face turnedpletely pale.


    ¡°What happened? Did your husband fall?¡±


    ¡°Please, help us! Can you help take my husband to the vige doctor? Please, I beg you. I can pay as much money as you want!¡± Madam Zhou finally regained some senses after she heard Madam Kong¡¯s questions. She quickly begged the passerby for help.


    Madam Kong nodded and promptly ran to look for Zhao Chuchu. Thetter happened toe in their direction as well.


    Zhao Chuchu had heard the painful yell of Madam Zhou in Zhao Guitang¡¯s home and knew that things had gone south.


    ¡°Chuchu! Just in time. Hurry. Someone¡¯s dying!¡± Madam Kong noticed Zhao Chuchu and quickly pulled the youngdy toward Zhao You¡¯s house.


    Once they got there, Zhao Chuchu saw the man who waspletely unconscious outside the house.


    Her expression darkened as she could not believe that the family could do such a thing. It was as if thew was nothing to them, to the point where they would attempt murder in bright daylight.


    Zhao Chuchu turned to Zhao Men and shouted, ¡°Men! Hurry up and go to my ce. Get Dng to bring my medkit over! Hurry!¡±


    ¡°O-okay!¡±


    Zhao Men, who followed Zhao Chuchu, quickly turned and ran toward Xie Heng¡¯s house.


    Zhao Chuchu then quickly approached Madam Zhou.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the doctor?¡± Madam Zhou asked Madam Kong desperately.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Chuchu here is our vige doctor,¡± Madam Kong quickly answered. ¡°She¡¯s the one who got rid of the Yuanjiang County¡¯s gue.


    The moment Madam Zhou heard it, she quickly grabbed Zhao Chuchu¡¯s hand. She was so worried that she didn¡¯t even see the hairpin on the youngdy¡¯s hair which showed that she was married. ¡°Ms. Chuchu, please, I beg you, please save my husband.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, ma¡¯am. We have to move him first. Your husband is still alive, but if you keep grabbing onto me like this, I won¡¯t be able to do anything to save him.¡± Zhao Chuchu nced at Madam Zhou.


    The woman immediately let go of the youngdy.


    At that time, other vigers had already gathered around after hearing themotion as well.


    Zhao Chuchu did a quick check on Hu Bingyu¡¯s wound. Although the wound looked scary, it wasn¡¯t deadly.


    ¡°Excuse me, can you help us carry him into Men¡¯s house?¡± Zhao Chuchu turned to ask the vigers.


    ¡°Huh? Of course.¡±


    The vigers swiftly helped carry Hu Bingyu to Zhao Guitang¡¯s house.


    When Zhao Guitang and his wife saw a group of people carrying a bloody Hu Bingyu back, their expressions changed immediately. ¡°W-what happened to him?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about thister. Which room can I use?¡±


    ¡°Over here.¡± Madam He quickly led Zhao Chuchu to her room since she couldn¡¯t let another man sleep on her daughter¡¯s bed.


    ...


    Madam Zhou was about to follow Zhao Chuchu into the room as well.


    Zhao Chuchu quickly stopped her. ¡°It¡¯s better if you stay outside. You¡¯ll only distract me by staying here.¡±


    Madam Zhou was extremely worried, but she also knew that the youngdy was right. Distracting her would only make things worse for her husband.


    Not long after that, Xie Heng arrived with the medkit.


    Zhao Men chased after him and was already out of breath.


    ¡°He is Chuchu¡¯s husband,¡± Madam He introduced Xie Heng to Madam Zhou. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Chuchu is an excellent doctor. Your husband will be fine.¡±


    Madam Zhou finally lost her cool and cried in Madam He¡¯s arms. ¡°I¡¯m so scared¡­¡±


    Madam He gently patted the crying woman. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. We¡¯ll have to believe in Chuchu.¡±


    Madam Zhou didn¡¯t let her emotion take the better of her for too long. She was able to quickly force herself to calm down. ¡°Can someone help me get my coachman who is waiting at the vige entrance? I have something that I need him to do.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t going to let the family who did that go.


    ¡°Alright. Just wait here. I¡¯ll have someone go get him.¡±


    ...


    Madam He had no idea what really went down at Zhao You¡¯s house.


    However, she could understand the worry and anxiety that Madam Zhou was feeling. She had experienced the same thing when Zhao Guitang¡¯s legs were broken by others.

 Chapter 148 - 148 Not Stopping until Someone Dies

    148 Not Stopping until Someone Dies


    The coachman rushed to Zhao Guitang¡¯s house.


    Madam Zhou ordered the coachman to immediately return to the Hu n and inform Old Mrs. Hu of what had happened.


    As she was still unsure of whether Hu Bingyu would survive or not, she didn¡¯t want to leave his side.


    However, at that moment, she was not able to bear with the family that caused such an incident to him any longer.


    They dared to endanger her husband and she wasn¡¯t going to let anyone of them off the hook.


    At the same time, Zhao Chuchu was cleaning Hu Bingyu¡¯s wound inside the room.


    Xie Heng was shining a shlight on the wound for her as the room was too dark for her to work efficiently.


    ¡°Is he going to be alright?¡± Xie Heng asked in a low voice.


    ¡°The wound does look horrible, but it¡¯s not going to cost him his life. Still, he¡¯ll start to feel nauseous and puke after he wakes up. He should be fine after resting for a few days,¡± Zhao Chuchu replied. ¡°Who would¡¯ve expected that Old Madam Ma would actually kill for the money?¡±


    ¡°I guess even God can¡¯t stop them from dooming themselves any longer.¡±


    ¡°I guess so.¡± Zhao Chuchu sighed.


    She didn¡¯t care what would happen to Old Madam Ma, but it would be unfortunate for Zhao Men and Hu Yiming as she rooted for the both of them to be together.


    After what had happened, it seemed to her that the two of them weren¡¯t fated for each other.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Xie Heng nced at Zhao Chuchu. ¡°Are you pitying them?¡±


    ¡°Why would I pity them? They brought this upon themselves.¡± Zhao Chuchu sighed again but did not stop taking care of the unconscious man¡¯s wound. She then told Xie Heng about what she was worried about.


    Xie Heng couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°I thought you were worrying about something important. That¡¯s it?¡±


    ¡°But Men really has feelings for Hu Yiming¡­¡±


    ¡°Zhao Guitang has already said that whatever Old Madam Ma does has nothing to do with them. If they really called everything off because of this, then there¡¯s nothing we can do.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but I still feel bad for Men.¡±


    ¡°Who knew you were the type to try and set a couple up.¡±


    ¡°I just don¡¯t want to see her cry.¡±


    Xie Heng smiled and remained silent after that.


    Zhao Chuchu was able to clean Hu Bingyu¡¯s wound quickly. After applying the medicine and bandaging his head, she walked out of the room.


    Madam Zhou immediately approached the young doctor. ¡°Mrs. Xie, how¡¯s my husband? I-is he okay?¡±


    ¡°He will wake up in a few days. Don¡¯t worry. There¡¯s no life-threatening danger,¡± Zhao Chuchu said,forting the woman.


    ¡°Thank you! Thank you so much! I thought¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s easy to pass out from head injuries, but that doesn¡¯t mean he will lose his life from that. Although he¡¯s not in any danger, there are still side effects. He might feel nauseous once he wakes up and would want to puke.¡±


    ¡°T-then, what should we do?¡±


    ¡°Just let him rest in bed for a few days. He should refrain from making too much movement, or else it¡¯ll be painful for him.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you guys stay here for the time being?¡± Madam He suggested. ¡°Even though our house isn¡¯t the best, Chuchu did say that he should refrain from moving. You¡¯ll have to endure for the next few days for him to recover.¡±


    ¡°But won¡¯t that we be a nuisance to you and your family?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. We can just sleep in our daughter¡¯s room and she can sleepover at her friend¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ Thank you.¡±


    Madam Zhou was willing to do anything as long as her husband could survive the ordeal and get better.


    Her life at a younger age was way worse than the condition of Zhao Guitang¡¯s family.


    Then, Zhao Chuchu handed a prescription to Madam Zhou.


    Madam Zhou asked one of the vigers to help her get all the herbs written on it while she stayed back to take care of Hu Bingyu.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the man to wake up.


    Just as Zhao Chuchu had mentioned, he felt nauseous and wanted to puke.


    Despite being told beforehand, Madam Zhou was still worried and had Zhao Chuchu take a look at her husband again.


    Only after Zhao Chuchu assured her once again that her husband would be fine, she was finally able to calm down.


    Even though there were a few guests staying over, it didn¡¯t affect Zhao Men with her tofu making.


    As the weather hadn¡¯t turned hot yet, the raw soy milk could be stored a little longer.


    Zhao Chuchu had nned to help for a couple more days and let them handle the rest on their own.


    When Old Madam Ma learned that Zhao Chuchu managed to save Hu Bingyu and that he was currently staying at Zhao Guitang¡¯s home, she charged into the house and forced Madam Zhou to give an exnation about calling off the engagement.


    ¡°See! I told you. He fell on purpose. It¡¯s all an borate scam that they and my eldest son thought up. Zhao Guitang, you better not forget that Meijuan is your niece! How can you set your own niece up?¡± the olddy yelled. ¡°I¡¯m warning you. You better give us an exnation. You want to call off the engagement? Fine. But you betterpensate us, or we¡¯re not doing it!¡±


    ¡°You know what you¡¯ve done,¡± Madam Zhou replied in a deep tone. ¡°Do you think you can have everything by shouting? I¡¯ve also warned all of you that the Hu n is not a family you can mess with. Enjoy while you can because I¡¯m going to have you guys pay us back for trying to kill my husband.¡±


    ¡°Hah! Do you even know where you are now? How dare you speak to me like that?¡± Old Madam Ma said as she pointed at Madam Zhou. ¡°What can you even do? Get the hell out of here, now!¡±


    ¡°Mother, that¡¯s enough!¡± Zhao Guitang suddenly roared. ¡°Do you really want someone to die before you stop?¡±


    Zhao Guitang had always been the obedient son of Old Madam Ma. His sudden outburst startled the olddy.


    However, Old Madam Ma quickly regained her wits and raised her voice. ¡°You ungrateful bastard! Is this how you talk to your mother? I¡¯m going to kill you.¡±


    ¡°Fine. Kill me.¡± Zhao Guitang was not backing off. Instead, he red at his mother so hard that his eyes were about to pop. ¡°I¡¯d rather die than listen to all yourints every day!¡±


    ¡°W-what did you say?¡±


    ...


    ¡°We are not part of the Zhao n anymore. You aren¡¯t allowed to barge into my home without asking me first. I don¡¯t mind giving you money every month, but if you insist on making a scene here, then you are never getting my money again. I¡¯d rather divorce my wife and give her all my money instead!¡±


    Zhao Guitang gathered all his guts to yell back at his mother.


    He realized that doing that wasn¡¯t as hard as he thought it would be.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what you did to me in the past, but from now onwards, I won¡¯t be silent if you keep acting up like this,¡± Zhao Guitang added.


    ¡°Zhao Guitang, how dare you speak to me like that? Oh my God! What kind of a son have you given me? Please, God, kill him with your thunder. Look at him, trying to chase his mother out after all I¡¯ve done to raise him!¡±


    ¡°Brother, you¡¯ve gone too far with that. You¡¯re still mom¡¯s son after all. Aren¡¯t you afraid of God¡¯s punishment for saying that?¡±


    ¡°If God really thinks that I¡¯m wrong, then he can take my life whenever he wants! Unfortunately for you, God is on my side and he¡¯s not doing anything.¡±


    Zhao Guiqing red at Zhao Guitang, unable to believe that the man in front of him was his older brother.


    Zhao Men heard the conversation from inside the kitchen. She was infuriated and wanted to head out to help her parents.


    However, Zhao Chuchu stopped her and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t head out first. You won¡¯t want to interrupt your father now. He¡¯s finally able to gather his guts to fight back. If you head out now, they would think that your father is scared.¡±


    ¡°But, they¡¯re going too far¡­¡±


    ...

 Chapter 149 - 149 Charged at Them with a Knife

    149 Charged at Them with a Knife


    Zhao Chuchu sighed as she had no idea what to say.


    Just like the original Zhao Chuchu, Zhao Men was ady who was bullied a lot.


    The only fortunate thing Zhao Men had over the original Zhao Chuchu was that the former had loving parents while thetter didn¡¯t.


    ¡°Chuchu, to be honest, our family¡¯s finance had always been the same. It¡¯s not that we don¡¯t want to fight back, it¡¯s just that we didn¡¯t have the courage to do so. If we fought back, we would have nowhere to go. But everything is different now. Even without them, we can still lead a good life.¡±


    ¡°Being able to have such a mindset is an amazing thing. That¡¯s why you should let your dad express all his anger and frustration this time, or else, they would keep treating your dad as if he is a weak man. They won¡¯t be able to keep their arrogance up anyway. They¡¯re dead meat for doing that to the master of the Hu n.¡±


    ¡°A-are we in trouble too?¡±


    ¡°No. They aren¡¯t the type to me the innocent. You don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡±


    After saying that, Zhao Chuchu turned her attention to the outside. Old Madam Ma had started to yell once again.


    ¡°You heartless bastard! Just kill me instead. What¡¯s the point of living? God, why is my son rebelling against me?¡± Old Madam Ma sat on the floor. ¡°Look at him. He¡¯s tricked by his wife and he¡¯s abandoning his own mother. I¡¯d rather die than suffer such humiliation!¡±


    She just kept on shouting before turning her attention to Madam He, yelling all sorts of curses at her daughter-inw. Even after a few minutes, she had yet to repeat a single curse that she had said before.


    Zhao Chuchu was actually amazed by that feat.


    Old Madam Ma had pretty much belittled Madam He¡¯s entire family when she was done.


    In the end, Madam He could not hold her anger in any longer too. ¡°Stop yelling! If you want to do, then feel free to do so. I don¡¯t mind dragging you down with me. All these years, all you¡¯ve done were either curse at me or hit me. You kept bullying our Men too. You even tried to sell her. Do you think I¡¯m still afraid of you now that we aren¡¯t part of the Zhao n anymore? I¡¯ll kill all of you before killing myself once I have Guitang divorce me. Men can live without us now, so there¡¯s nothing to lose anymore! Come!¡±


    Everyone could hear the desperation in Madam He¡¯s voice.


    That was Madam He¡¯s first time fighting back and it astonished Old Madam Ma a lot.


    In the end, the olddy was the type who always bullied the weak while cowering to the strong.


    ¡°Just like you said, my life is worthless. It wouldn¡¯t be that bad to drag all of you down to hell with me then. Let me warn you. Both of us are willing to do anything for our Men. Try me if you don¡¯t believe me!¡± Madam He continued to roar.


    ¡°Y-you bitch! Guitang, are you going to let your wife curse your mother like this? Do something.¡± Old Madam Ma got even angrier after being challenged by her daughter-inw.


    Yet, the olddy did not expect a cold response from her son. ¡°You guys are the ones who forced her. If the worstes to the worst, we can just find Men a husband and we¡¯ll drag all of you to hell with us. Our lives aren¡¯t worth anything anyway!¡±


    Zhao Guitang¡¯s eyes had already turnedpletely red from anger. It was as if he would actually try and kill them.


    Madam Zhu hid behind Old Madam Ma and added fuel to the fire. ¡°Mom, look at them! Guitang, what is that attitude of yours? She¡¯s your mother. How can you betray your family like this? Mom, you better show them their ce, or they¡¯ll get even worse once you grow older.¡±


    The woman¡¯s words were able to make the olddy even angrier. Thetter charged forward and tried to p Madam He. ¡°Bitch, since your mother failed to teach you your manners, I¡¯ll help her instead. You should always respect your elders. Do you think this is the He n?¡±


    A loud p echoed throughout the room.


    And another quickly followed after that.


    Old Madam Ma held her face as she waspletely dumbfounded.


    Even Zhao Chuchu was slightly surprised by the oue.


    Madam He was trembling. She was the one who had just pped the olddy.


    Before Old Madam Ma could even react, Madam He charged into the kitchen and came back outside with a knife. ¡°Come. I¡¯ll kill all of you!¡± she roared.


    ¡°Ahh, help!¡±


    Both Old Madam Ma and Madam Zhu screamed as their hearts skipped a beat. They quickly turned and ran.


    Although it looked as if Madam He was aimlessly waving the knife around, if one were to look closely, she was just trying to scare the uninvited guests.


    Old Madam Ma did not expect that her daughter-inw would actually resort to killing once she was pushed past the breaking point.


    The olddy was a very timid person. Naturally, she was afraid of getting killed as well.


    Madam Zhu was the same.


    The two of them immediately dashed out of the house.


    ¡°Wait here. The both of you are dead!¡± the olddy even shouted as she left.


    The moment the uninvited guests were gone, Madam He lost the strength in her legs and fell onto the floor.


    She had just done something that she had never thought she would ever do.


    She had just threatened her mother-inw with a knife.


    It was something understandable as she was forced into a corner by them. She had already lost her reasoning and all she could think of was to chase them out.


    Now, she couldn¡¯t even look at her husband in his eyes.


    Zhao Men ran out of the kitchen and helped her mother up. ¡°Mom, are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­¡± Madam He sounded exhausted. ¡°Guitang, the divorce¡­ I¡¯m okay with it¡­¡±


    After saying that, she felt as if her soul had already left her.


    ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? Why would I even divorce you?¡± Zhao Guitang approached his wife with the help of his walking cane. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for putting you in such a position. Don¡¯t worry. I will never divorce you. They can do whatever they want. It wouldn¡¯t matter to us.¡±


    The man had decided that they would just have to endure it until his legs were healed. They would still be able to live on even if they stopped selling tofus.


    ¡°But I¡­¡±


    ¡°Shh¡­ You don¡¯t have to say anything. We should all be together supporting each other at a time like this.¡±


    Tears filled the wife¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Mom¡­ Dad¡­¡± Zhao Men sniffed.


    All three of them hugged and cried.


    Zhao Chuchu was left in the kitchen and in an awkward situation. She had no idea what she should do.


    On the other hand, Madam Zhou came out of the room.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. They won¡¯t be able to do anything to your family.¡±


    ...


    ¡°Mrs. Hu, I¡¯m sorry for showing such a sight¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to exin anything. I¡¯ve heard everything. If they really try to report you to the officials, I¡¯ll back you up. I¡¯ll just tell them that they tried to kill my husband and you were just trying to stop them.¡±


    Madam Zhou was still furious. She still had yet to settle the score with Old Madam Ma.


    ¡°Y-you¡¯ll help us?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Don¡¯t worry. The Hu n will be here soon. Once they arrive, the Zhao n won¡¯t be able to do anything to us. They¡¯ll be in such deep trouble that they don¡¯t even have the time to mess with you.¡±


    Madam Zhou assured them that the Hu n wouldn¡¯t me Zhao Guitang and his family for the incidents.


    Zhao Guitang let out a sigh of relief after hearing that.


    However, he felt bad as he knew what would happen to his mother soon.


    Yet, he wasn¡¯t able to plead for her mother and brothers. She was the one who was in the wrong. Even as her son, he still knew what was right or wrong.


    Unfortunately, Old Madam Ma returned faster than they thought she would.


    This time, she came with the head of the Zhao n.


    ...


    ¡°Look, she tried to kill me with a knife. Zhao Guitang even chased me out of his home. We can¡¯t let others know about this. If they found out, no one would want to marry the sons and daughters of the Zhao n in the future!¡±

 Chapter 150 - 150 What Can a Small Zhao Clan Do

    150 What Can a Small Zhao n Do


    The n head¡¯s expression darkened as he questioned Zhao Guitang. ¡°Is that so? As a son, how can youck respect for your mother? Even the dogs are better than you. Men, drag Zhao Guitang and his family back to the main house. We can¡¯t let this slide, or else¡­¡±


    ¡°Or else what? How dare you use him before you even tried to understand the entire situation?¡± Zhao Chuchu came out from the kitchen and interrupted after hearing what the n head had just said. ¡°How did you even be the n head? Let me give you a piece of advice. If you¡¯re too old to see things clearly, then it¡¯s time to back down and let other people take your spot.


    ¡°You¡¯re like those people who stayed inside of a toilet doing nothing while others are holding their poops in. You guys just keep breaking thew. Looks like we¡¯ll need to find a Fengshui Master to check the Fengshui of the essorial grave. The Zhao n would be doomed if the next two n heads are like you.¡±


    Her words were able to taunt the n head and made him furious.


    !!


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare forget that you¡¯ve already severed your rtionship with us. This is our family matter. You have no right to butt in.¡± The n head gritted his teeth. ¡°Get the hell out now, or else I¡¯m going to make your life a tragedy.¡±


    Zhao Chuchuughed. ¡°Let me ask you this. Do you know why Old Madam Ma came here before this? Do you know what she has done? You don¡¯t know a single thing. You didn¡¯t even listen to other people¡¯s exnations and just made a decision that Zhao Guitang and his family are in the wrong. Where¡¯s the justice in this? Seriously, if you¡¯re already too old to do this, just quit. Or else, the entire Zhao n of the Lengshui Vige will end in your hands.¡±


    ¡°Shut your trap!¡±


    ¡°Why? You better not regret this once the entire Zhao n gets dragged down with you.¡±


    The other elders of the Zhao n got angry after hearing that.


    ¡°Although you have the same family name as us, you have nothing to do with our family anymore. You¡¯re no more than an outsider. It¡¯s better to keep your mouth shut.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s right. You are the one who wanted to get out of the family. If that¡¯s what you want, then stop butting into our business.¡±


    ¡°No matter how good you are, you are not part of the Zhao n anymore. Or could it be that you want toe back? Just tell us nicely. You don¡¯t have to use such little tricks. See, now you know how good our family is, right?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu nearly failed to hold herugh in.


    Zhao Men tried to exin, but Zhao Chuchu stopped her.


    Thedy scanned through the crowd and looked at the disdained expressions on the faces of the Zhao n. She had no idea why, but she found it funny.


    ¡°Mr. Hu almost got killed by Old Madam Ma and her family. He was fortunate enough to run into me, and I managed to save him from his deathbed. They were worried that Mr. Hu might actually die, so they came here and forced Zhao Guitang to chase Mr. and Mrs. Hu out of the vige. The problem is that Mr. Hu is still in a life-threatening situation. If they move him, he dies.


    ¡°What makes you think that the Zhao n can offend the Hu n? Are you guys really not worried that if the Hu n decides to take their revenge, the entire Zhao n will have to die? You didn¡¯t even try to understand the whole situation and went straight to using your authority as the n head, trying to beat Zhao Guitang and his family up.


    ¡°Are thews set up by the emperor a joke to you? Did you guys forget that all of you almost got burned alive by the officers? Looks like you guys have forgotten about the pain now that the wound is healed, huh? Do you think a small family like you can go against the emperor? Are you dumb?¡±


    After that, the entire ce was so silent that even a drop of water could be heard.


    The people from the Zhao n were so embarrassed that their faces turned red. Not a single one of them thought that that was the case.


    ¡°They came here to try and murder someone. What wrong did Zhao Guitang and his family do when all they¡¯ve done was try to protect someone else? Look at you guys. You didn¡¯t help the good guy but sided with the bad guys instead. Do you really want to be an essory to murder so badly? Let¡¯s see if you can keep up this arrogant attitude of yours when the officers get here.¡±


    ¡°W-what are you talking about? Don¡¯t you dare frame us!¡± Old Madam Ma got anxious. ¡°Who said we tried to kill him? He fell and hit his head against the well himself. We didn¡¯t do anything. Zhao Chuchu, don¡¯t you dare think you can say anything you want just because you have some medical knowledge!¡±


    ¡°Did I frame you? Ask yourself that. Mr. Hu is still alive. Let¡¯s see how you trick the officers now.¡± Zhao Chuchu chuckled. ¡°Take your time. Mr. Hu¡¯s coachman has already returned to the Hu n and I¡¯m pretty sure they and the officials will be here soon. We¡¯ll see what really happened then. The officials will definitely give us a fair judgment. I also heard that there¡¯s a famous detective with them too. No crime can be hidden from him. This is the end for you.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t! They just want to call off the engagement, right? There¡¯s no need to alert the county office of this. Let¡¯s do that. You guys just have to give us 100 silvers aspensation. It¡¯s just that easy.¡± Old Madam Ma was finally afraid, but she still didn¡¯t want to let the silvers go.


    ¡°You have no say in this anymore.¡± Madam Zhou scoffed, ¡°100 silvers? Over my dead body!¡±


    ¡°That idiot of yours was the one who wronged our Meijuan first!¡± Fear was written all over Old Madam Ma¡¯s face. ¡°It¡¯s normal that you have topensate us for that!¡±


    Although Old Madam Ma knew better than to act all arrogant in front of Zhao Chuchu, her attitude was still hard to look at.


    ¡°No! When the people from the Hu n arrive, they¡¯ll teach you that there are some things that you should never have done.¡± Madam Zhou refused tomunicate with the olddy any longer.


    ¡°Fine. We¡¯ll take a step back. Let¡¯s call off the engagement now and call it a tie!¡± Old Madam Ma gritted her teeth.


    ¡°In your dream,¡± Madam Zhou replied coldly. ¡°You guys will have to pay back for what you did to my husband. You! You are the n head, right? Let me give you some advice. Next time, make sure you understand the whole situation before you make a decision, or else you¡¯ll just bring trouble to your own doorstep.¡±


    Having both Zhao Chuchu and an outsider say the same thing was a huge humiliation to the n head.


    However, his family was in the wrong. Since he couldn¡¯t yell at Zhao Chuchu or Madam Zhou, he shifted his anger to Old Madam Ma instead.


    ¡°Zhao You, exin this to me right away. How dare you lie in front of my face? You almost made me do the wrong thing because I trusted you. Tell me the truth, or I¡¯m going to kick you and your family out of the Zhao n!¡± the n head yelled at Zhao You.


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know what is going on¡­ Isn¡¯t this just a small matter? There¡¯s no need to escte things. It¡¯s going to affect the marriage too. Why don¡¯t we just let Meijuan marry Hu Yiming?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t wee people like you into our family,¡± Madam Zhou replied. ¡°We are calling this engagement off for sure, but we¡¯ll be the one taking the lead here. With how bad your family quality is, the Hu n will never wee you.¡±


    ¡°Do you really think people would want to marry your idiot?¡± Old Madam Ma mocked. ¡°So, what if your family is better? You still have an idiot as a son.¡±


    ¡°Shut the hell up!¡± The n head would¡¯ve ripped the olddy¡¯s tongue out if he could.


    That could shut Old Madam Ma up.


    She was still thinking that Madam Zhou was just trying to force Meijuan to marry Hu Yiming so that they could torture her in the future.


    The olddy would never let Madam Zhou get what she wanted.


    Shortly after the n head arrived, the people from the Hu n arrived as well.


    Zhao Chuchu quickly grabbed a stool and sat under the roof. She had the expression of someone who was about to enjoy a good movie.

 Chapter 151 - 151 Break Their Legs

    151 Break Their Legs


    The head of the people was an olddy with gray hair, sharp eyes, and a domineering aura that she got from her family.


    A group of yard guards followed her.


    ¡°Mom!¡± When Madam Zhou saw the olddy, her eyes immediately turned red, and she called out to her.


    Mrs. Hu quickly walked over and held Madam Zhou¡¯s hand. ¡°Where is Bingyu? How is he?¡±


    !!


    Madam Zhou sobbed and said, ¡°He is fine. I have to thank Mrs. Xie for helping me. I almost thought my husband would¡­¡±


    ¡°Where is he? Let me see.¡± Mrs. Hu was very calm and did not look at the others. Then, after a pause, she said to the people she brought, ¡°Guard the door, and don¡¯t let anyone out for the time being.¡±


    With that, Mrs. Hu went into the room.


    Zhao Chuchu looked at Old Madam Ma, who was already shaking, took out the sunflower seeds, and started eating.


    The yard was very quiet, which made the sound of eating sunflower seeds particrly loud.


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t care and even asked Zhao Men if she wanted some.


    Zhao Men was not interested in eating sunflower seeds.


    Mrs. Hu didn¡¯t look kind, and Zhao Men was worried that Mrs. Hu wanted to pick a quarrel with them.


    Old Madam Ma summoned up her courage and turned to leave.


    As a result, a yard guard of the Hu family stopped her. ¡°Sorry, you can¡¯t leave here for the time being.¡±


    ¡°This is my eldest son¡¯s house. I can go wherever I want. Why did you stop me?¡± Old Madam Ma stared at the guard.


    The yard guard smiled coldly and said, ¡°I would advise you to be obedient. My men have always been fierce. If you are not afraid of death, then do whatever you want.¡±


    Old Madam Ma was stunned when she heard his words.


    Madam Zhu had a bad feeling, and her face turned pale.


    Mrs. Hu soon came out with Madam Zhou.


    Mrs. Hu stood at the door of the main room. She did not seem angry but looked really domineering, as usual.


    Mrs. Hu looked at Old Madam Ma and said, ¡°Sis, I want you to exin this.¡±


    Old Madam Ma was frightened when she saw Mrs. Hu¡¯s posture.


    She didn¡¯t expect the Hu family toe so soon.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about. This matter has nothing to do with us. The reason your son bumped into the well edge was your daughter-inw¡¯s fault. We were framed!¡± Old Madam Ma dared not look at Mrs. Hu, but she was still full of lies.


    ¡°Sis, although we haven¡¯t seen each other much before, your daughter-inw¡¯s heart is evil, and she might have some other vicious methods. Therefore, I suggest you discipline your daughter-inw properly. If she makes any jokes, you will lose face.¡±


    Madam Zhou¡¯s face was livid.


    But her mother-inw was here, and she didn¡¯t try to exin anything.


    Zhao Chuchu felt that if Zhao Men could marry into the Hu family, it would be awesome.


    At present, Mrs. Hu is much better than Old Madam Ma.


    ¡°So are you saying that my daughter-inw wants to kill my son?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right! Maybe you scolded her, and she harbored a grudge and took revenge on your son. I have to tell you that such a restless bitch should not be tolerated!¡±


    ¡°You are right. Bitches should not be tolerated.¡±


    Mrs. Hu seemed to be calm.


    ¡°Yard guards!¡±


    Old Madam Ma was relieved and looked at Madam Zhou with some glee.


    However, Madam Zhu was pale and trembling.


    She had a good rtionship with Madam Zhou. Naturally, she knew that Mrs. Hu never scolded Madam Zhou. Even though Hu Yiming became a fool, Mrs. Hu never forced Madam Zhou to have another child.


    Madam Zhu wanted to warn Old Madam Ma, but she heard Mrs. Hu say, ¡°Hold down the two women of the Zhao family and beat them hard until they tell me the whole thing!¡±


    Old Madam Ma was shocked.


    She immediately realized that Mrs. Hu wanted to deal with them, so she pushed Madam Zhu forward, turned around, and tried to run.


    But she was no match for those yard guards.


    She was dragged back without even having taken a few steps.


    At the same time, Zhao Guiqing and his brothers were also brought together.


    The people brought by Mrs. Hu were divided into two groups. One group followed her, and the other went to Zhao You¡¯s house.


    Zhao Guiqing and his brothers were pushed to the ground and cried out in pain.


    ¡°What are you doing? Are you ignoring thew?¡± Zhao Guiqing, the beloved son of Old Madam Ma, cried out sharply.


    Mrs. Hu sneered and said, ¡°You almost killed my son. Were you ignoring thew? Beat them! Break their legs!¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The yard guards came forward to hold them down and broke their legs in front of the people in Lengshui Vige.


    Their shrill screams rang through the sky.


    The head of the Zhao n saw this, and his face was trembling. He might have fallen to the ground if he had not been on crutches.


    Finally, Niu Tongsheng stopped Mrs. Hu and said, ¡°Mrs. Hu, we can work this out in some other way, right? It would be serious if we killed them. You are the victim, and you can let the local authorities handle this.¡±


    The implication was that they should not make people die in Lengshui Vige. He did not care about other things.


    Mrs. Hu gave the vige head a cold look.


    ...


    Then she raised her hand to stop the yard guards.


    Old Madam Ma was lying on the ground, disheveled, crying non-stop.


    Mrs. Hu said that she wanted to break their legs, which was much more ruthless than Zhao Chuchu.


    Mrs. Hu said with a cold face, ¡°I only have one son and one grandson, and I will never allow anyone to humiliate them or harm them! Don¡¯t think this is over. My son nearly lost his life here, and I want you all to taste this as well. Come on, tie them up, and take them to the county officeter.¡±


    When Old Madam Ma heard this, she cried bitterly and begged for mercy. ¡°I know I was wrong. Please let me go. I promise I will never do this again.¡±


    Madam Zhu also begged Madam Zhou. ¡°I really didn¡¯t mean to do that. Since we have a good rtionship, can you please let this matter go? After all, your husband is still alive. We will die if we get arrested.¡±


    However, Madam Zhou was expressionless.


    She could not sympathize with Madam Zhu.


    If Zhao Chuchu were not there, she would have be a widow.


    Had Madam Zhu ever considered their rtionship?


    Seeing that there was no way to beg for mercy, Old Madam Ma looked at Zhao Chuchu, who was still eating sunflower seeds, and begged her. ¡°Chuchu, your surname was once Zhao. You used to call me Grandma. Please help me beg for mercy and ask them to let us go.¡±


    ...


    Zhao Chuchu no longer wanted her sunflower seeds after she heard what Old Madam Ma had just said.


    She was about to speak, but Xie Heng¡¯s voice came from the door. ¡°Chuchu has already broken up with the Zhao family. She now belongs to the Xie family. Why should she do that for you?¡±


    Everyone looked at Xie Heng, who had just walked in.


    Xie Heng went up to Zhao Chuchu and looked at the sunflower seed shells on the ground in front of her with a smile.


    Xie Heng said to Zhao Chuchu, ¡°Miss Kang hase to see you with her mother. So let¡¯s go back.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was puzzled. Why did theye to Lengshui Vige to look for her? She thought they would return to Guangqing Province when the situation got better.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu got up and dusted the sunflower seed shells off her clothes.


    ¡°Men, take care of thister.¡±


    After that, Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng left together.


    Seeing that Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng were going to leave, the yard guards turned their heads to look at Mrs. Hu.


    Mrs. Hu nodded, which meant that they could leave this ce now.


    Old Madam Ma shouted out loud, ¡°Chuchu, don¡¯t go! You are their savior. They will listen to what you say!¡±

 Chapter 152 - 152 How Clever And Cruel

    152 How Clever And Cruel


    Zhao Chuchu stopped and looked back.


    Old Madam Ma was overjoyed and thought Zhao Chuchu was trying to help her.


    Old Madam Ma hurriedly said, ¡°Chuchu, please, I promise you that I will definitely treat you as my biological granddaughter from now on. Please help me.¡±


    Mrs. Hu did not say anything. Instead, she just looked at Zhao Chuchu.


    The gaze of Mrs. Hu was really cold, making anyone present tremble.


    But Zhao Chuchu was unmoved. She just looked at Old Madam Ma and sneered, ¡°I was your savior, but have you listened to my words? You even sent people to rob me. Well, well, well. When you said those words, didn¡¯t you feel ashamed?¡±


    Old Madam Ma said, ¡°Chuchu, I realize I was wrong. Please help us.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu replied calmly, ¡°I remember I said more than once that people of the Zhao family should not be so arrogant in front of me, and in that case, I won¡¯t do anything to you. But if you anger me, then don¡¯t me me for being rude. Well, do you want to live in hell?¡±


    Old Madam Ma was out of breath at that moment.


    Zhao Chuchu looked at Mrs. Hu and said, ¡°They are the ones who are evil. Zhao Guitang has nothing to do with this. Every debt has its debtor. You are a person who knows right from wrong. If it were not for their family, your son would have been killed.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, girl. Although I am old, I am not confused. I will not me innocent people.¡±


    ¡°I think so.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu smiled at Mrs. Hu and walked out of Zhao Guitang¡¯s home with Xie Heng.


    However, the two of them met Zhao Meijuan, who brought a group of people.


    Zhao Chuchu saw at a nce that Zhao Meijuan was pregnant.


    No wonder Zhao Men was forced to marry Hu Yiming. Zhao Chuchu was right about it.


    Zhao Meijuan was apanied by a 17-or-18-year-old man with a thin, ungrateful face.


    When the young man raised his head and looked at Zhao Chuchu, he suddenly froze.


    Xie Heng¡¯s eyes were slightly cold. He just stared at the young man in front of them.


    Young Master He looked back at Xie Heng in displeasure.


    Zhao Meijuan was surprised. She said to Xie Heng, ¡°Xie Heng, have your eyes really been cured?¡±


    She had lived in the town since dating Young Master He, and they rarely returned to the vige.


    If her brother hadn¡¯t hurried to the town today to tell her that there was an ident at home, she wouldn¡¯t have returned.


    Xie Heng chose to ignore Zhao Meijuan.


    ¡°Xie Heng, I¡¯m talking to you. Are you deaf?¡± Zhao Meijuan said angrily.


    Since Zhao Meijuan was pregnant, Young Master He had to obey her. How dare Xie Heng, who was just a poor schr, ignore her?


    Xie Heng said calmly, ¡°I have good ears, but I don¡¯t want to listen to you talking nonsense. If youeter, I¡¯m afraid you will have to collect their bodies.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Zhao Meijuan¡¯s face was livid with anger, but she clearly heard Old Madam Ma¡¯s pleas for mercy.


    Zhao Meijuan had no time to talk to Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng again. She went to Zhao Guitang¡¯s house with Young Master He.


    When passing Zhao Chuchu, Young Master He kept staring at Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu flicked her finger quietly, and a bead of water quietly attached to the crotch of Young Master He.


    ¡°Da Lang, you go back first. I want to see the excitement.¡± Zhao Chuchu did not want to go back so soon. It would not make any difference if they went back early orte.


    Xie Heng remembered how Young Master He had been staring at Zhao Chuchu earlier.


    ¡°I will apany you.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu nced sideways at Xie Heng.


    She knew that Xie Heng did not like this kind of scene.


    However, Zhao Chuchu had no time to think about that. Instead of going into Zhao Guitang¡¯s house, Zhao Chuchu went to a ce where no one could see her.


    ¡°Who dares to touch my family!¡± shouted Zhao Meijuan as soon as she entered the door.


    ¡°Meijuan, you¡¯re finally back. Please help us. They broke our legs.¡± When Old Madam Ma saw Zhao Meijuan, she thought that Zhao Meijuan might be helpful.


    Zhao Meijuan was furious and pointed at Mrs. Hu. ¡°Did you ask them to beat my family? Get down on your knees and kowtow to admit your mistake. Only then will I consider letting you go! Otherwise, I¡¯ll make you regreting here.¡±


    Mrs. Hu looked at Zhao Meijuan steadily.


    Zhao Meijuan was Hu Yiming¡¯s fianc¨¦e. Therefore, Mrs. Hu had met her before.


    Now, Zhao Meijuan seemed to fear nothing with Young Master by her side, which made Mrs. Hu very unhappy.


    Mrs. Hu had sharp eyes and knew that the young man beside Zhao Meijuan had a fairly powerful background.


    Zhao Meijuan felt kind of frightful when being stared at by Mrs. Hu.


    She then pointed at the three members of the Zhao Guitang family and said, ¡°Uncle, you are really good. You are no different from an animal when you see your mother and brother being beaten without stopping those guys!¡±


    After a pause, Zhao Meijuan turned to act coquettish with Young Master He. ¡°Young Master He, you can see how arrogant these people are here. They even look down on you.¡±


    Young Master He was thinking of Zhao Chuchu, and he didn¡¯t care who else was in the yard.


    He then said, ¡°We have brought people here. If they aren¡¯t obedient, beat them hard until they are. I will take responsibility if something happens.¡±


    Zhao Meijuan was overjoyed. She looked at Mrs. Hu and said, ¡°Old bigoted woman, you hear that? If you don¡¯t want to die, kneel and apologize. Give us 1,000 taels of silver, and withdraw the engagement.¡±


    Old Madam Ma also knew what to do now. She red at Mrs. Hu fiercely and said, ¡°Old bastard, I¡¯ll also break your legster.¡±


    Mrs. Hu sneered with disdain. ¡°So, are you their backer?¡±


    Hearing this, Young Master He looked over. The next moment, he felt as if he had been struck by lightning. He looked really shocked and then said, in a trembling voice, ¡°Mrs. Hu, why are you here?¡±


    ...


    Zhao Meijuan and her family thought they had heard something wrong.


    Young Master He carefully apologized, ¡°I didn¡¯t know that it was you. It was my fault. I was thinking of something else and have offended you. I¡¯ll apologize to you now. Please don¡¯t me me.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want your men to beat us until we are obedient?¡±


    ¡°Please stop joking, Mrs. Hu. How dare we? I don¡¯t know what happened, but I am right here if you need me.¡±


    Zhao Meijuan felt like she had fallen into an ice cer. She was terrified.


    Young Master He did not know the origin of the obedient Hu family.


    Young Master He was also furious about the fact that Zhao Meijuan didn¡¯t say that her fianc¨¦ was Hu Yiming.


    There was also a fool whose surname was Hu in Yongfu Town. Young Master He subconsciously thought that that was Zhao Meijuan¡¯s fianc¨¦. He didn¡¯t ask Zhao Meijuan much about it after Zhao Meijuan had slept with him.


    Now he knew that Zhao Meijuan¡¯s fianc¨¦ was Hu Yiming!


    When Young Master He was thinking about that, he began sweating. He hoped that the people of the Hu family would not me him.


    Mrs. Hu said, ¡°These people nearly killed my son, Hu Yiming. Since Young Master He wants to help me now, I want you to order your men to break their hands.¡±


    ...


    Zhao Chuchu secretly eximed. How clever and cruel it was!

 Chapter 153 - 153 I Don’t Know Whose Baby It Is

    153 I Don¡¯t Know Whose Baby It Is


    To avoid offending the Hu family, Young Master He heard Mrs. Hu¡¯s words and did not hesitate to let his men beat them.


    ¡°Beat them, beat them hard. Break their hands!¡±


    Old Madam Ma almost cked out.


    The one she thought to be her backer turned out to be fearful of the Hu family.


    !!


    Madam Zhu quickly said, ¡°Mrs. Hu, we were confused. We were afraid of retribution, so we said something improper. Meijuan is about to be your daughter-inw. Please rethink it. Please forgive us once. We know that we were wrong!¡±


    Mrs. Hu sneered.


    Old Madam Ma started crying and said, ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. You should me me for myx discipline. I didn¡¯t know that my granddaughter deliberately seduced Yiming. I thought that Yiming had betrayed Meijuan. That¡¯s why I lost my mind and did that. Please punish Men. It has nothing to do with us.¡±


    Hearing this, Zhao Men got really angry.


    ¡°You forced me to do that. Why are you distorting the truth? Grandma, I have always respected you. Why do you have to do this to me?¡±


    Even Madam He got angry. She pointed at Old Madam Ma and shouted, ¡°You full-of-crap old bitch! You will be punished sooner orter. How can you harm your granddaughter like that? How shameful!¡±


    Zhao Meijuan bit her lip and felt cold all over.


    She did not expect that the Hu family was much stronger than the He family.


    Then why did she seduce Young Master He?


    Zhao Meijuan only felt that she had lost the watermelon for sesame seeds. She was also carrying the baby of Young Master He. She dreamed every day that she would marry into the He family and be the young mistress of the house of the He family.


    But now she realized that the Hu family was more powerful than the He family.


    Young Master He¡¯s men had already pressed Old Madam Ma and the others down. They were about to break their hands.


    Zhao Meijuan suddenly came up with an idea. She knelt and wanted to im that the baby was Hu Yiming¡¯s.


    Zhao Chuchu, who was watching, immediately knew what Zhao Meijuan wanted to do.


    She thought the scene could be a little more chaotic.


    What was the most powerful part of the supernatural power? She could control things with the same attribute.


    And water makes up 70 percent of the human body.


    Zhao Chuchu gently clenched her fist. Then, before Zhao Meijuan could speak, she immediately grabbed her stomach as she had a sudden sharp pain and screamed, ¡°My stomach hurts so much. Help me!¡±


    Everyone was frightened by this sudden scene.


    Young Master He¡¯s men didn¡¯t even dare to make a move. Instead, they subconsciously looked at Young Master He as if they were asking if they still had to beat them. After all, Zhao Meijuan was pregnant with their young master¡¯s baby. They could not afford it if they caused Zhao Meijuan to miscarry.


    Zhao Meijuan felt something stirring in her body, making her roll over in pain.


    Old Madam Ma was so worried that she shouted, ¡°Young Master He, go get a doctor quickly! That¡¯s your baby.¡±


    After she said that, people in the yard widened their eyes incredulously.


    Zhao Meijuan was pregnant with Young Master He¡¯s child?


    Young Master He¡¯s face turned pale. He really wanted to tear Old Madam Ma apart on the spot.


    What this old bitch just said could kill him!


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense. We are just friends. Don¡¯t try to stain my good reputation,¡± denied Young Master He immediately.


    If Zhao Meijuan was not Hu Yiming¡¯s fianc¨¦e, he thought he could keep her as a concubine.


    But now that Young Master He knew the truth, he only hoped he could go back to the past and p himself on the head to stop himself from having sex with Zhao Meijuan at that time.


    He could hook up with any other girl, and he really regretted having sex with Hu Yiming¡¯s fianc¨¦e.


    Old Madam Ma also realized that she had said something wrong. Her heart was beating really fast. She secretly looked at Mrs. Hu and caught Mrs. Hu¡¯s half-smiling face.


    Old Madam Ma felt really terrible.


    She thought she was doomed this time.


    But she still tried to make the situation better. Finally, she said, ¡°I was wrong. This baby is¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up. Although my son is like a kid, he will never do such a shameful thing. So don¡¯t me my son for your bad family upbringing!¡± Madam Zhou sternly interrupted Ma, and she looked really serious.


    Mrs. Hu smiled, turned her head gently, and said to Madam Zhou, ¡°Go and ask Mrs. Xie toe over and see if she is pregnant. We can¡¯t wrong the good people of Bingyu¡¯s family. You know how important the reputation of a girl is.¡±


    Madam Zhou said, ¡°Oh, right. I am sorry for that.¡±


    Then Mrs. Hu looked at Niu Tongsheng and said, ¡°I would like to ask you, the vige head, to help me with this.¡±


    Niu Tongsheng blushed. He felt extremely embarrassed now.


    The girl was pregnant before marriage. How immoral!


    He didn¡¯t expect that there was such an inside story behind the fact that Old Madam Ma forced Zhao Men to marry Hu Yiming.


    Niu Tongsheng left in a hurry.


    Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng left Zhao Guitang¡¯s house as quickly as possible.


    She wanted Niu Tongsheng to meet them halfway.


    Niu Tongsheng said, ¡°Chuchu, there was something bad going on in the Zhao family again. Go and have a look. Zhao Meijuan seems to be pregnant.¡±


    ¡°Pregnant? Really?¡± Zhao Chuchu pretended to be surprised.


    ¡°It seems to be true. Well, you¡¯d better go there and have a look. I don¡¯t know what to say.¡± Niu Tongsheng blushed when he talked about it.


    Although a lot of guys were a handful in the vige, no one was quite as a handful as Old Madam Ma.


    Xie Heng said, ¡°You should go there. I¡¯ll go home first.¡± He didn¡¯t mean to follow her.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Zhao Chuchu returned to Zhao Guitang¡¯s house with Niu Tongsheng.


    ...


    Zhao Meijuan was still rolling on the ground.


    Seeing that Zhao Chuchu had arrived, Old Madam Ma subconsciously wanted to stop her.


    However, her broken legs did not let her. She cried when she moved.


    Although Zhao Meijuan was tortured by the pain, she was still conscious.


    She instinctively refused Zhao Chuchu¡¯s touch.


    But how could she resist Zhao Chuchu at this moment?


    Zhao Chuchu held her down, and she couldn¡¯t move.


    After checking Zhao Meijuan¡¯s pulse, Zhao Chuchu sighed. ¡°She is three months pregnant, but her condition is not very good now. Is it true that you have still been having rough sex since you¡¯ve been pregnant? Well, don¡¯t you know that you can¡¯t have sex while pregnant? It¡¯s easy to miscarry.¡±


    ¡°What? Three months?¡± Madam Zhou immediately clenched her teeth.


    Thest time Hu Yiming came to Lengshui Vige wasst November.


    It was April, which meant that Zhao Meijuan was pregnant in January!


    ...


    How dare she try to say that this baby was Hu Yiming¡¯s?


    Madam Zhou was furious.


    Mrs. Hu sneered and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that my grandson is so powerful that he could make Miss Zhao pregnant without having sex with her. However, it seems that I have to conduct an investigation in Yuanjiang County. Anyone who is pregnant at this time may be carrying my grandchild.¡±


    Mrs. Hu¡¯s words made Old Madam Ma speechless. She did not know how to exin all this now.


    Mrs. Hu looked at Young Master He and said, ¡°Young Master He, the people of the Zhao family say that this is your baby. Is that so?¡±


    Young Master He was distraught at that time and dared not speak.


    ¡°Be brave. If it¡¯s yours, just say it¡¯s yours. If it¡¯s not yours, tell us it¡¯s not. Why is it so hard to answer this question?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know whose baby it is.¡±


    Young Master He¡¯s words made Zhao Meijuan shocked and angry.

 Chapter 154 - 154 Cancel the Engagement

    154 Cancel the Engagement


    Zhao Meijuan forgot the pain for a moment.


    She thought she had heard wrong.


    The man who was gentle and soft and had sex with her in the morning said he did not know whose baby it was!


    Mrs. Hu said coldly, ¡°Can you be clearer? You should never stain a girl¡¯s reputation like that. As a man, you cannot be that irresponsible.¡±


    Young Master He continued, ¡°Mrs. Hu, you don¡¯t know about it. This woman is a whore, and I was schemed by her initially. She ran into my room while I was drunk and went to my bed naked. I was drunk, so I did something wrong.¡±


    ¡°And I did not see any blood then, which meant that I was not the first one who had had sex with her. Besides, I don¡¯t often go to see her. Who knows how many men she is seeing? So I don¡¯t know who the baby belongs to.¡±


    What Young Master He said made Madam Zhu scream. ¡°It¡¯s obviously you who have defiled my daughter, and you even nder my daughter now!¡±


    ¡°Well, I knew what you were thinking. I am rich, and you want to get money from me. I am telling you, my son is two years old. Do you think I need a little vige girl to give me another baby?¡± Young Master He stopped ying the fool.


    Zhao Meijuan almost fainted.


    Young Master He smiled and said, ¡°Mrs. Hu, you also know my wife¡¯s family is powerful. How can I possibly cheat on my wife? It¡¯s all my fault that I drink too much. I me the alcohol.¡±


    The wealth Old Madam Ma was about to get suddenly departed.


    Old Madam Ma was trembling all over.


    So the Hu family was the really rich one?


    And Young Master He was just a guy living off his wife?


    ¡°Mrs. Hu, we were also cheated. Meijuan was a good girl and was framed by a bastard. You should help us. Meijuan is Yiming¡¯s fiancee and your granddaughter-inw-to-be. As long as you can help Meijuan, she can marry Yiming anytime.¡±


    Mrs. Hu said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t daydream anymore. Even if Yiming can¡¯t get married for the rest of his life, we won¡¯t want such a girl. Take out the engagement letter, and tear it up. We don¡¯t need anypensation from the Zhao family.¡±


    ¡°Of course, it doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t give it to us. It would be really easy for the Hu family to get rid of an engagement.¡±


    Madam Zhu kowtowed and said, ¡°Mrs. Hu, we had been confused. This engagement was originally decided by my sis Zhou and me. How can we call it off so rashly?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about this with you guys anymore. If you don¡¯t want to cancel the engagement, our Hu family will have to exercise the husband¡¯s right to soak her in a pig cage. You still have time to think about it! And think hard!¡±


    ¡°Soaked in a pig cage¡­¡±


    ¡°Being pregnant before marriage is immoral. She has to be soaked in a pig cage. If we break the engagement, it has nothing to do with the Hu family. Even if she has ten babies with any other guy, it will be fine. We will never ept such a woman in the Hu family.¡±


    When Mrs. Hu said herst words, she was very domineering.


    Zhao Meijuan¡¯sst glimmer of hope to be a rich man¡¯s wife disappeared.


    If they did not cancel the engagement, she would die.


    And if they did cancel the engagement and even Young Master He really had a wife, she could still at least get married to Young Master He with the baby.


    Even being a concubine was better than being dead.


    Zhao Meijuan said to Madam Zhu, ¡°Mom, I don¡¯t want to die. Please break the engagement.¡±


    Madam Zhu could not hold back her tears.


    They had good ns, but finally, they got terrible results.


    Old Madam Ma had no choice but to ask the Zhao family leader to go to their house and take the engagement letter to Mrs. Hu.


    Mrs. Hu burned two engagement letters in front of these people.


    The marriage between Hu Yiming and Zhao Meijuan was invalid now.


    With tears all over her face, Zhao Meijuan looked at Young Master He.


    Young Master He was a little relieved when he saw that Mrs. Hu didn¡¯t want to investigate the matter anymore.


    However, he never expected that another group of people woulde.


    ¡°How dare you, He Tao? You used my money to hook up with women outside and actually caused such serious trouble!¡± A tall, muscr woman with a big face strode in and pinched Young Master He¡¯s ear.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± Young Master He screamed.


    ¡°You bastard! You lived off me, and how dare you take my money to hook up with some other woman? I am so going to kick your ass today!¡±


    After saying that, the fat woman kicked He Tao¡¯s crotch.


    ¡°Ouch!¡±


    The shrill cry sounded through Lengshui Vige.


    Even Zhao Chuchu, who had no testicles, seemed to feel pain.


    He Tao covered his balls and fainted in pain.


    The fat woman didn¡¯t even look at He Tao. She directly turned to Zhao Meijuan.


    ¡°Are you the prostitute my man keeps outside? I did not expect that you were a vige girl. You really have a charming face. Are all the Zhaos shameless like you? Would you guys die without a man?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu frowned and said, ¡°Hey, watch yournguage! I don¡¯t mind if you want to humiliate this woman. However, you should not humiliate all the girls surnamed Zhao. Not all girls surnamed Zhao are shameless and would seduce your man.¡±


    The fat woman red at Zhao Chuchu and said, ¡°Who the heck are you? How dare you interrupt me?¡±


    Mrs. Hu then said, ¡°Mrs. Xu, you are now in Lengshui Vige, not the Xu family. Mrs. Xie is right. Don¡¯t attack all the girls surnamed Zhao.¡±


    The fat woman then saw Mrs. Hu and immediately restrained herself. She said. ¡°I am really sorry, Mrs. Hu. I got too angry and was talking nonsense. Please forgive me this time.¡±


    The fat woman looked so fierce that Zhao Meijuan shivered.


    ¡°This girl is pregnant. You should be more cautious. Don¡¯t make the trouble more serious.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I will be more cautious. Since He Tao has found a sis for me, I can¡¯t keep his baby out of my house. Since she is already pregnant, juste to my house. I will take good care of her!¡±


    The fat woman said thest sentence with her teeth clenched.


    She threw ten taels of silver to Old Madam Ma.


    ...


    The fat woman warned Old Madam Ma, ¡°In the future, Mrs. Zhao will not be rted to you guys. I will break your legs first if you dare toe to my ce to cause trouble. Come on, take the young master and Mrs. Zhao home.¡±


    The fat woman said to Mrs. Hu, ¡°Mrs. Hu, I still got things to deal with back home, so I should get going.¡± Then she took Zhao Meijuan away by force.


    Madam Zhu was so sad that she shouted, ¡°We don¡¯t want this baby anymore. Please give my daughter back to me!¡±


    The fat woman didn¡¯t even look back.


    The ten taels of silver were just a humiliation.


    Seeing this, Mrs. Hu also asked people to tie up those people and take them to the county office.


    Mrs. Hu said to Madam Zhou, ¡°You are not getting away from the punishment. You guys almost killed my son. You, stay here and take care of Bingyu. I would take care of the other things. Mrs. Xie is here, and she can make Bingyu feel better.¡±


    ¡°Yes, mom.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    Mrs. Hu ignored Old Madam Ma, who was crying and took them away directly.


    The n head of the Zhao n blushed. However, he dared not say anything.


    ...

 Chapter 155 - 155 They Deserve It!

    155 They Deserve It!


    Zhao Meijuan was totally wrong to do such a thing. She should feel ashamed in front of Mrs. Hu and Madam Xu.


    The reputation of the Zhao n was ruined.


    As the head of the n, he felt really humiliated and walked away in despair.


    Niu Tongsheng did not know what to say at that moment.


    He sighed and turned away as well.


    He did not want to get involved in this kind of terrible thing.


    Zhao Guitang and Madam He looked at each other and saw helplessness in both their eyes.


    ¡°Will you intercede for them?¡± Madam He asked Zhao Guitang.


    Zhao Guitang was silent for a long time. Then, finally, he shook his head and said, ¡°I will pretend to beg for them, and that¡¯s all.¡±


    It would be fine if they pretended to be concerned. They did not have to do anything for Old Madam Ma and the other people. Zhao Guitang had never been treated very well by them.


    ¡°Men was almost driven to death by them. Why would I do anything to help them? Honey, I have thought about it. We should leave Lengshui Vige and go to a ce where no one knows us so that we can live in peace.¡±


    Zhao Guitang had even nned for the future.


    He knew that those people would keep bothering him if he stayed in Lengshui Vige.


    Madam He stopped frowning and said, ¡°I will follow you.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu looked at the two of them and asked, ¡°Where are you nning to go?¡±


    Zhao Guitang hurriedly said, ¡°It is such a big world, and there is always a ce for our family to live in. So, Chuchu, you can rest assured. We will tell you where we will be then. I won¡¯t forget our deal.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu also had shares in this tofu business.


    ¡°I know, but they should have little chance to do anything to harm you in the future.¡±


    Mrs. Hu clearly meant to settle the matter.


    Old Madam Ma and the others were so arrogant that they almost killed Hu Bingyu. They also made Zhao Meijuan cheat on Hu Yiming like that. Mrs. Hu was not the kind of person who could tolerate this kind of thing.


    They would know how Zhao You and others would be punishedter.


    In Lengshui Vige, there was such a scene that even the neighboring vige knew about it. Some women who liked gossip even came to inquire about the details.


    In the eyes of the ancients, these were all shameful things. Therefore, they should deal with such things within the vige, and they would never want this kind of thing to spread.


    When Zhao Chuchu returned to Xie Heng¡¯s house, he was teaching Xie Jun to read under the eaves.


    Kang Xiuwan and Madam Xia were not there. Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t know where Xie Heng had sent them.


    Hearing the footsteps, Xie Heng looked up.


    Xie Jun smiled and said, ¡°Sis, you are back. Have the problems of Sis Men¡¯s family been resolved?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all been resolved.¡± Zhao Chuchu walked over, squatted beside Xie Jun, and looked at the calligraphy that Xie Jun was writing.


    Xie Jun¡¯s handwriting was not perfect, but it looked a little like Xie Heng¡¯s.


    Of course, Xie Jun had to work much harder to catch up with Xie Heng.


    Zhao Chuchu took out three lollipops and gave two to Xie Heng. She said, ¡°You have been studying hard all morning. Here is the candy for you.¡±


    Xie Heng took it over, peeled off the wrapping paper, and handed it to Xie Jun.


    Xie Jun opened his mouth for a taste and seemed really happy.


    Zhao Chuchu apanied Xie Jun to finish the calligraphy, and Xie Heng then let Xie Jun go out to y.


    Zhao Chuchu took six lollipops with the wrapping paper peeled off and gave them to Xie Jun. She said, ¡°You can give them to your little friends. And remember toe back early for lunch.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Xie Jun ran away with the lollipops.


    Zhao Chuchu looked sideways at Xie Heng and asked, ¡°Did you ask Madam Xu toe?¡±


    She didn¡¯t believe that Madam Xu came by such a coincidence.


    Xie Heng nodded and said, ¡°Yes. She can help you solve the problem.¡±


    ¡°Did He Tao marry into and live with the Xu family?¡±


    ¡°Almost. He has been living off the Xu family. The Xu family made all the decisions for him.¡±


    ¡°Then Zhao Meijuan was kind of miserable.¡±


    ¡°Do you sympathize with her?¡±


    ¡°Why would I sympathize with her? Zhao Zhizhi and I are rted, but I don¡¯t sympathize with her. So why should I have such feelings toward Zhao Meijuan?¡±


    Zhao Meijuan deserved such a consequence.


    Although Hu Yiming was just a kid, he was better than others in terms of family circumstances and education.


    Since Zhao Meijuan disliked Hu Yiming, she could always propose to cancel the engagement. Why should she y such tricks? It only made peopleugh.


    She wanted the bride price from the Hu family and did not want to marry Hu Yiming. How despicable she was!


    ¡°What do you want for lunch?¡± Xie Heng changed the topic. He did not like to discuss the Zhao family at home.


    Zhao Chuchu smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯ll eat whatever you cook. I¡¯ll prepare the fire.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    The light in Xie Heng¡¯s eyes disappeared.


    Unfortunately, Zhao Chuchu, who got up and went to the kitchen, did not notice it.


    One was responsible for setting the fire, and the other was responsible for cooking.


    ...


    In the eyes of outsiders, they were a loving couple.


    Xie Heng did not like steamed buns. He was not picky about food. He always followed Zhao Chuchu¡¯s preferences and made Zhao Chuchu pickier.


    So Zhao Chuchu felt that the dishes from Visitor¡¯s Aroma were not so delicious.


    The next day.


    There were people in front of the county office early in the morning.


    Niu Tongsheng¡¯s eyelids twitched violently. He thought that the matter of the Zhao family had influenced the vige, and he went to meet the people outside with trepidation.


    Those who came were the county magistrate¡¯s assistant, apanied by the vige chief.


    Niu Tongsheng said to himself, ¡°I must be doomed this time.¡±


    After Niu Tongsheng greeted the two of them, the vige chief smiled and said to Niu Tongsheng, ¡°Chief Niu, the assistant of the county magistrate,es here to give Chuchu a reward from the imperial court.¡±


    ¡°A reward?¡±


    ¡°The imperial court clearly knows who should get rewards and punishments. Chuchu has made great contributions to dealing with the gue. The imperial court will never forget it.¡±


    ...


    Niu Tongsheng breathed a sigh of relief and put on a happy face. He immediately sent someone to inform Xie Heng and Zhao Chuchu and then respectfully invited the assistant of the county magistrate to the vige.


    Other vigers saluted with trepidation.


    The assistant of the county magistrate waved his hand as a sign for them not to salute.


    When Zhao Chuchu heard that the assistant of the county magistrate hade, she went out with Xie Heng to meet him.


    Although the assistant of the county magistrate was only the deputy of the assistant of the county magistrate, he was still an official.


    Xie Heng invited the assistant of the county magistrate to his home.


    The assistant of the county magistrate looked surprised. He asked Xie Heng, ¡°Heng, you can see now?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. I can see clearly now, but my wife said that I still need to apply the cream to my eyes at night. They have notpletely recovered.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. That¡¯s pretty good.¡±


    The assistant of the county magistrate looked relieved.


    He then tentatively asked, ¡°What are your nster?¡±


    ¡°I am preparing for the next exam.¡± Xie Heng did not hide his ns from the assistant of the county magistrate.


    ¡°Good! That¡¯s good.¡±


    The assistant of the county magistrate wasughing now.


    When the assistant of the county magistrate and the county magistrate knew that Xie Heng had suddenly be blind, they felt really sorry. They thought that such a prodigy would only be a schr.


    Unexpectedly, Xie Heng¡¯s eyes were cured during this gue.


    The assistant of the county magistrate looked at Zhao Chuchu beside Xie Heng and said, ¡°This must be your wife, right?¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, Yuanjiang County owes you a lot!¡±


    ¡°You are way too polite, sir. I just got lucky and happened to have the prescription. It shows that Yuanjiang County is really blessed.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s words made the assistant of the county magistrate happy.


    After all, if the higher-ups wanted to investigate this gue, they could im that the people here had done evil things and God did this to punish them.


    No one would like that.


    The assistant of the county magistrate exined to Zhao Chuchu, ¡°The rewards of the imperial court need to be reported at all levels, so we have note to you until now. The imperial court will never forget your contribution.¡±

 Chapter 156 - 156 Don’t Push Me

    156 Don¡¯t Push Me


    The court awarded Zhao Chuchu 200 taels of silver, five pieces of cloth, and 250 kilograms of rice.


    In addition, there was also a title of Doctor Miracle.


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    The title of Doctor Miracle was of no use. It would be good if she could change it into silver.


    !!


    The assistant of the county magistrate had sent the imperial court reward, and Xie Heng invited him to stay for lunch.


    Zhao Chuchu had to ask Old Mrs. Chen and her daughter-inw to help with cooking.


    She had to ask for their help because she was really not good at cooking.


    Under the guidance of Zhao Chuchu, Old Mrs. Chen and her daughter-inw made several dishes with tofu as the main ingredient.


    When the assistant of the county magistrate ate the tofu, his eyes lit up. Then, he said, ¡°Isn¡¯t this the popr tofu of Visitor¡¯s Aroma? Is it really from your vige?¡±


    ¡°Yes, how do you like it, sir?¡± Xie Heng asked.


    ¡°This vegetarian dish is more appetizing than fish and meat. It¡¯s good. It¡¯s really good!¡± he replied.


    Zhao Chuchu understood what the assistant of the county magistrate meant, and when he was about to leave, she gave the prepared tofu to him to share with the others in the county office. All of them would get one share.


    However, they would get a different amount.


    The assistant of the county magistrate did not refuse. Instead, he took the tofu and left.


    The assistant of the county magistrate had visited not only to give Zhao Chuchu the imperial reward but also to check on Hu Bingyu¡¯s condition.


    The Hu family took Zhao You and his family to the county office, but Hu Bingyu could not move. The county magistrate asked his assistant to check on him and take Hu Bingyu¡¯s testimony.


    It was too difficult for Old Madam Ma and her family to return to Lengshui Vige.


    Hu Bingyu was a provincial graduate.


    The crime of murdering a provincial graduate was serious.


    ording to the assistant of the county magistrate, Old Madam Ma and her family would probably be sent to the mine for several years of corvee before returning.


    They would not appear in Lengshui Vige to harm Zhao Guitang and his family.


    Zhao Guitang also pretended to beg for mercy. However, the Hu family cooperated with him and tly refused.


    The assistant of the county magistrate saw through it, but he did not say anything about it. He just went back with his testimony and tofu.


    The oue of Niu Ziming and Zhao You made the people of the Zhao n hide far away from Zhao Chuchu when they saw her.


    They were all afraid that they might also get some form of punishment like corveebor or be exiled.


    Madam Yang was relieved at that time. She was d that she had restrained herself during that period of time and did not mess with Zhao Chuchu.


    She also knew that anything rted to Zhao Chuchu would not end well.


    As for the reward given to Zhao Chuchu by the imperial court, she couldn¡¯t even think about it, let alone snatch it.


    Madam Yang didn¡¯t mind that she could live longer. She even told her family to stay away from Zhao Chuchu!


    Kang Xiuwan and Madam Xia went to Zhao Chuchu.


    Because Zhao Chuchu had been busy dealing with all kinds of things for the past two days, Kang Xiuwan did not want to bother Zhao Chuchu. She had been living in a house arranged by Xie Heng.


    Zhao Chuchu checked on Madam Xia and found that she was much better.


    Zhao Chuchu handed Kang Xiuwan the written prescription and said, ¡°Your mother¡¯s condition is better now. There is no problem for her to return to Guangqing Province. You should get some medicine ording to this prescription. Your mother has to take the medicine for ten days or so.¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, why don¡¯t you return to Guangqing Province with us? You should visit your grandmother,¡± said Kang Xiuwan to Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu immediately refused. ¡°I had a hard time before, but they were not around. I don¡¯t think we have to meet now that I have survived. The reason why I helped your mother is to do my duty as a doctor. It is not because we are rted.¡±


    Where were those rtives when the original owner was so miserable?


    Now she had reced the original owner and be a miracle doctor, and they remembered her.


    How shameless they were!


    She could not forgive them on behalf of the original owner. And she was not going to acknowledge her rtionship with them to enjoy the wealth they could bring.


    Kang Xiuwan blushed.


    Madam Xia sighed and said to Zhao Chuchu, ¡°Chuchu, do you still me us?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°me you? I am not sure. After all, I didn¡¯t know about your existence since I was born. So why should I me you?¡±


    Madam Xia did not know how to reply to Zhao Chuchu¡¯s words.


    After all, there was nothing wrong with what she had said.


    Madam Xia had asked people about Zhao Chuchu¡¯s life these past few years.


    After Xia Chenn died, Zhao Chuchu became the servant of the Zhao family. She had to serve all the people in the family.


    She was even forced to marry a blind man.


    Fortunately, the blind man treated her gently, taught her to read, and let her learn medicine.


    Otherwise, Zhao Chuchu would have been dead long ago.


    ¡°Chuchu, we are really sorry.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to apologize to me. Instead, you should apologize to my mom. I wonder why that aunt would say that my mom ran away with someone. Although Madam Yang was bad to my mother, I had never heard her say that my mother was cheap!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu looked at Madam Xia.


    Madam Xia dodged Zhao Chuchu¡¯s gaze and dared not look directly at Zhao Chuchu.


    She said, ¡°I don¡¯t really know about this. Your mother disappeared and left a letter saying that she wanted to be with her beloved man.¡±


    ...


    Zhao Chuchu interrupted her, ¡°So you¡¯ve never looked for her all these years?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡±


    ¡°But my mother is not a pampered youngdy!¡±


    Madam Xia¡¯s expression changed slightly when she heard this. Although her expression returned to normal soon after, Zhao Chuchu noticed it.


    So, was there a story behind the fact that the original owner¡¯s mother married into a family in Lengshui Vige?


    ¡°I saved your life. If you want to thank me, tell me the truth. I don¡¯t see anyone in the Xia family pointing at me and saying that my mother is shameless again! At least, as her daughter, I have the right to know.¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, I really don¡¯t know about this. Please don¡¯t push me,¡± said Madam Xia in a low voice as if she was begging Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu frowned.


    What on earth was the reason why Madam Xia dared not tell the truth?


    Kang Xiuwan hurriedly said, ¡°Chuchu, I often go back to my grandfather¡¯s house, but I seldom hear them talk about my aunt.¡±


    ¡°Forget it. Get out of here.¡± Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t ask again.


    ...


    She would know these things sooner orter.


    But before that, she had to umte wealth, which could challenge Madam Xia.


    Zhao Chuchu thought that there must be some story behind the fact that her mother married into a family in Lengshui Vige. However, if she really found out the secret, it might cause a lot of trouble.


    Madam Xia initially wanted to persuade Zhao Chuchu to return to Guangqing Province, but now Zhao Chuchu had asked Xia Chenn about it. She did not dare stay in Lengshui Vige any longer.


    When they left, Zhao Chuchu gave a cold grunt.


    Madam Xia obviously knew the truth but was unwilling to tell Zhao Chuchu.


    Maybe it had something to do with Madam Xia.


    Xie Heng came out of the room. Then, seeing Zhao Chuchu¡¯s upset face, he asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You seem very unhappy.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t hide it from Xie Heng. She asked, ¡°Dang, do you know how she married into a family in Lengshui Vige? I just think these people are too hypocritical.¡±


    Xie Heng said, ¡°She was abducted, but she escaped, met your father, and was saved by him. She should have lost her memory at that time. As for whether she recoveredter, I don¡¯t know, either.¡±

 Chapter 157 - 157 Then I Went Blind

    157 Then I Went Blind


    Zhao Chuchu frowned and said, ¡°Well, you said she lost her memory, but how does she know her name is Xia Chenn?¡±


    Xie Heng said, ¡°It seems that when your father saved her, he heard those people calling her that.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu sighed.


    Even if she regained her memory, she probably did not want to recall it.


    Her father was really kind to her.


    When they had a kid together, they naturally began to develop feelings for each other. If it were not for the original owner¡¯s father, she would still not know what would be waiting for her.


    Zhao Chuchu looked at Xie Heng and said, ¡°Although I don¡¯t know how the Xia family is, I have a feeling that it is not a good one. Do you know something about the Xia family?¡±


    ¡°You want to know?¡±


    ¡°Of course, now that I have aplicated rtionship with the Xia family. Even if I hide from them, the Xia family will not let me go easily. After all, you said, the Xia family is going downhill. The fact that they suddenly have a miracle doctor in their family would bring great benefits.¡±


    After all, people are afraid of death, especially the rich ones.


    ¡°The Xia family is not free to look for you now. They won¡¯t tell the Xia family where you are after they return.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Madam Xia probably has an unknown resentment toward the Xia family.¡±


    ¡°What does this have to do with knowing the secrets of the Xia family?¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, once people have something on their minds, they devise a n. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to be happy in Lengshui Vige?¡±


    ¡°Why do you sound like the Xia family is going down sooner orter?¡±


    ¡°Almost. In short, you should wait patiently. They will find you sooner orter and tell you the truth.¡±


    ¡°Do you know about it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± Xie Heng shook his head.


    The declining Xia family was not worth his effort.


    But Xie Heng did not want Zhao Chuchu to know that the Xia family was that dirty.


    Although she looked ruthless, she was still really kind. Xie Heng feared she would want to get involved when she knew the truth.


    He might as well let the Xia family be.


    Anyway, it had nothing to do with Zhao Chuchu for the time being.


    Zhao Chuchu looked at Xie Heng suspiciously. She felt that Xie Heng was hiding something from her, but she had no evidence.


    However, if Xie Heng did not want to tell Zhao Chuchu, she could not force him.


    Therefore, she chose to believe him this time and wait to see what would happen to the Xia family.


    Anyway, there was still a lot for her to do in Lengshui Vige.


    The vigers were amazed that the seedlings they had thrown survived.


    Especially when they saw that the seedlings were growing faster than those they had worked hard to nt, they couldn¡¯t help staring at Zhao Chuchu¡¯s acres of fields every day.


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t have time to mind these things. She even asked Niu Tongsheng to help out initially.


    In April, the sweet potato seedlings behind the house were ready to be nted.


    Sweet potatoes needed to go through cuttage. She also asked people to nt those sweet potato seedlings on Tripe Mountain.


    Almost all of the area of Tripe Mountain had been opened up, and there was just a small part left.


    Old Mrs. Chen saw that Zhao Chuchu still had many sweet potato seedlings, so she asked Zhao Chuchu for some of them, as she also wanted to nt some.


    ¡°Of course. Just take it. I am almost done with mynds.¡± Zhao Chuchu generously gave some to Old Mrs. Chen.


    When others saw that there were still some sweet potato seedlings left, they immediately went to ask Zhao Chuchu for a few.


    However, they did not ask for many as they wanted to nt on just one ridge.


    After finishing her tasks, Zhao Chuchu took out her Sorghum seeds and gave them to Niu Tongsheng, who was then asked to provide them to the vigers who were willing to nt them.


    However, Zhao Chuchu only gave the seeds to those who had never scolded her or done anything to harm her.


    No matter how these people who had harmed Zhao Chuchu begged her, she was unmoved.


    Was she going to forgive the people who had wanted to kill her?


    That was never going to happen.


    She was kind enough not to kill these people.


    When Zhao Chuchu saw that Xie Heng wasn¡¯t concentrating on his studies, she gave Xie Heng a book about nting and asked him to study it and teach the people in Lengshui Vige.


    Xie Heng did not refuse.


    On the contrary, he was happy to learn these techniques.


    Sooner orter, he could use them.


    As a result, Xie Heng, a schr, got up early and went to the fields to farm with Niu Tongsheng and the others. He gradually became tanned.


    But he looked healthier and more handsome.


    Zhao Chuchu also found that some girls in the vige had been looking at Xie Heng and even dared to send Xie Heng presents.


    ¡°Brother Xie Heng, I heard that Chuchu can¡¯t cook. This is a pancake I made. Please have a try.¡± The girl blushed, stopped Xie Heng when nobody was around, and handed him the basket. ¡°If you like it, I will make it for you tomorrow.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu, who happened to be looking for somemon herbs not far away, was speechless.


    Xie Heng¡¯s wife was right here!


    ...


    And she even said something to indicate that Zhao Chuchu was not as good as her.


    Xie Heng stepped back and said, ¡°No, thank you. Chuchu is a good cook, and I really like her food. What¡¯s more, I¡¯m married, and you should stay away from me.¡±


    When the girl heard the words, her face turned red, and she felt like crying. ¡°Brother Xie Heng¡­¡±


    Xie Heng was unmoved. He said firmly, ¡°I have only one brother, Xie Jun. Don¡¯t call me brother or Chuchu will get angry.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu almostughed.


    She was thrilled to see that Xie Heng had rejected the girl.


    ¡°Why is Chuchu so overbearing? I would never be like that.¡±


    ¡°So I didn¡¯t marry you.¡±


    The girl did not know what to say now.


    ¡°I just like her being overbearing.¡±


    The girl stayed silent.


    ...


    ¡°Find someone who is willing to be your brother to try your pancake.¡±


    ¡°Brother Xie Heng, you were not like this before.¡±


    ¡°Well, then I went blind.¡±


    Xie Heng nodded seriously.


    The girl was so angry that she couldn¡¯t say a word.


    ¡°You!¡±


    She stammered for a while and said nothing.


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu doesn¡¯t like you at all. She won a reward from the imperial court but asked you to work in the field instead of reading!¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s because she bought me with sugar.¡± Xie Heng showed off two pieces of chocte wrapped in exquisite packaging.


    The girl was short of breath and felt like she could not breathe.


    Zhao Chuchu almost could not refrain fromughing.


    She did not know Xie Heng was so naive.


    Had he really been reborn?


    ¡°Xie Heng, you don¡¯t have to anger me on purpose. I know it¡¯s because I didn¡¯t want to marry you initially. As long as you divorce Zhao Chuchu now, I can take it as if nothing has happened and marry you.¡±


    Xie Heng was speechless for a second.


    He took a few steps back, frowned, and looked at the little girl. ¡°I only want to marry a nice woman, and Chuchu is very nice. So why do you think I will marry a woman who bullies Junjun secretly? I don¡¯t want toe at you for that. Don¡¯t think I like you. I just don¡¯t want to embarrass you in front of people.¡±


    Xie Heng then looked at her with cold eyes and a domineering aura.


    The girl could not help but shiver. She instinctively retreated, trembling.


    Xie Heng said coldly, ¡°I¡¯m not always so good-tempered. If you run to Chuchu and talk nonsense, you will regret it. Got it?¡±


    The murderous intent in his eyes was beyond this girl¡¯s endurance.


    ¡°Okay. Okay!¡± She was so frightened by Xie Heng.


    ¡°Fine. Now get lost and never do this again,¡± said Xie Heng just before leaving.

 Chapter 158 - 158 That’s A Loss For Me

    158 That¡¯s A Loss For Me


    As soon as Xie Heng walked away, the girl bit her lip and stared at Xie Heng¡¯s back. She was full of shame and anger.


    Before Xie Heng went blind, women in Lengshui Vige, young or old, liked Xie Heng very much. They either wanted Xie Heng to be their son-inw or to marry Xie Heng.


    However, when Xie Heng became blind, they started shunning him. They even did not allow the girls to approach Xie Heng. They were afraid that Xie Heng would want to live off their girls.


    As the only youngdy in her family, she was very favored. Initially, she had bothered Xie Heng the most, but when he became blind, she was the first to stay away from him. Atst, she even told Xie Heng not to daydream anymore and asked him to stay away from her.


    Her name was Niu Fenger, and she was Niu Ziming¡¯s cousin.


    In the past, she had also been horrible to the original owner.


    But she was never arrogant in front of Zhao Chuchu. On the contrary, she was probably afraid of this ruthless girl, so she went to Xie Heng.


    Zhao Chuchu looked at the angry Niu Fenger and sighed. Men should not be so good-looking.


    Niu Fenger stomped her feet angrily and went home with the basket.


    Zhao Chuchu came out and took fresh herbs to the riverside to wash. Then she slowly went back to Xie Heng¡¯s home.


    Xie Heng was cooking in the kitchen. Zhao Chuchu spread the herbs out and then went to the kitchen.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be so popr.¡± Zhao Chuchu sat in front of the kitchen stove and smiled at Xie Heng. ¡°With your eyes cured, now you¡¯re lucky in love again, huh?¡±


    ¡°You saw everything?¡± Xie Heng looked up at Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong. I wasn¡¯t following you. I just happened to be nearby. How about I give up my position for them, Da Lang?¡±


    Xie Heng said calmly, ¡°You can just ignore them and take this position with ease. Then I won¡¯t be distracted by these things. Or do you want to leave here? But Junjun hasn¡¯t recovered yet. You promised me that¡­¡±


    Xie Heng started to look kind of worried.


    ¡°Da Lang, I¡¯m just kidding. Don¡¯t be so serious.¡±


    ¡°I care about Junjun a lot.¡± Xie Heng lowered his head and sighed slightly.


    Zhao Chuchu felt guilty when she saw this.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Even if I have to leave, it will be after Junjunpletely recovers. I¡¯m just worried that if I remain as your wife, it will stop you from meeting your love.¡±


    ¡°My love is not in Lengshui Vige. It will be fine. And your presence can make many people stay away from me.¡±


    ¡°You are using me as a shield.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll cook for you when you¡¯re in Lengshui Vige. Just tell me what you want to eat, and I¡¯ll learn how to cook.¡±


    ¡°Still sounds like a loss for me.¡±


    ¡°I will repay you when I pass the provincial civil service examination in the future.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu nodded. ¡°Well, now you are talking. I don¡¯t do favors without getting something in return.¡±


    Xie Heng smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll return your favors.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu lowered his head and pushed the firewood that had burned out of the stove into the stove so she did not see the sh of light in Xie Heng¡¯s eyes.


    With Xie Heng¡¯s help, Niu Tongsheng finally nted Sorghum.


    Zhao Guitang¡¯s tofu business was getting better and better. Many restaurants wanted the recipe for his tofu.


    Maybe Zhao Guitang got his confidence from Zhao Chuchu, so he refused to sell the recipe to them.


    However, he offended a lot of people, being too blunt and inexperienced in doing business.


    A few dayster, when Niu Le was sending tofu to the county town, he was stopped by some people. They dumped all the tofu on the cart on the ground and beat Niu Le severely. They said that if Niu Le didn¡¯t pay the toll, they would beat him every time they saw him.


    Niu Le went back to Lengshui Vige with bruises and a swollen face.


    Zhao Guitang was so scared that he asked Zhao Men to invite Zhao Chuchu to his home.


    Those people did not dare kill people. Niu Le¡¯s bruises looked serious, but he had no broken bones. With some cream, the swelling would subside after a few days.


    ¡°Chuchu, what should we do? Today¡¯s tofu can¡¯t be delivered to the county town. How are we going to exin this to Manager Lin?¡± Zhao Guitang was anxious.


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°Uncle Niu Le, Men, you two should go to the county town with me. Since they want to mess with us, let¡¯s show them what we¡¯ve got.¡±


    Hearing what Zhao Chuchu said, Zhao Guitang waspletely at ease.


    Madam Kong came over and saw that Niu Le had been beaten. She cried and cursed, ¡°Those bastards! My son has never messed with them, right? So why did they beat my son like this? Screw them!¡±


    ¡°Grandma, I will get justice for Uncle Niu Le. Don¡¯t worry. I will go to the county town with Uncle Niu Le first. We¡¯ll talk about it after wee back.¡± Zhao Chuchuforted Madam Kong.


    Madam Kong wiped her tears and said, ¡°You must make those bastards pay!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°Of course. No one can get away after messing with me.¡±


    Of course, Madam Kong was still worried and asked Niu An to go with them.


    Zhao Guitang and Madam He loaded the remaining tofu and prepared to send it to the county town. At least they should offer Manager Lin an exnation.


    The ox cart was too slow. Zhao Chuchu wanted to take out the off-road vehicle in her carry-on space, but it would be too shocking, and she would not know what trouble it would cause.


    She wanted to buy a carriage when she got back. At least it could go faster than the ox cart.


    While Zhao Chuchu was thinking about that, they arrived at the ce where Niu Le was stopped.


    This was the first town on the way from Yongfu Town to the county town.


    The people who beat Niu Le had not left. They were still waiting there.


    Seeing Niu Le, they rushed over.


    ¡°Oh, you are so brave. How dare youe here again? Why? Did you get the protection fee? However, two beautiful girls are not enough. But, of course, if you present them to us, we won¡¯t say no.¡±


    Niu Le was livid.


    Zhao Chuchu got off the ox cart.


    ...


    She looked at the seven bullies and said, ¡°Do you want to charge protection fees? How much do you charge? Is this amount enough?¡±


    With that, Zhao Chuchu held up five fingers.


    Seeing this, one of the bullies seemed delighted and stepped forward. He said, ¡°You are quite clever, girl. However, that is not enough. We need more. ¡±


    He then held up ten fingers to Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu nodded and said, ¡°Well, okay. Come here, and I¡¯ll give it to you.¡±


    The head of the bullies walked over,ughing.


    He did not think the silver was enough.


    He knew that the tofu business in Lengshui Vige was very profitable. So if he could get the recipe, he would make a fortune.


    He walked over to Zhao Chuchu with that in mind.


    ¡°Oh, girl, now give it to me.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s action was swift. She pped the bully hard twice, which made the bully spin and his mouth bleed.


    ...


    After standing still in a daze, he covered his red face and looked at Zhao Chuchu in disbelief. ¡°Fuck you! How dare you beat me?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu then punched him in the eye. ¡°This is my additional protection fee. How about it? Are you satisfied now?¡±

 Chapter 159 - 159 Support Her Openly

    159 Support Her Openly


    The bully then said, ¡°Fes, take down this bitch! I am going to teach her a lesson. Damn it! She actually hit me!¡±


    Such a group of misfits was no match for Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Men and the other two people looked worried, but Zhao Chuchu just beat those bullies up. After that, they ally on the ground and couldn¡¯t get up.


    Zhao Chuchu stepped on the shoulder de of the head of the bullies with one foot, and with a bit of pressure, the bully screamed in pain.


    ¡°Come on, who asked you to collect protection fees here? If you keep silent, I will cut off your fingers one by one to see how many fingers you can survive with. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m a doctor and won¡¯t let you bleed to death.¡±


    When the bully heard this, he was terrified.


    ¡°Okay, I will talk.¡±


    He told Zhao Chuchu everything. He said that the manager of Fenglong Tea House was behind this.


    Zhao Chuchu thought carefully. It seemed that the manager of Fenglong Tea House had approached Zhao Guitang five days ago.


    Zhao Chuchu did not want to talk about his poor means.


    No wonder his business was not very good.


    There seemed to be something wrong with the manager¡¯s brain.


    ¡°Nowe with us to the county office and tell the truth in front of the county magistrate. Otherwise, I will break your leg.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was too fierce.


    They were beaten up so badly that they could not resist at all.


    They only wished they could fly to the county office to avoid being beaten again.


    Zhao Chuchu took the ropes from the ox cart and tied them to it.


    On the way, whenever they passed people, they would look at them.


    Zhao Chuchu looked confident. She did not care what those outsiders thought.


    After arriving at the county town, Zhao Chuchu first sent the tofu to Visitor¡¯s Aroma and then informed Manager Lin about Niu Le¡¯s beating.


    Manager Lin also got angry.


    ¡°That bastard Fenglong is really disgusting!¡±


    ¡°Today, there is only this tofu. Those people ruined the tofu, which should have been transported here.¡±


    ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    Niu An and Niu Le had been transporting tofu to Visitor¡¯s Aroma, so Manager Lin was familiar with them. He looked at Niu Le and got worried.


    Niu Le shook his head and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Manager Lin. I am quite strong. It is just some scratches.¡±


    ¡°I am d that you are fine. You are more important than tofu.¡±


    ¡°We have to go to the county officeter. You don¡¯t have to pay for the tofu today. It¡¯s because we didn¡¯t deliver it to you on time.¡±


    ¡°How can I not pay you? We both did not expect such an ident.¡±


    ¡°Honesty is important in business. Anyway, we must have influenced the business of Visitor¡¯s Aroma. So, Manager Lin, you really don¡¯t have to pay this time.¡±


    The secret of the tofu would be figured out sooner orter.


    What Zhao Chuchu needed to do now was toy a firm foundation for the name of her tofu.


    They should be honest. Even if there were other smart people who would be able to make tofu in the future, these regr customers should first consider cooperating with them rather than the neers.


    ¡°You can go back to your business now, Manager Lin. We should get going.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t wait for Manager Lin to say anything but took Niu Le and the string of people to the county office.


    When setting out, Zhao Chuchu told Niu Le what to do.


    At that moment, Niu Le knelt in the court. Although Niu Le¡¯s legs were weak, he at least finished telling the whole story.


    When County Magistrate Qiao heard that someone was ckmailing people, his serious face became even more frightening.


    The bullies almost cried when they heard the sound of the judge¡¯s gavel.


    They had never experienced this before. County Magistrate Qiao did not even interrogate them. They just told him everything.


    County Magistrate Qiao ordered someone to bring the manager of Fenglong Tea House over.


    The manager of Fenglong Tea House was not afraid at the beginning, but after seeing Zhao Chuchu, he became scared.


    Because Zhao Chuchu had helped with dealing with the gue in Yuanjiang County and had saved Yuan Hui, and she was Xie Heng¡¯s wife, County Magistrate Qiao wanted to support Zhao Chuchu and made a big scene. He ordered the manager of Fenglong Tea House to be beaten 30 times and ordered him topensate Niu Le with 20 taels of silver.


    And there was something more.


    As a reason for assisting the county office in catching wanted criminals, the Thousand Battalion turned the Fenglong Tea House inside out.


    Now, could anyone not understand that the county office and Thousand Battalion were supporting Zhao Chuchu?


    Who dared to steal the tofu recipe now?


    After everything that had happened, it waste. They had to go in the dark if they wanted to return to the vige.


    Zhao Chuchu did not want to show modern things to people other than Xie Heng.


    After discussion, they decided to spend the night in the town first.


    ¡°I am going to meet my friends, and I will returnter. You don¡¯t need to wait for me for dinner.¡± Zhao Chuchu nned to go to Gan¡¯s house for a visit.


    Whenever Zhao Chuchu went to the town, she never went to see Gan Maosheng, and she felt kind of sorry.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Zhao Men nodded.


    ...


    Zhao Chuchu took out the prepared gifts and went to Gan¡¯s house.


    She was about to knock at the door when it opened from the inside.


    Gan Quan walked out anxiously. Maybe because he was too anxious, he failed to notice the threshold and almost tripped and fell.


    ¡°Brother Gan, where are you going? What happened?¡± Zhao Chuchu hurriedly supported Gan Quan.


    ¡°Chuchu!¡± Gan Quan realized that it was Zhao Chuchu. He suddenly seemed to see hisst hope and grabbed her arm. ¡°You came just in time. I was just looking for you. Please help my grandma.¡±


    Before Zhao Chuchu could reply, Gan Quan dragged Zhao Chuchu in.


    Zhao Chuchu shook off his hand and ran after him. She asked, ¡°Brother Gan, what¡¯s wrong with your grandma?¡±


    Gan Quan told her about the situation quickly.


    It turned out that Old Mrs. Gan had suddenly be dizzy. She had begun to drool and could not speak clearly. The doctor they got could do nothing to help. Therefore, Gan Quan was about to look for Zhao Chuchu.


    When Zhao Chuchu heard that, she knew it was a stroke.


    The mortality rate from stroke was very high.


    ...


    Even if the patients survived, they still had to go through a lengthy recovery period. And some patients could not take care of themselves at all.


    Zhao Chuchu focused on her ears and knew where Old Mrs. Gan was.


    She ran over as fast as she could.


    The people of the Gan n, including Gan Maosheng, stood by the bed and looked at Old Mrs. Gan, who could not move, was drooling, and could not talk. The people all seemed very sad.


    ¡°Grandpa, Chuchu ising,¡± Gan Quan said loudly.


    The crowd suddenly looked over.


    Zhao Chuchu had already arrived at the bedside. She didn¡¯t want to say hello to those people. Instead, in a deep voice, she said, ¡°Everyone leave. Don¡¯t dy me in saving her. Otherwise, she will be paralyzed even if I can bring her back.¡±


    Gan Maosheng made a quick decision and drove all the people out of the room.


    Old Mrs. Gan¡¯s condition was very bad. Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t hesitate. She just used her healing power to save Old Mrs. Gan.


    Her power still had not returned to its peak state, which could not make Old Mrs. Gan recover immediately.


    Later, she took out the needle bag from the carry-on space under the cover of her sleeve.


    Gan Maosheng¡¯s son was different from his father. He was an intellectual.


    However, after working hard for so many years, he was just a schr. And he could not go further. So now he was a teacher at the county school. His gentle appearance and aura seemed very different from the other men in the Gan family.


    He looked distraught and asked Gan Maosheng, ¡°Dad, can she really save my mom?¡±


    Gan Maosheng red at him and said, ¡°Other doctors can do nothing to help. It would be best if Chuchu could save her. Even if Chuchu can¡¯t, she must have tried her best. You should never me her.¡±

 Chapter 160 - 160 What a Weird Man

    160 What a Weird Man


    ¡°Father, that¡¯s not what I meant,¡± said Gan Yingzhi, trying to exin quickly. ¡°Mother is in a terrible condition now. I¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut the f*ck up! I swear to god I¡¯ll make you dumb with poison if you continue to talk nonsense,¡± Gan Maosheng interrupted him angrily.


    Gan Quan and Gan Lin immediately winked their eyes at their father, suggesting that he should not be talking at will like he used to do because their grandfather was very anxious at this moment.


    They both believed their father should learn how to talk nicely and be polite to people.


    Gan Maosheng kept staring at the closed door.


    He and his wife married at a young age. Although his wife had a bad temper, he had long been used to her babbling and nagging after spending nearly all his life with her. Now he found himself unable to stand his wife¡¯s absence.


    Though Gan Maosheng appeared calm, he was in fact on pins and needles.


    By this point, everyone was panicking and thought that this time even Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t save her. But then the door opened.


    Zhao Chuchu walked out of the room.


    ¡°Chuchu, is she okay?¡± Gan Maosheng rushed over and asked hurriedly. ¡°Is she¡­ is she¡­¡±


    ¡°Did she make it?¡±


    ¡°I havee at the right time. She¡¯s safe now. But she will have to stay in bed these days,¡± Zhao Chuchu said with a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Grandpa Gan.¡±


    ¡°Really? Will she be able to walk when she recovers?¡±


    It was Gan Maosheng¡¯s understanding that such an illness was highly likely to deprive an old woman of the ability to walk.


    ¡°Of course, she will. I happened to be here at the right time,¡± Zhao Chuchu said. ¡°You may have doubts about me, but you should not doubt my medical skills.¡±


    Gan Lin and Gan Quan also ran over and said, ¡°Chuchu, is our grandma really okay now?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she¡¯s okay now. She just needs some time to rest. I¡¯ll perform acupuncture on her in theing 15 days. Then, she¡¯ll be as good as new.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful! Hurry up, everyone, let¡¯s go get a room for Chuchu,¡± Gan Maosheng said to his daughter-inw.


    Madam Luo immediately replied, ¡°Yes, father, I¡¯ll go now.¡±


    Gan Yingzhi regained his senses and said to Zhao Chuchu, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Chuchu. I shouldn¡¯t have doubted you. I only did so because I care too much about my mother.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Gan, you don¡¯t have to apologize to me. I understand your feelings very well. I won¡¯t take it to heart.¡±


    ¡°Chuchu is a good kid. She won¡¯t take a nerd like you seriously.¡±


    Gan Maosheng threw another look at his son.


    Then, he thanked Zhao Chuchu again before he ran to check on his wife. He was still very worried about her.


    His wife just woke up the moment he arrived.


    Her mouth looked less crooked and less watery. She could even articte more properly now.


    ¡°Maosheng, am I in heaven now?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid. You¡¯re not dead to be there.¡±


    Seeing that his wife was indeed much better, he was relieved now.


    ¡°Oh, did I just speak to you?¡± She was surprised to find that she was able to talk.


    ¡°Chuchu helped us. She happened to visit me. We¡¯re lucky to have her in time. Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t be able to walk properly even if you¡¯re saved. But rest assured. Chuchu said that all you need is some time to rest in bed. You¡¯ll soon be walking just like the rest of us.¡±


    ¡°Is Chuchu the kid you often talk about?¡±


    ¡°Exactly, the kid that drove away the gue.¡±


    ¡°Where is she then? I haven¡¯t seen her.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s outside writing prescriptions for you. Don¡¯t give up on yourself again. You know I can¡¯t picture my life without you.¡±


    ¡°I will not. I haven¡¯t seen my kids build their own families. How could I leave so early?¡± she said.


    Though Zhao Chuchu was outside, she heard everything clearly.


    It didn¡¯t ur to her that the cold-looking Gan Maosheng would have a gentle side to him. She didn¡¯t expect him to be so loyal and affectionate.


    Madam Luo saw Zhao Chuchu ncing inside the room and said, ¡°My father and mother have been in a very close rtionship. They seldom fight. In fact, my mother is the one that takes charge here. My father would do whatever she said.¡±


    ¡°I can see that. You have a loving family.¡±


    ¡°Yes, they have been very kind to me. They would also talk my husband out of being fooled by the glitz of the world.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Gan seems like a man of letters.¡±


    ¡°I think so. He¡¯s a teacher in the county. My husband is quite an outspoken man. I¡¯d say he¡¯s an unbridled horse, just like many men of letters. They have one or two mistresses in the brothel, whom they consider their confidants. My husband went there in order to befriend his teacher, but guess what happened?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°He kept frowning or sniffing at those women, using them of wearing too much makeup or looking like horrible monsters. He also told them in a serious manner that they should stop wearing makeup like that. At one point, they all cried after his lecture. In the end, he was driven out by the procuress.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was a little speechless.


    ¡°What a weird man!¡± she thought.


    She knew many brothel-goers were not obsessed with sex.


    It didn¡¯t ur to her that Gan Yingzhi was so stubborn yet so decent.


    ¡°Hahaha, that means he won¡¯t be epted in the future even if he wants to go there, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they all said my husband is not wee anymore.¡±


    Speaking of which, she chuckled beneath her hand.


    ¡°Later he was beaten up by his father.¡±


    ¡°For what? Visiting the brothel?¡±


    ...


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Madam Luo was agreeable and talkative. Zhao Chuchu could see that she was not a hypocrite. Gan Quan and Gan Lin were obedient and filial, which meant the Gan n had taught them well.


    Gan Maosheng stayed in the room for a long time before he walked out. Then, he told Zhao Chuchu toe in because his wife would like to see her.


    Zhao Chuchu walked in. Then, Mrs. Gan told her to sit at the bedside as she looked her up and down.


    ¡°Youngdy, you¡¯ve been very helpful today. If not for your help, even my husband wouldn¡¯t be able to make it back then,¡± she said while holding her hands.


    ¡°This is the least I could do. I¡¯m a doctor. It¡¯s my duty to save people.¡±


    ¡°I understand. Still, you saved us. That¡¯s undeniable that we owe you our lives.¡±


    Mrs. Gan was a kind woman. She never begrudged Zhao Chuchu her gratitude.


    Zhao Chuchu smiled and listened patiently to Mrs. Gan¡¯s nagging.


    Before long, Madam Luo came in, saying it was time for dinner and that she¡¯d take care of Mrs. Gan.


    After Zhao Chuchu left, Old Mrs. Gan said enviously, ¡°How lucky Xie Heng is to have a wife like Zhao Chuchu. I would want nothing more than this to happen for Quan and Lin as well.¡±


    ...


    Madam Luo¡¯s lips twitched, thinking Old Mrs. Gan might want to wreck Zhao Chuchu¡¯s family.


    She found it uneptable.


    She could tell that Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng were in a close rtionship, and she decided she would never do anything to ruin others¡¯ families.


    ¡°Mother, Quan and Lin will meet the ones that are destined for them. We are not supposed to do anything or intervene in this matter,¡± Luo said after thinking for a while.

 Chapter 161 - 161 Dont Be Hard On Herself

    161 Don¡¯t Be Hard On Herself


    Old Mrs. Gan was a little speechless.<div>


    She rolled her eyes at Madam Luo. ¡°What are you talking about? Do I look like a bad person to you? I only want them to lead a happy life. Why would I want to break their family?¡±


    Seeing that it was a misunderstanding, Madam Luo said in embarrassment, ¡°I thought you wanted Zhao Chuchu to marry into our family.¡±


    ¡°Ever since you entered our family, you¡¯ve seen that I don¡¯t even allow any woman near Yingzhi. Why would I think to break others¡¯ families?¡±


    Madam Luo immediately apologized.


    Old Mrs. Gan knew that Madam Luo was an outspoken person, so she was not pissed off.


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t know what the two of them were talking about.


    She rejected their invitation to stay and returned to the inn.


    After all, Zhao Men was in the inn. She couldn¡¯t leave her there alone.


    She was worried that some reckless people might break into her room and threaten her into giving the tofu recipe away.


    Although she was in town, Zhao Men was a stranger. Seeing that Zhao Chuchu was away for a long time, she was very worried and could not go to sleep.<div>


    When Zhao Chuchu returned, she saw Zhao Men waiting for her at the table and asked, ¡°What are you doing here instead of going to sleep?¡±


    Seeing that it was Zhao Chuchu, Zhao Men became relieved.


    ¡°I thought you were noting back tonight. I can¡¯t fall asleep without you. I¡¯m scared.¡±


    ¡°Old Mrs. Gan was sick. It took me some time to treat her, so I came backte. But don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t leave you alone without telling you that I¡¯m noting home.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Chuchu. I didn¡¯t know you were saving people. I¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright, go wash up and go to sleep. You look like you could use some rest,¡± Zhao Chuchu interrupted Zhao Men.


    Zhao Men smiled and said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go now.¡±


    She didn¡¯t ask any more questions.


    With Zhao Chuchu around, she quickly fell asleep.


    Hearing her breathing steadily, Zhao Chuchu alsoy beside her and was ready to sleep.<div>


    She thought about how the stroke had taken a toll on Old Mrs. Gan. She looked in her carry-on space and found an old-fashioned mercurial sphygmomanometer. She nned to give one to the Gan n some other day.


    She also had electronic ones but she thought it would be too ridiculous to present them in this era. The mercurial one might be able to fool them¡­


    One night passed.


    Zhao Chuchu went to the Gan n with Niu Le, Niu An, and Zhao Men.


    They decided to return after performing acupuncture on Old Mrs. Gan.


    ¡°Chuchu, you¡¯re not staying at my house for the time being?¡± Madam Luo asked.


    Zhao Chuchu exined, ¡°I came here because I have something to do. If I don¡¯t go home tonight, my husband will be worried about me. I wille back tomorrow. It won¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    ¡°But you came all the way here from your home. You must be exhausted. We can arrange for people to tell your husband.¡±


    ¡°Aunt, I have my own thing to do.¡±


    Hearing this, Madam Luo stopped saying anything.


    Seeing that Zhao Chuchu came here in an ox cart, she arranged for a horse cart to take them home. As for the ox cart, she would have someone else send it back along with the horse cart.


    Madam Luo also prepared many gifts for Zhao Chuchu.


    Seeing that most of them were food, Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t refuse her offer and take them with her back to Lengshui Vige.


    The horse was indeed more speedy than the ox. It only took them an hour to arrive home.


    She was eager to change an ox cart to a horse cart.


    She wanted to ride an off-roader or a motorcycle. But she believed it would be too eye-catching and might give her unwanted problems.


    Hearing that Madam Kong and Zhao Chuchu had asserted justice for Niu Le, sent those people to the county office, and had the mastermind pay the cost, Zhao Guitang finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Chuchu, I can¡¯t thank you enough. But for you, there would have been nothing we can do about our grievances,¡± said Madam Kong, who looked grateful.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. If you want to show your gratitude, why don¡¯t you give me one of your ducks?¡± Zhao Chuchu winked her eyes. She had been having her eyes on Niu Tongsheng¡¯s ducks for a long time.


    Those ducks were raised in the wild, nothing like those reared in a factory.


    Even if they were cooked in the simplest way, they would taste a thousand times better than factory-produced ducks.


    ¡°Sure, you can have as many as you want,¡± Madam Kong said breezily.


    She knew ducks were not worth a lot.


    What Zhao Chuchu brought them was worth much more than a duck.


    Then, Madam Kong went to catch the ducks.


    Zhao Chuchu swallowed when she thought of various dishes made of ducks.


    Prior to her previous life when the end of the world had note, she tried all kinds of delicious food.


    When doomsday came, it took a toll on human beings. Even ducks became extremely precious.


    Even when she was reborn and transferred to the days before the doomsday took ce, she was busy storing stuff. So, she didn¡¯t have time to enjoy much delicious food.


    Now that she was in the ancient times when there was little contamination, she would never want to be hard on herself.


    After all, there was a top chef at home.


    Zhao Chuchu held the duck in her hand and went home with delight.


    Hearing the footsteps, Xie Heng came out and saw Zhao Chuchu holding a duck. He took the duck from her and asked, ¡°What dish do you have in mind?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu answered, ¡°One half in duck and the other¡­ well, do we have any taroes at home? I want to eat steamed duck with taroes.¡±


    ¡°The taroes have sprouted and been nted. I think we have some dried bamboo shoots left at home. How about a braised duck with dried bamboo shoots?¡±


    ¡°Not today, I mean. How about beer-braised duck?¡±


    ¡°Beer-braised duck?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I got beer.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu took out two bottles of beer and smiled. ¡°Beer-braised duck is my favorite!¡±


    ¡°Then, tell me what should I do.¡± Xie Heng took the beer and looked at the ss bottle, feeling confused.


    He knew that Zhao Chuchu came from a wealthy family and that her family was at least better off than his.


    Although Zhao Chuchu was not a born cook, she had read many recipes in order to practice her cooking skills. She had an eidetic memory, so she remembered the entire process.


    ¡°Is this drinkable?¡± Xie Heng asked.


    ¡°Yes, but you might want it to go with roasted food. When we¡¯re done with the spring work, we¡¯ll make a barbecue.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good!¡±


    Xie Heng nodded and told Zhao Chuchu to boil some water while he went to prepare the duck. Soon, he finished ughtering it.


    Then, Zhao Chuchu went to Old Mrs. Chen¡¯s vegetable field and grabbed some vegetables. She washed them and put them in the steamed duck soup.


    It turned out that a natural duck was indeed delicious. Half of the duck was barely ready. Zhao Chuchu immediately asked Xie Heng to chop off a duck leg for her.


    Xie Heng giggled.


    Xie Jun also came home and asked for a duck leg when he saw the scene.


    The other half would be cooked as beer-braised duck, so he ended up with a duck wing.


    Still, Xie Jun was very happy to have a duck wing. What he didn¡¯t know was that a beer-braised duck was being cooked and that the whole vige was going to smell it.


    When Zhao Chuchu sensed the familiar smell, she found that she was more unwilling to leave the Xie n.


    Xie Heng was a born chef. She just told him the recipe once, but he was able to bring out the best vor. For Zhao Chuchu, the Xie n was her paradise and Xie Heng was her sweet angel.

 Chapter 162 - 162 Try Tofu Skin

    162 Try Tofu Skin


    For the vorful beer-braised duck, even ginger slices were good to go with rice.


    After having the first bite, Zhao Chuchu and Xie Jun locked their eyes on the beer-braised duck while having a war over it.


    Xie Heng saw this and scolded Xie Jun, ¡°Junjun, you can¡¯t be so rude. How can you eat it all? Did you forget what I told you?¡±


    Xie Jun mumbled, ¡°Duck meat cooked like this tastes so good, brother. I can eat three bowls of rice.¡±


    ¡°Da Lang, I¡¯ll go buy a duck tomorrow and you can make beer-braised duck again, okay?¡± Zhao Chuchu said as she raised her head from the rice bowl and looked at Xie Heng. ¡°How can one meal be enough?¡±


    ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll make another one tomorrow,¡± Xie Heng said with a smile.


    In fact, Xie Heng was happy to see that both of them liked it.


    But Xie Heng was the only one left to eat the in duck.


    He didn¡¯t fight with them.


    After having the meal, Zhao Chuchu and Xie Jun slumped against their chairs while rubbing their stretched bellies, not even wanting to move because they were so full.


    They finished the beer-braised duck nice and clean.


    Xie Heng then cleaned up the dishes, letting Zhao Chuchu and Xie Jun go out for a walk to digest.


    Zhao Chuchu went back to the room, took out an electronic scale, stood on it, and was surprised to find that she was 4 kilograms heavier than when she first came here.


    It was all because of Xie Heng!


    Zhao Chuchu felt the flesh around her waist and was pleased to find that there was no fat.


    After all, the original owner of the body was too thin before.


    ¡°If you gained another 4 kilograms, you can¡¯t indulge yourself in eating and drinking. Being too fat is bad for your health!¡± she told herself.


    When Zhao Chuchu came out of the room, Xie Jun was still lying there.


    Zhao Chuchuughed at him as she said, ¡°Junjun, if you keep doing this, you will be fat in the future. Girls don¡¯t like fat men.¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, I¡¯m only 10 years old,¡± Xie Jun retorted with a red face. ¡°I don¡¯t want any girls to like me!¡±


    ¡°Well, hold that thought. Wait until you meet a girl of your choice!¡± Zhao Chuchu poked Xie Jun¡¯s face, which had grown some flesh. It felt good to the touch. She knew that she could start cleansing Xie Jun¡¯s body after some time.


    ¡°Da Lang, I¡¯ll go to the vige chief¡¯s house,¡± said Zhao Chuchu after rushing to Xie Heng¡¯s room. She then set her feet towards outside and went out.


    ¡°Well,e back early.¡± Xie Heng¡¯s voice came out.


    When Zhao Chuchu arrived at Niu Tongsheng¡¯s house, they were eating. Seeing Zhao Chuchu, Niu Tongsheng immediately greeted her, ¡°Chuchu,e over and eat with us.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, chief, I have already eaten. We ate the duck you gave us. The duck you reared is delicious.¡± Zhao Chuchu smiled and said, ¡°You guys take your time. I¡¯ll talk to youter.¡±


    ¡°Then,e here and catch one more when you want to eat ducks again,¡± Madam Kong said generously. ¡°There are six more at home.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it then. You eat first, madam.¡± Zhao Chuchu went out and waited outside the courtyard by herself.


    Seeing this, Niu Tongsheng quickly finished the rice in his bowl and hurried out. ¡°Chuchu, what do you want from me?¡±


    ¡°Last time, I told you that if Uncle Guitang did well in their tofu business, I would teach you to make another kind of bean product. Now that the tofu business is up and running, I¡¯m going to let you guys try making tofu skin.¡±


    Niu Tongsheng stared at her incredulously and sounded a bit excited. ¡°Chuchu, is what you said true?¡±


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s true, but I n to set up a workshop in the vige so that you all have a stable job,¡± said Zhao Chuchu. ¡°I taught Uncle Guitang to make tofu because I broke Uncle Guitang¡¯s leg and I felt sorry for him. I¡¯mpensating them.¡±


    ¡°We understand this, but if we¡¯re setting up a workshop, how many people do you n to hire?¡± Niu Tongsheng asked. ¡°I¡¯ll be honest with you, Chuchu. If you can¡¯t make sure each family is involved, I¡¯m afraid that there will be people resenting you. After all, some people don¡¯t know how to be grateful.¡±


    ¡°I understand, but this workshop is not so easy to operate. We¡¯ll go for a trial first today.¡±


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go then.¡±


    Niu Tongsheng hurriedly followed Zhao Chuchu to Zhao Guitang¡¯s house.


    Madam Kong in the house also heard the conversation between the two. She said to her son and daughter-inw, ¡°It¡¯s good that your father made the right decision, otherwise, I¡¯m afraid that we won¡¯t be so lucky.¡±


    Niu An and Niu Le were convinced.


    Their wives were even happier to see such a good thing.


    Everyone would want a better life for themselves.


    Zhao Guitang, who made tofu every day, naturally had ready-made thick soy milk.


    Tofu skin was made by heating and boiling thick soymilk. After a certain period of time, a film on the surface was formed. Then, it is picked out and dried in the sun. Later, tofu skin was produced.


    Tofu skin could be fried, cold-served, used to make soup, hot pot, and so on. There were many ways to eat tofu skin. Before the end of the world, tofu skin was a very popr ingredient.


    Zhao Chuchu believed that the Wei Dynasty was no exception.


    Tofu skin was rtively easy to makepared to tofu, but drying tofu skin was more troublesome. Still, the good thing was that recently, there were sunny days. It would take shape faster in the sun.


    In fact, fresh bean skin was also edible. In short, there were many ways to process soybeans for consumption, which could be developed to the extreme inter times.


    Zhao Chuchu also took advantage of the Wei Dynasty¡¯s low productivity and technology toe up with all sorts of things that seemed new to them.


    Zhao Chuchu exined Niu Tongsheng about her n, ¡°If the workshop can be built by then, we can also use bean residue to raise pigs. Even if we don¡¯t sell them, our people can share some pork and the pig manure can also be used as fertilizer! That way we can make the best use of the things we have.


    ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it. Making soy milk is a tiring job. I n to build a water mill by the river so that we can skip the most tiring step¡­¡±


    Niu Tongsheng listened and just nodded his head repeatedly.


    After all, he didn¡¯t know anything, so he could only listen to Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°Chuchu, howe you¡¯re so clever as toe up with so many ideas?¡±


    ¡°Well, this is because I¡¯m standing on the shoulders of those who came before me. I read it from books and I thought it was interesting. So, I tried to figure it out. I never thought it would work. Chief, I think it¡¯s important for people to learn to read and write because many valuable treasures are recorded by words. I am grateful to Da Lang for teaching me to read and write.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. If our workshop can be a sess, I have to send my grandson to the school to study.¡±


    Niu Tongsheng was convinced.


    ...


    ¡°If Zhao Chuchu could not read and write, would Lengshui Vige be as good as it is now?¡± he thought.


    ¡°Knowledge is power,¡± Zhao Chuchu said earnestly.


    After Zhao Chuchu exined what they were going to do, she took a te of bean skin back with him.


    Fresh bean skin had a special vor too.


    But the next day, Zhao Chuchu went into the city to continue acupuncture for Old Mrs. Gan. Niu An sent tofu into the city and visited Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu gave Madam Luo a small bundle of tofu skin for the Gan n to try before she went to Visitor¡¯s Aroma with Niu An.


    Zhao Chuchu opened the door. ¡°Manager Lin,st time I told you that besides tofu, I have another kind of bean product. Now that I made it, do you want to try it?¡±


    ¡°Yo, Manager Lin, howe everyone can send ingredients now? Aren¡¯t you afraid of poisoning the customers?¡± Manager Lin did not say anything, but a short man beside him started to talk in a sarcastic manner.

 Chapter 163 - 163 Are You Mad?

    163 Are You Mad?


    ¡°It seems that you really don¡¯t want to work here any longer!¡± The short man continued, ¡°Hmph, I can see you¡¯re pretty good at this. It¡¯s not the first time, right? Do you deserve the trust of the proprietor? You can¡¯t just ept things sent by random people!¡±


    ¡°Manager Li, since I am the manager of Visitor¡¯s Aroma, you¡¯re not in the position to say anything here. No matter what, my business in Yuanjiang County is better than yours in Shiyang County!¡± Manager Lin was not polite to him either.


    Zhao Chuchu understood what this was about as soon as she saw it.


    They were under the same boss and they were rivals!


    But Manager Li had the face of a sinister viin.


    It was not that Zhao Chuchu judged people by their appearance. But Manager Li had directly revealed his true nature!


    ¡°Visitor¡¯s Aroma is also considered a long-establishedpany in Guangqing Province. If Yuanjiang County is in trouble, do you think Shiyang County will be spared? If you want to quit, you should get out of here,¡± Manager Li sneered


    Manager Lin¡¯s face darkened, unable to keep calm anymore. ¡°Don¡¯t be a troublemaker. Take the tofu and get out, or don¡¯t me me for not being polite.¡±


    Manager Li had been coveting Visitor¡¯s Aroma, but unfortunately, the proprietor did not let him get what he wanted. So, he had been targeting Manager Lin.


    Especially in the middle of the year, when they paid their bills in Guangqing Province, they were sowing dissension in front of their boss.


    Manager Lin had been putting up with him for a long time.


    Recently, the business in Yuanjiang County became better because of the tofu business, and after the steward of the proprietor came to check the ounts and found that the ie had increased, he asked Manager Li to try to include tofu as an ingredient in Shiyang County.


    That was why Manager Li came to Yuanjiang County.


    Although Manager Lin tried to embarrass Manager Li, Visitor¡¯s Aroma was not Manager Li¡¯s property. Manager Lin did not make things difficult for Manager Li. Not only did he share half of the tofu, but he also informed Manager Li of all the tofu dishes.


    No one would have thought that Manager Li would say something so sarcastic when Zhao Chuchu brought in new ingredients!


    Manager Lin felt that his temper had changed for the better. If it were his younger days, he would have punched him.


    ¡°What? I can¡¯t even state my opinions? It seems to me that you¡¯re in a rather unusual rtionship. This woman came in and smiled at you. She must be some whore. A decent woman would never smile at a man like that.¡± Manager Li asked as he nced at Zhao Chuchu, ¡°Is it possible that he¡¯s your lover?¡±


    After a pause, Manager Li added, ¡°Woman, do you know that even his son is older than you? Do you want to be an aunt to his son? I see that you are still young. Why are you so shameless?¡±


    p!


    Zhao Chuchu pped Manager Li so hard that he was dumbfounded.


    He covered his face and stared at Zhao Chuchu in disbelief, saying the ssic line, ¡°Did you just hit me?¡±


    ¡°How can a man from a decent family be such a gossip? You must be out of your mind, aren¡¯t you? I see you are quite old. Why are you so cheap and unkind? Why don¡¯t I teach you a lesson so that you can learn how to be polite to people?¡± Zhao Chuchu retorted calmly.


    ¡°Little bitch¡­¡±


    p!


    Manager Li was pped on the other cheek.


    Looking at the symmetrical fingerprints on his face, Zhao Chuchu feltfortable.


    ¡°Go on. Curse me once and I¡¯ll p you once.¡± Zhao Chuchu smirked as she said, ¡°If you can¡¯t behave yourself, I¡¯ll help you.¡±


    ¡°Little bitch¡­¡±


    Before he even finished cursing, Manager Li covered his abdomen in pain and groaned.


    ¡°Manager Lin, this is the manager of another branch of Visitor¡¯s Aroma?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked Manager Lin.


    Manager Lin was astonished by Zhao Chuchu¡¯s reckless and brutal move, and he only came back to his senses when he heard her voice. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s from Shiyang County.¡±


    ¡°Although you get to decide how to make the tofu I sold to you, I have my own conditions. I don¡¯t want to sell the tofu to Shiyang County¡¯s Visitor¡¯s Aroma! I don¡¯t have to do business with someone with that attitude. He doesn¡¯t deserve it.¡±


    The ancient merchant¡¯s power of speech was not that high, plus tofu was still the only market business. Also, Zhao Chuchu was famous in Yuanjiang County and she had the initiative in this business.


    Visitor¡¯s Aroma¡¯s proprietor couldn¡¯t force her!


    ¡°If you give it to Shiyang County, then I can only reduce the daily portion of tofu by half for you.¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, calm down. We¡¯re doing good business. There¡¯s no need to spoil our friendship because of a rat. Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t give him the tofu.¡±


    She thought she¡¯d just notify the proprietor that Manager Li had offended people in the first ce.


    What was more, Zhao Chuchu was a miracle-doing doctor and her husband Xie Heng was the former prodigy of Yuanjiang County.


    Now that Xie Heng¡¯s eyes had been cured, sooner orter, he would participate in the Provincial Examination. If Manager Lin turned his back on the two of them for Manager Li, he would definitely suffer a great loss.


    ¡°How about the tofu today? Do you still want to see it?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Let¡¯s go to the back kitchen to talk.¡±


    Manager Lin hurriedly weed Zhao Chuchu to the backyard.


    He also turned around and red at Manager Li, saying, ¡°You take care of yourself!¡±


    Manager Li¡¯s face turned red with anger, never expecting to be beaten up by a woman.


    This was a disgrace to him!


    However, both Manager Lin and Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t care about him anymore.


    Manager Li gritted his teeth since even the tofu was taken back by Manager Lin.


    Manager Li went directly to Lengshui Vige with the intention of snatching the tofu recipe for whatever it took.


    He did not believe that he could not take care of a little girl.


    Manager Li entered the vige and met Madam Yang.


    ¡°Madam, I want to ask you something,¡± Manager Li said with a smile.


    Madam Yang took a look at Manager Li¡¯s face full of p marks and took a few steps back. ¡°Ok. But are you trying to take advantage of me? Don¡¯te any closer!¡±


    Manager Li was a little speechless.


    He cursed her in his heart. ¡°Who the fuck do you think you are? Why don¡¯t you take a look at your wrinkled face? Who would like to take advantage of you?¡±


    ...


    But he had something on his mind and saw that Madam Yang was the kind of woman who would not say no to small benefits. So, he took out a tael of silver and said, ¡°Madam, I am trying to ask who makes tofu in your vige. Can you show me the way?¡±


    Madam Yang saw the silver and her eyes lit up. She reached out to grab it. ¡°There¡¯s nothing that I don¡¯t know here. I¡¯ll take you there.¡±


    Before Manager Li could react, the tael of silver was in Madam Yang¡¯s hand.


    Madam Yang bit it and stuffed it into her arms with a smile.


    Manager Li was speechless again.


    He almost spat a mouthful of blood.


    ¡°Come on, sir. I¡¯ll show you the way.¡± After Madam Yang got the silver, she looked especially pleased. ¡°You also want to buy tofu? It seems to me that you¡¯re one of those businessmen.¡±


    ¡°Well, I am indeed here to do business. If you can get the tofu recipe and sell it to me, I will give you this much,¡± Manager Li said and stretched out his hand.


    ¡°You mean 50 taels?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s 500 taels. How about that?¡±


    Madam Yang was insanely moved. But the next moment Zhao Chuchu¡¯s ferocious look appeared in her mind, her heart instantly skipped a beat.


    ...

 Chapter 164 - 164 Look Dumb

    164 Look Dumb


    500 taels of silver was indeed a lot, but she thought that she might not be able to live to spend it.


    Madam Yang dared not to mess with Zhao Chuchu again.


    After all, what happened to Niu Ziming and Zhao You¡¯s family had made it clear to her what she should do.


    But Madam Yang did not show her emotions.


    She just looked at Manager Li suspiciously. ¡°500 taels of silver and I sell the recipe to you? Then, why don¡¯t I learn how to make tofu and sell it myself? That way I can earn more than 500 taels. Sir, you think country people are stupid, right?¡±


    After saying that, Madam Yang made a move to leave.


    ¡°Wait, Madam.¡± Manager Li stopped her quickly. ¡°I see you look a bit like Zhao Chuchu. I wonder if you¡¯re rted.¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Madam Yang felt that Manager Li seemed a little dumb.


    She started to think of a way to convince him into giving her the money without telling him the recipe.


    Madam Yang secretly observed Manager Li, thinking about how to carry out her n.


    Manager Li was so eager to set up Zhao Chuchu that he didn¡¯t even notice Madam Yang¡¯s move.


    ¡°Are you Zhao Chuchu¡¯s grandmother?¡±


    Madam Yang didn¡¯t say anything.


    She thought Manager Li must be aplete stranger in the vige, or he wouldn¡¯t be asking these questions.


    Manager Li took Madam Yang¡¯s silence as a yes.


    He took out another tael of silver and said, ¡°Madam, think about the recipe. If you can¡¯t get me the recipe, why don¡¯t you take me to the tofu maker¡¯s house and negotiate with them? I¡¯ll pay you if you help me take care of this.¡±


    ¡°I can do that. Guitang is my nephew. You want to do business with him?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you got it.¡±


    Once he heard that Madam Yang and Zhao Guitang were close, he thought his n would work.


    ¡°Madam, if you can get your nephew to do business with me, you will get a lot of benefits.¡±


    Manager Li slipped the one tael of silver to Madam Yang.


    Madam Yang almost burst intoughter when she got two taels of silver for nothing.


    But she held back.


    She thought the fool could have given her more money.


    Also, since she did not do anything, she thought Zhao Chuchu would not give her a hard time.


    She would never say no to easy money like this.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not impossible. But I can¡¯t intervene in your business as a woman. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help you.¡± Madam Yang nced at Manager Li. ¡°Although my nephew grew up under my eyes, he has his family. I have no right to tell him what to do, do I?¡±


    Manager Li immediately got the message. He knew she wanted more money.


    He gritted his teeth and took out another five taels of silver. ¡°Please, Madam.¡±


    Madam Yang weighed the silver and led Manager Li to Zhao Guitang¡¯s house.


    ¡°Guitang, there is a gentleman who wants to do business with you. Why don¡¯t youe out and talk?¡± Madam Yang entered the courtyard of Zhao Guitang and shouted loudly.


    Zhao Guitang heard the sound and came out on crutches with Madam He.


    Seeing Manager Li beside Madam Yang, Zhao Guitang frowned. ¡°Auntie, what¡¯s this about?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I met this gentleman at the entrance of the vige and he said he wanted to do business with you. But I don¡¯t know anything about business. He asked me to do him a favor and I brought him here. The rest has nothing to do with me.¡± Madam Yang knew that Zhao Guitang was very obedient to Zhao Chuchu, so she didn¡¯t want to get involved.


    ¡°Guitang, don¡¯t rush to any conclusion yet. Listen to what this gentleman has to offer. If the offer is good, you can do business with him. I heard he wants a lot. He came here because he has seen Chuchu.¡±


    This was also part of Madam Yang¡¯s n. She was suggesting to Zhao Guitang that Zhao Chuchu¡¯s business had nothing to do with her.


    Manager Li had been checking out Zhao Guitang¡¯s yard. His attention fell on the stone mill in the shed, so he did not hear what Madam Yang said.


    After Madam Yang exined everything, she took off.


    Now that she got what she wanted, what happened to Zhao Guitang would have nothing to do with her!


    Even if Zhao Chuchu took issue with her, she knew she could justify herself.


    Madam He heard what Madam Yang really meant.


    Although she didn¡¯t like the fact that Madam Yang was so nosy, she could only deal with Manager Li.


    ¡°Would you like to buy tofu, sir?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll take all the tofu you have.¡± Manager Li regained his sense. When he saw Zhao Guitang was a cripple and that Madam He was a woman, the contempt in his eyes became obvious. ¡°I want a lot of tofu. We can talk about the price. I also have my own conditions¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, sir. We¡¯re not in the position to decide this. We work for people.¡± Zhao Chuchu said that if they got visitors, they should say that line. When Manager Li came, she immediately did so because she could tell that he was not easy to deal with.


    Manager Li was interrupted before he finished speaking and his face darkened. ¡°Madam, do you know how big a deal you¡¯re missing? I want the tofu that can be three times what you sell on a regr basis!¡±


    ¡°Well, just as I said, we can¡¯t make this deal ourselves. Also, we are already struggling with one day¡¯s volume. Too much is simply difficult to take care of,¡± Madam He patiently exined.


    She didn¡¯t care who he was.


    All her customers were nice and polite, except him.


    He was grumpy and arrogant as if he was more important than them.


    Because of the tofu business, Madam He got to meet more people than before and became much bolder. She was no longer a coward like she used to be.


    ¡°Do you know what you are talking about?¡± Manager Li flew into a rage. ¡°You should feel blessed that I¡¯m doing business with you. Otherwise, you¡¯re not in a position to do business with me. Look at your yard, the hygiene here should really be doubted. Howe people want toe here to buy your tofu?¡±


    ¡°No one is begging you to buy our tofu.¡± Zhao Guitang was furious. ¡°We may be operating in the countryside, but the tofu we make is hygienic. Since you think it¡¯s dirty, don¡¯t talk such nonsense and get out!¡±


    ¡°Outrageous, how dare you talk to me like that?¡±


    ...


    Zhao Guitang raised his cane. ¡°I¡¯ll beat the crap out of you! Who the fuck do you think you are?¡±


    Manager Li saw that Zhao Guitang looked like he was going to fight for his life, so he was scared and ran outside.


    ¡°Just wait, you punk. I¡¯ll make you regret it!¡± Manager Li ran out of the door before pointing at Zhao Guitang¡¯s nose and cursing, ¡°I already gave you a chance. Don¡¯t beg me to let you go by then!¡±


    ¡°How dare you say that? Are you in charge in Yuanjiang County?¡± a cold voice rang out behind Manager Li.


    He subconsciously turned around and met the dark and deep eyes of a teenager.


    It was clear that the teenager did not have any particr emotions, but Manager Li just felt an indescribable feeling of suffocation.


    The person who came was exactly Xie Heng.


    After Madam Yang took the silver and ran away, she was worried that Manager Li might take advantage of Zhao Guitang and that she might lose the 7 taels of silver in the end. So, she rushed to the Xie n. Then she told Xie Heng that Zhao Guitang was in trouble.


    Xie Heng originally did not want to pay attention to it, but he remembered that Zhao Chuchu had taken care of Zhao Guitang¡¯s family. So, he went over there just in time to hear Manager Li cursing Zhao Guitang.

 Chapter 165 - 165 She Is Delicate

    165 She Is Delicate


    Manager Li instinctively took a step back. ¡°Who¡­ who are you? What business did you have toe here? What I said is none of your business.¡±


    Xie Heng looked indifferent. He walked straight to Zhao Guitang¡¯s door and asked him from outside the door, ¡°Did this man try to go in and steal the tofu?¡±


    Zhao Guitang froze for a second. Madam He reacted right away and nodded vigorously. She said, ¡°Yes, he forced us to sell him the tofu at a low price!¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re trying to force your business on others. You¡¯vemitted a crime. So, we have every reason to bring you to the county office,¡± said Xie Heng as he nodded. ¡°Officer Qiao has been focusing on cracking down on this kind of crime. You¡¯ll be used as an example to everyone.¡±


    !!


    Although Manager Li was arrogant, he didn¡¯t dare to do anything when he saw Xie Heng who was dressed like a schr.


    ¡°You, don¡¯t talk nonsense. I didn¡¯t do anything!¡±


    ¡°But I heard it all. You threatened them by vowing that you would take revenge in the future. What does that say about you?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re bullshitting!¡±


    Manager Li was furious.


    ¡°How can you be so vicious at such a young age? Have you studied for nothing?¡±


    Xie Heng turned around and asked the vigers he had called over, ¡°Uncles, did you hear what he just said? Did he call us good-for-nothings?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes. We heard him. He was belittling all schrs!¡±


    ¡°Who is the man? What is he doing in our vige?¡±


    ¡°He must be trying to rob the tofu recipe of Guitang¡¯s family after seeing that he is a crippled man. Let¡¯s arrest him and send him to the county office so that the officer can seek justice for us!¡±


    Manager Li almost spit out a mouthful of blood.


    It didn¡¯t ur to him that the teenager was so overbearing.


    He was cursing only him, but it incurred anger from all the schrs.


    ¡°You, you¡­¡±


    ¡°Take him down.¡±


    Hearing Xie Heng¡¯s indifferent words, the vigers immediately came forward and tied Manager Li while he was lying on the ground.


    Manager Li broke into curses.


    Xie Hengughed gently and said, ¡°This is a stupid person.¡±


    But when the vigers wanted to send Manager Li to the county office, Manager Li panicked.


    ¡°I was just angry because I couldn¡¯t buy tofu. I didn¡¯t really want to do it. Aren¡¯t you guys going too far? If you don¡¯t send me to the county office, I will agree to any condition you have!¡±


    Xie Heng asked, ¡°Tell me who you are?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the manager of the Shiyang County branch of Visitor¡¯s Aroma. I came here to buy tofu, but I didn¡¯t know that they had to lie to me and say they couldn¡¯t make the decision. I have every reason to be angry when they told lies on purpose, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°They didn¡¯t tell lies. This tofu business belongs to my wife. They are only working for her. Of course, they cannot make the decision. If you really want to do business as an honest person, at least ask around before you do it. It¡¯s better to ask me than to ask them.¡±


    Manager Li¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°What do you mean? You can make the decision?¡±


    ¡°Chuchu is my wife. Why can¡¯t I make the decision?¡±


    Manager Li was speechless and shocked.


    He wondered why nobody told him that Xie Heng¡¯s eyes had been cured.


    He became flustered.


    ¡°Oh, well¡­ So, you are Schr Xie?¡± Even after knowing that it was true, Manager Li still tried to verify his guess, hoping that the teenager in front of him was not Xie Heng.


    Xie Heng¡¯s name as a prodigy was popr in Shiyang County.


    He was not afraid of Xie Heng when he was blind because he knew there was little he could do.


    But now that he regained his vision, he was not someone he could mess with!


    ¡°Yes.¡± Xie Heng nodded his head, taking Manager Li back to reality.


    Manager Li was sweating.


    ¡°Schr Xie, it¡¯s all a misunderstanding¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a misunderstanding,¡± Xie Heng interrupted him.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen it with my own eyes and heard it with my own ears.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°Chuchu was originally doing business with Visitor¡¯s Aroma in Yuanjiang County. Your branch crossed over to Yuanjiang County and came straight to their shop. So, I guess you must have hit a little bit of a roadblock at the Yuanjiang County branch, right?¡±


    Manager Li stammered, but Xie Heng got the answer on the first guess.


    ¡°Chuchu is also in the county. Haven¡¯t you seen Chuchu?¡±


    Manager Li started to wipe his sweat.


    ¡°Well, it looks like you have seen her and been impolite to her.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Your nature is such that you despise people. If you were kind, why would youe to Lengshui Vige?¡±


    ¡°Schr Xie¡­¡±


    ¡°Since you were rude to Chuchu, I don¡¯t need to be nice to you. After all, people who don¡¯t show respect to my wife don¡¯t deserve my respect,¡± Xie Heng said indifferently. ¡°What you said about schrs is also unforgivable.¡±


    ¡°Schr Xie, I know I¡¯m wrong. Please let me off the hook this time. I promise I won¡¯t do it next time.¡±


    ¡°You still want to have the next time?¡±


    ...


    ¡°Can I pay you so that you¡¯ll let me go? But please don¡¯t take this any further.¡±


    ¡°That is not necessary, otherwise, we¡¯ll be no different than you. How about this? You write a guarantee for everyone.¡±


    Everyone was puzzled. They thought Xie Heng was going to send Manager Li to the county office.


    ¡°Howe he doesn¡¯t want the silver but wants a guarantee?¡± they thought.


    ¡°What? What guarantee?¡±


    ¡°Promise that you will note and steal the tofu recipe, otherwise, pay my wife 5,000 taels of silver.¡±


    Manager Li was furious.


    ¡°Is this a guarantee?¡±


    ¡°This is a trap!¡±


    ¡°If someone other than Zhao Chuchu made the tofu, could it be said that he stole the recipe and found someone to make it?¡± he thought.


    ¡°You, that¡¯s outrageous!¡± Manager Li shouted. ¡°What if someone else did it? I¡¯m still responsible?¡±


    ...


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty much what I mean,¡± Xie Heng admitted frankly as he nodded. ¡°If you don¡¯t write, we can go to the county office, but after today, I don¡¯t know if your boss will continue to have you as his employee.¡±


    Manager Li was speechless.


    He thought he was already very shameless.


    He didn¡¯t expect Xie Heng to be more so.


    He found such harsh conditions unbearable.


    ¡°Have you made up your mind?¡± Xie Heng urged Manager Li a momentter.


    Manager Li gritted his teeth as he said, ¡°ording to what you said, I¡¯m screwed either way, right?¡±


    ¡°You should have thought of this before you spoke out against my wife.¡± Xie Hengughed lightly. ¡°Unfortunately, I am very protective of my wife. I can¡¯t stand anyone speaking ill of her.¡±


    Manager Li was furious and pointed at his own face. ¡°Look, take a good look. What has your wife suffered? I am the one who has suffered.¡±


    ¡°Are you out of your mind? He is the one who was beaten. What do you mean Zhao Chuchu has suffered?¡± the onlookers said in their minds.


    ¡°She is usually kind to people. She can¡¯t even bear to kill an aunt, so she must have been hurt a lot before pping a man like you. She only looks strong on the surface, but she is very delicate deep down.¡±


    The onlookers were almost speechless


    ¡°Da Lang, don¡¯t talk nonsense. We can¡¯t take it anymore,¡± they thought.


    If Chuchu was delicate, they could be said to be very fragile.


    But they only dared toin secretly in their mind.


    Xie Heng wanted to seek justice for Zhao Chuchu, so they wouldn¡¯t intervene.


    Manager Li almost fainted in anger.


    He had never seen such a shameless schr!

 Chapter 166 - 166 Is God Blind?

    166 Is God Blind?


    ¡°You¡­ you¡­¡±


    Manager Li was too angry to finish his sentence.


    At that moment, he knew schrs were the most shameless people.


    Xie Heng smiled. He looked kind, but the words he said suggested otherwise. ¡°Well, does Manager Li also agree to my suggestion? Then, write a guarantee, or else I¡¯ll do something even more outrageous when I feel sorry for my wife. For example, I might hit you to avenge her.¡±


    !!


    ¡°Hit me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and all of my uncles here will also help me. After all, they also love Chuchu and don¡¯t want to let Chuchu suffer.¡±


    Manager Li only felt that today was the most miserable day in his life.


    He found Xie Heng so shameless.


    ¡°How could he say something like a group fight as if he has been wronged and wants to take it out on me? How shameless!¡± he thought.


    Manager Li was frustrated.


    He used to look down on schrs, thinking that they were poor and stingy.


    But right now, he understood that schrs were the worst because they could be really sarcastic and destructive with their speech.


    ¡°Am I right?¡± Xie Heng asked as he looked at the people of Lengshui Vige.


    The vigers nodded their heads and said, ¡°Sure. Chuchu has treated us so well. How can we let her suffer? Anyone who bullies Chuchu is bullying us, so we can¡¯t let him go.¡±


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t be afraid if your legs are broken. Chuchu can cure you,¡± Xie Heng reminded kindly.


    Manager Li was speechless again.


    He was not stupid to know that they were trying to break his leg.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll write,¡± Manager Li said, gritting his teeth as he tried to suppress his anger.


    He knew that the most important thing was to get out of there.


    Otherwise, if he couldn¡¯t get away, there was no telling what would happen.


    If Zhao Chuchu came back and made things worse, he might end up even worse.


    Manager Li knew how to read and write. So, he wrote down Xie Heng¡¯s request word by word as Xie Heng had said and finally wrote his name and put his fingerprints on it.


    Xie Heng took the guarantee and smiled. ¡°Manager Li is a man of his word. I believe Manager Li doesn¡¯t want to try and have his leg broken and repaired, right?¡±


    ¡°What else do you want?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s supposed to be a reminder for you. If it was someone else, you would also take the me. After all, you are the only one who ran to Lengshui Vige to cause trouble here.¡±


    If Manager Li was a martial arts practitioner, he would have made Xie Heng know what it was like to have his leg broken.


    ¡°How could a blind man be cured of his eyes?¡± he said to himself.


    ¡°Is God blind?¡± he thought.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. As long as you stoping here, we will forget what happened today.¡± Manager Li swallowed his anger. ¡°Schr Xie, please keep your word. Although I¡¯m just a small manager, I have my own connections in the county.¡±


    Xie Heng folded up the ink-dried guarantee and put it away. He then looked at Manager Li. ¡°This request depends on how Manager Li intends to treat us.¡±


    Manager Li felt that if he stayed any longer, he would sooner orter die of anger.


    ¡°How could there be such a shameless schr?¡± he said in his mind.


    ¡°That¡¯s really outrageous!¡± he cursed inwardly.


    Manager Li didn¡¯t want to dwell on it anymore and almost ran out of Lengshui Vige as if he was running away.


    ¡°Idiot, why didn¡¯t youe in and find me when I was taking so long?¡± Manager Li didn¡¯t dare to be angry with Xie Heng, so he could only vent his anger on the driver.


    The driver said sarcastically, ¡°I thought you told me not to follow you in? I thought your business was going quite well, so I didn¡¯t go in and disturb you.¡±


    Manager Li was furious and kicked up. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s the use of hiring a man like you. All you know is eat.¡±


    The coachman was aggrieved and muttered in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s not my fault if I eat a lot. How can I work if I don¡¯t eat enough?¡±


    Manager Li was speechless.


    ¡°Fuck it!¡±


    He decided he would nevere back to Lengshui Vige for a second time!


    Both young and old people in the vige were fully capable of messing him up.


    After Manager Li left, Niu Tongsheng asked Xie Heng, ¡°Da Lang, that person is really Visitor¡¯s Aroma¡¯s manager in Shiyang County Branch? What if he cooperates with Manager Lin?¡±


    He was worried after seeing that tofu skins had been made and hoping that the tofu skins workshop could be set up sooner so that everyone in the vige could have an extra source of ie.


    But he didn¡¯t expect to have offended a manager.


    ¡°If that were true, he would not havee here himself. Don¡¯t worry, chief. Manager Li is certainly not dealing with Manager Lin,¡± Xie Hengforted Niu Tongsheng. ¡°Don¡¯t think too much. If there is nothing else, I will go back first.¡±


    ¡°Da Lang, thank you so much today,¡± Zhao Guitang said.


    Xie Heng shook his head as he said, ¡°No problem. This is also Chuchu¡¯s business. It¡¯s only natural for me to help her.¡±


    ¡°Thank god you are here. Otherwise, I don¡¯t know what to do,¡± said Zhao Guitang as he scratched his head.


    Now that he thought about his action of kicking people out, he felt that he was too bold. He could have been polite.


    Xie Heng could see what Zhao Guitang was thinking.


    He said, ¡°You can¡¯t reason with anyone. Manager Li is used to bullying others. He will show no respect to people he despises. You just did a good job.¡±


    Zhao Guitang smiled and sighed in relief. ¡°I was really afraid that you would me me.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ...


    ¡°Then, it¡¯s good. Da Lang, that¡¯s all I wish to know. You can go back first. Don¡¯t dy your study.¡±


    Xie Heng nodded. He then spoke to the crowd and went home with the guarantee in his pocket.


    At this moment, Madam Yang was hiding in the house, afraid that Xie Heng woulde and ask for the seven taels of silver back.


    She had earned the silver after going through a lot of trouble, so she couldn¡¯t just lose it.


    Madam Yang kissed the silver, put it in the silver jar, and buried it under the bed. Only then did she feel morefortable.


    ¡°I wonder if that idiot wille back to Lengshui Vige again,¡± she said to herself.


    ¡°It would be nice to have more opportunities to earn money like this.¡±


    Madam Yang was talking to herself with great anticipation.


    She didn¡¯t give Zhao Chuchu any trouble. Even if she hadn¡¯t brought him there, the fool would have asked someone else.


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t know what had happened at Lengshui Vige.


    After Manager Li left, she took tofu skins and followed Manager Lin to the back kitchen. She then told the cooks how to make tofu skins be delicious.


    ...


    Manager Lin tasted it and decided to order the tofu skins on the spot.


    ¡°Chuchu, didn¡¯t you say these tofu skins can still be fried again before cooking? I¡¯ll take whatever you make now.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t even ask the price?¡±


    ¡°I believe you will not take advantage of me.¡±


    ¡°Tofu skins cost 90 cents a kilogram.¡±


    ¡°The same condition as before, you can¡¯t give a lot to others!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t promise you this because I intend to run a workshop so that the vige people also have an extra source of ie.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡±


    ¡°Manager, I sell tofu skins to you together with the recipe. You can not ask too much,¡± said Zhao Chuchu. Her eyebrows were slightly raised. She had no problem giving away the recipe because they were regr dishes.


    Manager Lin thought about it and found it reasonable because he was the only one with the recipe other than Zhao Chuchu.

 Chapter 167 - 167 Who Are You to Have Me Waiting for You

    167 Who Are You to Have Me Waiting for You


    ¡°Okay, deal. I can¡¯t wait for them to try the new dishes, Chuchu. You have to hurry up with it.¡± Manager Lin urged Zhao Chuchu, ¡°The tofu skins are my priority now.¡±


    Manager Lin had already thought this through. Tofu skins were easy to keep, so he could talk to the proprietor and send those tofu skins to the general store in the city.


    There were too many restaurants in the government city that had been running for many years. Visitor¡¯s Aroma was not very popr there.


    Although the business had improved recently because of tofu, the tofu could not be stored for too long, especially when the day was hot. It couldn¡¯t even be stored overnight.


    !!


    ¡°This is not urgent, but we can do it first. Still, this is not arge volume.¡± Zhao Chuchu said to Manager Lin, ¡°You¡¯ll have to wait.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Anyway, if you have good stuff in the future, feel free to bring them to me,¡± said Manager Lin with a smile. After a pause, he asked Zhao Chuchu, ¡°Chuchu, is there any other way to store tofu for a longer period of time? I want to send it to the city. If you can figure out a way to make this happen, they¡¯ll ce a very big order.¡±


    When Zhao Chuchu thought that it would take a day and a night to go from Yuanjiang County to the capital without sleeping, she sighed deeply at the inconvenience of transportation.


    If there was a car, she would have arrived there in two to three hours.


    Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t suppress her excitement anymore.


    She decided to put tofu in the space, which also came with the delivery function. She believed this was a perfect n.


    There was enough gasoline in her space for the car to do its service.


    But Zhao Chuchu just thought about it and did not n to do it now.


    ¡°It is possible to store it for a few more days by using the ice.¡± Zhao Chuchu looked at Manager Lin. ¡°But do you have ice?¡±


    ¡°Ice? How can we use that? If we use ice, how much would it cost? No, no.¡± Manager Lin shook his head.


    Zhao Chuchu smiled mysteriously. ¡°Manager Lin, I¡¯ll sell you ice. Do you want it?¡±


    ¡°You have ice?¡± Manager Lin was full of doubt. ¡°I haven¡¯t heard that Lengshui Vige has an ice cer.¡±


    In ancient times, ice was chiseled down in winter and stored in the ice cer. It was taken out in the summer, but thebor cost was high and the loss was huge.


    ¡°Uh-huh. We won¡¯t use that, but I can make ice.¡±


    She had aquatic power, so it was easy for her to make ice.


    She was also equipped with niter, which was essential for time travel.


    But Zhao Chuchu did not know if she could find arge amount of niter in this world. Otherwise, it would be in vain.


    Zhao Chuchu asked, ¡°Does Manager Lin know the method of making ice?¡±


    ¡°Unheard of.¡± Manager Lin¡¯s eyebrows knitted slightly. ¡°Chuchu, please don¡¯t joke here!¡±


    ¡°No, no, if you want ice, then I will sell it to you. How about this? If you want to send tofu to the capital every day, you¡¯ll give me three taels of silver for each trip. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Three taels?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Is it too expensive?¡±


    ¡°I can reduce it to one tael.¡±


    ¡°Ice is just processed water,¡± she thought.


    ¡°Chuchu, let¡¯s be serious. Don¡¯t make a joke, please.¡± Manager Lin hurriedly said, ¡°Three taels, that¡¯s what you said.¡±


    In the capital, two pieces of ice that had the size of a brick cost one tael of silver. From Yuanjiang County to the capital, at least 10 pieces of ice must be prepared, especially in the summertime. Selling two bricks of ice for three taels of silver sounded ridiculous.


    ¡°If you keep suspecting me, how can we work together?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, I¡¯m just kidding with you. Chuchu, when will you let me see the ice?¡±


    ¡°When I get back to Lengshui Vige, but it will take some time.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Then, we¡¯ll wait for your good news.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu nodded her head.


    In fact, she used her power to make ice, but there were many people there. So, she decided it was better to keep it private.


    When Zhao Chuchu came out, she said to Niu An, ¡°You can go back and try to make tofu skins. Don¡¯t be afraid. Feel free to try until you make it. If you want soybeans, go to Da Lang and let Da Lang give you the bill. We¡¯ll clear the bill when the timees.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay!¡± Niu An smiled brightly. ¡°Chuchu, the tofu business is settled, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Manager Lin wants it, and the amount will not be small. Why don¡¯t you go back and do your job? By the way, the brother of Grandma Chen¡¯s mother can make stone mills, so you should order one first.¡±


    Niu An hurriedly wrote it down.


    Zhao Chuchu then told Niu An to go back to Lengshui Vige first.


    She went to the Gan n.


    Od Mrs. Gan¡¯s body was recovering quite fast due to her acupuncture and supernatural power, and at the moment, she was able to walk on the ground.


    In a few days, she would be able to go back to Lengshui Vige.


    Zhao Chuchu thought so and walked in the direction of the Gan n.


    When she returned to the Gan n, Zhao Chuchu found that the Gan n seemed to have a guest.


    Madam Luo came out of the hall and rushed to greet Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°Chuchu, almost everyone knows that you have cured my mother, and someone came to my door to ask you to treat their paralyzed olddy.¡± Madam said under her breath, ¡°We didn¡¯t say yes. We said that we would have to wait until youe back.¡±


    Madam Luo was not such a talkative person. Zhao Chuchu quickly understood what she meant and asked in a low voice, ¡°That n is a pain in the ass?¡±


    Madam winked, indicating that Zhao Chuchu was right.


    Zhao Chuchu raised her eyebrows slightly.


    ¡°Which n?¡±


    Madam Luo touched her gold earrings.


    ...


    ¡°The Jin n?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu understood.


    The Jin n was a bigndlord in Yuanjiang County, and the Jin n had a reputation for forcing tenant farmers to give their daughters to pay off their debts and forcing them to die.


    The head of the Jin n was a provincial graduate. Ordinary people could not afford to mess with him.


    ¡°Chuchu, you have to be careful.¡± Madam Luo was worried.


    Zhao Chuchu patted her hand, signaling her to put her mind at ease.


    Only then did Madam Luo lead Zhao Chuchu to step into the hall.


    There was a woman dressed like a mammy sitting in the hall.


    When Zhao Chuchu entered the door, she nced at Zhao Chuchu with nted eyes. She looked rather arrogant and contemptuous.


    ¡°Mammy, this is Mrs. Xie,¡± Madam Luo said politely.


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, who are you to have me waiting for you here?¡± The woman snorted, ¡°People would have thought you are some nobledy, but you¡¯re just a country woman. Who do you think you are?¡±


    ...


    Zhao Chuchuughed. ¡°And who do you think you are? What makes you think you can be so rude in the house of other people? I really wonder if your master has taught you any manners.¡±


    ¡°Shut up. What did you just say?¡± The woman thumped the table and stood up in anger. ¡°Do you know who I am?¡±


    ¡°Look at your dress. You are a servant, right? A servant is a ve, and I have a noble descent. Do I have to look up to you, a servant? Is this how your master¡¯s family spoils a spiteful ve like you?¡±


    ¡°You, you¡­¡± The woman was quite an honorable and decent figure in her master¡¯s family, but she never thought that she would be dissed like this. She had never gone through this before. She pointed at Zhao Chuchu and said through gritted teeth, ¡°Little bitch, I¡¯ll teach you a lesson today so that you¡¯ll know your ce!¡±

 Chapter 168 - 168 Who Is There?

    168 Who Is There?


    Madam Luo quickly said, ¡°Mammy, Mrs. Xie was busy. You are only here for about a quarter of an hour. I suppose it¡¯s not a very long time to wait. Besides, Mrs. Xie didn¡¯t know who was looking for her, so she could decide when she would like to return, right? How can you be so unreasonable?¡±


    ¡°Madam, do you know what you are talking about? I am the mammy of the Jin n. The Jin n is an honorable family in Yuanjiang County. You¡¯re not in a position to talk to me like that. Do you want to be our enemies?¡± The woman¡¯s face was indignant, not taking what Madam Luo said seriously at all.


    ¡°Little bitch, you should feel lucky that the Jin n has invited you! Don¡¯t go over the line. Apologize now and you shall be forgiven.¡± The woman stared at Zhao Chuchu viciously.


    Zhao Chuchuughed. ¡°What? The Jin n is a bully? It¡¯s my freedom to give medical treatment to whomever I want. Nobody can tell me what to do. Furthermore, what makes you think you can talk to me like that? You¡¯re just a servant. Why don¡¯t you go back and stay in your room instead of taking out your insecurities on me.¡±


    !!


    ¡°You, you¡­ I have to teach you a good lesson today, you bitch.¡± The woman was furious. She got up and tried to hit Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu turned sideways and dodged her attack. She then extended her foot to trip the woman.


    The woman was caught off guard and fell hard.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    She screamed out loud.


    She fell with a thump, making Madam Luo grimace.


    Zhao Chuchu stomped on her back. ¡°Who the fuck are you? How can you be so arrogant when you¡¯re begging me? You¡¯re just a servant. What makes you think you can put on an attitude in front of me?¡±


    Then, Zhao Chuchu stepped a little harder and the woman screamed again.


    Zhao Chuchu turned her over and looked down at her from above. ¡°Will you do it again?¡±


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu, if you hit me today, you are hitting the Jin n, and I want you to regret it!¡± the woman yelled at Zhao Chuchu. She was still tough.


    Zhao Chuchu looked at Madam Luo. ¡°Where is the Jin n? Take me there.¡±


    The woman thought that Zhao Chuchu was afraid andughed coldly. ¡°Are you afraid now? Just wait. I swear you will regret it.¡±


    Madam Luo did not know what Zhao Chuchu was going to do, but she was still worried. ¡°Chuchu, the Jin n¡­¡±


    She shook her head secretly, signaling Zhao Chuchu not to run to the Jin n to mess things up.


    Zhao Chuchu smiled. ¡°Even if I¡¯m nice, there are always people who want to make trouble. Since the Jin n will not discipline their servants, I feel like it is only reasonable for me to talk to them to do so. Right now, they are the ones begging me, not me begging the Jin n to do anything.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°You just need to tell me where the Jin n is. I can go there myself.¡±


    ¡°Forget it. I¡¯ll take you there.¡±


    Madam Luo thought at least she was still the General¡¯s daughter-inw and that the Jin n would do her a favor and talk some sense into the woman.


    Zhao Chuchu picked up the woman, carried her on her shoulder, and followed Madam Luo to the Jin n.


    Originally, she wanted to drag the woman over like a dead dog.


    But she was worried that she might kill her because she was old.


    ¡°Put me down!¡± The woman had been carried into the room by her husband like that when she was young. But now, at her age, she was carried along the streets by a woman. So, she felt extremely ashamed.


    ¡°You¡¯d better behave yourself, or I¡¯ll strip you of your clothes and let you wander through the streets,¡± Zhao Chuchu threatened coldly.


    The woman did not dare to say anything.


    The Jin n was just three blocks away from the Gan n, not far but not close either.


    As andlord, the Jin n¡¯s mansion was muchrger than the Gan n¡¯s.


    The apple doesn¡¯t fall far from the tree.


    The Jin n¡¯s doorkeeper was just as arrogant.


    ¡°Who are you? You can¡¯t just enter the Jin n without a pass.¡± The person held his nose high. ¡°Go, get out of here. I don¡¯t remember seeing you before. You must be one of those poor rtives of the Jin n. How shameless!¡±


    Madam Luo¡¯s face darkened. ¡°I am Mrs. Gan, not some poor rtive of the Jin n.¡±


    The doorkeeper heard her, and only then did he take a proper look at Madam Luo.


    At that moment, he recognized her and quickly put on a smile. ¡°So, you¡¯re Mrs. Gan. I apologize. I must be tripping. Mrs. Gan, it¡¯s my fault. Please forgive me.¡±


    ¡°Then, let us in,¡± Madam Luo said in a cold voice.


    The doorkeeper smiled and said, ¡°Of course, Mrs. Gan can go in, but I¡¯m afraid this one here will not be allowed inside. The Jin n doesn¡¯t have any rtives in the countryside. The madam hasn¡¯t been in a good mood recently. Please don¡¯t make things difficult for me.¡±


    His words toward Zhao Chuchu were full of contempt.


    ¡°And one more thing, the madam is the least fond of the kind of vulgar woman. Although I don¡¯t know why Mrs. Gan brought such a person, I have to advise Mrs. Gan out of hanging out with such people. It¡¯s not good for Mrs. Gan¡¯s reputation.¡±


    ¡°This is the Jin n¡¯s way of treating guests, huh? First, you let an unreasonable servant invite me, then you let an ungrateful doorkeeper stop me. It seems that you don¡¯t need any doctors. Fine, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu put the mammy down on the ground, turned around, and walked away.


    ¡°She is Zhao Chuchu,¡± said the woman, whose mouth had just been gagged. She hurriedly said to the doorkeeper, ¡°Don¡¯t let her go.¡±


    When she entered the Jin n, she decided that she would teach Zhao Chuchu a good lesson.


    The doorkeeper froze for a moment beforeing back to his senses. He then hurriedly stepped forward to stop Zhao Chuchu. ¡°Since you are the doctor, hurry up and get inside. Don¡¯t keep the madam waiting.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu looked at the doorkeeper and smiled. ¡°Do I look like a pushover to you?¡±


    The doorkeeper didn¡¯t know why he got a chill in his heart when he met Zhao Chuchu¡¯s eyes and instinctively took a step back. ¡°Now that the Jin n invited you, you should feel lucky. Don¡¯t turn us down, or you will end up miserable. You¡¯re just a doctor, aren¡¯t you? Who do you think you are?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu looked at Madam Luo. ¡°Auntie, as you can see, it¡¯s the Jin n who doesn¡¯t want to show any respect!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu kicked the doorkeeper.


    The doorkeeper flew out sideways and hit the Jin n¡¯s door so hard that it actually broke the Jin n¡¯s door.


    He fell to the ground and couldn¡¯t get up for long.


    The hugemotion caused the Jin n¡¯s guards to rush out.


    ¡°Who is there?¡±


    ...


    Zhao Chuchu looked at the people who surrounded her. She decided that she would do something to intimidate them.


    Otherwise, people would think of her as a pushover ande to take advantage of her in the future.


    ¡°Very good. That¡¯s how you treat your guests as an honorable n. You¡¯re asking me for help, but you sent someone unreasonable to deal with me!¡± Sheughed. ¡°Since you¡¯re being unreasonable, I think I¡¯ll knock some sense into you so that you¡¯ll know better.¡±


    Before Madam Luo could even see what was going on, the Jin n¡¯s guards were beaten to the ground. Meanwhile, Zhao Chuchu was standing in the middle while slowly pulling back her fist.


    ¡°Where is the master of the Jin n?¡± Zhao Chuchu¡¯s words were like ice. ¡°Do you think you get to take advantage of me just because I¡¯m a woman and a schr¡¯s wife? Do you think you can call me names?¡±

 Chapter 169 - 169 Causes

    169 Causes


    The Jin family¡¯s wife, surrounded by people in front and behind, camete.


    Her face darkened immediately when she saw the courtyard guards and the broken gate in the front yard.


    ¡°Where is this shrew from? How dare you make trouble in my Jin family? I¡¯ll take her down and send her to the magistrate¡¯s office so that the magistrate can do justice to the Jin family!¡±


    ¡°I also want to ask if the Jin family can do whatever they want. They were not only forcing me toe to the Jin family, but they also scolded and beat me as soon as I walked through the door. This is the way an educated family treats its guests? This is something new.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu met Mrs. Jin¡¯s gloomy gaze with an indifferent expression.


    ¡°You shrew, you¡¯ve hurt my Jin family¡¯s subordinate, and you me us for it. You¡¯re just being rude now.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Jin, you ordered your men people to humiliate me in every way, and you confuse right and wrong!¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Mrs. Jin was so angry that she fell backward.


    Her husband was a sessful candidate. Even the county magistrate was courteous around him. She was a dignified person in Yuanjiang County. No one dared to disrespect her.


    But now she was scolded by a small vige girl pointing at her. How was she going to just let that go?


    Madam Luo was afraid that this matter would not end well, so she quietly advised Zhao Chuchu not to make too much of a fuss.


    The other party was a sessful candidate in the imperial examinations at the provincial level and already qualified to be an official, so it was better not to make too much trouble with them.


    But in Zhao Chuchu¡¯s dictionary, there was no such word as forbearance.


    Especially after surviving in thest world for so long. Just six months after rebirth was not enough to change her temper at all. In that cannibalistic world, tolerance meant death!


    The Jin family condoned their underlings to treating her like this. It wouldn¡¯t be Zhao Chuchu if she just tolerated it and did nothing.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always been reasonable, but when I meet someone unreasonable, I can only use my fists to talk to them! Mrs. Jin, I have no hatred for you, yet you let your subordinates humiliate me in every way.


    Zhao Chuchu spat out words like ice and looked at Mrs. Jin with extra cold eyes.


    ¡°Today, the Jin family treats me like this, the Zhang family would do the same tomorrow, and then it would be the Li four family following your examples¡­ Do I owe you guys or something? Since you are asking me for a favor, then show the attitude of someone asking for a favor, don¡¯t be condescending! Your family has a schr, people who do not know also think that your family has a bully, so rude and unreasonable, simply degrading.¡±


    Mrs. Jin¡¯s face was dark. ¡°Bitch, shut up. Who are you to curse here? Let me tell you, the old man of our family is still a schr. He has merit. And you? You¡¯re just a blind schr¡¯s wife who thinks she¡¯s a schr! ¡°¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, if you don¡¯t kneel and apologize to the Jin family in front of the neighbors today, I will definitely not let this go so easily. It would be easy to take care of a puny schr. Zhao Chuchu, don¡¯t think too highly of yourself just because you have good medicine skills.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true, I can live if I don¡¯t pass the exam, but you will die if you are sick and no one treats you!¡± Zhao Chuchu snickered. ¡°Since Mrs. Jin has such a big mouth, then I also put the words here, from now on, you¡¯d better pray that people of the Jin family will be healthy from now on. I hope you won¡¯t need toe and beg me.¡±


    ¡°You dare to threaten me?¡±


    ¡°Just telling the truth. Can¡¯t you stand it, Mrs. Jin? That¡¯s not good. Many things can upset you in the future!¡±


    ¡°Bitch¡­¡±


    p!


    Zhao Chuchu picked up a shoe on the ground and kicked it over. Itnded right on Mrs. Jin¡¯s face.


    She hated it when people called her a bitch at every turn!


    The Jin family had been looking for trouble from the beginning.


    Mrs. Jin covered her hot face and looked at Zhao Chuchu incredulously. ¡°How dare you hit me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s to remind you not to have such a dirty mouth, lest word gets out and let people know that Schr Jin has such a wife who calls other people sluts all the time. It¡¯s an insult to Schr Jin.¡± Zhao Chuchu sped her hands to her chest.


    Mrs. Jin was furious.


    ¡°Take that little bitch down, strip her naked, and throw her out on the streets, so that people know she is a bitch who can be any man¡¯s wife. She came to my house for a good reason to make trouble. Didn¡¯t she want to seduce Schr Jin? I think I know what bitches like you are up to,¡± she cursed.


    Her dignity and manners no longer existed. She was just like a shrew.


    The mothers and maids swarmed over her.


    Madam Luo¡¯s face changed dramatically.


    Zhao Chuchu shielded Madam Luo behind her.


    ¡°Auntie, now do you see how rude the Jin family is? They not only forced the doctor toe over to treat them, but they also kept humiliating the doctor, and now they want to force even the doctor to die. I ask myself that I have not offended the Jin family, but now it is the Jin family that wants my life,¡± Zhao Chuchu said very loudly.


    The aggrieved tone of her voice made her sound very pitiful.


    The neighbors who heard the sound and came to watch the scene all stretched their necks to look at the door and saw the Jin family¡¯s servants pouncing on Zhao Chuchu.


    At the same time, the sound of neat and mighty footsteps came running towards the Jin family.


    The people outside took a look. It was actually the people from Thousand Battalion.


    And the leader on horseback was none other than General Gan.


    ¡°Stop. What are you doing?¡± When Gan Maosheng reached the door, he turned around, dismounted from his horse, and entered with a stern voice. ¡°How dare people of the Jin family bully others in broad daylight?¡±


    When Mrs. Jin saw that it was Gan Maosheng, her face changed dramatically.


    But she thought highly of herself because her husband was a schr, so she didn¡¯t really see Gan Maosheng as an equal.


    She snorted coldly. ¡°General Gan, you¡¯re here just in time to see how your good daughter-inw brought a shrew to my Jin family to cause trouble. And hurt so many people in the Jin family! If you don¡¯t give me an exnation, I¡¯ll have to ask my husband to find someone to get justice!¡±


    After looking at Zhao Chuchu to ensure she hadn¡¯t suffered any losses, he looked coldly at Mrs. Jin. ¡°Mrs. Jin, your words really don¡¯t make sense, your subordinates are indeed bossy in my family, and I think they are even more so in the Jin family!


    I would also like to ask Mr. Jin what kind of exnation I should get for the Jin family¡¯s underlingsing to my Gan family and causing trouble. Mrs. Jin, don¡¯t forget that Mrs. Xie is the one who is credited with quelling the gue. You are no match for the divine doctor!¡±


    Gan Maosheng did not even give Mrs. Jin any face and just scolded her back.


    There were countless schrs in the Wei Dynasty. This Jin guy was just one of them.


    He was also more than fifty years old this year and had long lost the motivation to improve. He would meet friends or discuss life with his girlfriends all year round. It was impossible for him to go further!


    But the divine doctor was different. Only one would appear after so many years! They were way more valuable than schrs.


    As a general, Gan Maosheng felt he did not need to give the Jin family face.


    ...


    Zhao Chuchu was his life-saving benefactor. No one was allowed to make Zhao Chuchu suffer in Yuanjiang County.


    ¡°Gan Maosheng, how dare you?¡± Mrs. Jin was furious, pointing at Gan Maosheng¡¯s nose, and scolded, ¡°You¡¯re just a martial artist. You¡¯re not even qualified to carry my husband¡¯s shoes.¡±

 Chapter 170 - 170 The Blacklist

    170 The cklist


    When Zhao Chuchu heard this, she almostughed.


    Schrs only had the qualifications to be an official. That didn¡¯t mean they were already an official.


    Imperial City had so many schrs waiting to be awarded, and Schr Jin was not a natural talent. Even if a candidate were to be awarded, it wouldn¡¯t be his turn.


    Mrs. Jin was really a frog at the bottom of the well. She thought her husband was someone who could dominate Yuanjiang County. She dared point at the court official of Thousand Battalion and scold him. It was really courageous. Zhao Chuchu wanted to apud her.


    !!


    ¡°Insulting the court official, men, take her down and punish her with ten boards.¡± Gan Maosheng was here to support Zhao Chuchu.


    Mrs. Jin gave him the perfect reason to do so.


    ¡°How dare you?¡± Mrs. Jin shrieked. ¡°I am the wife of Schr Jin.¡±


    ¡°Then I am a Level 5 ranking official of the court. What are you, a mere schr?¡± Gan Maoshengughed coldly.


    He waved his hand and ordered the armor bearers to rush forward, dragged Mrs. Jin to the side, pressed her to the ground, and directly beat her with a board.


    Mrs. Jin had never been treated like this before!


    She screamed loudly and miserably.


    The people of the Jin family were silent and didn¡¯t daree forward to plead for mercy. They were afraid that they would be the next to be beaten.


    After the ten strokes, Mrs. Jin, who had always been pampered, could not even stand up.


    When he received the news, Schr Jin hurried home and found his home in a mess. He reacted exactly the same as Mrs. Jin and immediately questioned Gan Maosheng. ¡°What is the meaning of this, General Gan? I am at least a schr. How dare you beat up members of the Jin family?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, you can sue me in Fu City,¡± Gan Maosheng said coldly. ¡°I am not afraid to confront your Jin family in Fu City, but I don¡¯t know if the Jin family can afford the consequences.¡±


    ¡°General Gan, since you have said so, if I do not do anything, is it not worthy of your words?¡± Schr Jin said gloomily. ¡°The Jin family has other family matters, so I won¡¯t keep you, General Gan.¡±


    After saying that, Schr Jin nced at Zhao Chuchu gloomily.


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s face was expressionless as she met Mr. Jin¡¯s eyes.


    The face of the Schr Jin became more and more ugly.


    Gan Maosheng looked around. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu and Madam Luo followed Gan Maosheng and left the Jin family¡¯s residence.


    Mrs. Jin, who others had helped to walk up to Schr, said, ¡°Sir, you have to do something for me. Gan Maosheng has simply gone too far. He doesn¡¯t take you, the Schr, seriously!


    Mr. Jin gritted his teeth and said, ¡°I won¡¯t let this go. I will make Gan Maosheng and Zhao Chuchu pay. Otherwise, my name will be worth nothing!¡±


    Mrs. Jin wiped her tears. ¡°Sir, you can¡¯t let them off so easily.¡±


    ¡°You have suffered. Go back and let someone apply medicine on you first. I have my own opinion on this matter. I won¡¯t let you suffer for nothing.¡±


    ¡°I just heard that Zhao Chuchu had cured the old man of the Gan family. I was nning on asking her to treat Mom. Who knew something like this would have happened¡­¡±


    ¡°I understand your filial piety. Go back to your room first and apply some medicine. We can talk about everything elseter.¡±


    ¡°I understand, sir.¡±


    Only then did Mrs. Jin let someone help her head to her room.


    Immediately, Mr. Jin returned to his study and put pen to paper to write a letter.


    ¡°Gan Maosheng, I will ensure that you won¡¯t be able to continue to be a general!¡±


    After Zhao Chuchu and the others returned to the Gan family, Zhao Chuchu said to Madam Luo, ¡°Auntie, I¡¯m afraid I have to go back to Lengshui Vige to tell Da Lang about the Jin family so that they won¡¯t set Da Lang up. I¡¯m sorry to have dragged you all into this.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say such things. It¡¯s all my fault. If I had known that the Jin family was so outrageous, I would not have let that woman in from the beginning.¡± Luo med herself and said, ¡°It¡¯s all because of me¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about that. No matter what, things have happened. All we can do is prevent further things from happening in the future. Be careful of the Jin family. That Schr Jin won¡¯t be letting this go so easily.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll have someone send you back to Lengshui Vige.¡±


    ¡°No need. I can just head back by myself.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu refused Madam Luo¡¯s offer and went straight out of town.


    It took her two-quarters of an hour to get back to Lengshui Vige after going over the mountains and hills and walking in a straight line, which exhausted her enough.


    She didn¡¯t know when she would be able to return to my peak level from the end of the world, so she wouldn¡¯t have to struggle so much when traveling.


    The time dy in the city was a bit long, and it was already evening when she returned to Lengshui Vige.


    As soon as Zhao Chuchu entered the courtyard, Xie Heng heard themotion and came out.


    ¡°Chuchu, why are you back?¡± Xie Heng looked at Zhao Chuchu, who was sweating profusely, and asked with concern, ¡°Did something happen in the city?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu sat down, and after taking a breather, she told Xie Heng everything about the Jin family.


    Xie Heng smiled and looked a little subtle. ¡°The Jin family threatened you?¡±


    ¡°Well, the Jin family is too annoying, and I¡¯m not going to beat around the bush with you. Do you have any evidence of the Jin family on hand?¡± Zhao Chuchu was being very straightforward. ¡°It¡¯s probably going to be a fight to the death with the Jin family, and I want to take the first move.¡±


    ¡°Youe with me.¡± Xie Heng turned around and entered the house.


    Zhao Chuchu followed.


    In front of Zhao Chuchu, Xie Heng opened the secret room in his room and gestured for Zhao Chuchu to go down with him.


    When Zhao Chuchu saw the modest dark room piled with gold and silver jewels, she gave Xie Heng a meaningful sideways nce.


    ¡°Da Lang, you¡¯ve made a good fortune. I didn¡¯t expect you to be a rich and handsome man.¡±


    ¡°What, rich and handsome?¡±


    ¡°That means you have a pretty face and a lot of money.¡±


    Xie Heng understood Zhao Chuchu¡¯s meaning.


    He smiled and said, ¡°What¡¯s here? You can do as you please. No need to tell me.¡±


    ...


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s eyes lit up, and she joked. ¡°Da Lang, are you going to be my sugar daddy?¡±


    ¡°Sugar daddy? That doesn¡¯t really sound nice. Just sugar would do,¡± thought Xie Heng.


    Xie Heng shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s for you to spend. I¡¯m not your sugar daddy. It¡¯s what you deserve.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu squatted down and looked at the essories. The ones in front of her were all of the top quality.


    Although Zhao Chuchu liked them very much, with her current status, it was not suitable to be so high-profile.


    She picked a pair of tiny earrings.


    ¡°I want these.¡±


    ¡°You can take whatever you want and then see if there are other things you like.¡±


    Xie Heng put the shlight on the wall while he went to the corner and opened the locked box.


    Zhao Chuchu went over to look. ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°The evidence you wanted.¡±


    ...


    ¡°You really have it?¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡±


    Xie Heng nodded.


    ¡°The Jin family has done much injustice. It¡¯s time for someone to do justice.¡±


    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you do it before?¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t time, but now the time hase.¡±


    Xie Heng didn¡¯t do anything in the past because he didn¡¯t want to draw suspicion to himself.


    Now that the Jin family had offended Zhao Chuchu and Gan Maosheng, no one would suspect anything.


    After all, the Jin family was at fault in the first ce.


    ¡°Is it all the evidence of the crimes of those people on your cklist?¡±


    Although it was the first time he heard the word cklist, Xie Heng listened to the meaning of cklist from the purpose of this sentence.


    ¡°Well, sort of.¡±


    Then, Xie Heng took out a ck box from the bottom and handed it to Zhao Chuchu.

 Chapter 171 - 171 Happy

    171 Happy


    Zhao Chuchu took the box and turned it over.


    Good gosh, it really was criminal evidence rted to the Jin family.


    If these things were handed over, Mr. Jin would have no room for escape.


    ¡°Da Lang, when did you collect all these?¡±


    !!


    ¡°Just when I came back.¡±


    Xie Heng did not keep anything a secret from Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s gaze crossed over Xie Heng, and she looked at the big box. It was filled with ck boxes simr to the one she was holding.


    ¡°Do you want to see the others?¡± Xie Heng stepped aside.


    Zhao Chuchu smiled and shook her head. ¡°No, the others didn¡¯t offend me.¡±


    ¡°If someone bullies you again, you cane to me. I¡¯ll take it out for you.¡±


    ¡°Do you think I look like the kind of person who would be bullied?¡±


    There was a provincial graduate in the Jin family who might hinder Xie Heng¡¯s studies. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t take action so soon.


    ¡°Well, no one can bully you, but Chuchu, I can also protect you.¡±


    When Xie Heng said this, he looked at Zhao Chuchu with serious and firm eyes.


    When Zhao Chuchu raised her head, she looked into his deep eyes, her heart racing.


    He continued, ¡°I¡¯m d that I was the first person you thought of when you got into trouble.¡±


    When Zhao Chuchu heard thatst sentence, she suddenly felt as if the room temperature was getting a little hot.


    ¡°But what if I get you trouble too?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll dly help you whenever you have problems. It has never been of any trouble for me.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu thought to herself, ¡°Oh my god, I¡¯m falling for a teenager!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it when ites to that.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu wimped out, not daring to carry on the conversation.


    Her answer made Xie Heng feel a little lost.


    ¡°Let¡¯s head up first, or Junjun might find out about this.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu hurriedly ran up, holding the box in her arms.


    Xie Heng felt a little helpless.


    He locked the box, and by the time he went up, Zhao Chuchu had already left his room.


    Xie Heng restored the bookshelf to its original state and went out as if nothing had happened.


    ¡°Chuchu, what do you want to eat tonight?¡± he asked as he knocked on Zhao Chuchu¡¯s door.


    Zhao Chuchu looked up at the sky. ¡°I have to go back to the cityter, so don¡¯t worry about dinner. I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±


    ¡°Steamed buns again?¡± Xie Heng¡¯s resistance was apparent. ¡°I can make a quick meal. It won¡¯t take much time.¡±


    ¡°No, let¡¯s have fast food. It¡¯s quite popr among the children back where I came from.¡± Zhao Chuchu smiled. ¡°Although they say it¡¯s junk food, I like it very much.¡±


    ¡°Do you have it here?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu allowed Xie Heng toe in. She took out a family bucket from the space. She wasn¡¯t nning on hiding anything from him.


    The chicken wings and fries were still hot, along with her favorite iced fizzy pop. She felt very satisfied.


    What Zhao Chuchu loved the most was that the carry-on space was in a static state. Everything would be kept the way that she put them in.


    ¡°Do you always take things out like this in front of others?¡± Xie Heng frowned slightly. ¡°Do you know that your sleeve is a treasure many people can only dream of?¡±


    ¡°No, only you know,¡± said Zhao Chuchu.


    Xie Heng¡¯s lips subconsciously curved into a smile when he heard those words. ¡°I¡¯ll go get Junjun back. You take care of these things.¡±


    He pointed to the packaging.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Xie Heng was in a light mood.


    He and Zhao Chuchu both shared each other¡¯s biggest secrets.


    Kids loved fizzy pop, and Xie Jun was no exception.


    ¡°Chuchu, what kind of tea is this? Why do I feel as if something¡¯s jumping on my tongue when I drink it? And it¡¯s a little choking.¡±


    ¡°This stuff is very rare. I had a hard time making three cups. If you want to drink it, I will make some more when you recover. But don¡¯t tell anyone else, or someone wille and grab the recipe again.¡±


    Xie Jun immediately covered his mouth and nodded vigorously. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Chuchu. I never tell anyone what we eat at home.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good boy.¡± Zhao Chuchu praised him. ¡°There are still plenty of chicken legs and wings. Eat up.¡±


    Xie Heng was so d to see that Xie Jun was getting better by the day and his eyes were bright again.


    Xie Heng¡¯s biggest regret in his previous life was his brother¡¯s tragic death. Now that he was reborn, he had been haunted by the memory of Xie Jun¡¯s skinny body before he died.


    In this life, with Zhao Chuchu here, he knew things would be better.


    Zhao Chuchu overestimated the appetite of the three of them, and finally, there were two pairs of chicken wings and one chicken leg left to eat.


    Xie Jun rubbed his round stomach. ¡°Chuchu, I really can¡¯t eat anymore.¡±


    ...


    Xie Heng couldn¡¯t resist pinching his face. ¡°What didn¡¯t you stop eating if you¡¯re already full?¡±


    ¡°Brother, it¡¯s so delicious. I can¡¯t help it,¡± Xie Jun said with a grin.


    With the toxicity suppressed, Xie Jun was clearly gaining weight, which made him look even more adorable.


    Of course, the previous Xie Jun was way too skinny for his health.


    Before it got dark, Xie Heng and Zhao Chuchu took Xie Jun for a walk outside to help digest the food so that Xie Jun would not have indigestion.


    ¡°Today, the Shiyang County branch of Visitor¡¯s Aroma manager came to the vige,¡± Xie Heng said to Zhao Chuchu. ¡°Did you guys meet in the county?¡±


    ¡°This bastard even came to the vige? Did he force Men and the others to sell the recipe?¡±


    ¡°Well, it seems they were cheated of silver by Madam Yang.¡±


    ¡°Yang? Is she at it again?¡±


    ¡°Not really.¡± Xie Heng wanted tough when he thought about this matter.


    ¡°That Manager Li doesn¡¯t seem very smart. Even Madam Yang was able to cheat him out of his silver.¡±


    ...


    When she said this, Madam Yang happened toe out from an alley and heard the whole thing.


    They locked gazes.


    Madam Yang¡¯s face turned pale.


    ¡°How can you call it cheating when I earned the silver with my ability?¡± Madam Yang plucked up her courage and argued. ¡°He wanted to give me the silver himself, so I thought I¡¯d take it. I didn¡¯t tell him to cause trouble at Zhao Guitang¡¯s residence. You can¡¯t be so unreasonable.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu nced at her and didn¡¯t say anything.


    Madam Yang was suddenly a little flustered.


    ¡°He asked me to take him to Zhao Guitang¡¯s house, and I didn¡¯t say I wanted silver. He insisted on giving it to me. I thought you were part of this bean curd business. I thought I could help, but I don¡¯t know about the rest.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu still didn¡¯t say anything.


    Madam Yang gritted her teeth. ¡°He gave me three taels of silver. I¡¯ll share one and a half taels with you, alright?¡±


    Although it hurt, it was better than having it all taken away.


    What was more was that the fool had given her more than three taels of silver.


    Zhao Chuchu sneered.


    Madam Yang¡¯s heart drummed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go home and get it now.¡±


    Yang turned around and ran.


    Xie Hengughed lightly. ¡°Do you think she only took three taels of silver?¡±


    ¡°Definitely more than that. Cunning old bastard.¡±


    ¡°Do we take it back?¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t do anything bad using my name, so why would I bother with her? Manager Li must have suffered some losses with you. Do you think he¡¯s going to let her off the hook?¡±


    ¡°Then do we leave it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it will save us a lot of hassle.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡±


    When Madam Yang went home to get the silver and came over, she found that Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng had already left. She couldn¡¯t help but breathe a sigh of relief. She had managed to keep the silver.

 Chapter 172 - 172 Being Straightforward

    172 Being Straightforward


    After nightfall, Zhao Chuchu went back to the city.


    Xie Heng insisted on seeing Zhao Chuchu off because it was not safe for women to travel at night.


    If Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t see what Xie Heng had in mind, she would have lived all these years in vain.


    She didn¡¯t expect Xie Heng was being straightforward and didn¡¯t hide his feelings for her.


    !!


    Zhao Chuchu pretended not to know.


    Although Xie Heng looked very pleasing to the eye, Zhao Chuchu felt she should not be so moved by Xie Heng.


    She would have to stay in the city for a while longer, and when Xie Heng calmed down, he would probably know what to do.


    The feelings of young people woulde and go quickly.


    Zhao Chuchuforted herself with this and did not consider that Xie Heng was a reborn person. How could his feelings be just a momentary impulse?


    ¡°Da Lang, if I had a faster means of transportation than a horse carriage, could you keep it a secret?¡±


    ¡°Do you know how to fly using swords?¡±


    ¡°No, but it runs faster than a horse and is called a car where I came from.¡±


    ¡°What does it look like?¡±


    ¡°Kind of like a four-sided iron box with wheels underneath.¡±


    Xie Heng couldn¡¯t imagine what such an iron box looked like.


    ¡°Do you want to use it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Da Lang, do you want to have a go?¡±


    It was already the middle of the night. It should be okay to enjoy a little speed and passion!


    Otherwise, it would be a waste to hoard so many supplies and not use them.


    ¡°It¡¯s so dark now. Will it be safe?¡±


    Xie Heng was a little worried.


    Zhao Chuchu stopped.


    In the darkness, Xie Heng saw Zhao Chuchu wink yfully at him, and his heart seemed to have skipped a beat again.


    Zhao Chuchu took out a motorcycle from the carry-on space.


    ¡°This is not an iron box!¡±


    ¡°Well, this one is indeed not.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s it called?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a motorbike.¡±


    Probably the love of motorbikes was the nature of men.


    Although it was the first time Xie Heng saw this bulky-looking guy, he still couldn¡¯t help but reach out and touch the smooth lines of the car¡¯s body.


    ¡°Can this run faster than a horse?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Then can I have a go?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not the same as riding a horse. In our ce, you have to pass an exam at the official¡¯s ce. Only if you pass the exam can you receive the paperwork that allows you to ride, and then you can only ride it on the road. Otherwise, you will be fined.¡±


    ¡°So, if you want to use it, when the timees, you can say to the public that it is an iron-armored Kylin, created by the Sky Worker.¡±


    ¡°Sky Worker?¡±


    ¡°Sky Worker is a skilled craftsman, proficient in all mechanisms, and famous for many years. It was said that he had left behind a strange book called ¡®The Essentials of Mechanisms¡¯, on which all kinds of powerful mechanisms are recorded.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s something that a lot of people wanted?¡±


    ¡°No matter, in a sense, the Xie family is also considered the descendants of the Sky Worker, so it¡¯s no big deal to know about us knowing a few mechanisms?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu gave Xie Heng a meaningful look.


    ¡°You really like taking responsibility for everything, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not hard for someone to find out about this, so I¡¯m not really lying. Chuchu, what else do you have? Take it out and let me have a look. I¡¯ll take a look for you.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s this as well.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu waved her hand, and an off-road vehicle appeared in front of them.


    Xie Heng was rendered speechless.


    Zhao Chuchu had billions worth of supplies. Evidently, the supplies would include things used for eating, living, and traveling.


    Zhao Chuchu had first nned to find a ce and live in secret. Cars were prepared just in case she needed them.


    However, who would have thought that she would have died so meaninglessly? She didn¡¯t expect herself to be killed by something falling from high above the ground.


    With that thought in mind, Zhao Chuchu cursed the person who killed her and his family one more time.


    ¡°How long would it take to reach the city using this iron box?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu thought about it and answered, ¡°About half an hour.¡±


    If it had been on the roads in her previous life, it would probably only take 15 minutes.


    ¡°That fast?¡±


    ¡°Then do you want to have a go?¡±


    ...


    Zhao Chuchu had nned to take Xie Heng on the motorbike, but she remembered that she was wearing a skirt. Therefore, she had to put the motorbike back.


    She opened the passenger seat door and signaled Xie Heng to get on.


    Xie Heng was very curious about such things.


    He did as he was told. Thefortable seats surprised him as well.


    However, the smell of the car made him a little ufortable.


    Zhao Chuchu pulled out the seatbelt and wrapped it around Xie Heng before buckling him in.


    Xie Heng looked at her dark hair, and a light scent filled his nose.


    Xie Heng closed his eyes.


    A matter of seconds felt like a long time to him.


    After Zhao Chuchu had strapped him in, she straightened herself and smiled. ¡°Da Lang, you can tell me when you feel ufortable. Many people would be carsick when they travel in the car for the first time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡± Xie Heng smiled. A secret like this, which only the two of them knew about, made Xie Heng feel very happy. It was a feeling that he couldn¡¯t really put into words.


    ...


    Zhao Chuchu turned and walked to the other side of the car before getting in.


    Driving a car in ancient times was something she didn¡¯t dare think about in the past. However, she was someone who traveled back in time with assets that were worth billions.


    Although the picture didn¡¯t seem to match, it was still exhrating.


    The zombies were attracted to sound, so Zhao Chuchu¡¯s cars were all custom. They made a minimal sound.


    Xie Heng thought it was simr to a horse carriage, but he then realized he was wrong!


    How amazing was the world that Zhao Chuchu came from?


    The road wasn¡¯t t, but he couldn¡¯t feel the bumpiness at all. The scenery outside seemed to be flying past him. Xie Heng was genuinely shocked, but he didn¡¯t really show it.


    ¡°Da Lang, how do you feel?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like one of those magical items they say in the books.¡±


    If the borders were to be engaged in battle, using this iron box would be much fast than their emergency contact methods.


    If there were a bigger iron box to deliver supplies, it would really give them a huge advantage.


    ¡°Do you have the blueprints for this?¡± asked Xie Heng. ¡°If you do, would the Wei Dynasty be able to produce these?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡± Zhao Chuchu shook her head.


    The Wei Dynasty was behind in technology. The materials required alone would be a problem for them, not to mention the theory behind how to make cars. It was something that even she didn¡¯t know.


    Xie Heng felt it was a pity.


    In his mind, if the Wei Dynasty could produce these boxes, then its power would increase to a whole new level.


    Zhao Chuchu could roughly guess what Xie Heng was thinking.


    Xie Heng definitely wasn¡¯t asking for the blueprints for himself. He was asking it for the country.


    However, it was just that there was nothing she could do.


    Zhao Chuchu began telling Xie Heng about trains, nes, and ferries. Xie Heng was getting more and more of the idea that Zhao Chuchu lived in a world of immortals.


    Otherwise, how could people fly or go underground?


    ¡°If there¡¯s a chance, I do want to go to look at the world you lived in.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think that¡¯s possible. The world is now like hell.¡±


    It was the end of the world. To ordinary people, it was no different than hell.


    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t want to continue on this subject.


    In terms of feelings, the end of the world has always been a pain in the hearts of humans.


    After living in that cruel world, even the poor conditions of the Wei Dynasty felt like heaven.


    They arrived outside the city in exactly half an hour.


    Xie Heng was shocked.


    ¡°Da Lang, are you going to go back by yourself? Do you need a life?¡± Zhao Chuchu smiled.


    Xie Heng shook his head. ¡°No. I can go back by myself. Otherwise, there¡¯s no end to this.¡±


    The two got off, and Zhao Chuchu put the car away. She entered the city under Xie Heng¡¯s watch.

 Chapter 173 - 173 Playboy

    173 yboy


    Only when Xie Heng could not see Zhao Chuchu¡¯s figure did he turn around and head back toward Yongfu Town.


    Zhao Chuchu entered the Gan family¡¯s residence without anyone knowing.


    The study still had its lights on. Zhao Chuchu walked over and knocked on the door. ¡°Grandpa Gan, it¡¯s me.¡±


    A short whileter, the study door opened.


    ¡°Back so soon? Come in and have a seat,¡± Gan Maosheng quickly said as he allowed Zhao Chuchu back inside.


    Zhao Chuchu handed Gan Maosheng the box she had in her arms. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to trouble you for the matters of the Jin family, Grandpa Gan.¡±


    Gan Maosheng opened the box and saw what was inside. He was a little taken aback. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°Evidence of the Jin family bullying the citizens and the losses of lives they caused. It¡¯s not convenient for me to take action, so I¡¯m going to have to ask you to do it, Grandpa Gan,¡± said Zhao Chuchu. She then told Gan Maosheng about her n.


    Gan Maosheng was absolutely shocked.


    He had to admit that Zhao Chuchu was truly merciless.


    If things went ording to n, the Jin family would not have any chances of survival.


    ¡°Chuchu, you went back just to get these? How did you know?¡±


    ¡°When I went to other towns to cure the gue, one of the victims handed it to me. He hoped that I could help him. I¡¯ve been busytely and had forgotten about this matter. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that the Jin family was looking for trouble, I wouldn¡¯t have remembered it.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu made up a random excuse.


    Gan Maosheng didn¡¯t get any suspicions either.


    After all, when Zhao Chuchu went to cure the gue back then, she visited many of the victims¡¯ viges.


    The saying, ¡°What goes aroundes around,¡± was perfect to be used on the Jin family. Theymitted too many sins and were now being punished for their actions.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know what to do. It¡¯s gettingte. You¡¯ve been running around all day. You must be tired. Get some rest first, and I¡¯ll take care of the rest.¡±


    ¡°Okay, thank you, Grandpa Gan.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re family. You don¡¯t need to be so polite. Go on now.¡±


    ¡°Okay, you get some rest as well, Grandpa Gan.¡±


    Gan Maosheng waved his hand.


    Zhao Chuchu then left the study and returned to the room that Madam Luo had prepared for her.


    ¡°Chuchu is a remarkable young woman.¡± Gan Maosheng sighed. ¡°No matter what happens in the future, Yingzhi, don¡¯t offend Xie Heng and his wife, got it?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Dad. I won¡¯t do such revengeful things,¡± replied Gan Yingzhi.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that. It¡¯s¡­¡± Gan Maosheng thought about it and rephrased what he was about to say. ¡°Put it this way, both Xie Heng and Chuchu are not as simple as they look. They have a lot of potentials. If the Gan family can be friends with them, then it will be the Gan family¡¯s luck.¡±


    ¡°Xie Heng has the potential to be a top schr. He had been blind in the past, and people felt it was a pity. Now that he can see again, he definitely has a bright future ahead of him.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you know this. Don¡¯t be like the idiots from the Jin family. Look how they¡¯ve ended up. I¡¯m afraid no one will be able to help them now.¡±


    Gan Yingzhi recalled what Zhao Chuchu had said, and now he knew why she said that.


    ¡°Never mind, you can leave as well.¡± Gan Maosheng waved his hand. He knew his son had a gentle character, and it was best for his son not to get himself involved in all of this.


    Gan Yingzhi thought the same, so he left the study.


    Madam Luo only found out the next day that Chuchu had returned in the middle of the night.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me you came back? I was fast asleep and didn¡¯t know that you were back.¡± Madam Luo was telling Chuchu off. ¡°You were traveling during the night. If you had told me, I would have gotten someone to prepare some bath water for you.¡±


    ¡°It was toote. I didn¡¯t want to wake up, Auntie.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to think that you¡¯re bothering me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing important. Since you said we¡¯re family, you don¡¯t have to care so much about me.¡±


    ¡°You have a sweet mouth, youngdy. Come, breakfast is ready. Come and have breakfast first.¡±


    Madam Luo dragged Zhao Chuchu over to the dining table.


    Gan Maosheng and the other guys had already finished breakfast. Gan Yingzhi would need to go teach at the school. His two grandsons would need to go to Thousand Battalion.


    After Zhao Chuchu finished breakfast, she went to perform acupuncture for Old Mrs. Gan.


    Old Mrs. Gan¡¯s health was getting better day by day.


    ¡°Chuchu, I am so lucky to have bumped into you. Otherwise, I can¡¯t imagine what I could do when I turn into a useless person,¡± said Old Mrs. Gan as Zhao Chuchu finished the acupuncture. ¡°Da Lang of the Xie family is fortunate to marry a good wife like you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re making fun of me again, Grandma Gan.¡± Zhao Chuchu pretended to blush.


    ¡°How¡¯s this making fun of you? Why are you still so shy after getting married, youngdy?¡±


    ¡°Grandma Gan!¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯ll stop.¡± Old Mrs. Gan smiled. She then lowered her voice and said to Zhao Chuchu, ¡°Chuchu, I¡¯ve heard that Heng¡¯s eyes have been cured. You need to put some effort in as well. You¡¯ve been married for over a year. Howe you¡¯re still not pregnant yet?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu had never expected someone to rush her into having a baby.


    It seemed that the elders still cared for many babies no matter what era it was.


    ¡°Chuchu, I¡¯ve been your age. I¡¯m telling you, no matter how well men treat you, they will always have other thoughts in their minds. You have to learn to get him to obey you. Don¡¯t let him get the better of you. Then he might end up having mistresses, which will be very disgusting for you.¡±


    ¡°Da Lang is not that kind of a person,¡± Zhao Chuchu said in a weak voice.


    Even if Xie Heng had concubines, she was in no position to say anything.


    After all, the person who married Xie Heng was ¡°Zhao Chuchu,¡± not her.


    ¡°You¡¯re getting along right now. It doesn¡¯t mean you will still get along in the future. Plus the fact that Heng is a very talented man. Even if he doesn¡¯t have other thoughts, that doesn¡¯t mean others won¡¯t either,¡± said Old Mrs. Gan. ¡°If Xie Heng became the top schr one day, there would be a lot of temptations around him. People still have ideas about your Grandpa Gan, not to mention Heng. You must treasure the present and quickly have a child. In the future, the child is enough to cause him not to put you in a tight spot.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t really agree with this point of view.


    ...


    If a man wanted to be a yboy, he wouldn¡¯t really care how many children you gave birth to.


    Hating the old and liking the new was nature. If a man really had changed his mind, he wouldn¡¯t be trapped by children.


    Of course, Zhao Chcuhu wasn¡¯t going to say that to Old Mrs. Gan. After all, they grew under different cultural backgrounds and opinions.


    They were born in different times. She couldn¡¯t really expect Old Mrs. Gan to think the way people her time did.


    ¡°A lot of men sill abandoned their wives and children. Children won¡¯t be the key, but Grandma Gan, I actually think if a woman is very capable and independent, then men wouldn¡¯t dare look down on us.¡±


    ¡°What else can women do expect to be a good housewife? Chuchu, I know what you mean, but the world is harsher on women. It would be more difficult for women to go down any path. But speaking of which, it¡¯s not impossible for you, Chuchu.¡±


    Old Mrs. Gan looked at Zhao Chuchu dotingly.


    ¡°You have brilliant medical skills. In the whole of the Wei Dynasty, I don¡¯t think anyone can be as good as you. Chuchu, you have to make the most use of your advantage. I hope that you can be sessful in the future and be happy forever.¡±


    ¡°Grandma Gan, you¡¯re overrating me. I just got lucky¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not luck. Everyone saw what you¡¯ve done. Chuchu, you have to have confidence in yourself.¡±


    Old Mrs. Gan rubbed Zhao Chuchu¡¯s head.


    ...


    She wished that she had such a well-behaved and capable granddaughter.


    It was a pity that their dumb grandson missed this chance. She med it on the luck that their ancestral grave brought them.

 Chapter 174 - 174 Speed

    174 Speed


    Just when Schr Jin tried to think of a way to deal with Zhao Chuchu and Gan Maosheng, Gan Maosheng used the evidence Zhao Chuchu gave him and sent Schr Jin straight behind bars.


    Mrs. Jin became desperate. She led a group of people, stood outside the Gan family¡¯s residence, and began scolding them. ¡°Gan Maosheng, how dare you set Schr Jin up. I hope that you will die soon and that you will have no descendants either¡­¡±


    Zhao Chuchu heard those words and told Madam Luo to close the door. They decided to ignore Mrs. Jin, who was barking like a dog.


    ¡°Are they out of their minds? They¡¯re offending a government official!¡± Madam Luo said angrily. ¡°She had no reason to do so. And they call themselves an educated family? Mr *ss!¡±


    !!


    ¡°They¡¯ve be desperate.¡± Zhao Chuchu snorted. ¡°Don¡¯t they know what they¡¯ve done? What¡¯s the use of feeling annoyed now? The Jin family won¡¯t be around for long anyway.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°The things that the Jin family had done in Yuanjiang County weren¡¯t a secret. They thought they were thew and could do anything they wanted in Yuanjiang County, but now they¡¯ve offended someone they shouldn¡¯t have.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°I heard what the people were saying on the streets. It seems like Schr Jin has been put behind bars. It¡¯s possible that he would have his title removed. Without his title, the Jin family will no longer be able to be this arrogant anymore. They wouldn¡¯t dare.¡±


    ¡°Put behind bars?¡±


    Madam Luo was taken aback.


    ¡°I think so. Therefore, you can ignore them, Auntie.¡± Zhao Chuchu nodded.


    Madam Luo gasped in disbelief.


    ¡°Do whatever you have to do. You can just ignore these people, Auntie.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t really want anything to do with them.¡±


    Madam Luo was no longer angry.


    No wonder Mrs. Jin was so desperate. It was because Schr Jin was put behind bars.


    At this moment, Mrs. Jin no longer had the temperament of someone from the upper ss. She crossed her arms and was spitting horrible words like a shrew.


    Zhao Chuchu flicked her fingers a little, and a few drops of waternded on Mrs. Jin¡¯s neck.


    Mrs. Jin didn¡¯t notice it at all. She continued to scold and curse Zhao Chuchu and Gan Maosheng non-stop.


    She even said that Zhao Chuchu and Gan Maosheng had a special rtionship.


    The neighbors of the Gan family couldn¡¯t bare to listen anymore.


    ¡°You¡¯re being insulting, woman. Zhao Chuchues to the Gan family to treat Old Mrs. Gan. Howe it turns out to be somethingpletely different in your mouth? You¡¯re a woman as well. Why are you being so unreasonable?¡±


    ¡°Dirty people do dirty things. I know better than you what kind of person General Gan is. You¡¯re just talking nonsense. Have you lost your mind?¡±


    ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t this Mrs. Jin? I¡¯ve heard that Schr Jin has caused the death of many people and has been put behind bars. He¡¯s now awaiting interrogation. I don¡¯t think he will be able to keep his title anymore. Why are you still being a shrew here? Aren¡¯t you afraid it would add to Schr Jin¡¯s crimes?¡±


    ¡°Is that for real? If it¡¯s true, then justice is finally served. The Jin family took advantage of the fact that they¡¯re backed by Schr Jin and have sinned a lot. Now, they¡¯re just paying for their sins.¡±


    The crowd¡¯s topic began to change to the horrible things the Jin family had done.


    Mrs. Jin, who had nned on getting the neighbors to scold the Gan family with her, was now so angry that her face waspletely red.


    ¡°You¡¯re all talking nonsense. It¡¯s not true. Schr Jin is the kindest person there is. You¡¯re only saying this because you¡¯re jealous. If Schr Jin really did something like that, he would have¡­¡±


    When Mrs. Jin reached that point, Zhao Chuchu clenched her fist lightly.


    Mrs. Jin¡¯s voice stopped in mid-sentence. Then, it was followed by her loud scream.


    She covered her throat with her hands as if someone was strangling her, and she struggled.


    When the crowd saw this, they were all shocked and took a few steps back.


    ¡°This is punishment for her sins.¡±


    ¡°It must be the ghost of the people killed by the Jin family here to kill her.¡±


    Even the people Mrs. Jin had brought all took a few steps back in fear.


    Mrs. Jin looked like she was possessed.


    Now, people were certain that ghosts existed.


    They all began thinking about the bad things they had done in the past. They didn¡¯t want ghostsing to kill them because of their sins.


    Mrs. Jin kept her hands on her throat and kept on rolling around on the ground.


    Everyone took a few more steps back.


    They were first suspicious, and now they were sure that it was ghostsing to kill Mrs. Jin.


    As for the person who caused all this, Zhao Chuchu had already gone back to the Gan family and left Mrs. Jin to struggle.


    She didn¡¯t do anything. She had just frozen Mrs. Jin¡¯s neck.


    It looked scary, but it wasn¡¯t fatal for Mrs. Jin.


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s special power would wear off after a few minutes.


    After what Mrs. Jin had done, the whole of Yuanjiang county knew that the Jin family hadmitted many sins and was even punished by ghosts during the day.


    Madam Luo heard what happened that day as well.


    She was curious, but she didn¡¯t open the door to take a look just in case Mrs. Jin saw her.


    In the end, Mrs. Jin was carried back by her men.


    It was said that she had fallen ill when she got back. People said that the spirit of a young female servant of theirs who died due to a disease came back to haunt her. Mrs. Jin even began digging with a shovel in her own garden, saying that she would capture the servant¡¯s spirit.


    When County Magistrate Qiao heard of this matter, he immediately sent someone to the Jin family.


    In the end, they really found a female corpse in the ground where Mrs. Jin was digging.


    After an autopsy, it was said that this person was strangled to death.


    ...


    During interrogation, they found out that Mrs. Jin had killed this person. The reason was that Schr Jin was eyeing this young girl, so Mrs. Jin thought that the girl wanted to seduce Schr Jin and decided to strangle her to death.


    When Zhao Chuchu discovered this, she only felt that Mrs. Jin was a maniac.


    She couldn¡¯t keep the heart of her husband, so she became jealous of other young girls. It was truly disgusting.


    However, although Mrs. Jin was slightly manic, County Magistrate Qiao didn¡¯t let her off the hook.


    However, Schr Jin had a title, so to look into his case, his title must be removed.


    County Magistrate Qiao didn¡¯t have that kind of power, so it would require the Provincial Education Commissioner of the Guangqing Province to be involved. There the whole process would take time.


    Zhao Chuchu thought that she would need to wait for around two weeks.


    However, she got a result after five days.


    Schr Jin¡¯s title was removed, and he became an ordinary peasant.


    The case of the Jin family was swift, and soon the Jin family fell as well.


    When Zhao Chuchu received this news, she had already cured Old Mrs. Gan and returned to Lengshui Vige.


    ...


    ¡°The Jin family¡¯s gone. How much effort did you put into it, Da Lang?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked Xie Heng.


    Xie Heng raised his head. ¡°It only took a letter.¡±


    ¡°You have more connection than I anticipated.¡±


    ¡°Not really. It was just a coincidence.¡±

 Chapter 175 - 175 The Unexpected

    175 The Unexpected


    Xie Hengughed lightly. ¡°It was really just a letter that went out. I¡¯m not capable of making other people¡¯s decisions for them.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu rolled her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re stillpetent.¡±


    ¡°Even so, I still have to rely on you, Chuchu. I¡¯m currently trapped in Lengshui Vige and can¡¯t do anything. Chuchu, I can only be more sessful with your help.¡± Xie Heng said thoughtfully, ¡°And I¡¯m not overly modest.¡±


    ¡°Well, no matter how things go, so long as the result is what I want, that¡¯s enough.¡± Xie Heng praised Zhao Chuchu so much Zhao Chuchu was unable to carry on the same topic. The Jin family¡¯s done for anyway.


    Such sinister people really should be appropriately rectified.


    ¡°This morning, Junjun was talking about wanting to eat the beer-braised duck. How about making some of that today?¡± Xie Heng knew too well Zhao Chuchu¡¯s fondness for food and quickly changed the subject.


    Zhao Chuchu rubbed her stomach. Although Madam Luo¡¯s cooking skills were goodpared to Xie Heng¡¯s, there was still a big difference.


    As soon as Xie Heng mentioned food, she felt hungry.


    She smiled and said, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s have some beer-braised duck.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go see about buying some duck.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu pushed Xie Heng outside.


    ¡°Hurry up, me hungry.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Xie Heng smiled and left with big steps.


    Zhao Chuchu watched Xie Heng¡¯s receding figure and felt a sense of sweetness in her heart.


    ¡°This young man really knows how to please people!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t leave herself idle. She went into the kitchen and started boiling some water.


    Xie Heng soon came back with a duck and a chicken.


    ¡°Why did you buy so much?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re back. We¡¯ll need to make one more dish. Junjun likes it too.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu knew deep down that it wasn¡¯t because of Xie Jun but her.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s cook another chicken with potatoes. This is also a delicious dish.¡±


    ¡°As you wish.¡±


    Ever since Xie Heng¡¯s eyes ¡°healed,¡± Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t need to cook anymore except to help watch the fire in the kitchen.


    Under Zhao Chuchu¡¯s theoretical guidance, Xie Heng¡¯s cooking skills skyrocketed.


    Xie Heng said to Zhao Chuchu jokingly, ¡°If one day, Junjun no longer needs me, I think I can find a ce I like and open a restaurant to support my family!¡±


    ¡°If you went and opened a restaurant, then it would be a big loss for Junjun.¡±


    ¡°Keeping so many skills a secret will gradually cause me to forget them.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? You can still cook for Junjun and me, right? If I can eat your cooking for the rest of my life, then I truly have no regrets,¡± Zhao Chuchu said subconsciously.


    Xie Heng smiled and turned to look at her. ¡°For the rest of your life? Are you truly willing?¡±


    Only then did Zhao Chuchu realize that she seemed to have said a very ambiguous sentence.


    She wanted to bite off her tongue.


    How could she say everything out loud?


    How could a promise of a lifetime be made so easily?


    ¡°Haha, the problem is that can you cook for the rest of your life, Da Lang? It¡¯s impossible, so don¡¯t discuss this kind of extravagant request.¡± Zhao Chuchu pretended to be calm. ¡°Da Lang, you¡¯re a person with great ambitions and ideals. You cannot spend all day in a square-inch ce like the stove to waste talent. God will punish us for doing so.¡±


    Xie Heng smiled. ¡°Achieving ambitions and cooking are not in conflict. Making simple ingredients into delicious dishes is also a great sense of aplishment. Chuchu, no one other than Junjun has ever eaten my cooking in the past.¡±


    ¡°Am I the first?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my honor.¡±


    ¡°The honor is also mine.¡±


    Now, Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t y dumb even if she wanted to.


    Xie Heng was being straightforward once again.


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t even know how she was going to answer him.


    She fell silent for a moment before she looked at Xie Heng. ¡°Da Lang, a lifetime like this is too far away. Even I, myself, don¡¯t know when I will leave here again.¡±


    The gloom in Xie Heng¡¯s eyes flickered.¡±Not even just for the time that you¡¯re here?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, life is short. I¡¯m only fighting for the present.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Probably because I know what it¡¯s like to be happy.¡±


    In this instant, Xie Heng¡¯s gaze was serious and honest.


    His eyes were like a thousand stars, all shining for Zhao Chuchu.


    He was pleased with Zhao Chuchu.


    But he didn¡¯t know when it started, perhaps from the first time she said to him, ¡°Da Lang take medicine.¡± Perhaps in the days they had spent together. Unknowingly her figure quietly moved into his heart.


    ...


    When he saw her, his heart would always race uncontrobly.


    When you didn¡¯t see her, his heart would act like it felt down.


    He often regretted why he was so quick to reveal her identity. If not, there would not have been the agreement of the divorce letter.


    The only thing that Xie Heng was d about was that the arrival of those people from the Thousand Battalion interrupted Zhao Chuchu¡¯s action of receiving the letter of divorce.


    Otherwise, Zhao Chuchu could have left Lengshui Vige and left him at any time!


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s heart was racing.


    She didn¡¯t even have such feelings when she killed a zombie for the first time.


    She really did not expect Xie Heng would be so straightforward in the kitchen to express his feelings for her.


    What happened to the fact that people from ancient times were subtle?


    Howe she didn¡¯t feel that at all?


    And Xie Heng was really too straightforward, right?


    ...


    Expressing one¡¯s love to another in the kitchen was something Zhao Chuchu had never heard of.


    ¡°Da Lang, what about your former wife?¡± Zhao Chuchu sighed in her heart. Since the original host of this body would die, Xie Heng would definitely remarry in the future.


    Although the teenage boy made her heart flutter as well, she could never steal someone else¡¯s marriage.


    ¡°No.¡± Xie Heng rarely blushed. ¡°Looks like I won¡¯t be able to have any descendants.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was shocked.


    ¡°Da Lang, are you incapable?¡±


    This time, it was Xie Heng¡¯s turn to be shocked.


    He almost spat out a mouthful of blood when he heard those words.


    What was the girl thinking?


    No normal person would answer like that!


    ¡°Well, Da Lang, you don¡¯t have to worry. After dinner, I will check your pulse. I will do my best to restore your masculinity and help you regain your dignity. Don¡¯t be afraid. You will be able to be a father.¡±


    Xie Heng gritted his teeth.


    He felt like he had fallen into his own trap.


    ¡°I¡¯m not!¡± Xie Heng took a deep breath and made himself look as calm and peaceful as possible. ¡°It¡¯s just that I¡¯ve never even had sex after getting married!¡±


    ¡°Then that means you¡¯ve never had a woman?¡± Zhao Chuchu was utterly stunned.


    Xie Heng had been a big shot in his previous life, but he had never been with a woman. This was something she wasn¡¯t willing to believe.


    She intentionally nced at a specific location of Xie Heng.


    Xie Heng was rendered speechless.


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t, alright?!¡±


    ¡°Then aren¡¯t you moved by women?¡±


    Xie Heng closed his eyes.


    He had never expected the topic to go down in this direction.


    He carried the chicken and duck and silently walked out of the kitchen, refusing to discuss such issues with Zhao Chuchu again.


    When Zhao Chuchu saw Xie Heng¡¯s red ears, she couldn¡¯t stop the corners of her mouth from rising!


    ¡°He¡¯s actually being shy!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a surprisingly pure-hearted man!¡±

 Chapter 176 - 176 Too Hard

    176 Too Hard


    Zhao Chuchu was in a great mood.


    In her previous life, she was used to seeing men who did whatever they wanted just because they were powerful, and Xie Heng¡¯s innocence managed to hit Zhao Chuchu¡¯s sweet spot.


    The same went for Zhao Chuchu as well. Although this was her third life, she was the same as Xie Heng. She never had a boyfriend!


    The only difference was that Xie Heng was married, but she wasn¡¯t.


    !!


    But Xie Heng¡¯s marriage had no meaning. There was nomunication at all with his wife. They were just strangers under the same roof.


    ¡°Chuchu, tell me if the water is boiling. I¡¯ll go read a book for a while.¡± Xie Heng¡¯s voice came from the outside.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Zhao Chuchu answered loudly.


    Immediately after, Xie Heng¡¯s footsteps were heard entering the house.


    When the water boiled, Xie Heng came back.


    This time his expression was back to normal, as if nothing had happened.


    Zhao Chuchu also helped to pluck the feathers of the chicken and the duck.


    The two crouched close to each other. From a distance, it was as if their heads were close together.


    Xie Jun hopped back and saw this scene at the door. He immediately dragged his friend to turn around and leave. His mouth was almost to the back of his head.


    Xie Jun¡¯s friend was a little confused. ¡°I thought we were going to hang out in your house. It¡¯s more fun at your house!¡±


    ¡°I suddenly think it¡¯s more fun at your ce!¡± said Xie Jun.


    Xie Heng realized that he should be more intimate with Zhao Chuchu. Xie Jun was definitely not going to ruin the moment.


    ¡°I wonder when my brother will try hard enough to get Zhao Chuchu to move back into his room?¡±


    Xie Jun felt like he was worried sick.


    He felt it was so hard to be a brother-inw!


    His friend felt confused but didn¡¯t ask any more questions.


    Zhao Chuchu naturally heard the conversation between Xie Jun and his little friend.


    She said to Xie Heng, ¡°Have you noticed that Junjun has been acting strangetely?¡±


    ¡°Hasn¡¯t he always been like this? Why wrong?¡± Xie Heng asked rhetorically. Of course, he knew why Xie Jun had left.


    Xie Heng had to admit he liked how thoughtful his brother was.


    ¡°Usually, when he sees me, he would just follow beside me wherever I go, but not anymore, not even when he¡¯s happy!¡±


    ¡°Yes, he has always respected you. This has never changed. It¡¯s just that the child has grown up a bit and probably also has his own opinions now.¡±


    ¡°You have a point.¡± Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t overthink things. She then said, ¡°The matter of detoxifying Junjun can be put on the agenda. Although Junjun is now much better, the detoxification still can¡¯t be rushed. It must be done slowly.¡±


    ¡°Topletely remove the poison from his body is worth spending two or three years. It is better than just living a few more years. Chuchu, you can do whatever you think is safe. You¡¯re also a part of the Xie family, so don¡¯t feel like you¡¯re a parasite.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu lowered her head and didn¡¯t look at Xie Heng, afraid to see Xie Heng¡¯s burning gaze locked on her.


    It was peculiar, it wasn¡¯t like no one flirted with her in her previous life, but none of them could make her heart beat race. Instead, Xie Heng, the teenage boy, often made her heart beat uncontrobly!


    This made Zhao Chuchu very ufortable.


    ¡°Chuchu, if the poison in Junjun¡¯s body has been sessfully removed, where do you n to go after you leave Lengshui Vige?¡±


    ¡°Why are you asking this all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°Rtively speaking, I am more familiar with the Wei Dynasty than you. I can rmend a few ces worthy of your visit if you trust me.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about this matter. Let¡¯s talk about it when the timees. I will ask you.¡±


    Xie Heng smiled and breathed a sigh of relief.


    He was afraid that Zhao Chuchu would leave without saying goodbye.


    If someone like her didn¡¯t want to be found by him, he wouldn¡¯t be able to see her even if he had all the eyes and ears in the world.


    Probably because she was used to the two of them cooking together, Zhao Chuchu met many vigers when she went to the river with Xie Heng to clean the chicken and duck.


    ¡°Hey, Da Lang, what are you two doing again?¡±


    ¡°Da Lang and Chuchu¡¯s rtionship is getting better and better!¡±


    ¡°What kind of delicious food did Da Lang cook for Chuchu again?¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, Da Lang treats you so well.¡±


    They were all teasing the two.


    Xie Heng responded with a smile.


    Zhao Chuchu lowered her head and tried her best to pretend she didn¡¯t exist.


    Being joked about by people of the ancient time¡­ Zhao Chuchu felt that she was really incapable.


    The good thing was that the river wasn¡¯t far away, and people wouldn¡¯t really go there at that time of the day.


    ¡°I n to make a water mill to use water power to grind soy milk, savingbor and improving efficiency!¡± Zhao Chuchu changed the subject. ¡°It¡¯s just that this is not easy to build. Do you have any ideas, Da Lang?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was not so knowledgeable about this. She gave Xie Heng the book that could improve farming techniques. Xie Heng should probably have some thoughts about it.


    Initially, she wanted to use a generator.


    But the number of generators in her carry-on space was limited. If any had broken down, it would be hard for her to make any repairs.


    Sr technology before the end of the world came was immature. Even if there was a method to use sr power, they were limited to the technology of that time.


    ...


    Therefore, water power was currently the most unrestricted source of energy.


    ¡°Yes, I have even drawn out the blueprints. I was just waiting for you toe back. After dinnerter, I¡¯ll show you.¡± Xie Heng raised his eyes and looked at Zhao Chuchu. ¡°You said this before you went to the county, I¡¯ve been thinking about it during this time, and if you¡¯re able to build it, it should be simr to what you envisioned.¡±


    ¡°So soon?¡±


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s nothing I can do for the things that I can¡¯t help you with, so I¡¯ll do my best on the things I can help you with.¡±


    After a pause, Xie Heng added, ¡°This can help you focus on Junjun¡¯s treatment.¡±


    How could Zhao Chuchu not know the effort that Xie Heng had put in?


    ¡°What about the soybeans? You should have had them nted as well, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu sighed. ¡°Dng, you are really ddin¡¯s Lantern.¡±


    One was able to get anything by just simply making a wish.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ...


    ¡°A divine weapon.¡±


    Xie Heng smiled. ¡°Chuchu, I am human.¡±


    ¡°I was making an analogy. I didn¡¯t say you were a thing.¡±


    Both Xie Heng and Zhao Chuchu were rendered speechless by each other.


    It seemed like the exnation was also very misleading.


    ¡°You¡¯re not a thing?¡± This didn¡¯t sound very nice, either.


    Zhao Chuchu simply pretended that nothing had happened.


    She continued to talk about the water mill.


    ¡°By the way, there¡¯s something I forgot to tell you. Manager Li came to look for Madam Yang¡¯s.¡± Xie Heng suddenly brought up this matter.


    Zhao Chuchu had forgotten about it, and her eyes lit up when she heard those words. ¡°And then what?¡±


    ¡°Embezzled seven taels of silver and paid out twenty taels. Madam Yang is now lying in bed, recuperating. The people Manager Li brought nearly beat her to death.¡±


    Zhao Chuchuughed out loud. ¡°How could it be that easy to earn silver off me? She deserved it.¡±


    That was why Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t take the silver back.


    Otherwise, Madam Yang would have had an excuse to me her.


    Zhao Chuchu said she didn¡¯t care about what happened to the Zhao family and kept her word.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t theye looking for you?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°And then what?¡±


    ¡°I told them that you had broken off your rtionship with them.¡±


    ¡°Is that all?¡±


    ¡°Of course not.¡±


    Xie Heng told the whole story.


    It turned out that Madam Yang was too dejected and went around bragging that Zhao Chuchu would get back together with the Zhao family, which allowed her to earn some silver.


    The result was that some people in the vige who were like the people of the Zhao family went to please Zhao Chuchu, but it was in vain. They became jealous of Madam Yang, so they went to Shiyang County and told Manager Li that Madam Yang had cheated his money.


    Manager Li was already angry, and the person who instigated the incident didn¡¯t interact much with Zhao Chuchu, so he brought people to settle ounts.


    Ultimately, Madam Yang was beaten half to death and had to spit out 20 taels of silver.


    It was really a case of go for wool ande home shorn.

 Chapter 177 - 177 CBA

    177 CBA


    Zhao Baogen had just been able to get out of bed, and now, Madam Yang was bedridden.


    This was a punishment for their past sins!


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s mood was delightful. She liked this kind of news.


    ¡°Using my name to make money? I¡¯m afraid they won¡¯t have the chance to spend the money they¡¯ve earned!¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, why don¡¯t we move into the city? That way, you can stay away from these people.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu refused.


    ¡°For me, it¡¯s the same everywhere. I still have a mountain full of crops and have to wait to see the harvest. I don¡¯t feelfortable leaving it all to them to take care of. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust them. It¡¯s food. It¡¯s better to keep an eye on it personally.¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s do it your way.¡±


    ¡°If the city is more convenient for you to study, you can move to the city, I will take care of Junjun here, and that¡¯s fine also.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the same everywhere.¡±


    All Xie Heng cared about was Zhao Chuchu¡¯s presence.


    Zhao Chuchu watched Xie Heng¡¯s right hand skillfully handle the chicken and duck. His eyes were downcast and serious. They weren¡¯t as sharp as before, and people didn¡¯t dare look directly at them. He seemed much more gentle.


    ¡°Chuchu, why don¡¯t you take the chickens and ducks back first? I¡¯ll give these things a wash.¡±


    Xie Heng pointed to the chicken and duck¡¯s innards.


    Zhao Chuchu and Xie Jun both loved to eat them. Xie Heng washed them every time and then fried them with garlic.


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you. The sooner we get them done, the sooner we can cook them.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Xie Heng preferred Zhao Chuchu to stay.


    The two of them washed the chicken and duck together, and Zhao Chuchu went to old Mrs. Chen¡¯s vegetable garden and plucked a small bunch of garlic before going back.


    After the chicken with potatoes and the beer-braised duck was ready, Zhao Chuchu gave a bowl of each to the Chen family.


    When Old Mrs. Chen saw this, she couldn¡¯t help but stare at Zhao Chuchu. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you earlier that I plucked some garlic from your garden, so I¡¯m giving you some to try.¡± Zhao Chuchuughed. ¡°Just in time, you are also having dinner.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu put down two bowls of meat and left without waiting for Old Mrs. Chen to refuse.


    ¡°I still have to head back home to have dinner. Remember to wash the bowls before returning them to me.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s words came from far away. Old Mrs. Chen shook her head somewhat helplessly. ¡°This child, she¡¯s too polite.¡±


    Old Mrs. Chen put the two bowls of meat on the dining table, and the eyes of the Chen family were all attracted.


    Because it really smelled too good!


    ¡°Da Lang¡¯s cooking is getting better and better. Even the chefs of the restaurants can¡¯t make such good dishes!¡± Chen Dashan swallowed his saliva, and his eyes glowed.


    Old Mrs. Chen saw Chen Liang and the others looking at it with bated breath and scolded them with a smile, ¡°You¡¯re all like hungry ghosts, wait, I will give you all a share.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu had already returned to the Xie family by this time.


    Xie Jun returned at dinner time, went straight to the water tank to wash his hands, and then helped carry the dishes out.


    ¡°Brother, what did you make again today? It smells so good.¡± Xie Jun stretched his neck to see the dishes in Xie Heng¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Chicken with potatoes and beer-braised duck. Aren¡¯t they your favorite? Your sister-inw suggested that we have this for dinner today.¡±


    ¡°Oh, brother, Chuchu¡¯s awesome. You have to work harder and give me a little nephew soon.¡±


    Xie Jun was worried that if Xie Heng kept this up, Zhao Chuchu would be snatched away!


    ¡°I have to prepare for the next Provincial Examination. I can¡¯t make your sister-inw work too hard,¡± said Xie Heng. ¡°Don¡¯t bring this up in front of Zhao Chuchu, alright? She¡¯s a girl and can be shy at times.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Xie Jun pursed his lips.


    He then thought, ¡°I¡¯ll keep my mouth shut, but don¡¯t be upset when she¡¯s snatched away!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu pretended not to hear their conversation.


    ¡°Junjun, when did youe back? I just went to the Chen family and didn¡¯t see you there. I thought you ran away again.¡± Zhao Chuchu spoke out first outside the door, interrupting their brotherly conversation, lest they go inter and hear Xie Jun asking something else.


    ¡°Chuchu, I was not at the Chen family¡¯s house. I went to the vige head¡¯s house to y.¡± Xie Jun moved the stool. ¡°Wash your hands quickly. Let¡¯s eat.¡±


    The two dishes today were delicious. Zhao Chuchu also could not help but eat a little more.


    Xie Heng¡¯s cooking skills were excellent!


    If Xie Heng opened a private restaurant, many people woulde, no matter how much he charged them.


    Xie Heng was different from Zhao Chuchu and Xie Jun. He had stronger self-control. Even if the dishes were delicious, he would always put down his cutlery when he felt it was just right.


    Therefore when Zhao Chuchu and Xie Jun leaned back in their chairs, not wanting to move, the job of cleaning up the dishes fell back to Xie Heng.


    Xie Heng took the dishes out of the hall just as someone pushed the door open and walked inside. The person met Xie Heng¡¯s eyes.


    When Xie Heng saw the visitor, his eyebrows knitted slightly, and coldness appeared at the bottom of his eyes.


    ¡°Da Lang, you can see now? Well, thank God for the blessings of the ancestors.¡± The person who spoke was an old woman with grey hair. She was dressed very well, with gold hairpins in her hair and two high-quality jade bracelets on her wrists, so it was clear that she was pretty rich.


    And behind the old woman, followed by two pairs of men and women about the same age as Niu An.


    The two men were dressed formally, and the two women, like the old woman, were also well-dressed.


    ¡°Da Lang, didn¡¯t you get married? Why are you still doing this kind of work? What is your wife? Doesn¡¯t she know she has to take care of her husband?¡± When the old woman saw the three sets of used dishes in Xie Heng¡¯s hand, her face darkened. ¡°How dare she? Without elders around, you¡¯re bossing your own husband around, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°What is your business here?¡± In return, Xie Heng did not answer the old woman¡¯s words but coldly asked a question. ¡°This is the Xie family.¡±


    ¡°Da Lang, how can you talk to your grandmother like that? We¡¯re all your elders!¡± the older man said discontentedly. ¡°You are an intellectual person. Don¡¯t you know the most basic manners?¡±


    ...


    Xie Heng nced at the man who spoke. ¡°Where were you when my parents passed away?¡±


    The man choked.


    The old woman immediately said, ¡°It¡¯s Grandma¡¯s fault. I was sick, your uncle and the others had to attend to take care of me, so they didn¡¯te in time, you can¡¯t me them. Where is your wife? Why is she still hiding in the house when Grandma is here and does she know how to behave?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t taught her. How can she know?¡± Xie Heng said in a faint voice. ¡°My eyes are fine. You may leave if there¡¯s nothing else that you want.¡±


    ¡°Da Lang, your grandmother is here to see you. How can you do this to her?¡± another man chided. ¡°It¡¯s your good fortune that the elders came to see you.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve been in the house for some time now, Da Lang. Are you not even letting us take a seat in the house?¡±


    ¡°If an intellectual person behaves like this, he will be criticized. Aren¡¯t you worried about your reputation? The Wei Dynasty is most concerned with filial piety. Doing so will be spat at.¡±


    Those two women also followed and echoed.


    Zhao Chuchu, who had been inside the house, heard these conversations and raised her eyebrows slightly.


    Xie Jun whispered, ¡°Chuchu, grandma and the others are so annoying. Every time theye to our house, they either ask father and mother for silver or ask brother to help them write couplets for others or something. And when they leave, everything that can be taken in the house will be taken!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was at a loss for words.


    ...


    ¡°No wonder the original owner¡¯s memories didn¡¯t have the existence of Xie Heng¡¯s grandparents. It turned out that after Xie Heng¡¯s parents died and Xie Heng turned blind, there wasn¡¯t any advantage for them to take, so they didn¡¯t even bothering for a visit.¡±

 Chapter 178 - 178 Nothing to Do With Da Lang

    178 Nothing to Do With Da Lang


    ¡°After my brother¡¯s eyes went blind, they never came again.¡± Xie Jun puffed up. ¡°The reason that they came to our house today must be because of you, Chuchu.¡±


    How could Zhao Chuchu not know?


    This old woman wanted to teach Zhao Chuchu a lesson the moment she walked through the door.


    There was no need to be nice to such snobbish rtives.


    But Xie Heng was a schr, and a schr¡¯s reputation was important, so Zhao Chuchu nned to wait it out first.


    The old woman outside snorted coldly. ¡°Da Lang, if you are not good at teaching her discipline, let grandmother help you. You are the head of the family, and housework is supposed to be done by women. If she doesn¡¯t do it, you can divorce her! Grandma will decide for you and find you a good marriage!¡±


    ¡°Da Lang, do you remember your cousin? She¡¯s always talking about you! Today, if I hadn¡¯t insisted that she focus on her textile work, she would havee to see you as well.¡± Xie Heng¡¯s aunt covered her mouth andughed lightly. ¡°She¡¯s much better than that kinky Zhao Chuchu.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was rendered speechless.


    One should never talk about another¡¯s parents. These people were genuinely annoying.


    ¡°Be careful what you say! Chuchu¡¯s parents¡¯ death has nothing to do with her at all. How can you be so malicious towards Chuchu, who is also a woman, Auntie?¡± Xie Heng said in a deep voice. ¡°Also, the Kong family has no right to dictate the affairs of the Xie family!¡±


    ¡°Da Lang, I am doing this for your own good!¡± the old woman said sharply.


    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s for my own good and not yours?¡± Xie Heng looked at the old woman. His gaze was as cold as ice.


    Under Xie Heng¡¯s gaze, the old woman actually had a terrible feeling of her thought being seen through.


    ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? We came over today to see if your eyes have fully recovered or not!¡± The old woman¡¯s eyes drifted about, not daring to look directly at Xie Heng. ¡°You are my grandson. As your grandmother, isn¡¯t it normal for me to care about you?¡±


    ¡°Where were you when I was blind? It¡¯s been almost three years. Can¡¯t grandmother take a little time to see me?¡± Xie Heng¡¯s expression remained calm, but his tone was indescribably cynical.


    The old woman¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    She was no match for Xie Heng in terms of words, so she took on the stance of an elder. ¡°Grandma also has her own business to attend to. Since your life is not in danger, it¡¯s the same no matter when grandmaes to see you. You used to be very obedient and docile. Howe you now contradict your elders after you got married?¡±


    ¡°Did that Zhao Chuchu instigate you? If that¡¯s the case, I have to teach her a good lesson today so that she won¡¯t be more aggressive in the future and bring you trouble.¡±


    ¡°Da Lang, listen to your grandmother. With your status now, Zhao Chuchu is not worthy of you, so for the sake of the past, take her as a concubine and then marry your cousin as your wife!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Da Lang, your cousin is the most knowledgeable and polite, and you¡¯re the only person she thinks about. We have always taught her the requirements of your grandmother. She¡¯s the most suitable person for you to marry,¡± said the first aunt.


    Xie Heng¡¯s second aunt also followed and advised. ¡°Da Lang, the task of an intellectual person is to study well. Look at what Zhao Chuchu has asked you to do. You have to marry a wife who doesn¡¯t need you to worry about household chores. I think your cousin is perfect.¡±


    First uncle nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve always nned on allowing your cousin to marry you. You can¡¯t let her down!¡±


    Second uncle said, ¡°As for Zhao Chuchu, just give her a few taels of silver and send her away. She looks like a restless person. How can she still stay in the Xie family?¡±


    These five people took turns between themselves and had already helped Xie Heng to arrange his future for him.


    Xie Jun was so angry when he heard those words. ¡°Do these people know no shame? They haven¡¯te once since my brother became blind, but theye and made the elder talk so that they could arrange my brother¡¯s future for him?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be angry. Listen to what your brother has to say.¡± Zhao Chuchu turned around andforted Xie Jun.


    Xie Jun pouted his lips. ¡°Chuchu, are you not angry? They want to kick you out of the house!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing they could do if your brother disagrees. This is Lengshui Vige. We¡¯re on the Xie family¡¯s turf.¡± Zhao Chuchu stroked his head.


    Xie Heng¡¯s voice was still calm as ever. ¡°You guys are forcing me like this. Are you wanting me to tell others how you guys became schrs?¡±


    Those five people¡¯s faces suddenly changed drastically when these words came out.


    ¡°Elders also need to put themselves in the right position. Don¡¯t be so nosy and stick your nose into things that are none of your business!¡±


    ¡°You, what did you say?¡±


    ¡°Da Lang, words cannot be said nonsense!¡±


    ¡°We did not do ¡­¡±


    ¡°Did you do it? You guys know better than me, grandmother, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Xie Heng was standing there, still holding the dishes to be washed in his hands, looking harmless, but giving them an invisible sense of oppression.


    ¡°Da Lang, stop talking nonsense, I¡­¡±


    ¡°Grandmother, you shouldn¡¯t stick your nose into other people¡¯s business either.¡±


    The old woman was so angry that her face turned pale.


    However, everything that Xie Heng had said was true.


    When exactly did Xie Heng know about the truth?


    Xie Heng didn¡¯t look like he was joking around, either.


    If things really got out¡­


    The old woman did not dare think about what would happen next.


    Xie Heng turned around and went into the kitchen.


    The old woman thought about it and walked towards the hall room in big strides.


    Zhao Chuchu still maintained azy position while leaning on the chair.


    When the old woman came in and saw it, she immediately pointed at Zhao Chuchu and cursed, ¡°If a woman has reached this level, you might as well die! You¡¯re azy bone. How can you be qualified to marry Da Lang?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu slowly got up and looked at the furious old woman.


    Threatened by Xie Heng, she had no ce to vent her anger, so she decided to make things difficult for Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°I was wondering what kind of woman Da Lang was protecting, but it turns out to be a woman like you. Back then, you tried to marry Da Lang because he was a schr. Let me tell you. It was my daughter that Da Lang was supposed to marry!¡±


    ¡°If you know what¡¯s good for you, pack your things and get out of here, don¡¯t wait for the letter of divorce to be given to you. Things would get ugly by then!¡±


    The three women were on the same side and were not polite to Zhao Chuchu at all, as if this was the Kong family¡¯s territory and not the Xie family¡¯s.


    Zhao Chuchu smiled. ¡°When I married Da Lang, Da Lang was still blind and couldn¡¯t see. Why didn¡¯t your family ever show up during that time? It¡¯s been a year since we married, and you¡¯re just now showing up, and you¡¯re still trying to force me to leave!¡±


    ...


    ¡°I want to ask, is it your family¡¯s style to specialize in stealing men from others? Since your daughter is marrying Da Lang, why didn¡¯t you mention this before we married? Oh, isn¡¯t it because you were afraid that Da Lang, the blind man, would take advantage of you?¡±


    ¡°Now that his eyes have healed and he is on track to pass the Imperial Examination, you came running over to him, right? Tsk, you are not blushing. I am ashamed of you. You want to take all the good things. Who do you think you are? Even if I am not capable of doing anything, I have at least cured Xie Heng¡¯s eyes.¡±


    ¡°What about you? What have you done? Are you just here to see what benefits you can get from him? Let me guess. You came here not only because Da Lang¡¯s eyes got better but also for the tofu recipe, right? Unfortunately, they are all mine and have nothing to do with Da Lang!¡±

 Chapter 179 - 179 Send You on Your Way

    179 Send You on Your Way


    Zhao Chuchu revealed the Kong family¡¯s ploy. This caused them to be annoyed.


    ¡°Who are you to speak here? Shut the hell up! Who do you think you are? You¡¯re just a woman. How dare you speak to your elders like that? Do you know who I am? I¡¯m Da Lang¡¯s grandmother! I am someone you have to bow to show respect to.¡± Old Mrs. Kong pointed at Zhao Chuchu and scolded her.


    Zhao Chuchu looked her up and down. ¡°If you were dead, I don¡¯t mind bowing to you and showing some respect.¡±


    ¡°You, you¡­¡±


    Old Mrs. Kong was so angry that she leaned backward.


    ¡°Da Lang,e and see what kind of a daughter-inw you have married? There¡¯s no sense of breeding or manners. Is there anyone who speaks to her elders like that?¡± The first aunt rushed to the door and snarled.


    Second aunt also stared coldly at Zhao Chuchu. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of being punished by god for saying such words?¡±


    ¡°You are all alive and well. Why should I die?¡± Zhao Chuchu snickered. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. What you are worried about will not happen!¡±


    The three looked at Zhao Chuchu with a grimace.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that easy to set me up to get what¡¯s mine.¡± Zhao Chuchu looked at them. ¡°Of course, you can choose to take it by force if you want to. However, I don¡¯t know if you can keep your legs if you do so. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be gentle and cure your legs for you.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s expression was very calm, but the people of the Kong family could not help but shiver when they heard those words.


    Zhao Chuchu would definitely keep her word!


    This also sent chills down their backs.


    A few momentster, Old Mrs. Kong sat down on the ground and howled. ¡°My life is so bitter, my dear daughter. Why did you have to die so early? If you were still alive, how would you let your daughter-inw do this to your mother? I can¡¯t live with this anymore¡­¡±


    Zhao Chuchu cocked her brows.


    How could Xie Heng have such a weird grandmother?


    Zhao Chuchu used the cover of her figure to pull a dagger out of the carry-on space behind her.


    Swoosh!


    The dagger was stuck into the ground about three inches before Old Mrs. Kong. This caused her to shut up, and her face was full of fear.


    Zhao Chuchu raised her chin. ¡°Well, there¡¯s the dagger for you. You can choose tomit suicide now, and Da Lang can send you on your way.¡±


    This action subdued the women of the Kong family.


    Old Mrs. Kong¡¯s mouth was agape for a while but made no sound.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you just being all emotional? Here¡¯s the knife. Why are you backing down now?¡± Zhao Chuchu sneered. Such people only knew how to be unreasonable with words. In reality, they were just cowards.


    Only honest people would be scared by her actions. If it were someone like Zhao Chuchu, who had lived through the end of the world, even if Old Mrs. Kong died in front of her, she wouldn¡¯t even blink her eyes.


    ¡°Who is she trying to scare?¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to force your grandmother to die?¡± It took a moment for the first aunt to find her voice. ¡°You are simply treacherous and heartless.¡±


    ¡°Look at you. She was the one who said she didn¡¯t want to live anymore. I didn¡¯t force her to die. I was doing a good deed and helping her out, so how is that my fault? Don¡¯t think that just because you have a bigger head and are older would make your words more reasonable.¡±


    ¡°You, you¡­¡± The first aunt was at a loss for words after hearing Zhao Chuchu¡¯s words.


    Second aunt said sternly, ¡°Zhao Chuchu, why are you so vicious?¡±


    Zhao Chuchuughed, then her eyes turned dark as she looked at them. She asked, ¡°Don¡¯t be modest. In terms of viciousness, who can be more vicious than you? When one of the brothers was blind, and the other was sick, where were you?¡±


    ¡°Now that Da Lang is getting better, you decide to show up and tell him what to do in his house with the attitude of elders! Even if his parents are still alive, there is no reason for you toe to the Xie family and boss him around!¡±


    ¡°When Junjun was dying, I, Zhao Chuchu, took care of him, not you rtives whose conscience was eaten by dogs. It was me, Zhao Chuchu, who cured Da Lang¡¯s eyes, not you rtives who never gave the brothers half a penny and showed up when you think there¡¯s something you can take advantage of!¡±


    In a fury, Xie Heng¡¯s first and second uncles rushed in.


    ¡°I¡¯ll teach you a good lesson today for my sister. You¡¯re just a shrew who doesn¡¯t know how to behave.¡±


    ¡°Stop wasting your time talking to her. Beat her up first. Da Lang has spoiled her. Sooner orter, she will be trouble!¡±


    ¡°If you so much asy a finger on Chuchu, I¡¯ll guarantee that you lose your schr titles tomorrow.¡± Xie Heng walked in, and his icy gaze fell on those of the Kong family.


    ¡°Chuchu is right. Even if my parents are still alive, you still won¡¯t have the right toe to my house and tell me what to do! You are only my elders if I respect you as my elders. If I don¡¯t, I can just beat you out with a stick.¡±


    ¡°Da Lang, you are an intellect. Don¡¯t you understand the importance of filial piety? If you dare to do this today, tomorrow, the whole Guangqing province will be able to know about your actions, and then I will see how you are going to enter the government?¡±


    ¡°How can the righteous extermination of rtives involve filial piety?¡±


    Xie Heng smiled andughed.


    The first and second uncles panicked inwardly.


    Xie Heng asked, ¡°Do you want me to chase you out or ask you to leave? If it is the former, I am afraid your hard-earned schr titles will be lost. If it¡¯s thetter, you may still be able to walk around during the New Year holidays.¡±


    ¡°Are you threatening me?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡±


    The brothers of the Kong family looked at Xie Heng incredulously.


    ¡°Oh, by the way, don¡¯te to Lengshui Vige in the future. I¡¯m not a man of reason. Things such as the righteous extermination of rtives will take some time to get used to, but I¡¯ll get used to it after a few times. Not only the Kong family, even if the Xie family offended Chuchu, I won¡¯t let them off so easily.¡±


    ¡°Da Lang, are you crazy?¡±


    Xie Heng smiled but didn¡¯t say anything.


    The people of Kong family¡¯s hearts trembled.


    Old Mrs. Kong remembered the purpose of her trip. ¡°Okay, other than that, I¡¯m your grandmother. Shouldn¡¯t you do your filial duty for your mother?¡±


    ¡°Junjun is now seriously ill, grandmother. You not only didn¡¯t help but want to take the money I¡¯ve saved to cure my brother? Since this is the case, I will still do it even if I will be punished for using my elders.¡±


    ¡°Xie Heng, you won¡¯t dare!¡±


    Old Mrs. Kong had not yet spoken. Her two sons became anxious first.


    ¡°Do you want to bet on it?¡± Xie Heng¡¯s gaze darkened as he stared at them sorrowfully. ¡°If you keep on making things difficult for us, this is what we¡¯ll do.¡±


    ...


    ¡°Don¡¯t do anything reckless.¡±


    ¡°Then get out!¡± Xie Heng pointed at the door and said in a stern voice.


    At this moment, he was as cold as ice, and his aura was so appalling that the people of the Kong family subconsciously took a step back.


    Xie Heng stepped forward. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to die, don¡¯t let me see you in the future. Otherwise, I will make sure the Kong family has one less schr every time we meet.¡±


    ¡°Xie Heng, do you know who you are talking to?¡± Old Mrs. Kong trembled. ¡°If you treat me like this, aren¡¯t you afraid of retribution?¡±


    Xie Heng suddenly looked at Old Mrs. Kong. ¡°When it¡¯ste at night, are you afraid of having your window knocked on? Grandmother, only after doing too many heartless deeds will you believe in retribution.¡±


    When Old Mrs. Kong heard these words, the blood on her face faded, and she looked at Xie Heng as if she had seen a ghost.


    Just now, she was still talking nonsense, but she hurriedly pulled her two sons and ran out without looking back.

 Chapter 180 - 180 Pitiful

    180 Pitiful


    Zhao Chuchu was dumbfounded.


    She looked at Xie Heng. ¡°Howe your words do so much damage? Why did she run so fast?¡±


    Xie Heng said indifferently, ¡°Probably because she¡¯s a coward. Don¡¯t worry. They won¡¯t dare toe looking for trouble again.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Zhao Chuchu felt that the Kong family did not seem like they would give up easily. ¡°Speaking of which, this grandfather¡¯s family of yours is peculiar. Your mother is not at all the same as them.¡±


    In the original owner of the body¡¯s memory, Xie Heng¡¯s mother was a very gentle person.


    Compared to the people of the Kong family, she was like a star in the night sky.


    ¡°My mother¡¯s real mother died while giving birth to her, and my grandmother is my mother¡¯s aunt. The Kong family is intellectual and quite rich,¡± Xie Heng exined.


    Zhao Chuchu was rendered speechless.


    She wanted to criticize the Kong family but didn¡¯t know where to start.


    It was incredible that something like a sister-inw marrying her brother-inw would really be around.


    ¡°It looks like this aunt doesn¡¯t treat your mother well.¡±


    ¡°Not exactly. At least to others, she¡¯s a good stepmother.¡±


    ¡°She mistreats your mother in private, doesn¡¯t she?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu had heard quite a lot about such methods.


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    Xie Heng nodded.


    ¡°It turns out they wanted to marry my mother to a 50-year-old man family as a concubine. Fortunately, my grandfather still had some conscience and did not agree to the marriage. Later, my mother married my father to get rid of them.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was disgusted.


    It was possible that this sister-inw already had her heart set on her brother-inw from the beginning. Otherwise, how could she target the daughter left behind by her sister at every turn?


    ¡°This old woman is so repulsive.¡±


    If she had known this inside information earlier, she would have made these people in the Kong family get a taste of losing sleep.


    Xie Heng looked at Zhao Chuchu and said warmly, ¡°It¡¯s all in the past. My mother doesn¡¯t want to get too involved with them, so she won¡¯t return to her mother¡¯s house except for the New Year¡¯s holidays. And I, like my mother, have long since dismissed this family.¡±


    Xie Jun snorted. ¡°Brother, it¡¯s not like that. I was not allowed to tell you that when you went to school, they often came to the house and robbed us of our belongings. I saw them push Mom once, and her head was injured. I saw it all.¡±


    Xie Heng¡¯s face turned cold. ¡°Was it the time during the mid-autumn festival five years ago?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the year when I was five.¡± Xie Jun nodded vigorously.


    ¡°I see. Then, is there anything else that I don¡¯t know?¡±


    Xie Jun thought about it and told quite a few more odd things about the Kong family.


    Because their home was far away from everyone else, plus his parents were used to holding back, not many people knew that the Kong family came looking for trouble and thought it was their filial piety.


    Xie Jun was also ordered not to tell Xie Heng. Xie Heng waspletely unaware of these things.


    Xie Heng listened very calmly.


    ¡°It didn¡¯t scare you today, did it?¡± Xie Heng asked Xie Jun. ¡°If you¡¯re fine, go out and y with Liang and the others. I need to discuss some matters of the field with your sister-inw.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Xie Jun ran away in a sh, leaving Xie Heng and Zhao Chuchu alone as quickly as possible.


    ¡°Did your mother¡¯s death have anything to do with them?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked straightforwardly.


    ¡°No, they were sick. But these ounts can¡¯t be written off just because my mother passed away. The old me didn¡¯t know this.¡±


    ¡°They didn¡¯te to find you?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu knew Xie Heng meant his previous life when he referred to ¡°the old me.¡±


    ¡°I entered Imperial City when I was fifteen, and I didn¡¯t have many encounters with them, and Junjun¡¯s health wasn¡¯t as good as it is now, and the poison was torturing him every single day, so it was impossible for him to tell me these things.¡±


    His parents did pass away because of illness, so he didn¡¯t look into the Kong family.


    Then again, he no longer had time to care about such trivial matters.


    Zhao Chuchu caught the point. ¡°You started working as an official when you were fifteen?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to like to talk about these things. Could it be that you have a lot of unpleasant memories after being an official?¡±


    Xie Heng was at a loss for words.


    He looked at Zhao Chuchu, and those soulful eyes were full of curiosity.


    Xie Heng gestured for Zhao Chuchu to sit down.


    Zhao Chuchu intuited that Xie Heng was going to tell a story.


    Xie Heng made sure there was no one outside before lowering his voice and talking about his past life.


    In his previous life, Xie Heng was 14 years old when he took the Provincial Examination and won in one fell swoop. Then he won the Conference Examinations and was named the top schr in the Temple Examination.


    The Prince¡¯s uncle Sikou Zhendong took a fancy to him at fifteen and married his daughter Sikou Qin to him.


    He married Sikou Qin for the simple reason that she was from an affluent family, and he needed such a wife. Even if he had no feelings for her, he would still give her respect as a wife.


    But from the day they got married, they slept in separate beds, and the onlymunication they had was the words Sikou Qin said on the night of the wedding. ¡°You are just a mere Number One Schr. You are not worthy of me. I married you because my father wanted me to, I will not give you children, but you must give my children a name.


    ¡°Wait, is she trying to get you to raise someone else¡¯s child?¡± Zhao Chuchu did not resist interrupting Xie Heng. ¡°Da Lang, if you are not making up stories, you are really miserable!¡±


    Seriously, Xie Heng¡¯s appearance was one of a kind, a 15-year-old Number One Schr. How could he be so pitiful and disliked by women everywhere?


    Xie Heng looked calm. He didn¡¯t get angry because of this kind of thing. ¡°I don¡¯t have any connections or background. A mere Number One Schr was nothing in a ce like the Imperial City. Everyone knows why the Sikou family chose me.¡±


    ...


    He just didn¡¯t expect the Sikou family to be so disgusting. It was obvious that they were humiliating him!


    He could ept mutual use, but not the Sikou family to use him as a cover for shame.


    Xie Heng continued on. It turned out that Sikou Qin had an affair with the Eldest Prince long ago and was originally going to marry the Grand Prince. Still, the appearance of Xie Heng made them discover Xie Jun¡¯s existence, and to get what Xie Jun had, they married Sikou Qin to Xie Heng.


    However, Sikou Qin was a no-brainer and actually told Xie Heng on the wedding night. She also told Xie Heng that she was already pregnant.


    Xie Heng didn¡¯t make a fuss about it, said he would cooperate with Sikou Qin, and pretended to ask Sikou Qin if he could have a concubine. Sikou Qin tly rejected him.


    Xie Heng knew then that the status of the child¡¯s father in Sikou Qin¡¯s womb was very high.


    He endured the ridicule of the whole of the Sikou family and secretly set them up. Ultimately, he sent the Sikou family and the eldest prince away together.


    ¡°Then Junjun is¡­¡±


    ¡°The ninth prince.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was gobsmacked.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know about it until after I entered the government either.¡±


    ...


    This was something Xie Heng did not lie about.


    Before that, even his parents didn¡¯t know about Xie Jun¡¯s birth.


    If Sikou Qin hadn¡¯t been too eager to show off her status and unwilling to condescend tomit to him, a mere Number One Schr, he wouldn¡¯t have found out so quickly that Xie Jun¡¯s birth was so amazing.


    ¡°What happened next?¡±


    ¡°Junjun did not live past the age of twenty.¡±


    When Xie Heng thought of this matter, his heart sank.

 Chapter 181 - 181 The Past

    181 The Past


    Although Zhao Chuchu had diagnosed Xie Jun¡¯s body from the beginning, she concluded that he would not live past twenty years old if he could not be cured of the poison.


    She had been with Xie Jun for more than two months and knew his nature well, and she also liked this child quite a lot.


    Even if this was only Xie Jun¡¯s previous life, Zhao Chuchu still felt slightly upset.


    Looking at Xie Heng¡¯s downcast eyes and ming himself, Zhao Chuchu patted his shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s okay. If Junjun is lucky in this life, he will live a long life, don¡¯t be sad. Everything¡¯s going to be fine.¡±


    !!


    Xie Heng raised his eyes to look at Zhao Chuchu and smiled. ¡°I know. With you, Junjun will definitely live past 20.¡±


    ¡°Da Lang, although I don¡¯t know what happened to you afterward, don¡¯t worry. All the regrets that you once had will be made up for.¡±


    ¡°Well, I believe that too.¡±


    ¡°Then you and that Sikou Qin were really just going to be a nominal couple?¡±


    ¡°Although I am not a decent man, I will definitely not do such a thing as forcing a woman.¡±


    ¡°What about concubines?¡±


    ¡°No, there weren¡¯t even any close female friends. Technically speaking, the only women I have been involved with are you and her.¡±


    After hearing those words, an unspeakable pleasure arose in Zhao Chuchu¡¯s heart.


    In this way, she was not a mistress.


    Otherwise, she would have been guilty of destroying Xie Heng¡¯s marriage in his previous life.


    ¡°I pretended to be blind because I didn¡¯t want to take thest Provincial Examination, so I could avoid the Sikou family,¡± exined Xie Heng. ¡°Chuchu, I have never gotten myself involved with other women. Even with you, we only lived with each other under the same roof and nothing more.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu naturally knew about this.


    The original owner of the body was in love with Niu Ziming. The only person she cared about was Niu Ziming. Therefore, there was no ce for Xie Heng.


    Even if Xie Heng wanted to help her, she did not ept Xie Heng¡¯s good intentions.


    There was not much else Xie Heng could do. Xie Heng did all he could.


    ¡°So, what if you see Sikou Qin again?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. Si Kou Qin has already married the person to whom she should marry.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was shocked.


    ¡°How did you manage to do that when you were far away in Lengshui Vige?¡±


    ¡°Before I went blind, I used to go out to study for a while. Some things need to bury the cause. Someone will always make it bear fruit.¡±


    ¡°How old were you that year?¡±


    ¡°12.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu finally understood why she was not at an advantage when facing Xie Heng.


    Xie Heng was like a veteran amongst a group of rookies.


    Luckily, she didn¡¯t show off. Otherwise, she really would have been looked down on by Xie Heng quietly.


    ¡°When you knew I wasn¡¯t Zhao Chuchu, you weren¡¯t afraid?¡±


    ¡°Evil people are not going to gamble their lives in an attempt to try to save others. Chuchu, in addition to not seeing the Sikou family at first, I could say that I am quite urate when I look at people.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu pursed her lips. ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier? You must have thought that I was quite a clown.¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re cute like that.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡±


    ¡°Seriously.¡±


    In Xie Heng¡¯s opinion, the appearance of trying to lie and cover up lies was indeed too cute.


    After all, this kind of lie was well-intentioned.


    And Zhao Chuchu was not good at lying; she was full of loopholes every time, but she didn¡¯t realize it herself.


    The good thing was that this was Lengshui Vige. He helped to cover up a couple of the loopholes. If this were in Imperial City, it wouldn¡¯t have been possible.


    ¡°I always feel that you areughing at me.¡± Zhao Chuchu expressed her doubts.


    ¡°No.¡± Xie Heng¡¯s voice was firm. He always followed the right choice regarding things that might upset Zhao Chuchu. ¡°In the future, you only need to tell me what you want to do. Leave the rest for me. You don¡¯t have to worry about anything.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu sighed.


    She thought she was the most capable one, but it turned out that the real genius was Xie Heng.


    Zhao Chuchu should have guessed that Xie Heng had been reborn since he knew martial arts.


    She med her for reading too few books. Otherwise, she should have guessed the plot.


    ¡°But Da Lang, I still have to tell you, if you betray our agreement one day, I won¡¯t let you off so easily either! You should know that you are no match for me in terms of fighting abilities.¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, you¡¯re the first girl I¡¯ve ever given a promise to.¡±


    Xie Heng looked at Zhao Chuchu, his gaze burning, his affection revealed.


    Zhao Chuchu looked away. She didn¡¯t dare look Xie Heng straight in the eyes. She was scared that she would be lost in them.


    ¡°Da Lang, I¡¯ve never encountered things in the past. Can you give me some time?¡± Zhao Chuchu said softly. ¡°And don¡¯t force me, or I¡¯ll run.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t know how much her words made Xie Heng happy.


    ¡°I won¡¯t force you to make any choices. Even if you still choose to leave in the end, what I said still stands.¡± Xie Heng promised earnestly.


    Zhao Chuchu epted the fact. She would take Xie Heng sooner orter.


    Xie Heng felt that this time he would get what he wanted.


    ...


    After the two of them finished talking about these matters, it seemed like something had changed, but everything was still the same.


    The people of the Kong family went back and did not dare toe over again. They were afraid that Xie Heng really made their schr titles disappear.


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s life had been very dazzling. Every day Xie Heng cooked delicious food for Zhao Chuchu. There was Xie Jun to please her as well. She felt like she was in heaven.


    The time hade to nt soybeans.


    Zhao Chuchu began to be busy again.


    She also provided the seeds of soybeans.


    Many vigers listened to Zhao Chuchu and prepared to nt soybeans on all those mountainnds.


    Since Zhao Chuchu bought the potato and soybean sets, she and Xie Heng personally went to keep an eye on the nting of soybeans.


    Niu Tongsheng couldn¡¯t help but say to Xie Heng, ¡°Da Lang, you are an intellectual person, so don¡¯t worry about the work in the fields. Just study for next year¡¯s Provincial Examination, alright? Chuchu told us, we know what to do. We are very experienced at nting crops.¡±


    Xie Heng smiled and said, ¡°Intellectual people do not only have to study but also have to know how to farm. Or else, when they really join the government and take office at the local level, knowing nothing about these would cause one to be unable to govern.¡±


    ¡°There is nothing wrong with saying that, but you can ask us about farming again when the timees, isn¡¯t it the same?¡±


    ...


    ¡°Asking others is not as good as learning it yourself firsthand.¡±


    ¡°Chief, let Da Lang do what he wants. Strictly speaking, he knows more than me,¡± Zhao Chuchu said loudly from a distance away.


    ¡°Da Lang has memorized the books I¡¯ve mentioned forward and back.¡±


    Niu Tongsheng was rendered speechless.


    Thest time the sorghum was nted, it was also Xie Heng who taught him how to grow it, and now looking at those leafy sorghum seedlings, they seemed to be really good.


    The vigers believe in Xie Heng and Zhao Chuchu. At the moment, they had first put aside their ownnd work to help Zhao Chuchu nt soybeans in the mountains and also learn some of the nting techniques that Xie Heng got from the books.


    ¡°Da Lang, didn¡¯t you sayst time that you would make a water mill by the river? When are we going to start construction?¡± one of the vigers asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s almost time,¡± said Xie Heng. ¡°When I perfect the blueprints of the water mill mechanism again, we can start construction.¡±


    The vigers asked again, ¡°When the timees, we can have one person from each family to work on it, right?¡±

 Chapter 182 - 182 Not Again

    182 Not Again


    ¡°Yes, the details will have to wait for the water mill to be finished and see how Chuchu arranges then.¡± Xie Heng nodded his head.


    The vigers looked at each other, smiled meaningfully, and teased Xie Heng. ¡°Da Lang, who is in charge of your family?¡±


    ¡°Chuchu.¡± Xie Heng didn¡¯t even hesitate. ¡°She is the one who makes the decisions on everything in the family.¡±


    ¡°What about the silver?¡±


    !!


    ¡°She¡¯s in charge.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°Cooking.¡±


    The crowd was shocked.


    That was when all the women went into an uproar. ¡°Hear that? A man as capable as Da Lang listens to his wife, and look at you all. You just know how to be domineering at home all day.¡±


    ¡°Is that true? No wonder they say capable men love women, and Da Lang is the best example.¡±


    ¡°You guys are far worse than Da Lang. Chuchu is the luckiest!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like that.¡± Xie Heng corrected them with a serious face. ¡°You should say that the luckiest man in Lengshui Vige is me, Xie Heng, because Chuchu married me.¡±


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    The people working on Tripe Mountain heard this, and they all began teasing. Their voices could be heard all over the mountain.


    Madam Kong nudged Zhao Chuchu. ¡°Listen, Da Lang is giving you the romantic talk? We are married, but it is rare for us to hear such romantic words. He truly treats you very well.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu wanted to pretend that she didn¡¯t hear it, but Madam Kong reminded her, so she couldn¡¯t y dumb anymore. Therefore, sheughed and said, ¡°We are still young. I wasn¡¯t good with words in the past, but now it¡¯s different, so it¡¯s quite normal, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°You have a point, but Chuchu, you must hurry up and get pregnant too. You first need to have two more children so that even if Da Lang passes the exam, you will have two children, and he will not be able to get any ideas, right?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was rendered speechless.


    ¡°Why are they urging me to have a baby suddenly?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see. This kind of thing depends on fate. It can¡¯t be rushed.¡± Zhao Chuchu paltered her way through it. ¡°By the way, now, how are your tofu skins doing? Did you send them all to Visitor¡¯s Aroma? Did they ept all of it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they did.¡± Speaking of this, Madam Kong was all smiling.


    With a small business, their family had something to look forward to.


    And the bean curd was so delicious that the boss of Visitor¡¯s Aroma always thought they sent too little.


    ¡°When our water mill is built, we will be able to sell it inrge quantities, and then the people in the vige will have more ie, and their lives will be better.¡±


    ¡°Yes, where did I dare to think about such things before? Thanks to you, Chuchu. If it weren¡¯t for you, we wouldn¡¯t be here today. Maybe we would have been burned to death by the government.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s all in the past. Let¡¯s not talk about it. We should look forward.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Chuchu. Your potatoes should be ready to be harvested next month, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you can dig them at the end of June. I¡¯m telling you, potatoes are also delicious and filling. I will send some to you to try. If you think it¡¯s okay,e to me to buy seeds so you can nt them too.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu did not give everything out for free. She knew being too nice to people for some time would cause them to take her kindness for granted.


    ¡°Our head of the family said that from now on, we will do whatever you say. There¡¯s definitely nothing wrong with listening to you. But Chuchu, there are some things I need to talk to you about. Don¡¯t me me for being too nosy. You should charge whatever you need, and do not give everything for free. This is to prevent you from bing enemies in the future.¡±


    Madam Kong lowered her voice and advised Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu smiled faintly. It was tacit understanding. She was just thinking of the exact same thing.


    ¡°Of course. For the soybeans, I also agreed with them, now they have no money, but when the soybeans are harvested, they have to pay me the money for the seeds. I wouldn¡¯t let them pay anything if they didn¡¯t harvest soybeans.¡±


    ¡°You said nothing about subsidies if they didn¡¯t get a harvest, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course not.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. I was afraid that you¡¯re too young. Some people still like to take advantage of you. In any case, it¡¯s never the wrong thing to make sure the ount is right.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Madam Kong.¡±


    ¡°What are you muttering about here?¡± Niu Tongsheng came over. ¡°Honey, you go and give the guys some water. It¡¯s hot. Let¡¯s hurry up and finish the nting so we can head back earlier.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Madam Kong immediately got up and went to work.


    Today¡¯s work was free of charge. The vigers were here to help the Xie family. They didn¡¯t ask to get paid.


    Zhao Chuchu saw it was about time, so she went to Xie Heng¡¯s side. ¡°Da Lang, I¡¯ll go back first and tell Old Mrs. Chen and the others to help make lunch. Otherwise, they will get hungry if lunch is served toote.¡±


    ¡°Well, go ahead. There is the pork head meat I brined yesterday in the pot. There are also dishes made in advance on the steamer on the other side. Take a look to see if there is enough. If not, do some more.¡± Xie Heng deliberately allowed everyone to hear him say this.


    All these dishes were taken out by Zhao Chuchu from her carry-on space.


    Initially, she didn¡¯t expect so many people to help, so she didn¡¯t prepare enough.


    Xie Heng¡¯s words reminded Zhao Chuchu to bring out some more dishes when she returned.


    ¡°Okay, I got it, then I¡¯ll be heading back now,¡±


    Zhao Chuchu notified Niu Tongsheng and went back with Old Mrs. Chen and her two daughters-inw first.


    They couldn¡¯t take all of the dishes from the carry-on space. They needed to cook up some as well. Otherwise, people would wonder how they could prepare everything the night before.


    On the way back, Old Mrs. Chen mentioned Xie Heng as well. She said the exact same thing as Madam Kong. She also urged Zhao Chuchu to have a baby as soon as possible.


    Zhao Chuchu felt tired.


    Why was she always being urged to have a baby wherever she went?


    ¡°We¡¯re not in a hurry. Da Lang¡¯s health condition isn¡¯t that great. It¡¯s not suitable for us to have a child for the time being. We n on waiting for him to get better.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu babbled her way through things.


    ¡°Chuchu, don¡¯t me Grandma Chen for talking too much. Men always want their own children, and Da Lang is a promising person. Some people want to have a baby with him even if you don¡¯t. Therefore, don¡¯t wait for too long.¡±


    ...


    ¡°I know. I¡¯ll take a look at itter.¡±


    Old Mrs. Chen stopped at that point and did not continue the topic to avoid being annoying.


    Zhao Chuchu asked them to go to the vegetable garden first and pick some vegetables, while she went home first and took some more vegetables out of her carry-on space and put them on the steamer.


    When Old Mrs. Chen and her two daughters-inw came over, they saw many dishes on the steamer, so they nned to cook a wax gourd and vegetables.


    When she saw that Zhao Chuchu wanted to cook boiled rice, Old Mrs. Chen wanted to say something but stopped.


    Then she thought Zhao Chuchu intended to let the working people eat, so she swallowed her words to advise Zhao Chuchu to mix some mixed grains.


    The people of the Zhao family were jealous and regretful when they saw the vigers Zhao Chuchu asked to help her eat so well.


    If they hadn¡¯t agreed to the letter of the breaking of kinship, such benefits would have been the Zhao family¡¯s. Unfortunately, there was nothing they could do.


    Zhao Chuchu was very cold-hearted. No matter how hard they tried to please her, she didn¡¯t say that she had forgiven Madam Yang.


    Even when Madam Yang was bedridden, Zhao Chuchu did not visit once, let alone give them any assistance.


    The most important thing was that one couldn¡¯t find a single person in the whole of Wei Dynasty who could do what Zhao Chuchu did.


    ...


    This really frustrated Madam Yang. There was nothing she could do.

 Chapter 183 - 183 Smart Move

    183 Smart Move


    Old Mrs. Chen and her two daughters-inw moved quickly and helped Zhao Chuchu cook the rice while they started to cut the wax gourd.


    When they finished the remaining two dishes, Xie Heng and the others returned just in time.


    ¡°Wash your hands, call the children over, and get ready to eat,¡± Zhao Chuchu shouted to them.


    ¡°Why are you so polite?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard. You have to eat enough before you can have energy in the afternoon, right? Don¡¯t be polite to me. You¡¯re not getting paid, but I will still have to make sure that you eat well.¡± Zhao Chuchu paused and shouted inside the house, ¡°Junjun,e out quickly and call all the uncles¡¯ families over to eat together.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Chuchu, I¡¯ll go right away.¡± Xie Jun came out of the house and ran outside.


    ¡°No, no.¡± The vigers refused.


    But even Xie Heng couldn¡¯t change Zhao Chuchu¡¯s mind after she made a decision, let alone them.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Xie Jun to call everyone over.


    A lot of people helped to carry the food and chairs. The Xie family courtyard was full of people.


    Many people couldn¡¯t sit down, so they grabbed some food into their bowls and sat on piles of wood at the side. It was very lively.


    The dishes that Zhao Chuchu took out were very ordinary, but for the people of Lengshui Vige, it was a rare delicacy.


    In the end, even the soup and wax gourd werepletely gone.


    The women helped to clean up and wash the dishes.


    The men were more tired of working, so they sat in the courtyard and talked about the water mill.


    They probably saw that Zhao Guitang¡¯s and Niu Tongsheng¡¯s families had been instructed by Zhao Chuchu and lived a better life, so they were all looking forward to the water mill.


    By that time, they would be able to have a steady ie every month. To them, this was excellent news.


    Xie Heng patiently answered their questions one by one.


    The n was to start building the water mill when everyone¡¯s soybeans were nted.


    This caused everyone to be even more enthusiastic. It only took them ten days to nt all the soybean seeds.


    Xie Heng selected a good location for the water mill, not far from the Lengshui Vige, and there was a drop in the river flow, which could be used.


    After the blueprints of the water mill were finished, the craftsmen in the vige who had other craft work all pushed dyed the work they had at hand and stayed in the vige to build the water mill.


    When people were united, the power was great.


    By the middle of June, the water mill was built. Including the room used to produce tofu skins, there were still five morerge rooms left.


    Moreover, thend that Xie Heng circled was all barrennd unsuitable for growing crops and did not take up any goodnd.


    In addition, Xie Heng also fully considered the problem of possible flooding in the spring. No harm woulde to the water mill unless there was a sh flood.


    On the day of thepletion of the water mill, the vigers of Lengshui Vige were delighted, and all families gathered their chicken, duck, and fish. They intended to eat a meal together to celebrate properly.


    Even the Zhao n and those who Zhao Chuchu had cklisted were among those invited.


    Niu Tongsheng felt this was a happy event, so he didn¡¯t invite them to work, but the whole vige had to eat the meal together.


    Xie Heng agreed, so Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t say anything.


    Madam Yang heard about this, and even if she was limping, she still had to go over to eat.


    Otherwise, she felt that she had lost money.


    The corners of Zhao Chuchu¡¯s mouth twitched when she saw this attitude of hers.


    But she pretended not to see Madam Yang if she didn¡¯t cause any trouble.


    People of the Zhao n also did not disappoint Zhao Chuchu, just like the hungry ghost reincarnated. As soon as the dishes reached the table, they began filling their bowls.


    Niu Tongsheng¡¯s face darkened as he watched.


    The good thing was that Xie Heng arranged in advance for the people of the Zhao n to sit with some other families and allowed them to do whatever they wanted.


    In a short time, the dishes at those tables were cleaned out.


    Some people even wanted to extend their hands to other tables, but when they met Zhao Chuchu¡¯s gaze, they gave up that idea and buried their heads to eat the dishes piled up in their own bowls.


    However, Zhao Chuchu understood why Xie Heng had invited them and arranged for them to sit together.


    They were all petty people. How could they not remember the people who were grabbing their food?


    This was a genius move.


    Xie Heng was quite scheming.


    ¡°You did it on purpose, right?¡± Zhao Chuchu quietly asked Xie Heng. ¡°Let them fight between themselves.¡±


    Xie Heng smiled. ¡°We need to give them something to do so they don¡¯t team up. If that happened, it would be quite hard for us to deal with them. This is the perfect state. We don¡¯t need to do anything, and they don¡¯t have the time toe looking for trouble.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was d that she did not offend Xie Heng.


    Otherwise, she would die an ugly death. Not to mention, she wouldn¡¯t know when and where Xie Heng would take action!


    She would probably end up dead without even knowing.


    ¡°I set you up.¡± Xie Heng seemed to know Zhao Chuchu¡¯s thoughts, so he assured her in a low voice. ¡°I will always talk to you about things first if it is about you.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu felt a little overjoyed. ¡°Only me?¡±


    ¡°Yep, only you.¡±


    What did the death of others have anything to do with him?


    It was only because Zhao Chuchu wanted to be nice to others that he helped Zhao Chuchu.


    No one could be more cold-hearted than Xie Heng.


    ...


    Only Xie Jun could make his heart soften in the past, but now there was Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°My pleasure¡­¡±


    ¡°Da Lang, Chuchu,e over for dinner. You can talk about the little secrets between yourselves when you go to bed at night.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu hadn¡¯t finished speaking but was interrupted by an older womanughing.


    Both felt helpless, so they had to go over and take their seats.


    Originally, Niu Tongsheng wanted to prepare some alcohol but was stopped by Xie Heng.


    This was also to prevent the people of the Zhao n and the other families from starting a conflict at the scene, which would spoil everyone¡¯s good mood.


    Niu Tongsheng now listened to Xie Heng for everything, so naturally, he didn¡¯t prepare any alcohol.


    The Zhao n nagged them privately for being stingy, but they didn¡¯t dare be too loud.


    The good thing was that there was enough rice to go around, and these people only put down their cutlery when they were absolutely stuffed.


    Someone from the Zhao n plucked up the courage toe to Zhao Chuchu and asked with a smile, ¡°Chuchu, your water mill has been built. When will you start hiring? Look at me. I can do all kinds of work. I don¡¯t know if there is any part for me?¡±


    ...


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Zhao Chuchu smiled. ¡°Have you ever seen me not keep my word?¡±


    The man choked but still dared not to leave. ¡°Chuchu, there is nothing that can¡¯t be turned over, right? Seeing that you are getting better and better now, it would be good to give us a little benefit. At least we all have the surname Zhao.¡±


    ¡°Yes, our surname is Zhao, but my Zhao is not the same as yours. Did you forget the letter about the breaking of kinship? I haven¡¯t forgotten.¡± Zhao Chuchu did not give any face. ¡°You didn¡¯t seem to remember that we had the same surname when you were chasing me around!¡±


    Once these words came out, the Zhao n, who was initially looking for some benefits, snapped.


    As for Old Man Zhao and his family, they had enough to eat and drink, and they didn¡¯t dare to ask for anything from Zhao Chuchu.


    Madam Yang¡¯s lesson was still fresh in their minds, so it was their family that ran the fastest.


    Zhao Chuchu once again stressed, ¡°I repeat. I will never forget that you wanted Official Li to kill me, so don¡¯t try to take advantage of me. I am not a living Buddha!¡±

 Chapter 184 - 184 Business Just Does What Business Does

    184 Business Just Does What Business Does


    Members of the Zhao n looked at each other and left spontaneously, fearing that they might upset Zhao Chuchu and get beaten up.


    After the Zhao n and the rest of the ns left, the vibe was lively again.


    Niu Tongsheng was the happiest person.


    No one knew how well tofu skins were sold better than him.


    Tofu skins for Visitor¡¯s Aroma alone would earn them a handsome sum of money.


    With the watermill, soy milk was produced faster. Then, the five houses that Xie Heng specially taught them to build, served their purpose to increase the production of tofu skins.


    Chuchu also made a deal with the manager of Visitor¡¯s Aroma that the tofu skins would not be supplied to them only.


    ¡°Da Lang, Chuchu, there is no liquor today, so I will toast you with soup. Without you guys, there would be no Lengshui Vige today. I¡¯m uneducated. I don¡¯t know how to say those beautiful words. Anyway, thank you!¡±


    Niu Tongsheng stood up, filled arge bowl of soup, and drank it up.


    Xie Heng got up and said, ¡°We are all vige folks. No need to say those polite words. If one needs to say thanks, it should be me to thank you for your care of my n.¡±


    ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s make a toast to Da Lang and Chuchu. If it wasn¡¯t for them, we would have been burned to ashes.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, we should indeed thank them both. Da Lang, Chuchu, I¡¯ll just toast with soup.¡±


    ¡°Today the water mill ispleted and the future of Lengshui Vige will be brighter. All of this happens thanks to them.¡±


    The vigers talked with excitement one after another and they were on the verge of shedding tears.


    Zhao Chuchu hurriedly said, ¡°Good days are the result of our unifying work, not just for one person. I¡¯ll get one thing straight first. Nothing can be aplished without norms or standards. When we set the rules of the water mill, we must be strict about it.


    ¡°Visitor¡¯s Aroma is not enough if we want to expand the business of tofu skins. We have to make more tofu skins and sell them to more distant ces. When the business booms, your pay will also increase.¡±


    ¡°Good. Good,¡± the people agreed in unison.


    They were honest people. Naturally, they hoped that there would be extra ie in addition to the share of thend. They would be more at ease when they had extra money.


    After all, everyone wanted to live a better life.


    Enough food and clothes were almost their lifelong pursuit.


    At the meal, everyone was very pleasant except for those who left early.


    The water mill began to operate officially the next day.


    It was agreed at the beginning that each n would select a person to work in the water mill and then, increase the number of workers ordingly depending on the production and sales.


    The water mill operated from nine to five, with a half-hour break at lunchtime. Zhao Chuchu asked Niu Tongsheng to be the manager of the water mill and also asked a literate person in the vige to be an ountant responsible for managing the ounts, while the rest of the people were assigned by Niu Tongsheng.


    Niu An and Niu Le knew the production process of tofu skins very well, so the two brothers taught them first.


    Chuchu didn¡¯t expect them to do a good job at first, but the vigers paid much attention to the water mill, and everyone was very diligent in learning. As a result, tofu skins had quite good quality.


    Practice makes perfect. After doing it a few more times, the quality of tofu skins improved a lot.


    There was also a special drying room in the water mill to produce the tofu skins as fast as possible.


    Zhao Chuchu, Xie Heng, and Niu Tongsheng personally delivered the first batch of tofu skins to Visitor¡¯s Aroma.


    Manager Lin was overjoyed to see that they had sent arge amount this time.


    ¡°Oh, I was nning to look for you guys in Lengshui Vige and here you are. How is it? The water mill ispleted? Are these tofu skins made in the water mill?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Manager Lin. Have a look at it.¡±


    Chuchu lifted the covered cloth and showed the finished product to Manager Lin.


    Manager Lin picked one and broke it. Then, he crushed one of the pieces into a little crumble and tasted it. Immediately, his eyes lit up. ¡°It is so good. How much do you have here? I¡¯ll have it all.¡±


    ¡°Manager Lin, don¡¯t you need to check for more details?¡±


    ¡°I believe in you guys. I¡¯m not gonna hide it from you. Last time, I distributed some tofu skins to the capital. The business of the head restaurant is gradually getting better with the tofu skins. The head manager wille in person to buy more tofu skins. You¡¯ll probably need to talk first.¡±


    Manager Lin gave a reminder to Chuchu in a low voice.


    ¡°The head manager is different from me and quite serious. Don¡¯t be afraid. Business just does what business does. Don¡¯t hesitate to make your price.¡±


    ¡°Manager Lin, are you not afraid that the head manager will know this and pick with you?¡±


    ¡°Hush. We talked in private. How could he know? Wait a moment, I¡¯ve already invited the head manager toe overter. By the way, you haven¡¯t eaten yet, have you? Eat something first.¡±


    Without any further ado, Manager Lin dragged Xie Heng and Niu Tongsheng to the VIP room on the second floor.


    Not long after sitting down, they met the head manager of Visitor¡¯s Aroma.


    Chuchu had thought that the head manager was an elderly person, but unexpectedly, he was a young man in his twenties, very handsome and stern.


    ¡°Head manager, they are the people who made tofu skins, Niu Tongsheng, Xie Heng, and Mrs. Xie. This is our head manager,¡± Manager Lin introduced them to each other. ¡°It just happens that they sent tofu skins over today. Do you want to take a look, head manager?¡±


    ¡°Well, show me around. You guys eat first. We¡¯ll talk about itter.¡± The head manager nodded slightly. He was not as serious and difficult tomunicate as he seemed.


    Manager Lin led him downstairs.


    Niu Tongsheng said quietly, ¡°The head manager looks like something. I don¡¯t dare to talk much when I see him.¡±


    ¡°Some people have a cold face but a warm heart. You don¡¯t need to be afraid of him. The head manager is an understanding person. He will not let us suffer a loss.¡±


    Of course, he was not as generous as Manager Lin.


    After all, as the senior of Manger Lin, he directly reported to the owner of Visitor¡¯s Aroma and could decide a lot of matters.


    ¡°Chief, eat something first. They want to check a little longer beforeing up,¡± Xie Heng said to Niu Tongsheng. ¡°Otherwise, it¡¯ll be even more impossible to eatter.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Niu Tongsheng agreed and ate in big bites.


    About 15 minutester, the two came up.


    It was obvious that Manager Lin was very respectful to the head manager. Both his speech and posture suggested that he was respectful toward this man.


    ...


    ¡°How many tofu skins can you produce in a day?¡± The head manager opened the door. ¡°What¡¯s the price if we have them all?¡±


    ¡°Head manager, we don¡¯t intend to supply tofu skins to only one restaurant. Since Manger Lin helped me before, I can give you a few recipes even though I won¡¯t lower the price. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Recipes? That is thest thing we need. It¡¯s not very sincere of you to send this, Mrs. Xie.¡± The head manager looked indifferent.


    Xie Heng joined the conversation, ¡°Have you ever tasted brine?¡±


    ¡°Brine, what is that?¡± He looked slightly surprised. ¡°A dish?¡±

 Chapter 185 - 185 What a Savage!

    185 What a Savage!


    Xie Heng nodded. ¡°Yes, if you are interested, you¡¯re wee to try it out in Lengshui Vige if you have time today. I¡¯m sure my wife¡¯s recipe will intrigue you.¡±


    The head manager looked at Manager Lin.


    Manager Lin said hurriedly, ¡°Head manager, I have never heard of brine either, but the previous tofu recipes, which Mrs. Xie gave us, were indeed very popr among our guests. The dishes you tried yesterday were all from Mrs. Xie.¡±


    The head manager pondered.


    Those dishes were quite special indeed.


    He turned to Xie Heng. ¡°Then, how many recipes do you intend to give us?¡±


    ¡°Two. And if the business continues next year, we will give another two recipes.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t give them all at once?¡±


    Xie Heng smiled.


    The head manager felt as if he had asked a stupid question.


    Xie Heng was capable of bing a schr at such a young age, so obviously, he was not an ordinary person. How could he not consider such things?


    But the head manager was not a person who willingly surrendered to losses. He thought about it and said, ¡°Then, I will go with you to the Lengshui Vige today and see what brine is and also to see if we could have a good deal.¡±


    Niu Tongsheng watched as they talked, without interrupting.


    He didn¡¯t expect it to go so smoothly.


    To get back to Lengshui Vige earlier, the head manager ordered his men to drive an ox cart, while Zhao Chuchu and the two others took his carriage.


    By the time they arrived at Lengshui Vige, it was already afternoon.


    As soon as they entered the vige, the water mill came into view.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± the head manager asked, pointing at the water mill.


    ¡°The water mill where we make tofu skins.¡±


    ¡°May I have a look?¡±


    ¡°It might not be very convenient.¡±


    Chuchu definitely wouldn¡¯t allow him to see it.


    The head manager was a smart man. He would probably know how tofu skins were made at first nce.


    ¡°I was a bit abrupt.¡± The head manager understood and didn¡¯t mention it again.


    He and Manager Lin followed toward Xie¡¯s house.


    The brine was ced on top of a stove. Xie Heng heated it before bringing it out.


    The head manager¡¯s and Manager Lin¡¯s eyes never left the te of brine since they entered the room.


    Just when Xie Heng was heating the brine, the aroma of the brine tantalized the two to sit uneasily and look at the stove frequently.


    If they had the dish in Visitor¡¯s Aroma, they would never have to worry about the number of customers.


    The head manager already made up his mind to ask for the brine recipe.


    To be honest, tofu skin was a new ingredient, but the brine was even more so.


    Tofu skins had brought Visitor¡¯s Aroma back to life, but the brine was an additional ace.


    After the head manager tasted the brine, he immediately understood why Xie Heng and Zhao Chuchu had confidence.


    ¡°Such a good dish. Why don¡¯t you open a restaurant of your own? With this dish alone, you can survive in the business.¡± He did not understand why they didn¡¯t make good use of such a good recipe.


    This was not a recipe but a cornucopia that would generate money.


    Xie Heng said calmly, ¡°I need to study. My wife is also busy reading medical books to improve her medical skills. We don¡¯t have the time to manage such a business. You should understand what the brine dish means.¡±


    ¡°So what?¡±


    ¡°Even if we only sell brine, the business will manage to operate well. The recipes for you are a few other dishes. If you don¡¯t mind, have dinner with us here. It¡¯s notte to consider it after dinner.¡±


    The head manager did not care about anything else. He only wanted to get the brine recipe immediately.


    ¡°What is your n for the brine?¡±


    ¡°I can give you the brine recipe, but I want you to pay us 500 taels of silver per year. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°500 taels? Mr. Xie, you¡¯re not kidding, right?¡±


    ¡°You have branches everywhere. Some are doing well but some are losing money. 500 taels per year for the brine recipe is not a loss.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll pay 200 taels tops. Business is difficult nowadays. Our annual ie is not much. 500 taels would be more than half of it. Mr. Xie, this is not a one-shot deal.¡±


    The price was shed by around half.


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    What a savage!


    ¡°Then, there¡¯s no need to negotiate. Please wait here. I¡¯ll prepare the dishes for tonight.¡±


    After saying it, Xie Heng got up and walked out.


    Seeing that he could not be intimidated, the head manager could only stop him. ¡°Mr. Xie, please wait.¡±


    Xie Heng paused his steps and looked back.


    ¡°300.¡±


    The head manager raised three fingers.


    Xie Heng shook his head. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask for a lot, and the price I asked for was very reasonable. Since you are not willing to pay this amount, let¡¯s forget it.¡±


    ...


    The head manager couldn¡¯t say anything.


    When Xie Heng said 500 taels, he had already calcted in his mind. 500 taels a year was not a loss.


    As Xie Heng said, Visitor¡¯s Aroma had branches in many ces, but not every branch¡¯s business was as good as the one here in Yuanjiang County.


    Many branches were losing money. If they could have the brine, perhaps they could start making a profit.


    As the head manager, making money for the restaurant owner was what he cared about.


    ¡°Fine. 500 taels per year, but the brine can only be sold exclusively by Visitor¡¯s Aroma. What if you also give it to another restaurant?¡±


    ¡°Although I¡¯m not a big hero, I at least have the integrity of doing business,¡± Xie Heng said. ¡°Taking it seriously, can I also suspect that you deliberately leak the brine recipe to other restaurants and use me of selling it to others?¡±


    The head manager was rendered speechless.


    ¡°Just to be safe, we¡¯d better set up paperwork and write clearly in ck and white. If something happens, it¡¯s better than having no proof at all.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Then, do as you say.¡±


    Knowing that he could not take advantage of Xie Heng, the head manager gave up.


    ...


    Once the brine became someone else¡¯s, it would be a wild goose chase.


    Xie Heng asked Chuchu to buy chicken, duck, and fish from the vigers and made four dishes.


    The head manager had been working in Visitor¡¯s Aroma for almost 10 years. Traveling from north to south, he had tasted almost every dish.


    But he had never seen the dishes on Xie Heng¡¯s table.


    Also, he ate three bowls of rice unusually and only stopped because he was too full to eat more.


    After eating and drinking enough, the head manager looked at the soup, seeming like he was regretting that he could not eat anymore. Otherwise, he could eat another bowl of rice with the soup.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that you have such good cooking skills. If you are not a schr, I will hire you as our chef.¡± He couldn¡¯t stop praising Xie Heng¡¯s cooking skills.


    Xie Heng smiled lightly. ¡°Do you think this is a good deal?¡±


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s a good deal. Just do as you say. But Mr. Xie, our restaurant in the capital needs a lot of tofu skins. I wonder if you can deliver it in time?¡±


    ¡°To be honest, our water mill is just starting up. For the sake of the taste of tofu skins, we can¡¯t catch up with the production speed for the time being. I¡¯m afraid that in a short period, there will be arge gap between the quantity we produce and your need. The only thing I can guarantee is to make as much as possible.¡±


    The head manager knew that he could not force it.


    But he did not expect that this travel was so worthy.


    Xie Heng also generously gave him two recipes and wrote some necessary notes. So attentive and thoughtful he was. The head manager was startled to take another look at Xie Heng.


    The schrs were always conceited, but Xie Heng was a tactful person.

 Chapter 186 - 186 That’s Not Something I Like to Hear

    186 That¡¯s Not Something I Like to Hear


    Although the head manager did not achieve the original purpose, the recipes were an unexpected pleasure.


    The recipes from Xie Heng were enough to be the signature dishes of Visitor¡¯s Aroma.


    Although there were only two recipes a year, there were so many ways to cook tofu skins, which could attract a lot of customers in a short period. If they changed to new cooking styles from time to time, there would be no need to worry about not being able to keep the customers.


    ¡°It¡¯ste. We won¡¯t bother you anymore. From now on, deliver tofu skins directly to the branch in the county as before. I trust you, Mr. Xie. I hope that tofu skins from your water mill will keep their current texture.¡±


    What he was concerned about most was that cutting corners on the materials would affect the quality of tofu skins.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, head manager. The water mill is not just doing a one-time sale either. If there is any problem with tofu skins, you cane to us anytime. Right now, the manager of the water mill is our Chief.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a deal then. We¡¯re leaving now.¡±


    Niu Tongsheng hurriedly said, ¡°Head manager, it is sote now. Why don¡¯t you spend the night in the vige? To be honest, this neighborhood at night is not so peaceful. Some time ago, someone was nearly killed.¡±


    The incident about Zhao Xing was still haunting Lengshui vigers. They didn¡¯t even dare to take a stroll at night, fearing that they would encounter such beasts again.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I have mastered a bit of kung fu. I can handle three or five people at least.¡± The head manager didn¡¯t care much about it.


    ¡°The night road is not easy¡­¡±


    The vige road was full of potholes. One had to be very careful while driving during the day, let alone at night.


    ¡°We appreciate your kindness, and it¡¯s not the first time we leave at night. It will be fine.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t say anything.


    It was better not to talk about such a topic.


    There was a quote, ¡°Don¡¯t jinx anything. It might turn out to be a hostage to fortune.¡±


    But the head manager insisted on going back to the county, saying that he wanted the tofu skins to be delivered back to the capital early in the morning of the next day and did not want to dy.


    Niu Tongsheng could not convince them to stay. He could only give them the only windmp in the house so that they could see more clearly. Then, he sent them to the vige entrance.


    ¡°Da Lang, did Visitor¡¯s Aroma make the contract of a year¡¯s quantity of tofu skins with us?¡±


    ¡°Yes. You can make tofu skins without any worries from now on, but you have to do it well. Don¡¯t cut corners.¡±


    ¡°I understand. If we make the best tofu skins and gain a reputation, we don¡¯t need to be afraid that no one will buy them.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Da Lang, Chuchu, don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t have other skills, but seriously, I will certainly be a good manager of the water mill.¡±


    ¡°If the business goes well, everyone¡¯s wages will increase. You want meat, wine, or just porridge, it all depends on you,¡± Chuchu said seriously.


    They only took 50% of the water mill¡¯s profit, and the remaining 50% is for the vige. Depending on how much was left at the end of the year, they distributed it to the ns working in the water mill.


    If it needed to be expanded, then they would spend from the silver earned.


    Chuchu only gave them a suggestion. The rest was up to them to figure out.


    Because she knew in her heart that she could not stay here for the rest of her life.


    As the saying went, ¡°Teach a man to fish. You¡¯ve fed him for a lifetime.¡±


    In the future, even if she left Lengshui Vige, the water mill could continue to operate.


    The vigers were also good learners and worthy of being taught. The water mill didn¡¯t necessarily need to be veryrge, but as long as they were honest, they could always be fed and clothed.


    As for Zhao Guitang, the tofu trade was enough to keep their families busy.


    And for the Zhao n and those ns who shouted to kill her, she wouldn¡¯t be soft-hearted at all. Even if they ended up begging for food in the streets, she wouldn¡¯t take a single look at them.


    Chuchu and Xie Heng had another meeting with the people working at the water mill at Niu Tongsheng¡¯s house before they went home.


    Xie Heng took the torch Madam Kong had given him and lighted the way for Chuchu.


    With the evening breeze and the constant chorus of frogs and insects in the fields, the two walked along the pathway and headed home slowly.


    ¡°This idyllic life is so suitable for retirement.¡±


    There was nothing wrong with it, except that one had to do everything himself.


    ¡°You are only 14 years old. Retirement is too far from you.¡± Xie Hengughed lightly.


    ¡°I am not young. This kind of life is what I used to dream of.¡±


    The technology was a bit backward, but what was better here was she could sleep safe and sound.


    ¡°Now that you are a child, enjoy the moment,¡± Xie Heng said. ¡°The idyllic life is indeed beautiful, but the mosquitoes also make people ufortable.¡±


    After saying that, he squashed a mosquito on his arm.


    Chuchu found that Xie Heng was particrly attractive to mosquitoes. As long as he was around, mosquitoes would not let go of him.


    She couldn¡¯t bear to see the tender-skinned Schr Xie being bitten all over, so she took out a bottle of mosquito repellent and rubbed it on his exposed skin. ¡°I¡¯ll make you a mosquito repellent scent bagter, so you can carry it with you for convenience. This bottle is not suitable for taking out.¡±


    She held up the mosquito-repellent water. ¡°However, you can use it at night.¡±


    After that, she gave the mosquito repellent water to Xie Heng.


    The cool smell spread out. Xie Heng found that he liked the smell of every single thing Chuchu took out.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to be so polite to me. I¡¯ll just go and choose something of yours for repayment.¡±


    She got her eye on the jade in Xie Heng¡¯s underground treasury.


    ¡°Take whatever you want. No need to talk to me. You can do whatever you want with those things.¡±


    ¡°Are you not afraid that I will take them all and run away.¡±


    ¡°If you like, take my brother and me. We can go anywhere.¡±


    ...


    Xie Heng turned his head aside.


    The firelight danced in Chuchu¡¯s glittering eyes, brighter than the stars in the night sky.


    Xie Heng looked at her and was lost in thought for a while.


    Chuchu was a good-looking girl, even more vigorous and dynamic at the moment. Every time he saw her, he felt his gaze was locked and found it difficult to move away from her.


    He didn¡¯t even know when she started to invade his heart.


    He only knew that he wanted her to stay.


    That thought was clear and strong.


    Chuchu¡¯s heart was set to flutter by his gaze.


    Was there ever a pair of eyes that always looked particrly affectionate when looking at others?


    Xie Heng¡¯s eyes were like that.


    ¡°What are you looking at? Go back quickly. Junjun would be afraid alone at home.¡±


    ...


    Chuchu returned to her senses, her face was burning, and she quickly walked forward.


    She was afraid that if he continued to look at her, she would not be able to hold herself.


    His eyes were too attractive.


    The butterfly fluttering in her heart was so cheerful that it was about to break its wings.


    Xie Heng quickly chased after her.


    ¡°Then, can I pack my bag and go with you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    Chuchu did not expect that she would be a hypocrite one day.


    She was happy, yet she had to deny it.


    ¡°Then, I can only let you know slowly.¡± Xie Hengughed. ¡°Chuchu, will youe with me to the Imperial City?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°In case I destroy your luck with other girls. That would be terrible.¡±


    Xie Heng frowned and reached out to grab Chuchu. ¡°That¡¯s not something I like to hear.¡±

 Chapter 187 - 187 A Hostage to Fortune

    187 A Hostage to Fortune


    Chuchu stopped walking.


    She was about to ask what he would like to hear before she looked abruptly in the direction of the vige entrance and her face changed slightly.


    Xie Heng also noticed and looked back, but he did not release the hand of Chuchu.


    ¡°It¡¯s Manager Lin!¡± Chuchu¡¯s eyesight was no different at night than it was during the day. She could see who the person stumbling and running was.


    ¡°Xin Lichuan isn¡¯t with him. Something must have happened to him,¡± Xie Heng whispered.


    ¡°Da Lang, you go back and get Junjun settled first. I¡¯ll check it out.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Only then did he let go of Chuchu and strode toward home.


    Chuchu took a few quick steps and soon arrived at the vige entrance.


    She muttered to herself, ¡°Just like I¡¯ve said, they are giving hostages to fortune. Wasn¡¯t I right?¡±


    Holding a torch, Chuchu recognized Manager Lin as soon as he got close.


    ¡°Chuchu, something has happened to the head manager. Please call on a few people with me. The horse carriage overturned on the road. The head manager was injured,¡± Manager Lin said. He was out of breath and panting. ¡°Quickly, quickly call for someone.¡±


    ¡°Where is he hurt?¡±


    ¡°His head! The head manager is unconscious now. His head is covered in blood. Could you please go there first? Please!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Get someone for help in the vige. I¡¯ll go over there first.¡±


    Chuchu gave the torch to him and disappeared into the ckness of night without looking back.


    Manager Lin was torn with anxiety. Not caring much courtesy, he rushed to the nearest house and banged the door.


    In a short time, seven or eight young and strong men were gathered. They rushed toward the ce of the ident.


    At this time, Chuchu had already arrived there.


    In addition to the head manager Xin Lichuan, who was unconscious, the coachman was also pinned down by the carriage and could not move, moaning in pain.


    Chuchu lifted the carriage easily, dragged the coachman out, and relighted themp.


    ¡°Take it. Let me see your head manager.¡± Chuchu shoved themp to the coachman.


    The coachman was badly injured but much better than the head manager.


    The head manager¡¯s head was bleeding. It looked like he was out of breath and might die at any moment.


    Chuchu called out to him who had already lost consciousness.


    The situation didn¡¯t favor them to do first aid in the wilderness. It was also impossible to take that particr thing out of the space in front of the coachman. She could only use the healing power to save the life of the head manager.


    Manager Lin arrivedter, but it still cost more than two-quarters of an hour.


    Zhao Chuchu dismantled the carriage violently and ced the head manager and the coachman on the wooden board. They were carried back to Lengshui Vige.


    When they returned to the vige, Xie Heng had already prepared boiling water for Chuchu.


    Under the firelight, the crowd saw the head manager¡¯s injury and turned white with fear.


    It was too appalling.


    If it wasn¡¯t for the chest that was slightly heaving, they would have suspected that he was gone.


    ¡°You guys go out first. Da Lang will help me.¡±


    Chuchu got everyone out.


    Even though she said Xie Heng would help, she was actually asking him to guard the door and not allow anyone to break in.


    After all, the thing was not avable in this era. She did not want to cause big trouble.


    Manager Lin was anxiously pacing around outside.


    Niu Tongsheng asked and knew that it was because the frightened horse ran out of the road.


    They were not prepared at all.


    Luckily, Manager Lin only suffered minor cuts and bruises and was able to ask for help in Lengshui Vige.


    Otherwise, the three would die together and their bodies would not be found until tomorrow.


    Niu Tongsheng wanted to say that he had advised them to spend the night, but they did not listen, and then, something happened.


    He opened his mouth to speak but he closed it.


    It would be useless and cruel to say these words at the moment. No matter what, they should wait until Chuchu brought these people back to life.


    Half an hourter, Chuchu finally came out.


    ¡°Luckily, Manager Lin came back in time. The head manager is out of danger now, but the coachman¡¯s leg was hurt. I¡¯m afraid that he must recuperate for a few months.¡±


    ¡°Will there be any further injury?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t allow that to happen. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Only then did Manager Lin heave a sigh of relief.


    Chuchu took out a bottle of trauma salve and threw it to him. ¡°You¡¯re also injured. Get someone to apply this for you.¡±


    ¡°Is the head manager okay?¡±


    ¡°If not, I won¡¯t stand here and talk to you. I told you guys not to talk nonsense. Some words can¡¯t be spoken,¡± Chuchu said unpleasantly. ¡°The chief also told you to stay overnight, but you didn¡¯t listen.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s our fault. We overestimated ourselves,¡± he said with guilt. ¡°Thank you all for your help tonight. Thanks.¡±


    ¡°As long as they are safe, everything else is nothing.¡±


    ...


    ¡°Our vige roads are indeed not easy to travel along. You have to be careful even when riding a cart during the day, but you still dared to walk at night.¡±


    ¡°Thankfully, Chuchu is such a good doctor to save him. You¡¯ll never regret listening to the locals.¡±


    The vigers were gabbing about Manager Lin.


    The vigers were like that. It was not easy to hearforting words from them, but they were not mocking, either. They just used to talk like this. They were, in fact, warm-hearted.


    Manager Lin did not dare to refute.


    If something happened to Xin Lichuan, he would not only lose his job as a restaurant manager but be guilty of the ident.


    In any case, he was relieved now that they had saved Xin Lichuan¡¯s life.


    ¡°It won¡¯t happen again. Thank you for what you¡¯ve done tonight. When I return home, I will pay you well to show my attitude,¡± he said sincerely.


    ¡°You must be tired of running around. Have a rest first. Leave it behind until tomorrow morning,¡± Xie Heng said to him. ¡°You can stay in my brother¡¯s room for the night. I¡¯ll take care of the head manager here.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t do.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± Xie Heng firmly replied.


    ...


    Manager Lin meant to say something more, but the words got lost on the way to his mouth.


    Xie Heng carried the sleeping Xie Jun to his room.


    Xie Jun opened his eyes in a daze. Seeing that it was Xie Heng, he muttered vaguely, ¡°Why are you holding me?¡±


    ¡°Good boy, go to sleep,¡± Xie Heng said in a soft voice.


    Xie Jun smiled, nuzzled into his arms, and fell asleep again.


    He put his brother on his bed, covered him with a nket, and went to the room where the head manager was sleeping.


    ¡°I can take care of him. You should go to sleep,¡± he said softly to Chuchu, ¡°If anything happens, I will call you.¡±


    ¡°Are you okay to keep watch overnight?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    He nodded his head and pushed Chuchu out.


    Chuchu had to tell him about the dos and don¡¯ts before she went to bathe and sleep.


    Since Xin Lichuan was injured too badly, Chuchu¡¯s healing power was a bit exhausting to use. Shey down and fell into a deep sleep quickly.


    Seeing that she was too tired to close the door to her room, Xie Heng went inside. He found her sleeping upside down, with the nket uncovered. He shook his head helplessly and carefully tucked her in.


    He was about to leave when he met her pair of eyes that opened abruptly.


    ¡°Da Lang. Why are you not sleeping? Are you trying to spy on me in sleep?¡± The moment Xie Heng came in, Chuchu saw his action and teased him deliberately at this time.


    Hearing this, he immediately blushed to the neck, stumbling over his words. ¡°I, I ¡­

 Chapter 188 - 188 Money Doesn’t Matter

    188 Money Doesn¡¯t Matter


    Chuchu was just teasing him, but she didn¡¯t expect him to react like this.


    She was dumbfounded, but then, sheughed out loud.


    ¡°Da Lang, you are feeling guilty, right?¡±


    Xie Heng now realized that Chuchu was making fun of him.


    !!


    He calmed down.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m falling in love.¡± He fixed his eyes on Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    How did he react so quickly?


    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. It¡¯s cool in the mountains at night. Cover yourself up, so you won¡¯t catch a cold. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll go out first.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a little hungry.¡±


    Chuchu looked at him helplessly.


    ¡°We have rice noodles at home. Do you want to stew or stir-fry it?¡±


    ¡°Stew it with fried eggs.¡±


    ¡°Okay, wait a moment. I¡¯ll cook it right now.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Da Lang.¡±


    Chuchu gave a response with a dimpled grin.


    Xie Heng pursed his lips and smiled. He then turned around and walked out.


    Chuchu erected a pillow to lean against it while she waited for the food Xie Heng was cooking.


    A lot of food was avable in the space, but after eating the food cooked by Xie Heng, she felt she became fussy and dainty about food and was not willing to eat the food from the space.


    Even if the food was no different from what was just made, she still did not want to eat it.


    A momentter, Xie Heng came in with a bowl of rice noodles with two golden fried eggs lying on top.


    ¡°Do you want to eat some?¡± Chuchu asked Xie Heng. ¡°It is too much!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry. You have it.¡± Xie Heng shook his head. ¡°Just call me when you¡¯re done. I¡¯ll check the head manager first.¡±


    After saying that, he left the room.


    Xin Lichuan had already woken up. Seeing Xie Heng walk in, he smiled bitterly and said, ¡°I am sorry to cause you any trouble. I should have listened to you.¡±


    ¡°Things have already happened. No need to think too much about it. You¡¯d better rest and recover. I will ask Uncle Niu to send Manager Lin back first thing in the morning. It won¡¯t dy the delivery of tofu skins back to the capital,¡± Xie Heng said calmly. ¡°Why was the horse frightened?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really know,¡± Xin Lichuan confessed.


    Although both Manager Lin and the coachman were suspected, he did not want to suspect them.


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s wait until you get well.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Xin Lichuan also did not want to talk more about this topic.


    He had a terrible headache and couldn¡¯t sleep at all.


    Seeing that he was in pain, Xie Heng went over to Chuchu.


    Chuchu already knew that Xin Lichuan had woken up.


    ¡°Ask him to hold it, or go to sleep. It won¡¯t be ufortable if he falls asleep.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Since Chuchu said so, he naturally wouldn¡¯t ask her for medicine to relieve Xin Lichuan¡¯s pain.


    He was just taking the opportunity toe over.


    Only enough pain could remind him how much he owed to them.


    Xie Heng put away the empty bowl and returned to Xin Lichuan¡¯s room.


    Seeing that Xie Heng came back empty-handed, he knew that there was nothing Chuchu could do.


    Helplessly, he had to force himself to sleep, but unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t fall asleep the whole night.


    Meanwhile, Xie Heng just quietly guarded him all night.


    As soon as the day dawned, Manager Lin came into their room.


    ¡°Manager Lin, you go back to the county first and arrange for people to send those tofu skins to the capital.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay in Lengshui Vige for now.¡±


    Chuchu walked in at this time. ¡°It¡¯s better for him not to suffer any more bumping travel. He needs to rest and recuperate for a while.¡±


    Xin Lichuan and Manager Lin looked over toward the direction of her voice.


    She walked to the bedside, put her hand on Xin Lichuan¡¯s wrist, and carefully checked his pulse.


    Manager Lin was nervous.


    ¡°You are out of danger, but you should rest in bed during this period,¡± Chuchu said. ¡°I have already prescribed the medicine and sent people to get the medicine in town. Luckily, you survived after hurting your head. Don¡¯t think too much about other things.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Xie,¡± Xin Lichuan said in a warm voice. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the trouble I made.¡±


    ¡°Never mind.¡± Chuchu left the room after checking his pulse. After all, Xin Lichuan was a man. Although they were not strict with the boundaries between males and females, she had to consider Xie Heng.


    ...


    After Manager Lin said farewell to Xin Lichuan, he was sent back to the county by Niu An.


    Xie Heng was actually not very happy to have two more outsiders in the family.


    It was also inconvenient for Chuchu to visit other people¡¯s homes, so she could only stay at home.


    During this time when Xin Lichuan was recovering from his injuries, Xie Heng did not go out much.


    As a result, Niu Tongsheng and the others had to go to Xie¡¯s house if they had anything to attend to.


    For a time, Xie¡¯s house had be the most lively ce in Lingshui Vige.


    Xin Lichuan began to make a living on his own at a very young age. He had witnessed the warmth and coldness of people.


    He was surprised by the unity of the vigers.


    The moment he saw Xie Heng and Zhao Chuchu, he understood why Lengshui Vige had such cohesion.


    Xie Heng would asionally have a few words with Xin Lichuan.


    But Xin Lichuan always had a feeling of not being able to join the conversation.


    ...


    He did not know why.


    He was also considered knowledgeable, but in front of Xie Heng, he always felt he could never live up to him.


    ¡°Da Lang, the Zhang family gave me a grass carp. Let¡¯s have spicy boiled fish tonight, okay?¡± Chuchu carried four or five catties of grass carp. Her voice came first before she entered through the door.


    His cold-looking face instantly softened. He put down his pen and walk out to meet her, taking the grass carp from her hand.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you saying about boiled fish with pickled cabbage and chili two days ago?¡±


    ¡°Well, both are fine. You can make whichever one you like.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Oh right, cook the fish head with the Gastrodia tuber for the head manager.¡±


    The moment Xin Lichuan heard this, it was as if he smelled the gastrodia that could overpower everything. His stomach began to roll uncontrobly.


    During this period, he ate gastrodia every day so much that his palette went numb.


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, can we change it to something else today? Even if it¡¯s nd in taste, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    ¡°No. The patient should listen to the doctor.¡±


    Xin Lichuan couldn¡¯t say anything.


    He looked at Xie Heng.


    Xie Heng would never go against Chuchu.


    He sighed helplessly.


    There was nothing crueler in the world than watching others enjoy a feast while he could only take medicine.


    He heaved a sigh.


    He could only console himself with the fact that he had seen so many dishes, which was also a great payoff.


    In the kitchen, Chuchu was watching the fire in front of the stove.


    ¡°Da Lang, I have to go to the town tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°But what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°I have cured Mrs. Gan, and another family has invited me to cure a patient. In the letter, they said that if I could cure the patient, I would be rewarded handsomely.¡±


    ¡°The belongings in our family are at your disposal. You don¡¯t have to run around to earn money.¡±


    Thinking that she would stay the night in the town, Xie Heng wanted to persuade her to stay.


    ¡°I learned medicine to save lives and help the injured. Money doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s all about a sense of aplishment.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu gave her response in a dignified manner.


    In fact, it was because she felt more at ease spending the silver earned by herself.


    She was not willing to be supported by others before and she was still the same.


    ¡°Then, will you be back on the same day?¡± Xie Heng looked at her.


    ¡°I will be back if it¡¯s not a big problem.¡± She originally wanted to say that she would stay overnight, but when Xie Heng looked at her with that innocent and expectant look, those words were suppressed.


    She couldn¡¯t bear to let him down.


    ¡°Or maybe we should send the head manager back to the county together?¡± That was actually his ultimate goal.

 Chapter 189 - 189 Xie Jun’s Painful Acupuncture Treatment

    189 Xie Jun¡¯s Painful Acupuncture Treatment


    ¡°Alright.¡± Chuchu agreed without even thinking about it.


    It was too inconvenient with Xin Lichuan around. She could not find a chance to eat something tasty.


    If he hadn¡¯t been so badly injured, she would have sent him away long ago, in case he should disturb her idyllic retirement life.


    Seeing that she agreed without hesitation, Xie Heng smiled slightly.


    !!


    ¡°Then, we go to the town tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Xin Lichuan was relieved to learn that he could return to the city.


    But when he saw a fish head in his bowl and a finger-licking delicious boiled fish on the table, he felt that nothing tasted good anymore.


    When he finished eating the fish head, Chuchu put a few slices of fish in his bowls using public chopsticks. ¡°Head manager, have a try.¡±


    The fish was oily but not greasy, spicy but not dry, numb but not bitter, and smooth and tender¡­ It immediately lit up his eyes.


    ¡°Is this what you call boiled fish?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Xie Heng said his words as if every word was gold. He remained silent while removing fish bones for Chuchu and Xie Jun.


    ¡°Mr. Xie, let¡¯s make a deal. Could you sell me the recipe for this boiled fish?¡± Xin Lichuan looked at Xie Heng. ¡°We can negotiate the price.¡±


    Xie Heng replied, ¡°You have to ask Chuchu about this. She gave me the recipe.¡±


    Xin Lichuan was suspicious.


    He had never seen Chuchu cook during his time at the Xie family¡¯s house. Xie Heng was the only one responsible for cooking. How could Chuchu give him the recipe?


    Chuchu noticed his suspicion and raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°What price can you offer?¡±


    ¡°Well.¡± He put up his palm.


    ¡°50?¡±


    ¡°No. 500, but you have to promise that you won¡¯t give the recipe to anyone else in the future.¡±


    Selling recipes for money? It actually happened like in the novels!


    Zhao Chuchu had eaten at Visitor¡¯s Aroma. The cooking style was monotonous in an old restaurant like the fish meal, mainly steaming, boiling, and roasting.


    ording to Xie Heng, in the previous dynasty, chopped raw food was the main dish.


    Chopped raw food meant uncooked raw meat. They were sliced and eaten, mostly for fish. The fresh vor was the only requirement, simr to the present sushi.


    But these dishes from future ages, after thousands of years of development and optimization, were the essence of the major cuisines. Since they could easily beat all dishes in this era.


    No wonder Xin Lichuan was so eager to get the recipe.


    With these dishes, they didn¡¯t need to worry about not being able to keep the diners.


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡± Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t ept his price at first.


    She was considering whether she could organize the recipes to sell or not.


    Many cuisines were avable, and one cuisine could be ssified in three books¡­ This was all money.


    ¡°800!¡± Xin Lichuan was a decisive man. He immediately raised the price.


    No business could not be negotiated with enough money.


    As the saying goes, ¡°Money talks.¡±


    ¡°Deal.¡± Chuchu agreed.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t have any money with me now. I have to go back to the county,¡± Xin Lichuan confessed.


    ¡°Are you setting a trap for us to trade nothing for something, head manager?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that you guys don¡¯t fall into the trap.¡±


    If Chuchu and Xie Heng were an ordinary couple, he could have set the trap.


    Unfortunately, these two were even more sophisticated than old foxes. He wouldn¡¯t be able to get away with it even if he set a trap.


    What¡¯s more, he owed his life to them. So, he would never return the favor to them with a trap.


    After eating, Chuchu took Xie Jun out for a walk and taught him about medicine.


    When she came back, she made Xie Jun take his medicine and started to insert needles into Xie Jun¡¯s body parts. The acupuncture treatment slowly removed the poison that Xie Jun inherited from his mother¡¯s womb.


    When the needles were inserted, Xie Jun was in great pain. But he held it every time, biting his handkerchief without saying a word.


    Seeing Xie Jun getting pale and sweaty, Chuchu couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for him.


    ¡°Are you having a hard time, Junjun?¡±


    She wiped off his sweats.


    Xie Jun forced a faint smile and said weakly, ¡°I, I¡¯m fine, I can hold it.¡±


    Chuchu stroked his head. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. It¡¯s only in the first month that you will be in pain. In another 20 days or so, you will only need to take medicine.¡±


    ¡°Still, 20 more days?¡± Xie Jun was dumbfounded at this.


    No matter how well-behaved he was, after all, he was only a 10-year-old child.


    To him, the process of forcing poison out was even more painful than the symptoms. There was more or less some fear in his heart.


    ¡°Yes, but after this period, you won¡¯t feel any pain in winter. You won¡¯t have to take medicine all the time, and your brother won¡¯t need to take care of you all night long.¡±


    Xie Jun curled his lips. His eyes were red from tears. ¡°Sister-inw, I can get through it.¡±


    ...


    He didn¡¯t want to be a burden to his brother and sister-inw.


    ¡°Good boy.¡± Chuchu wiped off the cold sweat that kept falling for him.


    It took a quarter of an hour to apply the needles.


    After the silver needles were removed, Xie Jun was so prostrated that he couldn¡¯t even move a bit on the bed.


    At this time, Xie Heng brought in hot water, wiped Xie Jun¡¯s body, and changed his wet clothes, in case he caught a cold.


    When Chuchu went out, Xie Jun said tearfully, ¡°Brother, it hurts to apply needles.¡±


    Xie Heng¡¯s movement paused in a trance. He seemed to see a skinny, bony teenager from his previous life being tortured by the poisonous attack, hugging him and crying that it hurt so much that he didn¡¯t want to live anymore.


    But at that time, even though Xie Jun did not want to live, for his sake, he still held on until the poison flowed into his internal organs and until there was no cure.


    Xie Heng was touched by this. He said in a warm voice, ¡°It only hurts for a while. You will never have to feel the pain again in the future. Junjun, be strong. Don¡¯t cry in front of your sister-inw.¡±


    ¡°No. I only said this to you,¡± Xie Jun choked out the words. It was not that he felt aggrieved from the pain, but he was used to relying on Xie Heng. He couldn¡¯t help shedding tears when seeing his brother. It had be an instinct.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Junjun. I will always be by your side.¡± Xie Heng stroked his head.


    ...


    He would also have his revenge a million times on the person who convicted all of this.


    Xie Jun hugged him and cried silently.


    He didn¡¯t dare to cry in front of Chuchu, but he never needed to hide it in front of his brother.


    He was smart enough to know that he wasn¡¯t sick, but he didn¡¯t ask his brother exactly what it was about.


    He didn¡¯t want to put Xie Heng under too much pressure.


    Xie Heng lowered his eyes and looked at him.


    Only in front of Chuchu and Xie Jun, he would show the same tenderness as he did at this moment.


    Xie Jun wiped away his tears after crying enough andid down obediently. ¡°Brother, I will get through it.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Sleep early. We will go the town tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°With me?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Xie Jun immediately felt happy again, as if all the pain from the needles had dissipated.


    Seeing this, Xie Heng smiled helplessly and tucked in Xie Jun¡¯s nket before going out.


    ¡°Is sister-inw going too?¡± Xie Jun didn¡¯t forget to ask.


    ¡°Yes. We¡¯re going together.¡± Xie Heng turned back.


    Xie Jun grinned. ¡°Then, you guys have to wake me up tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Okay, go to sleep.¡± Xie Heng made a promise to him.


    Only then did he close his eyes, waiting for tomorrow with great anticipation.

 Chapter 190 - 190 Cost Is No Problem

    190 Cost Is No Problem


    It was cloudy the next day.


    But they still got up early to prepare for the travel to town.


    To facilitate the delivery of tofu skins, Chuchu bought two mule carts. Mules were faster than oxen and cheaper than horses. So, they were rtively cost-effective.


    Xin Lichuan¡¯s coachman also followed along.


    Chuchu organized the custom-made medicine box, taking stock of silver needles and other items so she would not miss anything.


    Otherwise, replenishment would be difficult when they arrived at the patient¡¯s home.


    They left at dawn.


    When they arrived at the county town, it was precisely 9 A.M.


    Chuchu did not need to settle tofu skins herself, so she went directly to the Gan n with Xie Heng and Xie Jun.


    Old Mrs. Gan was practicing walking in the courtyard. When she saw Chuchu, she beamed at her. ¡°Chuchu, Da Lang, why are you so early? This child must be Junjun, right? He is handsome as his name suggests.¡±


    Xie Jun blushed coyly and called out to Grandma Gan in a well-behaved manner, which softened her heart.


    ¡°This child is so well-behaved, unlike my naughty Lin and Quan when they were little.¡±


    ¡°Grandma Gan, don¡¯t praise him. He¡¯ll be overconfidentter.¡±


    ¡°Sister-inw, I¡¯m not.¡±


    Xie Jun tugged at Chuchu¡¯s sleeve as he retorted in a small whisper.


    Old Mrs. Gan couldn¡¯t help butugh out loud at this.


    ¡°Come in. Have a rest first. Have you had breakfast yet? I¡¯ll have someone prepare it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we have. We ate before we came.¡±


    ¡°Still,e in and sit. Is the Qiu n looking for you guys? This n is different from the Jin n, so you can feel free to name a diagnosis for the old patient. If there is no cure, just tell the truth. They will not give you a hard time.¡±


    ¡°I will. Thank you for your consideration, Grandma Gan.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t stand on ceremony here with me.¡±


    After saying it, she sent someone for Madam Luo and asked her to take Chuchu to the Qiu n.


    Xie Heng also had something to do with Gan Maosheng, so he left Xie Jun at the Gan n and went to the Thousand Battalion.


    The Qiu and Gan ns were in the east and west of Yuanjiang County. It took two-quarters of an hour to get there.


    The Qiu n was also a merchant family specializing in the rice business. They had a reputation for generosity and kindness in Yuanjiang County, unlike the Jin family, who earned notoriety for disregarding human lives.


    On the way, Madam Luo told Chuchu about the background of the Qiu n. Old Mr. Qiu was pushed down and had a stroke because he was kind enough to save a child almost hit by a wicked ve of the Jin n.


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    The Jin n indeed qualified for acts of evil.


    Madam Luo sighed as she said, ¡°Old Mr. Qiu has been bedridden for more than two years. I wonder if you have a solution. It will be great if you can cure him.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just focus on the patient first. I¡¯ll do my best.¡± Chuchu didn¡¯t guarantee the result.


    If he had atrophied muscles, there was nothing she could do. After all, she could only save lives with her current level of healing powers. Such irreversible damage was out of her healing scope.


    Madam Luo nodded. ¡°That¡¯s what I told the Qiu n. My mother was lucky enough to escape danger because you happened to be in town. Old Mr. Qiu has been sick for more than two years. There is no guarantee that you will be able to cure him.¡±


    ¡°Madam, thank you for your understanding.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only human nature. They can¡¯t force you to cure people, right? Let¡¯s be honest. If they still put you on the spot, then they are being unreasonable.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    Chuchu did not say that even if they wanted to make trouble, they would have to weigh themselves up first.


    If the Jin n was not enough to warn them, she didn¡¯t mind making them hurt a little bit, either.


    Only through pain could people be reminded.


    When they arrived at the Qiu n, the housekeeper had been waiting outside the door for a long time.


    Seeing Chuchu and a group of othersing down from the sedan, he hurriedly greeted them with respect. ¡°Mrs. Gan, Mrs. Xie, you are finally here. Pleasee in.¡±


    Chuchu nodded slightly and entered through the door.


    The doorkeeper ran fast and had already gone inside to report to the master.


    Soon, members of the Qiu n came out to greet them.


    After exchanging pleasantries, Chuchu went straight to the point. ¡°Where is the patient? Take me to him.¡±


    ¡°This way, please, Mrs. Xie.¡± Old Mr. Qiu had two sons, and the one in charge at the moment was Elder Mr. Qiu, who hurriedly took her over to the patient.


    After entering his room, they didn¡¯t smell an unpleasant odor from his years of being bedridden. Apparently, they had taken good care of him.


    Old Mr. Qiu could not speak, but he could move his eyes.


    Chuchu checked his pulse first before she lifted the nket to look at his legs.


    Probably because they had asked doctors to take good care of them, the muscles had not atrophied much.


    ¡°There is still hope.¡± She looked at elder Mr. Qiu. ¡°However, you have dyed too long. I can make him talk and sit up, but to recover like before, that¡¯s unlikely.¡±


    ¡°That is still better than now. Please, help him, Mrs. Xie. No matter how much you ask for, I am willing to pay it,¡± Elder Mr. Qiu solemnly requested.


    ¡°I beg you to save my father,¡± the other members of the Qiu n also spoke up.


    Chuchu replied, ¡°I will do my best, but it won¡¯t happen overnight¡­¡±


    ¡°As long as you can cure my father, I can wait, no matter how long it may take. I know that you have a family. I¡¯ll also send someone to bring them here to live in my house. What do you think, Mrs. Xie?¡± he continued.


    ...


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll stay with the Gan n, but I¡¯lle over every day.¡± Chuchu declined his arrangement.


    Afterward, she took out her silver needles and gave Old Mr. Qiu an acupuncture treatment in front of his family.


    After seeing how fast and urate her needling was, the family members were more hopeful.


    Maybe she could cure the old man.


    After inserting the needles, Chuchu wrote a prescription for the Qiu family to take medicine. It was already half an hourter when she removed the needles.


    She used her healing powers surreptitiously, allowing Old Master Qiu to make a sound after the needles were applied.


    Elder Mr. Qiu and the other family members were always filial. Seeing that the old man could make monosybic sounds, they all cried joyfully.


    He quickly asked someone to prepare a sumptuous meal for Chuchu, with thedies keeping herpany.


    Chuchu didn¡¯t stand on ceremony either. After the meal, she carefully instructed them about the dos and don¡¯ts while caring for Old Mr. Qiu. Elder Mr. Qiu noted them carefully, not daring to miss a single word.


    ¡°I wille here daily to give him acupuncture treatment in the next few days. He should be able to regain sentience in about half a month. Oh, right. I suggest you make him a wheelchair,¡± Chuchu said to Elder Mr. Qiu.


    ¡°A wheelchair?¡± He and his family looked at each other, having no clue what that was.


    ...


    Chuchu continued, ¡°It¡¯s a cart with wheels that a person can push. Old Mr. Qiu is getting moldy by lying in the house every day. You can push him out every day for fresh air.¡±


    Elder Mr. Qiu muttered, ¡°But we¡¯ve never seen one. I wonder if you can give us some suggestions on how to make a wheelchair? Cost is no problem.¡±

 Chapter 191 - 191 Keep It for Me Temporarily

    191 Keep It for Me Temporarily


    Silver was not a problem, and the drawing was even less of a problem.


    But unfortunately, there was no wheelchair kept in her carry-on space. Otherwise, it would have saved her the effort of drawing.


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°Well, I¡¯ll go back first and send it to you tomorrow when it¡¯s done.¡±


    Elder Mr. Qiu said, ¡°Okay, okay. I will listen to you, Mrs. Xie.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave first.¡± Zhao Chuchu got up and walked out.


    Elder Mr. Qiu hurriedly arranged for a carriage to drive her and Madam Luo.


    Elder Mrs. Qiu gave Zhao Chuchu a bulging purse. ¡°This is the consultation money. After Old Mr. Qiu gets better, we will express our gratitude once again.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu took it and weighed it. In addition to the silver, there were also banknotes.


    ¡°I will give the drawing of the wheelchair to you tomorrow.¡± Zhao Chuchu lifted her feet and walked out.


    The Qiu n¡¯s people sent her to the gate. They watched her get into the carriage and leave before they turned around and went back.


    ¡°Bro, can Mrs. Xie really cure our father? So many doctors have said that our father can¡¯t be cured. She is still so young¡­¡± Second Mr. Qiu was worried. He did not want his father to suffer even more when he was not cured.


    Elder Mr. Qiu interrupted his words. ¡°When Yuanjiang County was suffering from a gue, no doctor could cure it, and it was Mrs. Xie who finally cured the gue. In any case, since we have asked for her help, we should trust her.¡±


    Elder Mr. Qiu continued, ¡°Mrs. Xie is not a fraudulent chatan. If she says she can, then she will. Also, it would be best if you did not repeat these words. If Mrs. Xie gets to know, she will be unhappy.¡±


    Second Mr. Qiu suppressed all those worried words after hearing this.


    ¡°They will definitely be worried,¡± Zhao Chuchu said to Madam Luo. ¡°Of course, it¡¯smon for people to feel that way. But, even if they suspect me, I won¡¯t be angry about it. The Qiu n is different from the Jin n, so I won¡¯t bother with them.¡±


    Madam Luo said, ¡°The Qiu n has no choice. The Jin n had a schr in the past, so the Qiu n can¡¯t do anything to them.¡±


    ¡°Madam Luo, kind people will be rewarded.¡± Zhao Chuchu winked.


    Madam Luo couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    ¡°Yes, you are right. Kind people will be rewarded! Can that wheelchair you mentioned really be made?¡± Madam Luo asked.


    ¡°Of course, as long as I can find a skilled craftsman. I forgot to tell you about itst time, but Grandma Gan is recovering well and doesn¡¯t need a wheelchair.¡±


    ¡°So, how long do you n to stay in town this time?¡±


    ¡°At least half a month, depending on Old Mr. Qiu¡¯s recovery.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, Da Lang and Junjun have alsoe to town, so you can stay in town at ease.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t know when Da Lang will return, but Junjun has to be with me because he is not in good health. Earlier, it was not convenient to cure him in the cold weather, and now I have to start curing him.¡±


    ¡°Is Junjun okay?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu smiled. ¡°He¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll take care of him.¡±


    Madam Luo sighed and said, ¡°Junjun is a really good boy. If you can cure him, it will be easier for you and Da Lang in the future.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu nodded her head.


    ¡°Are you going to let Junjun go to school? It¡¯s just as well that your Uncle Gan is a teacher at the county school, so you can let Junjun go to the county school.¡±


    ¡°For the time being, I don¡¯t have any ns to do so. Junjun still needs to take good care of his health. But, with Da Lang at his side, Da Lang will teach and guide him in his studies.¡±


    Since Zhao Chuchu had said so, Madam Luo did not continue the topic of the county school.


    When she returned to the Gan n¡¯s house, Xie Heng also returned.


    Zhao Chuchu told Xie Heng briefly about Old Mr. Qiu¡¯s matter.


    ¡°You want to make a wheelchair?¡± Xie Heng asked.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m just going to draw the ns and let the Qiu n find someone to make it themselves,¡± Zhao Chuchu said.


    ¡°Do you need my help?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was about to say no, but she suddenly changed her mind on second thought.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was still not used to using a writing brush, so she asked the Gan n for a few small pieces of charcoal and borrowed the Gan n¡¯s study.


    She used charcoal to draw the wheelchair and told Xie Heng about the wheelchair¡¯s simple functions.


    Xie Heng pointed at several positions in the drawing and asked for rification. Then he made another suggestion to seek Zhao Chuchu¡¯s opinion.


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s eyes lit up after hearing his suggestion. ¡°Hey, this is good. The carpenter will understand immediately when he sees this drawing. Then, draw a new drawing ording to what you said.¡±


    After saying that, Zhao Chuchu helped to prepare the ink and let Xie Heng redraw the improved drawing.


    ¡°This drawing should be able to be exchanged for a lot of money. Let¡¯s split it equallyter.¡± Zhao Chuchu picked up the finished drawing and looked at Xie Heng with a smile.


    Xie Heng looked at her and smiled gently. ¡°You keep it for yourself. A girl should have some silver.¡±


    ¡°You really don¡¯t want it?¡± Zhao Chuchu raised her eyebrows.


    ¡°If you want to give it to me, then you can keep it with you for now, and I will ask you for it when I need it,¡± repeated Xie Heng.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Zhao Chuchu agreed.


    After the ink on the drawing dried, Zhao Chuchu put it in her carry-on space.


    Then, she went to find Old Mrs. Gan and gave her a follow-up consultation.


    Although Old Mrs. Gan still needed to be supported, her condition was getting better and better every day, and her spirit was also improving.


    ¡°Chuchu, thank you so much.¡± Old Mrs. Gan grabbed Zhao Chuchu¡¯s hand and patted it with emotion. ¡°Otherwise, I would be just like Old Mr. Qiu now. Although his children are filial, it is meaningless to live without dignity.¡±


    ¡°Since you let me call you Grandma Gan, don¡¯t say such polite words. I heard that your radish cake is particrly delicious. I am still waiting for you to make it for me to try after you get well, Grandma Gan,¡± Zhao Chuchu said with a smile.


    Old Mrs. Gan was overjoyed. ¡°Okay, I will definitely make it for you when I get well.¡±


    ...


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll be waiting.¡±


    ¡°Well, I hope I can satisfy you soon. By the way, Da Lang, are you nning to take the next Provincial Examination?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do n to do so.¡± Xie Heng nodded.


    ¡°Since you are both in town now, have you considered attending the county school?¡±


    ¡°Thanks for your offer, Grandma Gan. Junjun is now being treated, and Chuchu is too busy to do it alone, so I don¡¯t have ns for that now.¡±


    ¡°s, that¡¯s true.¡±


    Old Mrs. Gan also knew that Xie Jun had been ill before his birth, and he needed to take medicine all the time. Xie Heng had lived a hard life with his younger brother all these years.


    Now that Xie Jun was hoping to be cured, it was natural to treat him first. And in that case, Xie Heng wouldn¡¯t have to worry about Xie Jun and could concentrate on his studies.


    In the evening, Xin Lichuan and Manager Lin went to the Gan n¡¯s house.


    Xin Lichuan specially prepared a generous gift for Zhao Chuchu to thank her for saving his life.


    Not to mention the others, Zhao Chuchu was very satisfied with Xin Lichuan¡¯s gift.


    ...


    Was there anything more pleasing to people than silver and gold?


    For Zhao Chuchu, there wasn¡¯t.


    Money was a worldly possession, but one could not live without silver and gold.


    Zhao Chuchu roughly estimated that Xin Lichuan¡¯s gifts could be worth nearly 2,000 taels of silver.


    The head manager was really rich and generous!


    He could take out thousands of taels of silver at once.


    Since Zhao Chuchu was rich now, she felt that she could walk with confidence.


    After all, the greatest sense of securityes from money. It is equally applicable at any time.

 Chapter 192 - 192 Can’t He Justify Himself?

    192 Can¡¯t He Justify Himself?


    Gan Maosheng happened toe back. He had a good rtionship with Manager Lin, so he left Xin Lichuan and Manager Lin to have dinner.


    Xie Heng naturally apanied them. And Zhao Chuchu took Xie Jun to have dinner with the women of the Gan n.


    Xin Lichuan did not keep quiet like before. Instead, he talked a lot.


    But when he was silent, he still had a serious look.


    Xie Heng was still as cold as ever. He answered only when someone asked him a question. Only in front of Zhao Chuchu did he say more.


    When men got together, drinking was inevitable.


    Gan Maosheng and his two grandsons were both from the Thousand Battalion. They were used to dealing with crude men, so their way of persuading people to drink was simple and brutal, and they didn¡¯t give people a chance to refuse.


    Although Xie Heng avoided drinking a lot of wine, he was more or less drunk after that meal.


    As for the men of the Gan n, they were all drunk by Xie Heng, and the task of taking care of Xie Heng naturally fell to Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu helped Xie Heng back to his room.


    Xie Heng¡¯s whole body weight fell on Zhao Chuchu, and he was much taller than Zhao Chuchu, so it looked as if his entire body was pressing on Zhao Chuchu.


    But Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t have much difficulty.


    If it weren¡¯t for Xie Heng¡¯s face, she would have wanted to carry him back.


    Back in the room, Zhao Chuchu put Xie Heng on the bed.


    Xie Heng sat there with his hands on his knees. His eyes kept following Zhao Chuchu without looking away for a single second.


    Zhao Chuchu asked the servants of the Gan n to bring warm water. She wet a handkerchief and wrung it out. Then she went over to wipe Xie Heng¡¯s face.


    Xie Heng stared at her with unblinking eyes.


    He did whatever he was told to do, looking very obedient.


    ¡°Chuchu,¡± he called out.


    Zhao Chuchu, who was washing the handkerchief, turned around. ¡°What?¡±


    Xie Heng, who was sitting in a docile position, patted the seat beside him. ¡°Can youe over here?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu smiled. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too far away from me.¡± Xie Heng pursed his lips.


    ¡°I¡¯m washing a handkerchief to wipe your face.¡±


    ¡°Well.¡±


    A few momentster, Xie Heng called out to her again.


    Zhao Chuchu answered him. But he continued and just kept on shouting.


    Zhao Chuchu thought that Xie Heng might really be drunk.


    She walked over somewhat helplessly and shoved the handkerchief at Xie Heng. ¡°Wipe your hands.¡±


    Xie Heng wiped his hands clean quickly and patted the seat beside him again. ¡°You sit here.¡±


    Seeing this, Zhao Chuchu had no choice but to sit beside him. ¡°Do you want to sleep first¡­¡±


    Before she could finish her sentence, Xie Heng rested his head on Zhao Chuchu¡¯s shoulder. ¡°This way, you won¡¯t be able to leave.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    Sure enough, Xie Heng was drunk.


    How else could such a man be so childish?


    Zhao Chuchu doubted that Xie Heng would forget everything tomorrow.


    But Xie Heng leaned against her and didn¡¯t move.


    Zhao Chuchu looked sideways and met the side of a face with a firm and perfect outline. The long eyshes were slightly upturned, the fair skin did not have a single w, and the long ink-like hair hung down casually, making him look less cold than usual and more recklessly juvenile.


    ¡°Da Lang.¡± After admiring Xie Heng¡¯s blossoming beauty, Zhao Chuchu gently called out to him.


    Xie Heng did not react.


    Zhao Chuchu looked down and found that Xie Heng had closed his eyes. His breaths were calm and long, and he seemed to have fallen asleep.


    Zhao Chuchu sighed and said, ¡°You¡¯refortable now, but my shoulder doesn¡¯t feel good.¡±


    After a while, Zhao Chuchu carefully helped Xie Heng to the bed. Then, she took off his shoes, socks, and outer shirt and covered him with the quilt.


    Xie Heng was very quiet when he was drunk. He was still a good person after drinking.


    When covering him with the quilt, Zhao Chuchu looked at that handsome, peerless face and couldn¡¯t help but think of what Xie Heng had said about his past life.


    Wasn¡¯t there any other woman who had ever taken a fancy to such a man?


    Zhao Chuchu felt that this was impossible.


    If Xie Heng could also win the first prize this time, there would be many women around him.


    For some reason, Zhao Chuchu suddenly felt ufortable when she thought of these things.


    But she refused to look into the reason.


    Zhao Chuchu sat at Xie Heng¡¯s bedside for a while and was about to leave when her hand was abruptly grabbed.


    She looked back and met a pair of deep eyes.


    Xie Heng had woken up at some point, and at this moment, he looked sober and not drunk.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Zhao Chuchu¡¯s heart beat faster. Xie Heng¡¯s eyes were full of aggression.


    ...


    ¡°Chuchu, don¡¯t go, okay?¡± Xie Heng murmured. His tone was a bit sad. ¡°I just saw you leave.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was confused.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t even look back when you left.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid.¡±


    ¡°What? Afraid of what?¡±


    ¡°My light is gone.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu understood.


    Xie Heng had a dream of her leaving.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go.¡± Xie Heng grabbed her hand and didn¡¯t let go. And soon, he closed his eyes again and didn¡¯t move.


    Zhao Chuchu was suddenly touched.


    ...


    She was very excited.


    What did this mean?


    She had the impulse to wake Xie Heng up.


    But when she saw Xie Heng frown tightly and seemed to be very ufortable, she finally suppressed this thought.


    Then she thought, ¡°Forget it. I shall not bother with a drunk.¡±


    But Xie Heng was clutching her hand so tightly that Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t pull it out even if she wanted to. She could only move Xie Heng¡¯s fingers off one by one and regain her freedom.


    ¡°Next time, you are not allowed to drink!¡± Zhao Chuchu red at the sleeping Xie Heng. ¡°You are simply unreasonable when you drink too much!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu left the room after muttering this.


    She didn¡¯t notice that just after she closed the door, Xie Heng, who had fallen asleep, suddenly opened his eyes again.


    Xie Heng¡¯s gaze fell to the door. He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples.


    He was too calcting.


    He took advantage of Zhao Chuchu taking care of him to make such an ambitious request.


    He could not rest until Zhao Chuchu agreed to stay.


    The only thing he wanted to do after being reborn was to take revenge.


    But Zhao Chuchu¡¯s appearance let him rediscover a different kind of beauty in the world.


    He wanted to hold on to her hand and not let go.


    There had never been a woman who unknowingly came into his heart. From then on, she took root and grew into a huge tree that he could not ignore.


    In the past, he could do everything to achieve his goal, but in front of Zhao Chuchu, he always had to suppress his thoughts.


    This girl was different from everyone else.


    He would feel ashamed of himself even if he only had a few ill intentions.


    When Xie Heng was thinking, the door opened again.


    Xie Heng, who opened his eyes, was caught by Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°You¡¯re not drunk?¡± Zhao Chuchu raised her eyebrows, and a dangerous glint shed across her eyes. ¡°Da Lang, you¡¯ve changed!¡±


    Xie Heng was speechless.


    Zhao Chuchu walked to Xie Heng as she spoke.


    ¡°Pretending to be drunk and taking advantage of me¡ªis this what a gentleman does?¡± Zhao Chuchu looked down on Xie Heng from above.


    Xie Heng looked at her.


    ¡°No,¡± he said.


    ¡°Then you still did it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I did.¡±


    Xie Heng¡¯s almost abandoned confession caused Zhao Chuchu not to know what to say for a moment.


    She thought, ¡°Can¡¯t he justify himself for a moment?¡±

 Chapter 193 - 193 You Alone Are Enough

    193 You Alone Are Enough


    ¡°It seems you are still drunk. Let me borrow a kitchen to cook some hangover soup for you.¡± Zhao Chuchu made an excuse to go out.


    Xie Heng abruptly grabbed Zhao Chuchu¡¯s hand. ¡°No need. I¡¯m just a little dizzy. I¡¯ll ease up after a while.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu looked down at the hand that had been grabbed.


    Xie Heng, however, had no intention of letting go.


    ¡°Sit down.¡± Xie Heng patted the edge of the bed.


    Zhao Chuchu was silent for a moment before sitting down.


    ¡°You hurt me.¡± Zhao Chuchu grimly looked at Xie Heng.


    Xie Heng slightly loosened his grip but did not let go of Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°Are you afraid of me?¡± he asked.


    Zhao Chuchu raised her eyebrows. ¡°Afraid of you? Da Lang, are you underestimating me?¡±


    ¡°You seem to be avoiding me.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m just worried that you¡¯ll have a headache if you¡¯re hungover.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m already used to it.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu always felt as if something was wrong when she heard this.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine in a while,¡± Xie Heng said again.


    Zhao Chuchu took it as satisfying a drunken kitten and didn¡¯t break free.


    Otherwise, she was afraid that Xie Heng¡¯s hand would break.


    ¡°How long has it been since you¡¯ve had a drink?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu did not know what to say.


    ¡°Many years.¡±


    ¡°And how long have you lived?¡±


    Xie Heng, however, didn¡¯t want to say.


    He didn¡¯t want to be an old man in Zhao Chuchu¡¯s mind.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be an old man, would you?¡±


    Xie Heng pursed his lips and didn¡¯t say anything.


    Zhao Chuchu imagined for a moment and couldn¡¯t help butugh out loud. Then she reassured Xie Heng. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Even if you¡¯re old, you¡¯re still a good-looking old man!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not an old man,¡± Xie Heng denied.


    Being in his thirties shouldn¡¯t be considered old, right?


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. You¡¯ll have the chance to be an old man in this life.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was in a good mood.


    She did not expect Xie Heng to mind his age.


    ¡°Will you be with me?¡± Xie Heng suddenly asked.


    His burning gaze was scorching.


    He stared at Zhao Chuchu with unblinking eyes.


    There was also a hint of imperceptible hope.


    ¡°Chuchu, stay and grow old together with me, okay?¡±


    Xie Heng tightened his grip on Zhao Chuchu¡¯s hand.


    Zhao Chuchu felt her heart beat out of control again.


    ¡°Da Lang, I¡­¡±


    ¡°If you like our life now, after we send Junjun back, I will give you the life of working together during the day and going home together at night.¡±


    ¡°Will you give up everything?¡±


    ¡°Glory and wealth are nothing to me. You are the only one I want to hold on to.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll leave here.¡±


    ¡°Even if it¡¯s just for one day, at least I will have had it before.¡±


    ¡°Da Lang, people always be greedy after having something.¡±


    ¡°I know, but I still want to do so.¡±


    Xie Heng looked firm, and his gaze was gentle.


    He had never been so sure that Zhao Chuchu was the woman he wanted to be with for the rest of his life.


    ¡°No matter if you like to live in prosperous cities or the fields or to travel around the world, I can give it to you. I don¡¯t ask for much. I just want you to be here.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu felt like she was losing control.


    His words were not that sweet, but they had an unusual meaning when Xie Heng said them.


    After spending time together, it was hard for Zhao Chuchu to say that she did not take a fancy to Xie Heng.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any feelings for any of them. Chuchu was forced to marry me. She used me for her own benefit¡­ Other than that, I had no entanglements with other women.¡± Xie Heng confessed his feelings.


    His two wives loved other men. It was true that he was nominally married twice, but he never touched a woman.


    ...


    Even after he reached the pinnacle of power, he still had no desire.


    But Zhao Chuchu made him yearn. He became a normal man and was emotionally moved by her every smile. He became jealous and possessive.


    ¡°Da Lang, you should know that if you decide to choose me, then you won¡¯t have the opportunity to have other women in the future. In our ce, there is only monogamy, and I will not be willing to share my man with others.¡±


    Xie Heng never knew that the words ¡°my man¡± would be so catchy.


    ¡°My heart is small, Chuchu. You alone are enough,¡± Xie Heng said seriously. ¡°I hope that if you were a bright moon and I were a star, we could shine brightly together to illuminate each other every night.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu took a deep breath to calm her heartbeat, which was out of control.


    It was not fair to be single after three lifetimes.


    She had a good feeling about Xie Heng, so she could take it as starting a rtionship.


    ¡°Da Lang, let¡¯s talk about marriage and other thingster. In our ce, if a man and a woman like each other, they will choose to date first, and they will only get married after they feel they are both suitable.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Xie Heng agreed without even thinking about it.


    As long as she agreed, he could wait.


    ...


    The years may be long, but they were still young, and there was plenty of time.


    ¡°Then you can¡¯t look at other girls in the future,¡± Zhao Chuchu deliberately said fiercely. ¡°You are mine!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll only look at you.¡± Xie Heng embraced Zhao Chuchu with satisfaction.


    He felt like he had been waiting for this moment for a long time.


    Finally, he got what he wanted.


    The feeling in his arms made Xie Heng feel as if he owned the world. It was so good.


    Zhao Chuchu also did not expect that the warm embrace of a man would make her surge with an unprecedented sense of security.


    ¡°Da Lang, have you been nning this for a long time?¡±


    ¡°Why do you ask?¡± Xie Heng looked down at her.


    ¡°Intuition.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Xie Heng admitted.


    Zhao Chuchu was delighted and asked, ¡°When did it start?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. You just came into my heart unknowingly and without warning, and then there was no way to drive you out, so I thought how nice it would be if I could always let you stay by my side.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all a set-up!¡± Zhao Chuchu sighed.


    If she had run away after receiving the divorce letter, she wouldn¡¯t be here today, right?


    But now, she did not regret it.


    Maybe God had arranged it. How else would they have met in such a way?


    Zhao Chuchu was still sighing when shey down beside Xie Heng.


    She hadn¡¯t been able to escape God¡¯s arrangement after all.


    Xie Heng respected her and didn¡¯t make any move that forced or made Zhao Chuchu ufortable.


    ¡°Chuchu, I¡¯m very happy.¡± Xie Heng looked up at the top of the bed. ¡°I was ready to be alone for the rest of my life, and I didn¡¯t expect you to appear.¡±


    ¡°Da Lang¡­¡±


    ¡°Zizhao is my style name. You can call me Zizhao.¡±


    ¡°Zizhao? This style name is very nice.¡±


    ¡°In the future, you can call me Zizhao when no one is around.¡±


    ¡°But I still prefer to call you Da Lang.¡±


    Xie Heng thought for a moment and finally asked the question he had been wondering about for a long time. ¡°Why are you so obsessed with calling me Da Lang? Why do you always have a different meaning from others when you call me that?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t help butugh out loud.


    That was undoubtedly because of that particr line from a famous novel in her previous life. ¡°Da Lang, it¡¯s time to take your medicine.¡±


    Xie Heng knew his intuition was correct when he saw this.


    ¡°So, in your ce, what is the meaning of Da Lang?¡±

 Chapter 194 - 194 Was That Very Hard?

    194 Was That Very Hard?


    Zhao Chuchu then told Xie Heng the story about Da Lang in Water Margin.


    Xie Heng was speechless.


    Looking at the speechless Xie Heng, Zhao Chuchuughed so hard that she couldn¡¯t catch her breath.


    Xie Heng sighed and asked, ¡°Should I be d that you gave me medicine to cure my illness at the beginning instead of poison?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t do that to you.¡± Zhao Chuchu held back herughter. ¡°You¡¯re not Zhao Zhizhi, so I won¡¯t kill you. I just thought of this when the people in the vige called you Da Lang. So I have no malice.¡±


    ¡°Naughty.¡±


    ¡°Of course, this Da Lang is not that Da Lang in the novel. If I were that woman, I¡¯m afraid you would have killed me before I could do anything.¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, are you so distrustful of me that you are already thinking about finding your next husband?¡± Xie Heng said slowly, a hint of danger in his tone.


    ¡°Can anyonepare to you? That will have to wait until I meet one. At least I will not do this for the time being,¡± Zhao Chuchu hurriedly reassured Xie Heng.


    But sometimes, a straight women¡¯s words do not work to coax people but rather to exasperate them.


    And this was the case with Zhao Chuchu.


    Xie Heng did not know whether tough or cry.


    ¡°Chuchu, is this how you talk to people?¡±


    ¡°Well, what¡¯s wrong with that?¡±


    Xie Heng was happy again.


    It was likely that Zhao Chuchu would only treat men as her brothers.


    Although he didn¡¯t get close to women in his previous life, he knew women were good at calcting, but he had never seen this in Zhao Chuchu.


    She was too blunt and did not see herself as a girl.


    ¡°s, you don¡¯t know. I used to deal with rough men every day, and none of them were as refined as you, so I¡¯m used to speaking bluntly. If you feel offended, you can tell me directly. Don¡¯t make me guess.¡±


    Guessing was too tiring.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine for you to be like this.¡± Xie Heng shook his head and smiled at Zhao Chuchu. ¡°You are lovely in your frankness. Beating around the bush is too tiring. You don¡¯t have to be like that in front of me.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯m relieved.¡±


    Fortunately, Xie Heng was not an old-fashioned nerd. Otherwise, she would have run away immediately when she met him.


    ¡°Chuchu, can you tell me about your past?¡± Xie Heng wanted to know everything about Zhao Chuchu.


    If Zhao Chuchu did suddenly leave one day, he would at least have a direction to find her.


    Zhao Chuchu was suddenly silent when she heard this.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to talk about it, I won¡¯t force you.¡± Xie Heng sensed that Zhao Chuchu¡¯s mood had suddenly be low, so he quickly ended the topic.


    Zhao Chuchu sighed softly and said, ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to talk about it, but this topic is too heavy, and I don¡¯t know how to talk about it. The country I lived in before was truly peaceful and prosperous. Then, however, a disaster fell, and the prosperous world became a purgatory.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°In your words, it was an extremely terrible gue.¡±


    The zombie virus was highly contagious. Once infected, people would either die or be zombies, and there was no way to live. So wasn¡¯t it a gue?


    ¡°What kind of gue?¡±


    ¡°Like the previous gue in the Wei Dynasty. For us, it is actually an ordinary disease, but your immunity is too poor, so for you, it is a gue that is difficult to withstand. But in the end, most people can still survive, right?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu continued, ¡°But that gue of ours is different. Those who contracted it either killed themselves or became walking corpses before the virus attacked. That¡¯s scary, right?¡± Zhao Chuchu pillowed her hand and looked at Xie Heng.


    It was hard for Xie Heng to imagine that kind of scene.


    But he knew that Zhao Chuchu did not need to deceive him.


    ¡°Then how did you survive?¡± Xie Heng¡¯s heart ached for Zhao Chuchu. ¡°Was it very hard?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu smiled. ¡°I was fine because I had medical skills. But most ordinary people were either reduced to walking corpses or ves of the strong. The peaceful world turned into a world of cannibalism and even could not be better than the Wei Dynasty.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu continued, ¡°You can¡¯t imagine that a dynasty like yours is already one or two thousand years old in our ce. Unfortunately, the natural disaster drove us backward in history and back to the era of eating raw meat and drinking blood.¡±


    Xie Heng stroked Zhao Chuchu¡¯s head. ¡°You are now in the Wei Dynasty and will not live that way again.¡±


    ¡°In our ce, people can go up to the sky and down to the sea, but if we have to trade for that kind of price, I still prefer to be in the Wei Dynasty.¡± Zhao Chuchu looked at Xie Heng. ¡°You, Junjun, and many other kind people are here.¡±


    ¡°You are also very kind,¡± Xie Heng said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not. I indirectly killed Zhao Zhizhi to some extent.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu wasn¡¯tpletely honest with Xie Heng. Although she was touched by Xie Heng, she didn¡¯t go so far as to confess everything to him.


    Zhao Zhizhi was killed by her.


    She didn¡¯t think about letting Xie Heng know that she had supernatural powers.


    ¡°If you are merciful to someone who wants to kill you, it¡¯s not called kindness but stupidity. Chuchu, you did the right thing.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°I don¡¯t know if any women like Zhao Zhizhi will appearter. If they alsoe for you¡­¡±


    ¡°I will solve it.¡± Xie Heng didn¡¯t wait for Zhao Chuchu to finish before interrupting. He said, ¡°That kind of situation won¡¯t happen again. Why should I ept a woman who treats me well only after knowing my future?¡±


    ¡°Then you don¡¯t know that I might know your future as well?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know.¡±


    Xie Heng looked at Zhao Chuchu and smiled.


    ...


    ¡°Chuchu, you don¡¯t know that you are transparent all over.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was unhappy.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say it out, okay?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu felt foolish every time Xie Heng said this.


    How could she have guessed that Zhao Zhizhi was reborn and not thought that Xie Heng was too?


    It was Xie Heng¡¯s fault for being so calm in the face of death. He was not at all like Zhao Zhizhi, who gave herself away at once.


    Zhao Chuchu was d that the body¡¯s original owner was not Xie Heng¡¯s enemy. Otherwise, she was afraid that she would have to waste another life, being killed at the beginning of the journey.


    Xie Heng was too calcting and calm.


    ¡°I am very reasonable. Even if she was once my enemy, her debt was over when she died. So I will not take it out on you.¡±


    Only a fool would believe this!


    Zhao Chuchu did not think so.


    ...


    If it was true, would Xie Heng let her live until he knew that she had changed her soul?


    ¡°Da Lang, do you dare swear to God that you will do that?¡± Zhao Chuchu was not happy.


    Xie Heng smiled.


    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. You should go to sleep. Don¡¯t you have to go to the Qiu n¡¯s house tomorrow to do acupuncture? Chuchu, no matter what happens in the future, I will protect you,¡± Xie Heng said in a soft voice. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry too much about other things. I¡¯m here.¡±


    When he returned, he would tell Zhao Chuchu everything about him.


    This was his trust in her.


    Zhao Chuchu thought for a moment and suddenly went over and kissed Xie Heng on the cheek.


    ¡°Good night.¡±


    Then she quicklyid back down and pulled up the quilt to cover her head.


    Xie Heng could still feel her touch. He was petrified, and his mind went nk.


    Then he blushed right down to his neck. The hand outside the quilt could not stop shaking slightly.


    This was the first time in both his lives that Xie Heng was kissed by a girl, and he could not sleep.

 Chapter 195 - 195 There Are Only Patients

    195 There Are Only Patients


    Zhao Chuchu had a good night¡¯s sleep.


    The next day, when she woke up, she saw Xie Heng¡¯s faint dark circles under his eyes. She wanted tough but didn¡¯t dare to.


    ¡°Da Lang, did you go out and steal somethingst night?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked knowingly.


    ¡°No, I went to catch a thief.¡± Xie Heng did not change his expression.


    ¡°Really? Where¡¯s the thief from?¡±


    ¡°The thief was wandering around all night, very cunning.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re not proficient.¡±


    Xie Heng rubbed Zhao Chuchu¡¯s hair. ¡°Then I¡¯ll work hard and try to catch the thief soon.¡±


    ¡°You messed up my hair.¡± Zhao Chuchu red at him in anger. She hadbed it with great effort.


    Xie Hengughed out loud and lowered his head. ¡°You can rub my hair too.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu looked at Xie Heng¡¯s hair and suddenly came up with a very odd thought. ¡°He is suitable to be a programmer!¡±


    Xie Heng saw that Zhao Chuchu did not move, so he grabbed her hand and put it on his head.


    Zhao Chuchu had always thought that men¡¯s hair was stiff, but Xie Heng¡¯s hair was as soft as satin.


    Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t help but rub Xie Heng¡¯s hair a few more times, which messed up his neatlybed hair.


    At that moment, the knock on the door interrupted the ambiguous atmosphere.


    ¡°Bro, Sis, are you up yet?¡± Xie Jun shouted from the door.


    Xie Heng had no choice but to get up and open the door.


    When Xie Jun saw Xie Heng and Zhao Chuchu¡¯s messy hair, he froze for a moment and immediately covered his eyes. ¡°Sorry, bro. I shouldn¡¯t have disturbed you guys.¡±


    After saying that, Xie Jun turned around and quickly ran away.


    Xie Heng was speechless.


    Zhao Chuchu saw this from behind andughed out loud.


    Xie Heng turned back. ¡°Can that make you so happy?¡±


    ¡°Junjun is cute. You are so lucky to have such a brother.¡± Zhao Chuchu stoppedughing.


    Xie Heng nodded in agreement. ¡°Junjun is a good boy. I¡¯m also d to have such a brother.¡±


    He only hoped that Junjun would be healthy, safe, and happy in this life.


    The two of them cleaned up and went out.


    The Gan n had already prepared breakfast. After having breakfast, Zhao Chuchu took the drawing and went to the Qiu n¡¯s house.


    Elder Mr. Qiu had already found several skilled craftsmen from Yuanjiang County.


    After Zhao Chuchu performed acupuncture on Old Mr. Qiu, she took out the drawing and exined to the craftsmen how to build each part of the drawing in detail.


    These craftsmen had decades of experience and understood it as soon as they heard Zhao Chuchu¡¯s exnation. They immediately said that they could have the wheelchair ready within ten days.


    ¡°That¡¯s good. By then, Old Mr. Qiu should be able to sit up,¡± Zhao Chuchu said.


    Elder Mr. Qiu asked, ¡°Is it already done?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re all experienced craftsmen, so this won¡¯t be difficult for them.¡±


    ¡°That would be great. Can my dade out and get around by then?¡±


    ¡°Theoretically, it¡¯s no problem, but let¡¯s wait until then and see how his recovery goes.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you are right. Mrs. Xie, thank you so much.¡±


    Elder Mr. Qiu was pleased.


    He was a filial son, so he naturally hoped that Old Mr. Qiu would gradually improve.


    ¡°How much should I pay for this wheelchair drawing?¡± Elder Mr. Qiu asked Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°It¡¯s up to you.¡±


    In fact, it was not very technical. It was just a drawing.


    But Elder Mr. Qiu still prepared a hundred taels of silver for Zhao Chuchu.


    When she received the silver, Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t help but wonder how many wealthy people there were in Yuanjiang County.


    They gave the silver without a hint of hesitation.


    Of course, there was no reason to give away the silver in hand.


    Who would mind having more silver?


    Seeing that the craftsmen understood how to build the wheelchair, Zhao Chuchu was about to leave.


    However, Elder Mrs. Qiu called out to Zhao Chuchu. ¡°Wait a moment, Mrs. Xie. Can I have a word with you?¡±


    The others were confused.


    Elder Mrs. Qiu didn¡¯t exin but just looked at Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Zhao Chuchu nodded.


    She followed Elder Mrs. Qiu outside.


    Elder Mrs. Qiu didn¡¯t let anyone else follow her.


    ¡°Elder Mrs. Qiu, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ...


    Elder Mrs. Qiu wanted to say something but stopped.


    ¡°Just say it.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­it may be a bit presumptuous. I wonder if you can make men more¡­¡±


    ¡°Vigorous?¡± Zhao Chuchu directly answered Elder Mrs. Qiu¡¯s question.


    Elder Mrs. Qiu blushed.


    ¡°Well, just pretend I didn¡¯t say anything. I¡­I¡­¡±


    ¡°But I see that Elder Mr. Qiu is not weak. Elder Mrs. Qiu, appropriate is good. Be moderate.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu politely advised Elder Mrs. Qiu.


    Elder Mrs. Qiu was speechless.


    She then reacted that Zhao Chuchu had misunderstood, so she hurriedly exined, ¡°No, no, it¡¯s not my husband.¡±


    ¡°Then who are you talking about?¡±


    ...


    ¡°It¡¯s my brother. He has been married for many years and still has no children. I have asked my sister-inw on the side and have found out he is because he is impotent¡­Mrs. Xie, I know it is very presumptuous, but no one in Yuanjiang County has better medical skills than you. If you feel troubled, just pretend I didn¡¯t say it.¡±


    Elder Mrs. Qiu¡¯s face became redder as she spoke, and she felt more and more that she was going too far in saying this much to a woman.


    ¡°Well, forget it. I am just too anxious, and I forget that you are also a woman. It is really inappropriate for you to cure this kind of illness¡­¡±


    ¡°In a doctor¡¯s eyes, there are only patients, not men and women. However, before the pulse is taken, there is no guarantee whatsoever. So you¡¯d better let your brother and his wifee over. Then I¡¯ll know exactly what the problem is.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been to many doctors, and they all say it¡¯s my brother¡¯s problem, so how about you just prescribe some medicine for him to take?¡±


    ¡°Elder Mrs. Qiu, I only believe in the results of my own diagnosis.¡±


    ¡°But Mr. Xie¡­¡±


    ¡°He would never stop me from healing and saving people.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just worried that he¡¯ll get angry. It won¡¯t be good for your rtionship as a couple.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu smiled. ¡°Da Lang is not the kind of person who is unreasonable. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have taught me to read and write and let me read medical books in the first ce.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the one who¡¯s too mean. In that case, I¡¯ll have someone send a message back to my brother. Anyway, you will be in the county town during this period, so I¡¯lle back to find you then.¡±


    ¡°Well, no problem.¡±


    ¡°I have nothing else to ask you, so I won¡¯t dy you. I¡¯ll arrange for someone to send you back.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Elder Mrs. Qiu sighed with relief as if a heavy burden had been lifted.


    When Zhao Chuchu returned to the Gan n¡¯s house, Xie Heng had already gone out.


    Gan Yingzhi did not go to the county school that day and was ying chess with Xie Jun at home.


    Zhao Chuchu watched from the side and found that the usually obedient and well-behaved Xie Jun yed chess in a very different style. He was so decisive and determined that he made Gan Yingzhi not know where to ce his chess.


    ¡°I lost again.¡± Gan Yingzhi put down the chess piece. ¡°I really can¡¯t tell that Junjun is so good at chess. I¡¯m so impressed.¡±


    Xie Jun was a little embarrassed. ¡°I¡¯m not really good at chess. I couldn¡¯t beat my brother even when he was invisible.¡±


    In the original owner¡¯s memory, Xie Heng often gawked at the chess board, so it turned out he was ying it with himself.


    ¡°Then, when Da Lang returns, I¡¯ll have to y a few rounds with him and learn from him.¡± Gan Yingzhi smiled. After a pause, he looked at Zhao Chuchu. ¡°Are you going to perform acupuncture on Junjun?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Zhao Chuchu waved the needle bag in her hand.


    Xie Jun¡¯s smile immediately fell when he heard this.

 Chapter 196 - 196 He’s not Interested in Women

    196 He¡¯s not Interested in Women


    Acupuncture was too painful.


    For a ten-year-old child, it was really cruel.


    But although Xie Jun was afraid, he never failed to cooperate.


    He took out a handkerchief and bit it. As soon as Zhao Chuchu stuck the needle in, he was in so much pain that he broke out in a cold sweat.


    It was the first time Gan Yingzhi watched the process of Xie Jun being treated. He grew nervous seeing Xie Jun in such pain.


    But Gan Yingzhi did not dare disturb Zhao Chuchu. Only when Zhao Chuchu finished applying the needles did he rush to find a clean handkerchief to wipe Xie Jun¡¯s sweat.


    ¡°Chuchu, is Junjun¡¯s illness very serious? Why does he hurt like this?¡±


    ¡°His illness is exceptional, so it¡¯s not easy to cure.¡± Zhao Chuchu stroked Xie Jun¡¯s head. ¡°After some more time, Junjun won¡¯t need acupuncture treatment anymore.¡±


    ¡°Sis, I can bear it,¡± Xie Jun said weakly with a pale face. ¡°I will get better.¡±


    Seeing Xie Jun so understanding, Gan Yingzhi sighed and said, ¡°God is not fair. Howe all the children of the Xie n have such a hard life? Fortunately, you are here, Chuchu. Otherwise, the two brothers would have an even harder time.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Gan, we¡¯re fine. We don¡¯t live a hard life.¡± Xie Jun retorted in a soft voice. ¡°All the luck was spent on marrying my sister-inw. One should not be too greedy.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was touched when she heard this.


    ¡°Yes, we will be fine,¡± Zhao Chuchu said in a soft voice. ¡°Junjun, be brave. When you recover, you can eat whatever you want and go wherever you want. You won¡¯t have to worry so much by then!¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll listen to you, Sis.¡±


    Xie Jun looked at Zhao Chuchu. His big ck grape-like eyes were full of trust in Zhao Chuchu.


    Gan Yingzhi also said, ¡°Your sister-inw is the miracle doctor of Yuanjiang County. She will definitely cure you.¡±


    Xie Jun nodded repeatedly.


    He liked his current sister-inw so much now.


    He hoped his brother would be more courageous and let his sister-inw move back to his room sooner.


    For the next few days, Zhao Chuchu went back and forth between the Gan n¡¯s house and the Qiu n¡¯s house.


    Old Mr. Qiu¡¯s condition improved daily, and the Qiu n was even more grateful to Zhao Chuchu.


    And Elder Mrs. Qiu¡¯s younger brother also came into town at this time.


    Elder Mrs. Qiu came from the neighboring Yongfu Town, and her father was a wealthy man. Although her n was notparable to the Qiu n, it was still rich and had a few servants at home.


    Her younger brother was 32 years old and had been married for 15 years, but he had no children.


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s mouth twitched when she saw this man.


    He looked like a man who had overindulged in sex and couldn¡¯t be impotent.


    However, his wife probably thought too much about children and looked older than she was. Standing next to Elder Mrs. Qiu¡¯s brother, she looked like she was in her forties.


    Elder Mrs. Qiu had only one sibling. Theirst name was Wu, and her brother was named Wu Eng.


    Wu Eng looked reluctant. His family had probably forced him to see a doctor.


    Elder Mrs. Qiu was very nervous. She waited for Zhao Chuchu to finish performing acupuncture on Old Mr. Qiu. Then she quickly invited Zhao Chuchu to the backyard to diagnose her brother and sister-inw.


    Wu Eng was impatient. ¡°Sister, I¡¯ve taken many types of medicine. How can it be of any use? You should stop worrying about me. I¡¯m already nning to adopt a child. As long as my side raises him, why does it matter if he¡¯s not my own?¡±


    ¡°Dad and Mom have been looking forward to you having a child. Adopted children are never as close as your own. You cannot be so capricious. Our Wu n still needs someone to continue the family lineage. Mrs. Xie¡¯s medical skills are excellent, so she can definitely cure you.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu listened on the side and did not know if she should tell the truth.


    Wu Eng was not impotent. It was just that the object of his interest was not a woman.


    His wife must have known about it, but she didn¡¯t dare to say it to save face.


    Zhao Chuchu did not despise homosexuality, but cheating in marriage deserved death.


    What did his wife do wrong? Why should she live like a widow?


    Zhao Chuchu felt sick just thinking about that scene.


    Elder Mrs. Qiu was still arguing with Wu Eng.


    Wu Eng insisted that he was born to be like that and didn¡¯t want to take any more medicine.


    His wife, however, still held a glimmer of hope that Zhao Chuchu could make him normal again.


    But sexual orientation was inborn. So how could it be changed?


    ¡°I said I wouldn¡¯t see a doctor. You are so nosy and let Mom and Dad forced me toe. Why do you care if I have a child or not? If you have this time, you might as well help my brother-inw take care of the Qiu n. Besides, what can such a little girl be capable of? Only you guys are stupid enough to believe such a liar.¡±


    Wu Eng targeted Zhao Chuchu before Zhao Chuchu could say anything.


    ¡°How much silver do you want? Just say it. Why did you give my family hope and then let them down in the end? Even a doctor with decades of experience can¡¯t treat me, so how can you do that?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu looked at him indifferently. ¡°Are you sure you want me to tell the truth? You can¡¯t judge whether I¡¯m a good doctor or not with just one word.¡±


    ¡°If you can get my wife pregnant, I will get down on my knees and do whatever you ask me to do.¡±


    ¡°No need. I¡¯m not in the habit of asking people to do whatever I want.¡±


    Wu Eng snorted coldly.


    Elder Mrs. Qiu was embarrassed, not expecting her brother to be so resistant to seeing the doctor.


    She looked apologetically at Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°Sister, you¡¯re the one who¡¯s paying her. So you don¡¯t have to be subservient to her.¡± Wu Eng added, ¡°I admit that I can¡¯t give birth to a son. So it¡¯s useless for you to force me.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu did not answer Wu Eng¡¯s words but looked at his wife, Ms. Zhu.


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ...


    Ms. Zhu froze for a moment.


    ¡°Me?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Ms. Zhu timidly nced at Wu Eng. ¡°I¡­I¡­want a child.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    ¡°Elder Mrs. Qiu, you and your brother should go out first. I¡¯ll have a few words with your sister-inw.¡± Zhao Chuchu could only dismiss Elder Mrs. Qiu and her brother.


    Ms. Zhu didn¡¯t know what Zhao Chuchu was going to do and was a little nervous. ¡°Doctor, is it my problem?¡±


    ¡°Both you and your husband have problems,¡± Zhao Chuchu said. ¡°I want to ask you a question, and you should answer me truthfully. You have not yet slept with your husband, right?¡±


    Ms. Zhu suddenly looked up after hearing this, and her face paled.


    ¡°There is no such thing. Don¡¯t talk nonsense, Mrs. Xie.¡± Her tone was a bit agitated.


    Zhao Chuchu looked calm. ¡°I am a doctor and know it at a nce. You are still a virgin. You¡¯ve been married for 15 years but live like a widow. I want to ask you. Do you still want to hold on to hope when you know it¡¯s already impossible?¡±


    ...


    Ms. Zhu kept silent for a moment.


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s words poked at the secret she had hidden deep in her heart.


    That was true. She hadn¡¯t been married to Wu Eng long before she knew that Wu Eng liked men, not women.


    At first, Wu Eng did not touch her because she was nervous, and at that time, she was happy and felt that she had married a man who respected her.


    But as time passed day by day, Wu Eng still showed no interest when they shared the same bed and even resisted her touch. Then he preferred to sleep on the floor instead of sleeping with her in the same bed.


    Until one day, she saw the truth.

 Chapter 197 - 197 It’s Difficult for You to Have a Child with Him

    197 It¡¯s Difficult for You to Have a Child with Him


    Her husband, who apparently loved her but often neglected her, was intimately sleeping with a good-looking man.


    Her heart deeply ached at that scene.


    She could not stand such humiliation, and she ran away and vomited.


    When Wu Eng returned to the room that night, the smell of the man was still on his body.


    !!


    She mustered the courage to question him. Unfortunately, Wu Eng did not have sophistry and admitted that he was not interested in women. He even threatened her to keep the secret. Otherwise, she would be the one to lose face if he divorced her.


    She had been taught since she was a child to take good care of her husband and children after marriage, but she had never thought she would have such a marriage.


    After she found out about the secret, Wu Eng stopped hiding it and even let the man apany him as his subordinate. Moreover, he even slept with the man in front of her, and the man sometimes even provoked her.


    She had begged Wu Eng to give her a child, and Wu Eng had agreed.


    But he still did not have any reaction even when she stood in front of him naked. And even if he ate the medicine to help him, he would vomit on her whenever he touched her.


    Zhao Chuchu looked at Ms. Zhu, who was in a state of hurt. She thought Ms. Zhu should be a very virtuous woman, but it was a pity that she was married to the wrong person and wasted so many years of her youth.


    ¡°Life is your own. You should understand that some things are hard to change, and forcing them is fruitless.¡± Zhao Chuchu interrupted her thoughts. ¡°The answer to the question is very simple. It¡¯s all up to you.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was tempted to put forward a bad idea.


    However, it was now the era of male supremacy, so letting Ms. Zhu have a child with someone else would be a little hical.


    After all, it would be Ms. Zhu who would suffer in the end.


    She wanted to persuade Ms. Zhu to divorce her husband. But looking at her, she was afraid Ms. Zhu would put up with it for the rest of her life.


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, can you really identify what the reason is?¡± Ms. Zhu looked up at Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu came up to her ear and whispered, ¡°He walks unsteadily and has heavy bags under his eyes, so it¡¯s obvious that he has overindulged in sex. Since you¡¯re still a virgin, it can prove that the one sleeping with him is not a woman.¡±


    Ms. Zhu did not dare believe it. ¡°How do you know?¡±


    ¡°I deduced that.¡± Zhao Chuchu sighed. ¡°It¡¯s not easy for women to live. I can¡¯t say some things directly, but I want to tell you that it¡¯s difficult for you to have a child with him.¡±


    Ms. Zhu¡¯s tears fell at once.


    Many years of aggravation instantly bubbled up.


    No one knew how much she had suffered during those years of marriage.


    But there was no way to talk about this suffering.


    Who would believe it?


    Even to her mother, who cared for her, Ms. Zhu could not say anything.


    Everyone thought she had married a good husband, but only she knew how painful it was. She had to force a smile during the day, and only at midnight did she dare to shed tears.


    Now, she couldn¡¯t hold back her tears when these things were exposed to a girl she didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t know what to do. Even if he gives me a child, I can still have hope¡­¡± Ms. Zhu suppressed her sobs. ¡°No one knows how painful it is. They will only say that I am lucky to have married a good man.¡±


    Ms. Zhu continued, ¡°But who knows what I have to face every day? Sometimes I really want to die, but my parents will be sad, so I dare not. Mrs. Xie, what do you think I should do? I¡¯m already in my thirties, but my life has been ruined, and I can¡¯t see a glint of light in my life¡­¡±


    Ms. Zhu told her how hard it had been all these years. Her parents-inw forced them to have children and kept making her take medicine.


    But was this something that could be solved by taking medicine?


    How could she give birth to a child when her husband wouldn¡¯t even touch her?


    She didn¡¯t dare to say it out loud, nor could she.


    She didn¡¯t want to see her parents worry about her.


    So she preferred just to create the illusion that she was doing well.


    ¡°What did your husband say?¡±


    ¡°He said he tried his best, and to the public, he also dered that he couldn¡¯t have children because of his problems. That¡¯s why my parents-inw didn¡¯t me me much. However, this has made it impossible for me to ask for a divorce.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu did not know what to say.


    This was really disgusting.


    If he could not meet the requirements, he should not stop others.


    Why did he act like he loved his wife so much and didn¡¯t want her to be wronged? He should have given her her freedom earlier.


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, I feel much better after talking to you today. My life has been like this, so just forget it. At least I have no worries about food and clothing, and it¡¯s much better than those who are starving and freezing.¡± Ms. Zhu wiped away her tears and forced a smile.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you let your husbande in and talk to him openly and honestly for once? Will you be able to go on like this?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked. It was disgusting that Wu Eng cheated on his marriage, but after all, this was someone else¡¯s family matter, and that was all the advice she could give.


    The Wei Dynasty was not like thetter days. It was not at all friendly to women who were divorced.


    If Ms. Zhu really got divorced, she would probably suffer even more.


    ¡°Forget it. I feel much better after saying it out loud. And life can still go on.¡± Ms. Zhu shook her head and rejected Zhao Chuchu¡¯s proposal.


    Zhao Chuchu was helpless, but she couldn¡¯t force Ms. Zhu to make any decision.


    She waited for Ms. Zhu to tidy up her appearance and return to her usual self before letting Elder Mrs. Qiu and her brother in.


    Wu Eng had a nervous expression, and the first thing he did was to warn Ms. Zhu not to talk nonsense.


    Elder Mrs. Qiu hurriedly asked, ¡°How is it, Mrs. Xie? Is there any way out?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Elder Mrs. Qiu. Unfortunately, I can¡¯t help.¡±


    Elder Mrs. Qiu was immediately discouraged.


    ¡°Even you can¡¯t do anything?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it seems like no one in this world has a cure.¡±


    ...


    When Zhao Chuchu said this, she looked at Wu Eng.


    ¡°Nature can¡¯t be changed.¡±


    Wu Eng immediately red at Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu faintly curled her lips. ¡°Do you want to cure it, Mr. Wu?¡±


    ¡°There is no cure. I don¡¯t want to be treated. I don¡¯t want to take medicine,¡± Wu Eng said loudly.


    Elder Mrs. Qiu looked at Wu Eng and then at Ms. Zhu.


    There was nothing else she could do at that point.


    ¡°Can I talk to Mr. Wu for a while?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked Elder Mrs. Qiu for her opinion.


    Elder Mrs. Qiu suddenly realized something, and a hint of shock shed across the bottom of her eyes.


    In the end, she left without saying a single word.


    ¡°What do you want to do?¡± Wu Eng¡¯s expression turned cold. ¡°Did my wife tell you something that she shouldn¡¯t have?¡±


    ...


    Zhao Chuchu looked indifferent. ¡°I am a doctor. I don¡¯t need her to tell me the truth. I knew you and your wife had not slept together when you first came in.


    ¡°It is impossible for a man to control his sexual desire all the time. Since such a woman is by your side and still a virgin, what else do you think it could be?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked.


    She continued, ¡°But I also want to give you some advice. While some things might make you happy, too much of it is not necessarily better. You should know that there is always a limit. As for your affair with your wife, seriously, it¡¯s better not to dy her.¡±


    Wu Eng was furious and pointed at Ms. Zhu. ¡°Are you talking nonsense again?¡±


    ¡°Are you afraid of others knowing about what you¡¯ve done? These things have nothing to do with your wife. You have to believe that an experienced doctor can tell what disease you have at a nce. Although the disease of childbirth can¡¯t be cured, I can probably cure your hidden disease.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Wu Eng¡¯s expression suddenly changed.

 Chapter 198 - 198 I Can Divorce as Long as You Heal Me

    198 I Can Divorce as Long as You Heal Me


    ¡°You know what I mean. Seriously, although you¡¯re not a good man, your wife is quite lucky that she didn¡¯t get sick because of you.¡± Zhao Chuchu nced at Ms. Zhu. ¡°So you can still be considered not bad.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense!¡± Wu Eng was furious. ¡°Did she give you silver? Why do you talk nonsense like that?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you feel sick looking at yourself? You can think about how your illness came about. I can prescribe you medicine if you want to cure it. Otherwise, just wait for it to fester.¡±


    Wu Eng was instantly like a balloon that had been punctured and was no longer arrogant.


    Ms. Zhu gradually turned pale. Although she had not seen it before, she could understand what Zhao Chuchu said.


    Wu Eng was suffering from a terrible sexual disease.


    ¡°Mr. Wu, you are going too far with this. She doesn¡¯t owe you anything, so why do you have to waste her life like this?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°I have no other meaning but to remind you that there will be karma. If you treat your wife like this, in the end, you will not end up well yourself.¡±


    ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s up to you, Mr. Wu. I¡¯m just taking pity on an innocent woman.¡±


    Wu Eng stared at Zhao Chuchu with a fixed gaze.


    And Ms. Zhu also looked at Zhao Chuchu in disbelief.


    Wu Eng came back to his senses. ¡°Do you want me to divorce her?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you realize that you have already tortured an energetic woman into an old woman? Mr. Wu, there is no hatred between you. So why do you have to keep holding on to her like this?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu initially didn¡¯t want to be nosy, but she could not help but want to help Ms. Zhu when she saw Wu Eng treating her in this manner.


    Ms. Zhu was a very traditional woman¡ªgentle and virtuous.


    And Zhao Chuchu was more inclined toward women at all times.


    As long as the other party didn¡¯t have a feud with her, she wouldn¡¯t make things difficult for them and could try to help them.


    ¡°Is this your condition?¡± Wu Eng gritted his teeth.


    Zhao Chuchuughed. ¡°Mr. Wu, I¡¯m trying to reason with you. If I were bribed by your wife, I would have spread the matter out from the beginning. Furthermore, you haven¡¯t even slept with your wife, so how would she know if you were sick or not?¡±


    Wu Eng calmed down after hearing this. He thought about it and felt that it made some sense.


    ¡°Can you really cure my illness?¡±


    ¡°I never promise anything that I am not sure of.¡±


    Wu Eng was also tormented and wished he could be cured.


    But he dared not openly find someone to diagnose this illness. Instead, he secretly inquired about various prescriptions, but instead of being cured, he suffered more.


    He was silent for a moment. ¡°Okay, I promise to divorce my wife as long as you cure me!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu looked at Ms. Zhu. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Ms. Zhu didn¡¯t expect that things would take such a turn.


    She didn¡¯te back to her senses for a moment.


    If Wu Eng were willing to let her go, she would certainly want to escape from that ce.


    However, her parents¡­


    ¡°My parents¡­¡± Ms. Zhu hesitated. She didn¡¯t want her parents to worry.


    Zhao Chuchu turned back to Wu Eng and asked, ¡°Have you thought about how you will exin the divorce to the public?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t have children and don¡¯t want to hold her back any longer.¡± Wu Eng looked at Ms. Zhu. He did not have any emotions in his heart. Anyway, he could marry another one by then. And he also felt bad looking at her.


    ¡°So, are you relieved?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked Ms. Zhu.


    Ms. Zhu shed tears and nodded.


    The exit of the cage, which she had wanted to escape from all her life, was right in front of her.


    ¡°However, Mr. Wu, you should tell your family about your own affairs. I believe no one loves you more than your parents, who can ept all your faults. Don¡¯t let your wife be the one to be med!¡±


    ¡°Why do you have to be aggressive, Mrs. Xie?¡±


    ¡°Think of it as me sympathizing with a woman. You have nothing to lose by confessing this to your family, but it¡¯s different for her.¡±


    ¡°What benefit has she given you? Why do you have to help her at all times?¡±


    ¡°Do you have a good rtionship with your sister? Well, let¡¯s imagine your sister married a man like you. What would you think then? Do not do unto others what you don¡¯t want done unto you.¡±


    Wu Eng gritted his teeth but did not know what to say.


    But he did not admit that he was wrong.


    He agreed to Zhao Chuchu¡¯s terms just for himself.


    Ms. Zhu was not the only one who wanted to marry him.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°How about I call your sister in now?¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°Lest there be variablester, it is better to make a quick decision. Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Wu. I¡¯m a doctor with ethics and will not spread a patient¡¯s privacy to others.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll trust you for once!¡±


    Wu Eng also wanted to cure his illness, so he was willing to give in.


    Even his ¡°subordinate¡± did not know he had the disease, so it was unlikely that Zhao Chuchu could have found out about it from elsewhere.


    ...


    How could she know at a nce if she didn¡¯t have some ability?


    Furthermore, Ms. Zhu locked herself in the house every day and did not go out of the gate, and the Qiu n approached Zhao Chuchu on their own initiative, so it was impossible for Zhao Chuchu to do it on purpose.


    Zhao Chuchu turned around and opened the door, asking the person on guard outside the house to invite Elder Mrs. Qiu in.


    Elder Mrs. Qiu thought that something had happened to Wu Eng and hurried over.


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, is my brother diagnosed with some other disease?¡± Elder Mrs. Qiu asked nervously.


    Zhao Chuchu looked at Wu Eng.


    Wu Eng was silent for a moment before he spoke forcefully. ¡°I want a divorce.¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Elder Mrs. Qiu¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°It¡¯s my problem not being able to have children. I don¡¯t want to waste her time.¡± After starting, it was not difficult to say the rest of the words. Wu Eng continued, ¡°I have not touched her, and I even feel disgusted sleeping with her in the same bed.¡±


    ¡°Eng, shut up!¡± Elder Mrs. Qiu was so angry that her face turned blue. ¡°She is still here! How can you say such horrible things? Do you still deserve to be a human being?¡±


    After a pause, Elder Mrs. Qiu hugged Ms. Zhu. ¡°Sister-inw, I¡¯ve seen how filial you¡¯ve been to our parents all these years. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll never let Eng bully you!¡±


    ...


    ¡°Wait, what did you say?¡± Elder Mrs. Qiu could hardly believe what she heard.


    Elder Mrs. Qiu couldn¡¯t react for a long time.


    She looked at Ms. Zhu dumbly for a long time and then asked, ¡°Sister-inw, is what he said true?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Ms. Zhu nodded with tears in her eyes.


    ¡°Oh my.¡±


    Elder Mrs. Qiu only felt that she was cking out.


    She could never have imagined that Wu Eng could not have children because of this!


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, do you have any medicine to cure him of this disease?¡± Elder Mrs. Qiu was desperate to find a cure.

 Chapter 199 - 199 One Less Poor Woman

    199 One Less Poor Woman


    Zhao Chuchu shook her head. ¡°One¡¯s nature can¡¯t be changed. More people would suffer if they were forced to change it.¡±


    ¡°But how else could our Wu n continue the lineage?¡± Elder Mrs. Qiu asked in a trembling voice. ¡°Is it really going to stop here?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu did not know what to say.


    Elder Mrs. Qiu was indeed good. However, if she adopted a child for Wu Eng to teach, no one would know what that child would be.


    !!


    If that day dide, not only could Wu Eng not teach that child properly, but he might also ruin that child¡¯s future.


    After all, Wu Eng was not a good person.


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, please do something about it. I beg you,¡± Elder Mrs. Qiu pleaded. ¡°Money is not a problem.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of money. As you are naturally fond of men, would you agree to be with a woman? It¡¯s your brother¡¯s nature to like men, and there¡¯s nothing wrong with that. He¡¯s just facing up to the matter now and does not want to waste Ms. Zhu¡¯s time.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Sister, whether it¡¯s her or other women, I can¡¯t have children with them, so you should stop pushing me! Why don¡¯t you just let Dad and Mom have another son?¡±


    ¡°You bastard, don¡¯t you know how old Dad and Mom are?¡±


    ¡°Then you can let Dad marry another woman. Anyway, they can always give birth to a son.¡±


    Elder Mrs. Qiu was so angry that she almost fainted.


    She pped Wu Eng on the face.


    Wu Eng covered his face and looked gloomy, but he did not say anything.


    ¡°Are¡­are you going to anger Dad and Mom to death? Why didn¡¯t you say it earlier?¡± Elder Mrs. Qiu shed tears.


    Zhao Chuchu estimated that Wu Eng would probably be in his early thirties, so it would be impossible for his mother to have another child.


    ¡°What should the Wu n do?¡±


    ¡°They can adopt a child from a side branch. What¡¯s so difficult about that? Stop crying. Others who don¡¯t know will think I¡¯m bullying you,¡± Wu Eng said coldly. ¡°I can¡¯t have children, and this won¡¯t change even if you kill me.¡±


    He had no desire for women.


    Ms. Zhu was a good-looking woman when she was young. However, he was so disgusted that he vomited when he was with Ms. Zhu. So even if it were another woman, he would still be the same.


    Even the medication didn¡¯t work, so what else could he do?


    Anyway, Wu Eng gave up.


    He thought he had done well enough that he did not even let Ms. Zhu take the me for not being able to give birth.


    When she looked at the two siblings, Zhao Chuchu did not know what to do.


    ¡°Mr. Wu, there¡¯s something else you haven¡¯t said,¡± Zhao Chuchu reminded Wu Eng.


    Wu Eng¡¯s expression changed slightly, and after a moment, he reluctantly said, ¡°I¡¯ve got a disease. That kind of disease¡­¡±


    Hearing this, Elder Mrs. Qiu stumbled two steps, holding onto the table next to her before she could barely stabilize herself.


    ¡°Wu Eng, you¡­you are simply heartless!¡± Elder Mrs. Qiuughed in anger. No wonder Ms. Zhu had aged so quickly over the years. She was lucky enough not to die of anger when she married such a man.


    As a woman, Elder Mrs. Qiu really felt sorry for Ms. Zhu.


    ¡°Sister-inw, it¡¯s all our fault for not knowing these things and making you suffer,¡± cried Elder Mrs. Qiu as she hugged Ms. Zhu.


    Ms. Zhu¡¯s tears kept falling.


    She thought that her sister-inw would curse her and me her for this. However, she did not expect her sister-inw to be so reasonable and to feel sorry for her in turn.


    ¡°Sister, I¡­ I¡¯m fine,¡± Ms. Zhu said with a choked sob.


    ¡°We are both women. Is it possible for me not to understand your suffering?¡± Elder Mrs. Qiu said.


    Ms. Zhu did not say anything.


    She was satisfied that someone could understand her.


    She really didn¡¯t want to say anything else.


    ¡°Elder Mrs. Qiu, don¡¯t cry. I can cure Mr. Wu¡¯s illness. But you are also a woman, so you should understand your sister-inw¡¯s suffering,¡± Zhao Chuchu said. ¡°I care more than I should because I hope there will be one fewer poor woman.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, you are a good person, and I don¡¯t mean to me you. It¡¯s all our fault. I didn¡¯t know that Eng is¡­If I had known it earlier, how would I have let him harm others like this?¡±


    If she had known it earlier, she would have persuaded her parents to have two more children when they were still young.


    Then how could she still be as torn as she was now?


    Elder Mrs. Qiu felt bad, but she understood that no one else was to me.


    She wondered if she had met such a man, how would she have lived the rest of her life? However, she didn¡¯t think that Zhao Chuchu was wrong to help Ms. Zhu just because Wu Eng was her brother.


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, I felt so bad just because I couldn¡¯t ept the truth for a while,¡± Elder Mrs. Qiu exined. ¡°I also do not know how angry my parents will be when they find out about this¡­¡±


    ¡°Things will eventually sort themselves out. It¡¯s useless for you to think too much about it now. The most important thing right now is to devise a solution that satisfies all,¡± Zhao Chuchu said. She nced at Wu Eng. ¡°In addition to that, I don¡¯t know if other people in your family have contracted the same disease as Mr. Wu.¡±


    That ¡°subordinate¡± was someone who could go out of his way to livefortably.


    He probably went to find a woman for pleasure after sleeping with Wu Eng because there was no male brothel in Yuanjiang County. Therefore, Wu Eng¡¯s disease was probably infected by others.


    ording to Ms. Zhu¡¯s few words, that man took a crucial position. So, he should be more than just tangled up with Wu Eng. Other members of the Wu n were probably involved as well.


    ¡°Tell me! Who¡­who is that person?¡± Elder Mrs. Qiu questioned Wu Eng with a red face.


    Wu Eng had a sullen face and did not answer.


    Seeing this, Zhao Chuchu knew that she had guessed correctly.


    ¡°You guys discuss your family matters. I¡¯ll go out first.¡± When things came to this point, Zhao Chuchu left time for the three of them.


    After leaving that room, Zhao Chuchu was relieved and felt the air was fresher.


    ...


    Wu Eng really did not deserve to be a man.


    How could he sleep with that man in front of his wife?


    It was so disgusting.


    If it were the end of the world now, she would have taught him a lesson so that he wouldn¡¯t dare do it again.


    After about half an hour, the three came out of the room.


    Wu Eng still looked terrible.


    However, Ms. Zhu cast a grateful nce at Zhao Chuchu, which obviously meant that Elder Mrs. Qiu had already decided to let them divorce.


    However, Elder Mrs. Qiu did not look to be in a good mood.


    After all, men living together with men was not prevalent in the Wei Dynasty or could even be said to be rejected.


    Who would want their brother to be so ¡°unique¡±?


    But things hade to this point, and she couldn¡¯t stand by and watch Ms. Zhu being held up for the rest of her life like that.


    ...


    Ms. Zhu was only in her thirties but looked even older than her.


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, Eng is counting on you. As for the matter of him and my sister-inw, I will go back to the Wu n¡¯s house and talk to my family properly.¡± Elder Mrs. Qiu pulled herself together.


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will cure your brother¡¯s illness.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Elder Mrs. Qiu said. ¡°I¡¯ve been away from home for too long, so I want to go back to my parents¡¯ house to check in on them. So I¡¯ll leave first.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Elder Mrs. Qiu nced at Wu Eng and sighed softly. Then she turned around and left.


    Only then did Wu Eng speak. ¡°Mrs. Xie, I have agreed to your terms. So when will you start treating me?¡±


    ¡°There is no hurry. It will take some time to prepare the medicine.¡± Zhao Chuchu asked, ¡°When do you n to divorce?¡±

 Chapter 200 - 200 Men Should Always Soldier On

    200 Men Should Always Soldier On


    ¡°I can give you the divorce letter right now!¡± Wu Eng gave Ms. Zhu a sidelong nce, not concealing his disgust at all.


    Ms. Zhu was so used to it that she was already numb and didn¡¯t show any emotion.


    Zhao Chuchu had done so much for her, and her great aunt had promised to exin to the Wu n. Therefore, if she were still torn, she would really be sorry to Zhao Chuchu.


    What was more, she had grown extremely sick of Wu Eng.


    !!


    She decided she wouldn¡¯t have any men for the rest of her life.


    Zhao Chuchu saw this and said, ¡°Thene and get the medicine once you have settled the divorce, well, in three days.¡±


    ¡°Good!¡± Wu Eng answered and then asked the Qiu n¡¯s servant to send a pen, ink, paper, and ink stone to write a divorce letter.


    A divorce could be good for both parties.


    Although it was a straightforward process, it had a significant meaning to a woman in this era.


    But for Ms. Zhu, it was the best ending.


    ¡°Are you satisfied?¡± Wu Eng said viciously to Ms. Zhu.


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°Mr. Zhu, will you watch your attitude? No one is forcing you to do anything, and people don¡¯t owe you anything. What makes you think you can talk to her like that? If she is my sister, I will make sure you can¡¯t make it home alive.¡±


    Afterward, Zhao Chuchu went to the coffee table, took a mug, reached out, and pressed it. Then the whole cup was embedded in the coffee table as if the coffee table was made of y.


    Wu Eng broke out in a cold sweat and had difficulty breathing.


    ¡°Mr. Zhu, I think you know better than me regarding the rtionship. It¡¯s just that sometimes we need some disciplines as humans,¡± Zhao Chuchu said indifferently.


    Wu Eng did not dare to say anything.


    His head was not as hard as a coffee table. He didn¡¯t want Zhao Chuchu to p his head like that.


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, thanks a lot.¡± Ms. Zhu stood up and gave a salute to Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡± Zhao Chuchu gave her a hand. ¡°It¡¯s good that you can discuss this matter and solve it properly. Ms. Zhu, why don¡¯t you stay in the city first? In three days, I will deliver the medicine here.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll just wait.¡± Wu Eng¡¯s face was expressionless.


    Only then did Zhao Chuchu leave the Qiu n.


    Wu Eng was angry with Ms. Zhu, but when his eyes fell on the coffee table, he swallowed the words that came to his lips.


    He did not want to offend Zhao Chuchu.


    If he really wanted to settle the score, he should wait until his illness was cured.


    ¡°Take care of yourself.¡± Ms. Zhu also gave a salute to Wu Eng, turned around, and walked out.


    Wu Eng looked at Ms. Zhu¡¯s back and was furious.


    However, there was nothing he could do.


    After Zhao Chuchu returned to the Gan n, she told Xie Heng about Wu Eng.


    Xie Heng was silent for a moment before he said with aplicated expression, ¡°Wu Eng has a child.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu immediately looked confused.


    Xie Heng exined. ¡°Wu Eng¡¯s love for men has be a big issue because of his child. The child¡¯s birth mother is the Wu n¡¯s maid. If we do the math, the maid should already have a child by now.¡±


    ¡°Wu Eng has been so repulsive to Ms. Zhu¡­¡±


    ¡°The child¡¯s birth mother took advantage of Wu Eng when he was drunk and used every means to get her hands on him. Soter, when she knew that Wu Eng was gay, she broke down. Ms. Zhu jumped into the well and killed herself in the end.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu did not see thising.


    ¡°The child¡¯s birth mother is really¡­¡± Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t even know what to say about her.


    However, Wu Eng needed a child, and she also got what she wanted, so it was even between them.


    Ms. Zhu couldn¡¯t deal with it, and it ended in tragedy.


    That was why gay men who sought female partners should be condemned.


    ¡°Now that Wu Eng has given Ms. Zhu the divorce letter, I think the maid will be excited to let the Wu n know that she is pregnant, and Wu Eng will be happy to make her his wife.¡± Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°This is not something I should intervene in.¡±


    ¡°Judging from that maid¡¯s nature, things will go wrong sooner orter.¡±


    ¡°Well, the Wu n spoiled Wu Eng. He is not a good man. Whatever he ends up with, he deserves it. Since you promised to cure him for Ms. Zhu, just get the medicine ready for him sooner.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not angry?¡±


    ¡°You are a doctor. How can I be angry with you for treating people? Chuchu, I am not the kind of person who is unreasonable. I understand that there is no difference between men and women in the eyes of a doctor. Of course, if there is something that you are notfortable looking at, I can cover you. Although I do not know any medical skills, I can inform you of the symptoms.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu shook her head. ¡°You don¡¯t want to see the symptoms of Wu Eng¡¯s disease. I can identify it through pulse diagnosis. I don¡¯t need to check it in person.¡±


    ¡°Then what if it hurts where it¡¯s private?¡±


    ¡°Da Lang, are you jealous? Let me tell you. I have seen many more bodies of men and women than you can imagine. No matter what it is, in my eyes, it¡¯s just a body organ. You don¡¯t have to worry about anything.¡±


    Xie Heng¡¯s face was beetroot red. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that. I mean, I can try to help you when the timees. Chuchu, after all, this is not the same here. Even if you mean well, people can still hate you. I don¡¯t want you to suffer any grievances because of this.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu smiled. ¡°I know your good intentions. However, no man would like to make an injury like this public. Aren¡¯t you afraid of being suspected of being impotent?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t understand more the so-called dignity of men.


    If a man were hurt in his private parts, he would die before he told anybody about his injury.


    Men should always soldier on.


    That was theirmon maxim.


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault.¡± Xie Heng apologized. ¡°Chuchu, don¡¯t take what I said seriously.¡±


    ¡°I know you are afraid that I will be taken advantage of, but Da Lang, no one can take advantage of me unless I want to.¡± Zhao Chuchu abruptly approached Xie Heng, winked yfully, and pinched Xie Heng¡¯s handsome face.


    ...


    Xie Heng¡¯s breath seemed caught as he stared at Zhao Chuchu in a daze.


    He had seen many women, but none as vibrant as Zhao Chuchu. She was like a butterfly fluttering among flowers, alwaysnding on people¡¯s hearts without a second thought.


    ¡°Well, Da Lang, I have my own judgment. I can take care of myself.¡± Zhao Chuchu stood up straight.


    ¡°Well, I believe you.¡± Xie Heng smiled gently.


    Zhao Chuchu took Xie Heng¡¯s hand and walked outside. ¡°Then how about youe with me to buy some medicine?¡±


    Xie Heng looked down and held Zhao Chuchu¡¯s hand in turn.


    He measured it with his own palm and found that their hands were very different. Her hand was small and soft, so he couldn¡¯t let go of it once he held it.


    In the front yard, Xie Jun saw the twoing out together and got up. He wanted to say he would like to go out with them, but when he saw their fingers intertwined, he immediately sat down. ¡°Brother, Chuchu, I heard there are many stalls selling snacks in town. Don¡¯t forget to bring some back for me.¡±


    This was the best he could do to help his brother.


    He hoped his brother could hold Chuchu¡¯s hand for a longer time!


    ...

 Chapter 201 - 201 Improper Time Travel

    201 Improper Time Travel


    Xie Heng was still thinking about whether he should go with Zhao Chuchu to check out some fabrics after buying medicer, but he didn¡¯t expect his brother to allow him to have some private time with Zhao Chuchu.


    He smiled slightly. ¡°Good, we¡¯ll see if there are any snacks you like. Why don¡¯t you practice your handwriting? I will check it when I¡¯m back.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, brother. I promise I will practice harder.¡± Xie Jun nodded thoughtfully.


    ¡°We¡¯ll bring you candy if you behave yourself,¡± Zhao Chuchu also said.


    !!


    Xie Jun beamed with pleasure. ¡°Sure, I will.¡±


    The candy called sugar-coated haws, given by Zhao Chuchu, was the most delicious because it smelled good and tasted sweet.


    Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng went out holding hands.


    Xie Junughed like a drain.


    He thought he would be an uncle soon.


    Old Mrs. Gan came out and saw Xie Jun giggling alone, so she asked, ¡°Junjun, what are you happy about? Tell me.¡±


    ¡°Hello, grandma,¡± Xie Jun smiled and got up to salute Old Mrs. Gan, then scratched his head and said with a bit of embarrassment. ¡°Chuchu went out with my brother and said she would bring me snacks.¡±


    ¡°What do you want to eat? Tell me. I¡¯ll have someone buy it for you.¡±


    ¡°No, Grandma, my brother will buy it for me.¡±


    ¡°The snacks grandma buys are different from those my brother buys.¡±


    ¡°Hey, but grandma doesn¡¯t know that,¡± he thought.


    When Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng left the Gan n¡¯s gate, Zhao Chuchu said to Xie Heng, ¡°I realize now that Junjun has been trying to make space for us. He seems too mature for his age.¡±


    ¡°We grow up together. He knows me well.¡± Xie Heng said, ¡°Junjun may be innocent, but he is astute.¡±


    ¡°Da Lang, you shouldn¡¯t let Junjun be so innocent. His life is destined to be a tough one!¡±


    Xie Heng froze in silence. ¡°I searched all over the world but couldn¡¯t find anyone who could cure Junjun, so I thought I would take care of him for the rest of my life. I want for him to live a happy life without being tormented by feelings of insecurity.¡±


    ¡°But not anymore.¡± Zhao Chuchu understood.


    Xie Heng felt sorry for Xie Jun and wanted to take care of everything for him so that Xie Jun could simply be happy.


    It was good to have such a brother.


    Zhao Chuchu was still happy for Xie Jun to be saved by the Xie n.


    ¡°Yes, it won¡¯t be now, so in these two years, I will teach Xie Jun well.¡± Xie Heng wasn¡¯t worried about the Imperial Examination.


    In his previous life, he became the Number One Schr, then the grand secretary for so many years, and he had power over the whole world. A mere Imperial Examination could never daunt him.


    No one knew better than him the nature and preferences of the ministers in the court.


    Since Xie Jun would not follow the path of his previous life, he would naturally change his teaching style.


    A qualified monarch should be a man weathered to the world.


    The two of them chatted quietly and soon arrived at the drugstore.


    Zhao Chuchu named the herbs she needed, only to be told that two more herbs were not in stock right now.


    ¡°So when will they be avable?¡±


    ¡°Doctor Zhao, we can¡¯t guarantee this.¡±


    The manager was in a difficult position.


    ¡°Although it is not amon medicine, it is not rare, so how can it be out of stock?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was puzzled.


    ¡°Doctor Zhao, I¡¯m afraid these two medicines are unavable in the entire Yuanjiang County. Just yesterday, someone came and bought them all.¡±


    ¡°What is the purpose of buying these two medicines?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not an elixir. Why the hell would he do that?¡± she thought.


    ¡°Manager, do you remember what that man looked like?¡±


    ¡°It was a short middle-aged man with a crappy face¡­¡± the manager described the man¡¯s appearance.


    Xie Heng frowned slightly at this.


    Zhao Chuchu noticed Xie Heng¡¯s reaction and found it unusual.


    ¡°Is it possible that he is an acquaintance of Xie Heng¡¯s?¡± she thought.


    ¡°Can you tell from his ent where he is from?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked tentatively.


    The manager said, ¡°The capital.¡±


    ¡°Is there something wrong with the capital? The herbs are not very useful. Howe they are sold out?¡±


    ¡°I have not heard of it, but it is possible that the message has not yet reached us.¡±


    ¡°Okay, thanks for the information, manager.¡±


    ¡°Do you want the other drugs, Doctor Zhao?¡±


    ¡°Yes, wrap them up for me.¡±


    Walking out of the pharmacy, Zhao Chuchu asked in a low voice, ¡°Do you know where the man is from?¡±


    ¡°Well, if the manager is not lying, this person should be from the Sikou n.¡±


    ¡°Then do you remember what happened? Why do they need so much medicine?¡±


    ¡°Yes, over in Mingan Province, there is a town where all the people had a big belly disease, and the doctor was at his wits¡¯ end. Finally, it was these two medicines that relieved the patient¡¯s symptoms. But I remember that the belly disease had not yet spread to the capital at this time, and only in July and August did there be an outbreak.¡±


    ...


    ¡°Big belly disease?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the highly contagious schistosomiasis?¡± she thought.


    With an infected patient, the liver and spleen would erge and contain water, making the stomach look big. That was why it was called big belly disease.


    This disease was caused by schistosomes parasitizing the human body and usually urred in the summer and fall.


    Some people stocked up on drugs in advance¡­


    ¡°Wait, it can¡¯t be your case all over again, right?¡± Zhao Chuchu suddenly had a bad feeling, thinking Sikou Qin might be reborn.


    If so, Sikou Qin would likely try to get back with Xie Heng again.


    When she thought about this, Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    In her previous life before doomsday, she had read many novels featuring rebirth when she was bored.


    Some women hated and constantly ignored their husbands in their previous lives and turned to having fun with their lovers. In the end, they found they were tools and vowed they¡¯d do whatever it took to avenge themselves before their death. However, when they were reborn, they discovered their husbands, whom they had looked down upon, were big shots and tried to be nice to their husbands in the hope of getting benefits.


    Zhao Chuchu was very speechless whenever she saw this kind of plot.


    ...


    Although the novel was stupid, if the story was really a world of its own and the characters were real, maybe the male lead would like to kill the female lead after he realized hereback was to make better use of his power and money.


    Anyway, if it were Zhao Chuchu, she would definitely do so!


    ¡°Why do I have to give my heart to you in this life just because you mistreated me in the previous life? Who do you think you are?¡± she thought.


    ¡°What if she wants to get back together with you?¡± Zhao Chuchu nced at Xie Heng.


    Xie Heng immediately said, ¡°Impossible.¡±


    In his previous life, before he knew the true nature of Sikou Qin, he had never had any feelings for her, and now it was even more impossible.


    ¡°Chuchu, no one can rece you.¡± Xie Heng looked at Zhao Chuchu and said with a straight face, ¡°If it¡¯s really like what you think, I will solve it properly.¡±


    In short, Sikou Qin would not be given a chance.


    ¡°What¡¯s more, she¡¯s already married now.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu thought about it and remembered Xie Heng had indeed said this before.


    But on second thought, she found Sikou Qin had not returned for long.


    She med it on improper time travel.


    Now that Zhao Zhizhi was out of the picture, it didn¡¯t ur to her that Sikou Qin would fill her ce.


    Zhao Chuchu slyly nced at Xie Heng.


    Xie Heng¡¯s heart skipped a beat, sensing the signal of danger.


    ¡°Chuchu, don¡¯t make a deal out of it. It¡¯s not what you think.¡±


    Xie Heng tried tofort her.


    However, he would be disproved the next moment.

 Chapter 202 - 202 Xie Heng Is Mine

    202 Xie Heng Is Mine


    An inconspicuous carriage suddenly stopped next to them.


    Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng stopped their conversation and looked over in unison.


    A young girl dressed like a maid got down from the carriage, walked up to Xie Heng, and bowed slightly. ¡°May I ask if you¡¯re Xie Heng?¡±


    Xie Heng¡¯s gaze instantly turned cold. ¡°You are?¡±


    ¡°My master has met you once and heard that you had already started preparing for the next Provincial Examination. Her Excellency ordered me to present traveling expenses to you, hoping to meet you again in the capitalter,¡± the maid said, holding up a small bulging bag with both hands.


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    She guessed it right.


    She knew it was Sikou Qin¡¯s n.


    ¡°Travelling expenses?¡±


    ¡°Is Xie Heng short of money?¡± she thought.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any reason to take it, Miss. Please tell your master I can¡¯t ept it,¡± Xie Heng politely refused.


    ¡°Please ept it. Her Excellency is already looking for a trustworthy doctor for your brother. I hope you can relieve yourself of the worries about your brother¡¯s condition.¡± The maid took a step forward, trying to stuff the purse to Xie Heng.


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s eyebrows were slightly raised. ¡°Before Sikou Qin did this, has she not inquired about Xie Heng?¡±


    ¡°Or did she think a small vige girl like me was not worthy of her attention?¡±


    ¡°Why did she make it so obvious? Wasn¡¯t she afraid of her secret being made public?¡± she thought.


    Xie Heng¡¯s expression was slightly cold. ¡°I am not acquainted with the nobledy you are talking about, so I cannot ept it. Besides, my wife is also a doctor, so it won¡¯t be necessary for you to look for a doctor for me.¡±


    Then Xie Heng pulled Zhao Chuchu over.


    Seeing this, the maid nced at Zhao Chuchu contemptuously. ¡°Mr. Xie, it is better for you to ept her Excellency¡¯s kindness. In the future, if you join the government, you will have a nobleman to help you make your way.¡±


    ¡°The nobleman you are talking about will force her goodwill on me?¡± Xie Heng snickered. ¡°If I don¡¯t want it, then it¡¯ll make a rude man of me. If I take it, will I be threatened with this in the future? Miss, I have no grudge against you. Why are you doing this to me?¡±


    The maid looked puzzled. ¡°Saying you¡¯re refusing her Excellency¡¯s kindness, Mr. Xie?¡±


    ¡°I do not need it, thank you.¡± Xie Heng said, ¡°My wife is here. Do you want to make things difficult for me? Miss, I don¡¯t know you. Why are you so ill-mannered?¡±


    Hearing this, the maidughed coldly. ¡°It¡¯s better for you to ept it, for if you regret it in the future, you don¡¯t have a second chance to do it all over again.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was shocked and speechless.


    ¡°Is this how they treat the guests in this world?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t they afraid of messing up the n?¡± she thought.


    Zhao Chuchuughed. ¡°You¡¯re treating me like I don¡¯t exist? I have never seen a woman force herself upon a man. It¡¯s usually the other way around. What a surprise. Why don¡¯t you tell us the name of your master so that we¡¯ll have the honor of bearing it in mind?¡±


    ¡°How dare you! What makes you think a country woman like you can talk to me like that?¡± The maid said arrogantly, ¡°You must have cheated your way into marrying Mr. Xie. Otherwise, howe Mr. Xie wants to marry a woman like you?¡±


    ¡°And who are you to nder my wife like that?¡± Xie Heng¡¯s gaze fell on the maid like a stone with an intimidating aura. ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell us your master¡¯s name, and we¡¯ll ask around?¡±


    Xie Heng¡¯s voice was still calm, making the maid breathless.


    ¡°Or do you want everyone in the world to know that if people don¡¯t ept your inexplicable kindness, you will take revenge on them?¡±


    ¡°That, that¡¯s not what I meant!¡±


    ¡°No?¡±


    Xie Heng gave a coldugh.


    Seeing this, the people around pointed at the maid and scolded her.


    ¡°Well, what nobleman? I¡¯m afraid she¡¯s just a prostitute trying to snatch Mr. Xie from Mrs. Xie!¡±


    ¡°Oh, how can she be so shameless? I don¡¯t know what kind of family she grows up in. If she were my daughter, I would immediately chase her out of my door.¡±


    ¡°How can a maid be so arrogant? I wonder who her master is? How does she have the heart to try to snatch another person¡¯s husband in public?¡±


    The women who scolded the maid were all women who had been straining their ears since the maid took out the bag.


    It turned out that she was trying to steal another¡¯s husband.


    Now that they got the opportunity to defend justice, they sure would do so.


    The maid had never seen such a scene.


    Now that she had be the used and dared not to give her master¡¯s name, she finally pointed at Xie Heng and said angrily, ¡°Xie Heng, you will regret it one day!¡±


    After saying that, she fled, got into the carriage, and left in a hurry.


    The women allforted Zhao Chuchu. ¡°Xie Heng doesn¡¯t look like an unfeeling and ungrateful man. He won¡¯t be fooled by a woman with an evil heart.¡±


    ¡°Well, I know my husband, and I believe he will not do me wrong.¡± Zhao Chuchu thanked them.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. We are all women. We should help each other. We can let a third woman get the better of you.¡±


    ¡°Tell me about it. Check out that woman¡¯s attitude. She¡¯s just a servant, but she acted like an important figure.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, don¡¯t worry about those phony bitches. Just live your own life.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu smiled and gave a bow to them. ¡°Thank you, everyone. I will.¡±


    Xie Heng also cupped his hand at them. ¡°I will remember your words and will not fail my wife.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu secretly looked toward the teahouse not far away. Behind a slightly open window, the woman wearing a bucket hat was staring over with a vicious look as if she wanted to eat Zhao Chuchu alive.


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s smile flickered away.


    After thanking the passersby for their kindness, Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng slowly walked toward the Gan n.


    Knowing that someone was watching them, Zhao Chuchu deliberately wandered through all the stalls and stores on the street.


    ...


    When she wanted something, Xie Heng would buy it for her.


    The woman in the teahouse wearing a bucket hat almost gnashed her teeth.


    She didn¡¯te all the way to Yuanjiang County just to see Xie Heng flirting with another woman!


    But she decided to wait. Now that her first n had failed, she could only resort to n b.


    ¡°Anyway, Xie Heng is mine.¡±


    ¡°I have to make up to Xie Heng,¡± she thought.


    Walking out of thest store, Zhao Chuchu pointed to the teahouse in front of her and said, ¡°Da Lang, should we go in and have some tea before we return? By the way, we should try the pastries in this teahouse. There might be a surprise.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Xie Heng agreed.


    The two of them walked into the teahouse side by side.


    ¡°Is there any more private room?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked the waiter, who greeted him.


    While leading the way, the waiter said, ¡°Yes, there is. Pleasee this way.¡±


    ...


    They went up to the second floor, and the room arranged for them was right next door to the woman in the hat.


    When they passed the private room, Zhao Chuchu nced thoughtfully at the closed door.

 Chapter 203 - 203 She’s Trouble

    203 She¡¯s Trouble


    ¡°Sir, what kind of pastries do you have here?¡± After sitting down, Xie Heng looked at the waiter. ¡°Name them all, so my wife can decide which one she likes.¡±


    The waiter named half a dozen pastries without a break.


    Xie Heng softly asked, ¡°Do you want to try all of them?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m okay with that.¡± Zhao Chuchu nodded her head.


    Xie Heng said to the waiter, ¡°Everything you named, sir.¡±


    The waiter quickly left.


    There were now the two of them left in the room.


    ¡°Da Lang, Junjun said I¡¯ve gained weight recently. Why did you bring me here? What if I get even fatter?¡± Zhao Chuchu¡¯s tone was pitiful. ¡°Junjun has been finding trouble with me recently.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. If he¡¯s rude to you, let me know. I¡¯ll give him a lecture. You are his sister-inw, which makes you his second mother, so it is only natural for you to teach him a lesson.¡± Xie Heng said with a smile, ¡°What¡¯s more, he needs you to treat his disease.¡±


    ¡°Da Lang, is Junjun your real brother? Please forgive me for saying this, but I feel like you don¡¯t even look alike.¡±


    ¡°I only have one brother.¡±


    ¡°Da Lang, don¡¯t be angry. I¡¯m not trying to ruin your rtionship. Just pretend I didn¡¯t say this and don¡¯t tell Junjun, or the little one will be angry with me.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to know. Later I¡¯ll see which pastry tastes better. Let¡¯s bring some back to Junjun.¡±


    ¡°You just said Junjun is a pain in the ass. Maybe it¡¯s all because you spoiled him.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s the only child in the family. I can¡¯t be mean to him, can I?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu deliberately mentioned the topic rted to Xie Jun. Xie Heng understood and cooperated with Zhao Chuchu so the woman next door could hear.


    The woman next door, wearing a bucket hat, did precisely this. She leaned over the wall to listen to their conversation.


    When she heard Zhao Chuchu ask Xie Heng and Xie Jun if they were real brothers, her heart beat faster than when she found out she was starting over in life!


    ¡°Was this vige girl reborn too?¡±


    She thought maybe Zhao Chuchu also knew that Xie Heng would be a powerful grand secretary in the future and put Xie Jun, a sickly man, on the throne and be the true uncrowned king of the Wei Dynasty!


    She couldn¡¯t stop shivering when she thought of her previous life when the Great Princeter betrayed her and her whole family was killed.


    After she died in her previous life, she realized that her husband, Xie Heng, was the ultimate winner.


    It was Xie Heng who collected the bodies of their family and avenged their death by bringing down the Great Prince.


    She watched Xie Heng support Xie Jun to ascend to the throne, but Xie Jun died before he was twenty years old, and her consciousness dissipated because of Xie Heng¡¯s death.


    She woke up again and went back to the time when her family was not yet killed.


    However, in this life, Xie Heng did not participate inst year¡¯s Provincial Examination, and instead of marrying Xie Heng, she was again set up by the Great Prince and became his royal concubine.


    Sikou Qin hated the Great Prince most in this life.


    In her previous life, she gave up everything for the Great Prince and even got pregnant with his child. She used Xie Heng and humiliated him in every possible way. In the end, the Great Prince killed her family, but Xie Heng was the one that cleaned up after her mess.


    When she found herself starting over in life, even if things were different from her previous life, she secretly vowed to take revenge on the Great Prince, make up for Xie Heng, and live a good life with him.


    She couldn¡¯t wait to return with Xie Heng whenever she thought of him.


    But to her surprise, she rushed to Yuanjiang County, only to find out that Xie Heng missedst year¡¯s Provincial Examination due to an eye problem, and he married a vulgar vige girl!


    Now, this woman was even flirting with Xie Heng!


    ¡°It is obvious that Xie Heng belongs to me. What makes you think you can steal him from me?¡± she thought.


    Sikou Qin gnashed her teeth.


    She always thought that once she came back to Xie Heng, they would be able to pick up where they left off.


    She secretly came to Yuanjiang County to look for Xie Heng.


    Before that, she caused some trouble for the Great Prince and went to the vige on the pretext of recuperation, iming that it would take at least six months to recover, and she nned to use this period to get back together with Xie Heng.


    She believed Xie Heng would definitely not care about her history with the Great Prince.


    Then she¡¯d make use of her connection with the prime minister to help Xie Heng get promoted as fast as possible.


    Xie Jun was a short-lived man, and Xie Heng would be the one to take the throne, and she would be the queen of the world, sharing the kingdom with Xie Heng!


    But the conversationing from next door made Sikou Qin want to rush over and interrupt them.


    ¡°This woman who appeared out of nowhere has be a roadblock for me!


    ¡°But it doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m from a noble family, while you¡¯re merely a country woman. You won¡¯t be a problem for me.


    ¡°Even if you¡¯re reborn, we have a different starting point. There¡¯s no way you can beat me!¡± she thought.


    Sikou Qin took a deep breath and told herself to be calm.


    She decided she would do whatever it took to leave a good impression on Xie Heng.


    ¡°Go get rid of Chuntao.¡± Sikou Qin whispered and ordered the people around her, ¡°Keep it low-key. Don¡¯t let anyone find out.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Sikou Qin¡¯s face was gloomy when the people retreated.


    ¡°That fool has ruined my n and deserves to die,¡± she thought.


    Sikou Qin was worried that if she continued to listen to their conversation, she might not be able to suppress her anger anymore. Then she got up and decided to leave.


    She knew she had many ways to get close to Xie Heng, but she would not choose one he¡¯d suspect.


    She didn¡¯t know what despicable means Zhao Chuchu had used, so Xie Heng seemed so happy with her.


    ...


    Hearing the door across the room open and close and footsteps going downstairs, Zhao Chuchu half smiled.


    ¡°Da Lang, why do I feel you¡¯re about to get lucky soon?¡±


    ¡°I see nothing but trouble.¡±


    Xie Heng still looked calm.


    Although Sikou Qin had lowered her voice just now, Xie Heng still heard it and was sure of Sikou Qin¡¯s identity.


    ¡°I see she¡¯s quite a looker.¡±


    ¡°Dangerously beautiful, if that¡¯s what you mean.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    He refuted all her speeches.


    Xie Heng already wanted to kill Sikou Qin.


    Of course, he would not let Zhao Chuchu know.


    ...


    After tea, they went back to the Gan n.


    Xie Jun was shaking his head and reading after Gan Yingzhi. When he saw his brother and sister-inw return, he did not run over immediately but waited until that article was finished reading and asked Gan Yingzhi before running over.


    ¡°Chuchu, what did you get for me?¡± Xie Jun¡¯s eyes lit up.


    He was a foodie, just like Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°A lot. Uncle Gan,e over and have a taste.¡± Zhao Chuchu greeted Gan Yingzhi.


    Gan Yingzhi smiled and walked over. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Gan Lin and Gan Quan also arrived home, so they sat down together in the front yard and tasted the pastries they had bought.


    Zhao Chuchu returned to her room and took out her tools to prepare medicine for Wu Eng.


    The two medicines were not avable in the pharmacy, but she had them in her space, which was more than enough for her.


    After making the medicine, Zhao Chuchu remembered what the manager said today.


    Mingan Province was adjacent to Guangqing Province. If there were an outbreak of schistosomiasis, those two medicines would be useless. ¡°What is Sikou Qin trying to do?¡±

 Chapter 204 - 204 Showing Off

    204 Showing Off


    Sikou Qin was such a perfect dumbass.


    Chuchu did not believe that a person of mediocrity could be reborn as someone extremely talented.


    Honestly, even if she were blessed with the golden finger, she would sooner orter repeat past failures.


    After all, a leopard couldn¡¯t change its spots.


    Xie Heng pushed the door open and saw Chuchu sitting lost in thought. He went over and sat down, waving his hand in front of her. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±


    ¡°Da Lang, those two medicines have no effect on the big belly disease. Although I don¡¯t know why they are cures in your information, as a doctor, I should go and see what is going on myself,¡± she said thoughtfully. ¡°It¡¯s a life-and-death matter. The patients are innocent.¡±


    ¡°You want to save them?¡±


    ¡°Yes, if it¡¯s the big belly disease you¡¯re talking about, I can cure it. If not, I can also find out the cause of the disease.¡±


    ¡°If you want to go, then we will go together.¡±


    ¡°With Junjun together.¡±


    Even if Xie Jun could not be a sagacious emperor in the future, at least he would understand the plight of the people so that the people would more or less live a better life.


    Chuchu never considered herself a good person, but she was not stone-hearted either.


    ¡°Sure, as you wish.¡± Xie Heng agreed without even thinking. ¡°Wherever you go, I¡¯ll always be by your side.¡±


    ¡°Da Lang, I always feel that this is not quite right. Maybe it is not as simple as big belly disease.¡±


    The wrong medicine should make the patient better.


    Unless it was a divine miracle.


    But if there was a divinity, why should he stand by while watching so many living beings suffer?


    Xie Heng said, ¡°We¡¯ll have the answer when we get to Mingan Province. By the way, when do you n to leave?¡±


    She answered, ¡°When old Mr. Qiu doesn¡¯t need the acupuncture treatment, we go back to the vige first and then leave. How long will it take to Mingan Province from here?¡±


    ¡°That ce is called Qiaoyi Town, in Yuyun County, Mingan Province, and it takes three or four days of horse ride from Yuanjiang County.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem to be very far.¡±


    If only she could drive a car at night, it would be much faster.


    After all, a car could run way much faster than a horse carriage.


    ¡°When I get a map, I¡¯ll draw you a route that avoids the viges so you can find the shortest way.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll be great!¡±


    Chuchu asked for other information, but Xie Heng didn¡¯t know much about this matter.


    When they were about to leave, Qiao Heting, who had not shown up for a long time, got to them the next day.


    ¡°Mr. Qiao, what do you want from me?¡± Chuchu asked. People often dropped by with their problems. What did he want this time?


    ¡°Mrs. Xie.¡± Qiao Heting bowed. ¡°I¡¯m looking for you because of a request.¡±


    ¡°Well?¡±


    ¡°Yesterday, I received a letter from one of my schoolmates in Mingan Province, saying there was a strange disease. The doctor could do nothing about it and asked if I knew any famous doctors that could cure the disease.¡±


    ¡°Strange disease?¡±


    Instantly it reminded her of the big belly disease.


    Qiao Heting nodded. ¡°The belly of a person with the disease will gradually berger as if they were pregnant. The local doctors had exhausted all methods but still failed to cure them. More people are getting sick, and there are already rumors of the gue. They will probably be burned alive again if not treated as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, with all due respect, I take the liberty of troubling you with this trip. As such an excellent doctor, maybe you have some means to save those people. Of course, it is your choice whether to go or not. I will happily pay the cost if you¡¯re willing to go.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Qiao, I don¡¯t quite understand. You are not from Mingan Province. Why do you want to help strangers you¡¯ve never met?¡± Chuchu looked at Qiao Heting, trying to get a hint from his face.


    Not knowing if he was a master of acting or if he was so worried about the country and the people, she only saw his sincerity.


    Qiao Heting smiled. ¡°I study hard to fulfill my political pursuit. All I want is to do something good for the people. Money is just an external pleasure to me, but if I can exchange it for the lives of those innocent people, it will be worth it.¡±


    ¡°What if I don¡¯t want to go?¡±


    ¡°Five hundred taels of silver. Food, clothes, amodation, and transportation cost for the trip will be calcted separately. How about that, Mrs. Xie?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡±


    ¡°One thousand taels!¡±


    Chuchu raised her eyebrows. Was Qiao Heting going to buy out her hesitation?


    ¡°Two thousand taels!¡±


    Chuchu was astounded.


    If she disagreed, she would feel sorry for the silver.


    ¡°Money still talks,¡± she thought.


    ¡°When my husband returns, I¡¯ll discuss it with him.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll wait for him with you at the Gan n.¡±


    Qiao Heting said he would not force her, but this action was imperative.


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    Chuchu nodded her head.


    The Qiu n¡¯s carriage sent her back first, followed by Qiao Heting.


    Xie Heng didn¡¯t go out today. Instead, he urged Xie Jun to practice his calligraphy at Gan¡¯s house.


    ...


    When he saw Qiao Heting, a hint of surprise shed through his eyes.


    ¡°Da Lang, Mr. Qiao came back with me because he has something to discuss with you.¡±


    ¡°Hello, Mr. Qiao.¡± Xie Heng nodded slightly.


    ¡°Great to meet you, Mr. Xie.¡± Qiao Heting arched his hand to show respect. ¡°May I take a moment of your time?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please.¡±


    Qiao Heting followed Xie Heng.


    Xie Jun stared warily at Qiao Heting and came up to Chuchu. ¡°Sister-inw, Mr. Qiao stopped you halfway?¡±


    ¡°Well, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Chuchu looked at him.


    Xie Jun pursed his mouth. ¡°He does not look like a good man. Don¡¯t be deceived by him. The rich men are all the same. He must be trying to steal you from my brother.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was astounded.


    ¡°Junjun, you are only ten years old. How could you know that?¡± she thought.


    ...


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense. He does have something for your brother.¡±


    ¡°Hmph, a woman as terrific as you will be adored by all men.¡±


    ¡°Junjun¡­¡±


    Chuchu was speechless.


    Xie Jun¡¯s eyes were innocent. ¡°I¡¯m just afraid that you will be taken away. I do not want someone else to be my sister-inw.¡±


    Chuchuughed out loud. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because besides my mother, you¡¯re the nicest woman I¡¯ve ever met.¡±


    ¡°What a kid!¡±


    ¡°Sister-inw, seriously, my brother ispetent. He will be an official in the future. Don¡¯t discard my brother, okay? Although his eyes are only just recovered, he always listens to you. Other men certainly can¡¯t be so well-behaved as him, and there will not be a brother-inw who likes his sister-inw so much as me.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu poked his forehead. ¡°Don¡¯t always think about those things. As long as your brother doesn¡¯t do anything wrong to me, others can¡¯t take me away.¡±


    ¡°Mm-hmm, I will advise my brother well,¡± Xie Jun said solemnly.


    At this moment, Xie Heng returned with Qiao Heting.


    Xie Heng said softly to Chuchu, ¡°Chuchu, let¡¯s go to Mingan Province together, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll listen to you,¡± Chuchu responded.


    Qiao Heting was a little perplexed.


    Xie Heng said he would listen to Chuchu, while Zhao Chuchu said she would listen to Xie Heng.


    Qiao Heting was envious. He felt that they were showing off, but he had no proof.

 Chapter 205 - 205 She Doesn’t Have the Chance

    205 She Doesn¡¯t Have the Chance


    ¡°Since you have both agreed, then I¡¯ll take my leave. You can send someone to let me know if you are ready, and I will arrange for someone to send you there,¡± Qiao Heting cupped his hands and said.


    ¡°No need, Mr. Qiao. You can go ahead, and we will get there as soon as possible,¡± Xie Heng said.


    ¡°Okay, see youter.¡±


    ¡°See you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother to see me out.¡±


    Qiao Heting turned around and left.


    When he left, Xie Jun hurriedly asked Xie Heng, ¡°Brother, where are you going?¡±


    ¡°Mingan Province, and I¡¯ll take you with me.¡± Xie Heng was brief and concise.


    Xie Jun looked full of surprise. ¡°Are you going to take me out of town?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great.¡±


    ¡°Practice your writing.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Xie Jun immediately sat back down.


    He was pleased with the thought of being able to go to Mingan Province.


    Speaking of which, the farthest ce he had ever been was the county town of Yuanjiang County, and he had never been anywhere else.


    Almost all people were like this when they were kids. They would get so excited about not having to stay home, even just visiting a neighboring vige.


    In the evening, Xie Heng and Zhao Chuchu returned to the room before talking about Qiao Heting.


    ¡°Da Lang, do you know Qiao Heting¡¯s background?¡±


    ¡°He is the son of Duke Ding. County Magistrate Qiao is a side branch of Duke Ding, so in terms of generation, he is indeed Qiao Heting¡¯s uncle.¡±


    ¡°Qiao Heting is actually the heir of a noble family¡­¡±


    Zhao Chuchu thought he was just the son of a capital official, but she did not expect him to have such an unusual background.


    No wonder he could take out two thousand taels of silver without hesitation.


    ¡°Duke Ding¡¯s family and the Sikou n have always been at odds, so you don¡¯t have to worry about this having anything to do with Sikou Qin.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu blinked. ¡°After all, your ¡®former ex-wife¡¯ just appeared. Isn¡¯t it normal for me to be suspicious?¡±


    ¡°Sikou Qin is not that smart. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°You do know her well.¡±


    ¡°We were more or less a nominal couple. And since I want to deal with the Sikou n, I naturally have to know myself and my enemy in order to win every battle!¡± Xie Heng said frankly, ¡°Even if I never had feelings for her, I still have to pretend to be that.¡±


    ¡°Pretend to be that?¡± Zhao Chuchu raised her eyebrows. ¡°For example, what about? To y the loving couple outside?¡±


    ¡°Everyone thinks I¡¯m not a good match for Sikou Qin, so it¡¯s only natural that Sikou Qin would treat me like that.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°In the eyes of others, I was deeply in love with Sikou Qin and even risked to collect the bodies of their family when the Sikou n was decimated.¡±


    ¡°What about the reality?¡±


    ¡°Junjun has too many enemies, more than just the Sikou n. I always try to hide it from others and didn¡¯t miss a single scene that should be done.¡±


    The appearance of Sikou Qin made Xie Heng understand that he should confess to Zhao Chuchu one by one about what happened between him and Sikou Qin and even what he had done.


    He did not want a stupid person to ruin his rtionship with Zhao Chuchu.


    The reason was that love was always unreasonable.


    Xie Heng did not allow the existence of any threat.


    Even if it was not very destructive.


    All cracks were created by those gaps that were extremely easy to ignore.


    He knew what he wanted and what he should do.


    ¡°Did you really collect the corpse for Sikou Qin?¡±


    ¡°The graves of the Sikou n were dug by wild dogster.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    She thought that it was really ruthless.


    Their dead bodies still had to suffer.


    ¡°Will you feel that I am ruthless, Chuchu?¡± Xie Heng said softly, ¡°If you don¡¯t like this, I can change¡­¡±


    ¡°Change what? Being merciful to your enemies means being cruel to yourself.¡± Zhao Chuchu interrupted Xie Heng. ¡°If someone wants to kill me, I won¡¯t spare him either.¡±


    ¡°In case you are afraid of me¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you joking with me, Da Lang?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m serious.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu carefully stared at Xie Heng. Xie Heng¡¯s gaze was very sincere.


    Besides being ruthless enough, Xie Heng was also extremely patient.


    However, in Sikou Qin¡¯s opinion, it was apparent that Xie Heng was unfailingly devoted to her in his previous life.


    ...


    Otherwise, she would not havee to Yuanjiang County to try to get back together with Xie Heng after marrying the Great Prince.


    So this person died of stupidity in her previous life and would repeat the same mistake in this life.


    How could a really smart woman be stupid enough to show herself?


    Shouldn¡¯t this kind of thing be done in secret?


    Did she think the Great Prince¡¯s people were blind? How could they not know about such a conspicuous person leaving Imperial City?


    The threat of Sikou Qin was even less than Zhao Zhizhi.


    At least at that time, she was temporarily confused and first attacked by Zhao Zhizhi. But the result was the same. Zhao Zhizhi died!


    ¡°Sikou Qin is pestering you. I¡¯m afraid she¡¯s going toe to the door soon,¡± Zhao Chuchu said.


    She must be to pretend to be sick so that she could shamelessly stay and impress Xie Heng with her gentleness¡­ Then she would reveal her true identity gradually.


    A damsel in distress was saved by a poor intellectual and grew fond of him over time. Wasn¡¯t that the plot of those storybooks?


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t have the chance!¡±


    ...


    Knowing that Sikou Qin appeared in Yuanjiang County, Xie Heng went to do what he had to do in the first ce.


    He would not let Sikou Qine to disturb Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°Well, what did you do?¡±


    ¡°I killed her.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu had a shocked look on her face.


    ¡°When did you do that?¡±


    ¡°Soon.¡±


    Xie Heng had no intention of letting Sikou Qin live when he knew she was just like him.


    Sikou Qin knew Xie Jun¡¯s identity, and Xie Heng would not let anyone threaten Xie Jun¡¯s safety. Even more so, he would not let Xie Jun¡¯s identity be exposed now.


    Zhao Chuchu thought, ¡°Xie Heng hasn¡¯t gone out since yesterday, right?¡±


    She found that Xie Heng was far more ruthless than she had imagined.


    She also didn¡¯t know what hidden trump Xie Heng actually held in his hands.


    But since he did not intend to say, she did not n to ask.


    ¡°Sikou Qin must die.¡± Xie Heng said calmly as if he was discussing with Zhao Chuchu what dish to eat. ¡°People who are a threat to you and Junjun don¡¯t need to be alive.¡±


    ¡°When did you do it?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t done it yet, but Sikou Qin will give me this opportunity.¡±


    Xie Heng really knew Sikou Qin well.


    Whatever she was prepared to do was in Xie Heng¡¯s prediction.


    Unfortunately, Sikou Qin herself did not know it and was still thinking about how to approach Xie Heng.


    Obviously, the method of sending money would not work.


    Sikou Qin asked people to inquire in Yuanjiang County and learned that Zhao Chuchu was somewhat capable. She quelled the gue and even made a lot of money by treating people.


    She cured Xie Heng¡¯s eye disease and now was treating Xie Jun.


    Sikou Qin wanted to be the only loved one by Xie Heng and also the one who saved Xie Jun. Only in this case did she have the chance to always be in that position. Now that Xie Heng was snatched away by Zhao Chuchu, who appeared out of nowhere, how could she sit still?


    No! If this continued, what if Xie Heng fell in love with Zhao Chuchu?


    Then wouldn¡¯t her existence be a joke?


    Sikou Qin wanted Xie Heng to be just like his previous life, only with her in his heart and eyes!


    As for this b*tch Zhao Chuchu, she¡¯d better die earlier.


    No one could snatch Xie Heng from her hands, not even God.


    Xie Heng was hers!

 Chapter 206 - 206 Wrongly Paid to a Blind Man

    206 Wrongly Paid to a Blind Man


    Sikou Qin was confident that she was reborn and could foresee things before they happened, so she did not take Zhao Chuchu seriously.


    The solution she thought of was also straightforward. That was to approach Xie Heng by pretending to be miserable.


    Zhao Chuchu was a doctor.


    Then she would pretend to get sick and stay at the Xie n¡¯s house. When Xie Heng studied, she would then be able to spend time with Xie Heng.


    If Xie Heng could fall in love with her in his previous life, he would definitely do the same in this life.


    Zhao Chuchu had no qualifications topete with her.


    Sikou Qin did whatever she thought of.


    She didn¡¯t even consider the consequences. Just like Zhao Chuchu said, she died of stupidity in her previous life, and she would do the same in this life.


    Two dayster, the pale Sikou Qin was helped to Zhao Chuchu by a servant girl.


    Zhao Chuchu was at a loss for words.


    ¡°Ms. Sikou is sick. I heard that you are the best doctor in Yuanjiang County, so quickly have a look at Ms. Sikou. You will get a lot of money if you can cure her.¡± That servant girl was the same as Sikou Qin. She did not take Zhao Chuchu seriously and spoke condescendingly.


    Sikou Qin pretended to stop the servant girl. ¡°Don¡¯t be rude to the doctor.¡±


    After a pause, Sikou Qin looked at Zhao Chuchu. ¡°My servant has been spoiled by me and usually speaks out of turn. Please forgive her, doctor.¡±


    ¡°No wonder then. It turns out that a dog will always count on its master¡¯s backing.¡± Zhao Chuchu smiled. ¡°I am not a well-thought-out person and always say whates to mind, so please don¡¯t mind.¡±


    Sikou Qin suddenly felt a breath blocked in her throat and was almost angered tough.


    That servant girl was furious and was about to retort, but she was pulled back by Sikou Qin. ¡°I¡¯ll never take you out if you¡¯re rude like that again!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ms. Sikou.¡± The servant girl hung her head but red viciously at Zhao Chuchu.


    Seeing this, Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°If I hadn¡¯t heard her call you Ms., I would have thought she was the superior. Troublees from the mouth. You can¡¯t let your subordinates run amok because you are too kind-hearted. A tricky servant can easily ruin the master.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ you are just a little poor girl from the vige! Who are you to say anything in front of me?¡± The servant girl was furious.


    Sikou Qin darkened her face and stared at the servant girl coldly.


    That servant girl suddenly did not dare to breathe, and her arrogance was instantly suppressed.


    ¡°Kneel down!¡± Sikou Qin shouted.


    That servant girl immediately got down on her knees.


    ¡°Bow to the doctor and apologize.¡±


    The servant girl was aggrieved, but seeing Sikou Qin¡¯s face was ugly, she didn¡¯t dare to resist and said to Zhao Chuchu reluctantly, ¡°Sorry, doctor.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t even look at her. She ignored the servant girl and said directly to Sikou Qin, ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with you, so can you reach out and let me take your pulse?¡±


    No one cared about Sikou Qin¡¯s servant girl.


    She knelt there, not daring to get up but also feeling suffering to kneel.


    And Sikou Qin didn¡¯t expect Zhao Chuchu to be so excessive, not giving in at all.


    While reaching out, she said, ¡°Doctor, my servant has apologized to you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I saw that.¡±


    ¡°Then let her get up, so she won¡¯t have to kneel here and be an eyesore.¡±


    ¡°Whatever you like.¡±


    ¡°Doctor, she is apologizing to you, but not me.¡±


    Sikou Qin reminded Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu said carelessly, ¡°Do I have to ept her apology? Isn¡¯t an apology based on sincerity? Do you want to force me to ept it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean that. But isn¡¯t it a basic courtesy to ept someone¡¯s apology?¡±


    ¡°Then if Ie to you sarcastic and abusive and then say sorry, do you think it makes sense? Not every sorry sentence can be exchanged for okay. It¡¯s her business to apologize, but I have the right to forgive or not.¡±


    Sikou Qin¡¯s face became ugly in anger when she heard this.


    Zhao Chuchu took in the change in Sikou Qin¡¯s mood.


    She thought, ¡°It seems you can hardly retain yourposure, so how can you make a counterattack after your rebirth?¡±


    She only felt amused.


    ¡°Lady, medicine is more or less poisonous, so it is better not to take medicine indiscriminately in the future.¡± Zhao Chuchu let go of Sikou Qin¡¯s wrist and said faintly, ¡°Also,dy, you are already more than a month pregnant. You are lucky enough not to harm the baby this time, but it is not sure next time.¡±


    Sikou Qin couldn¡¯t believe what she heard.


    ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know you¡¯re pregnant,dy?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu looked at her pitifully.


    ¡°Should I report it to the governing bureau?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mess around. This is my own business!¡± Sikou Qin said excitedly.


    How could she be pregnant?


    In her previous life at this time, she had been pregnant for more than six months, so how could she be pregnant just now?


    What went wrong?


    At the same time, Sikou Qin saw Xie Heng, who happened to return.


    In this life, Xie Heng missedst year¡¯s Imperial Examination, but he was even more radiant than in his previous life when he had already won the first prize. He didn¡¯t have the kind of bitterness and hatred he held back then but was clearly a spirited youth.


    ...


    Sikou Qin looked at Xie Heng lovingly as if she had not seen him for a lifelong time.


    All kinds of grievances surged up. She just wanted to jump into Xie Heng¡¯s arms and hug him, telling him all her love.


    She wanted to let Xie Heng know that she was the one he loved in this life.


    However, Sikou Qin¡¯s burning affection was wrongly paid to a blind man.


    Xie Heng walked straight over.


    His gaze was always on Zhao Chuchu¡¯s face, not resting on Sikou Qin for even a second. No, he not even looked at Sikou Qin as if Sikou Qin did not exist.


    Sikou Qin nervously pinched her handkerchief and stood in ce, full of hope waiting for Xie Heng to walk up to her and fall in love with her at first sight.


    But just as Xie Heng walked up to her and her hand slightly handed out a little, Xie Heng had already crossed over and handed the food box he was carrying to Zhao Chuchu. His tone was gentle. ¡°This is for you. Eat it while it¡¯s hot.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu took it and opened it. The tantalizing aroma came to her nose, and she instantly felt hungry.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Zhao Chuchu looked at him with a smile. ¡°I have a patient here, so you take it back for me first. I will eat itter.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Don¡¯t be too tired.¡±


    ...


    Xie Heng stroked Zhao Chuchu¡¯s head, and that gentle, doting look was something Sikou Qin had never seen before.


    Sikou Qin¡¯s nails were pinching her palm, but she did not even aware of the pain. She stared at the two in front of her, only to feel that the scene was iparably harsh.


    She thought, ¡°Xie Hengpletely ignored me and gave all the kindness to that bitch Zhao Chuchu?¡±


    ¡°Doctor, is this your brother?¡± Seeing that Xie Heng was about to leave, Sikou Qin blurted out.


    Xie Heng paused in his steps.


    Sikou Qin was slightly relieved. ¡°Your brother is an excellent man.¡±


    ¡°I am Chuchu¡¯s husband.¡± Xie Heng did not turn around, and his tone was calm.


    Sikou Qin¡¯s breath choked, and her grievance came tumbling out. ¡°Are you really not brother and sister?¡±


    ¡°Lady, you¡¯re so funny. We don¡¯t look alike, and how can a brother and sister be so intimate?¡± Zhao Chuchu smiled. ¡°It¡¯s better to take less medicine in the future. It¡¯s not good for both you and your baby. Look at you. You can¡¯t even see clearly.¡±


    Sikou Qin was annoyed. ¡°I just saw this gentleman was excellent. How could I have imagined that he would have such a wife like you?¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, just beat those whoe to pick a fight out. You don¡¯t have to exin so much.¡± Xie Heng turned around and looked at Sikou Qin with fierce eyes. ¡°Mouths are for eating, not picking on other people¡¯s conjugal rtionships.¡±

 Chapter 207 - 207 It Was for a Man

    207 It Was for a Man


    Sikou Qin¡¯s eyes were suddenly filled with tears.


    In her previous life, Xie Heng could tolerate her in everything. He could never speak to her in such an indifferent tone and would not use her like this.


    ¡°You weren¡¯t like this before.¡±


    Sikou Qin felt very aggrieved.


    She came all the way from Imperial City to Yuanjiang County to get back together with Xie Heng, not to watch Xie Heng being intimate with another woman.


    Did Xie Heng forget?


    He was so affectionate in his previous life.


    Why was his love gone in this new life?


    Xie Heng frowned and immediately exined to Zhao Chuchu, ¡°Chuchu, I¡¯ve never seen her before. Not a word she says can be trusted.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu nodded and then looked at Sikou Qin. ¡°Lady, I can¡¯t treat your disease. Please find another doctor.¡±


    Hearing this, Sikou Qin was anxious. She immediately pretended that her stomach hurt and covered her belly. ¡°Ah, my stomach hurts so much¡­¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    She felt a little helpless and admonished Sikou Qin. ¡°Lady, I know well whether you are really in pain or not. There is no point in pretending this in front of the doctor.¡±


    Sikou Qin ignored Zhao Chuchu but stared straight at Xie Heng, attempting to see a trace of pity in Xie Heng¡¯s eyes.


    However, she saw nothing.


    Xie Heng was unmoved.


    Sikou Qin was relentless and slowly walked up to Xie Heng.


    Xie Heng retreated behind Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know you at all. Why do you have to do that?¡± Xie Heng¡¯s gaze was cold and stern. ¡°You are a woman and pregnant, so I won¡¯t bother with you, but please also behave yourself!¡±


    ¡°Why have you be like this?¡± Sikou Qin could never believe that Xie Heng, who was so affectionate to her, would be so cold. ¡°Xie Heng, can I talk to you alone?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Xie Heng directly refused. ¡°You can say anything here in the presence of my wife.¡±


    ¡°Wife? What can she give you?¡± Sikou Qin was impatient. ¡°Xie Heng, give me 15 minutes. You won¡¯t regret listening to me.¡±


    ¡°Giving you 15 minutes is what I will regret for the rest of my life. Chuchu, she¡¯s a woman, so it¡¯s not good for me to do anything. Let her out.¡± Xie Heng looked at Zhao Chuchu.


    Xie Heng¡¯s rejection caused Sikou Qin¡¯s face to change dramatically.


    ¡°You want to kick me out?¡±


    ¡°Or do you want to be a joke?¡±


    Sikou Qin couldn¡¯t believe that Xie Heng would be like this.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you really recall anything?¡±


    Xie Heng closed his eyes and took a deep breath. ¡°Chuchu, have you diagnosed it clearly? Is there really nothing wrong with her brain?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m perfectly normal!¡± Sikou Qin was furious. ¡°Xie Heng¡­¡±


    ¡°Please!¡± Xie Heng made a gesture to signal Sikou Qin to leave.


    No one knew how much effort it took him to suppress the urge to kill Sikou Qin.


    Xie Heng could not tolerate the existence of any threat that would alienate him from Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°Xie¡­¡±


    ¡°Please!¡±


    Xie Heng raised his voice.


    How could Sikou Qin stand to be treated like this? She gave Xie Heng a deep look and stomped her feet before leaving.


    Her servant girl hurriedly chased her out.


    Looking at Sikou Qin¡¯s back as she left, Zhao Chuchu raised her eyebrows slightly.


    ¡°If I had known she was there, I wouldn¡¯t havee back so early,¡± Xie Heng said apologetically.


    ¡°She wille to you one day. You can¡¯t hide,¡± Zhao Chuchu said. ¡°Unless Sikou Qin is dead.¡±


    But Sikou Qin was so stupid that she would kill herself without anyone having to do anything.


    How could a normal person run directly to someone¡¯s husband and say something like that?


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s eat first. It¡¯s not good if the food gets coldter.¡± Xie Heng also wanted to avoid discussing the topic of Sikou Qin.


    Zhao Chuchu also felt hungry and returned to the room with Xie Heng.


    On the other side, Sikou Qin, who was so angry and left, calmed down and felt she was a little too impatient.


    She wondered what Zhao Chuchu had done to Xie Heng. At the moment, Zhao Chuchu naturally had the upper hand, and her words made Sikou Qin look like a vicious woman.


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu seems to fear nothing at Xie Heng¡¯s back!¡± Sikou Qin gritted her teeth and said.


    However, the servant girl beside her was trembling and did not dare to say anything.


    Sikou Qin was overtly cuckolding the Great Prince.


    SiKou Qin had been in Imperial City. How did she get to know Xie Heng?


    It turned out that she came to Yuanjiang County just for Xie Heng.


    Sikou Qin thought this servant girl was one of her people, but she didn¡¯t know that the Great Prince had arranged for her to be by her side.


    The fact that she came to Yuanjiang County was not a secret.


    ...


    Only Sikou Qin herself felt that no one knew about it.


    ¡°By the way, what about the person who disposed of Chuntao? Has he reported?¡± Sikou Qin remembered the person and looked sideways at Xiahe.


    Xiahe swallowed. ¡°I already told you two days ago, Madam. Maybe you were thinking about something else and didn¡¯t hear it.¡±


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s great.¡± Sikou Qin nodded and then warned, ¡°Also, don¡¯t spread today¡¯s incident outside. You will also die if others know it!¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°Do your job well, and you¡¯ll get lots of benefits. I won¡¯t mistreat people loyal to me, but if you dare to betray me, I¡¯ll make your life worse than death.¡±


    ¡°I know. Don¡¯t worry, Madam.¡±


    Sikou Qin then leaned against the carriage¡¯s wall and closed her eyes to rest.


    Pretending to be miserable to get close to Xie Heng failed, so she had to think of another way.


    The night fell.


    Sikou Qin came out of the bath and sat in front of the bronze mirror tob her hair.


    ...


    The mirror reflected her beautiful face. In her previous life, Xie Heng was charmed by her face, so he could not be indifferent in this life.


    If Xie Heng had known her identity earlier, he might have changed his mind.


    Sikou Qin decided to find another opportunity to approach Xie Heng alone so that she could tell him something that would be good for him, such as the big belly disease in Mingan Province.


    Sikou Qin was full of thoughts about getting closer to Xie Heng, so she was unaware that someone was approaching.


    The person took herb in her hand. Sikou Qin gave it to the other party and let that oneb her hair.


    But the other partybed very hard, hurting Sikou Qin¡¯s scalp.


    So Sikou Qin was furious and was about to rebuke when she saw a frightening, sinister face in the bronze mirror. It was Chuntao!


    Sikou Qin screamed out loud.


    The dagger that Chuntao had raised high stabbed down.


    Sikou Qin instinctively rolled to the side, but she was stabbed in the arm.


    ¡°Help!¡± Sikou Qin screamed miserably. ¡°Xiahe! Where are you, Xiahe?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s dead, and you are the next. I did my best for you, but you killed me without a word! Sikou Qin, why did you do this to me?¡± Chuntao said with resentment.


    If it weren¡¯t for a traveler who passed by saving her and giving her some high-quality medicine for her wounds, she would have be a wandering soul.


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Chuntao gritted her teeth and raised her dagger to stab down indiscriminately.


    Sikou Qin had been brought up well and was not good at fighting, so she was no match for Chuntao.


    By the time the guards arrived, Sikou Qin had already been stabbed all over her body by Chuntao.


    Then Chuntao was hacked to death by the guards.


    She stared at Sikou Qin with wide eyes and finally fell unwillingly.

 Chapter 208 - 208 The Baby Cannot Be Saved

    208 The Baby Cannot Be Saved


    Sikou Qin was being supported by a guard, dying.


    She could not die like this.


    ¡°Send¡­ send me to the Gan n¡¯s house¡­¡± Sikou Qin said to the guard with all her might, ¡°Find¡­ find Zhao¡­ Zhao Chuchu¡­¡±


    ¡°Excuse me, Your Excellency.¡±


    !!


    The guard picked up Sikou Qin in a horizontal embrace and rushed to the Gan n¡¯s house as fast as possible.


    Sikou Qin felt colder and colder, and her life seemed to fade gradually.


    She thought, ¡°Am I going to die?¡±


    ¡°Not dead? She¡¯s going to kill that servant girl just because of that?¡± Zhao Chuchu¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°She really doesn¡¯t take other people¡¯s lives seriously.¡±


    Being high and mighty, one could treat human life as if it were not worth a penny.


    ¡°Perhaps Sikou Qin is heading to the Gan n¡¯s house to get your help at this time.¡± Xie Heng was indifferent. It was he who saved Chuntao, and he did not think that she could kill Sikou Qin with a single blow.


    ¡°Should I let her die?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked Xie Heng.


    ¡°Yes. She will be a threat to you and Junjun.¡± Xie Heng did not intend to let Sikou Qin live. ¡°She can¡¯t hurt the Great Prince in the slightest, but Sikou Zhendong can.¡±


    Then, Xie Heng told Zhao Chuchu about his n.


    Zhao Chuchu was at a loss for words.


    Once again, she was d she wasn¡¯t Xie Heng¡¯s enemy. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have known how she was going to get killed.


    Just as they were talking, the door of the Gan n¡¯s house was knocked.


    The doorkeeper of the Gan n lit antern and opened the door to take a look, almost scared to death by the bloody Sikou Qin held by the guard. The doorkeeper thought it was the ghosts of injustice possessed in the middle of the night.


    And the guard quickly said, ¡°Where is Mrs. Xie? Quickly let Mrs. Xie out. We need her help!¡±


    The doorkeeper returned to his senses and realized it was a living person.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Cut the crap. Quickly let Mrs. Xiee out to save her. It will not do you any good if Her Excellency dies.¡±


    At this time, the guard couldn¡¯t care less if he would reveal Sikou Qin¡¯s identity.


    ¡°She is the Great Prince¡¯s concubine! Find Mrs. Xie if you want to live,¡± the guard said in a low voice and barged in with Sikou Qin in his arms.


    Themotion alerted Gan Maosheng, a martial arts practitioner.


    He hurriedly put on his clothes and came out.


    The guard saw him and said in a cold voice, ¡°General Gan, quickly let Mrs. Xiee out to save Her Excellency, or you will suffer when the Great Prince ascertains where the responsibility lies.¡±


    Gan Maosheng was also knowledgeable. The guard had an ent from Imperial City, and his sword was also the style of Imperial City. Therefore, Gan Maosheng knew this person was not lying and sent someone to ask Zhao Chuchu.


    The house of the Gan n was not big, so Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng naturally heard it and came out of the room.


    ¡°Grandpa Gan, what¡¯s going on sote in the night?¡± Zhao Chuchu pretended not to know and yawned. Then as if she had just seen Sikou Qin and was scared out of sleep, she eximed, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Quickly, bring her inside. Da Lang, bring out my medicine box.¡±


    At this moment, Sikou Qin was already unconscious because of excessive blood loss.


    After entering the room, Gan Maosheng had people light many candles.


    Zhao Chuchu looked at the injuries on Sikou Qin¡¯s body and asked the guard with a frown, ¡°Did you meet a bandit? Why is she injured like this? Oh, isn¡¯t this thedy who came to see me only two days ago?¡±


    ¡°Have you ever seen Her Excellency?¡± The guard¡¯s eyes turned cold.


    Zhao Chuchu nodded. ¡°Yes, she came here two days ago. But she behaved oddly, and her servant girl was unusually arrogant, so I remember her. She is severely injured now, so I can only do my best. Whether she survives or not, let¡¯s leave it to fate!¡±


    ¡°If she dies, none of you will survive! I don¡¯t care what method you use. You have to save her! She is the Great Prince¡¯s concubine, so nothing can ever happen to her!¡±


    ¡°Matters of life and death are never left to human beings. A doctor¡¯s skill is limited no matter how skilled he is.¡±


    ¡°I said, no matter what method you use, you must keep her alive!¡±


    The guard suddenly drew his long sword.


    The brightly shining de was iparably sharp and radiated an appalling chill.


    Seeing this, Gan Maosheng immediately drew his sword and stopped the guard. ¡°If you dare to move, I will let you die today!¡±


    ¡°General Gan, you¡¯d better see the situation clearly!¡± The guard was no slouch either.


    Xie Heng spoke at this time. ¡°Chuchu is about to save people, so let¡¯s go out for the time being. Whether she can save the person, she can only try her best. If you think the threat is useful, why don¡¯t you just beat away the ghosts whoe to get back the soul first!¡±


    The guard gave Xie Heng a deep look.


    But Xie Heng looked as usual.


    The guard put the sword back and let all the men present go out.


    Before they left, Zhao Chuchu suddenly said, ¡°She is too badly injured and even poisoned, so the baby in her belly can¡¯t be saved.¡±


    ¡°Both of them must live.¡±


    ¡°Well, then you can take her away. I won¡¯t cure her. I don¡¯t want to lose my life to cure a person. Who knows if she is really the Great Prince¡¯s concubine.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu immediately put the medicine box away.


    That guard stared at her with bloodshot eyes.


    ¡°Save her!¡±


    He was about to point his sword at Zhao Chuchu again.


    ¡°If you are so rude again, I can only send you to the officials. In the end, you should not regret dying the rescue!¡±


    The guard held back and eventually went out.


    ...


    ¡°Calm down.¡± Three guards in total came over, and when they saw the situation, they all went up to try to persuade that guard.


    The Great Prince would definitely investigate the matter if the child of his concubine were lost. By then, they would only be¡­


    How could the guards, who were all covered in blood, not know the consequences of this?


    And if Sikou Qin died, they would have no way to live or even embroil their whole family.


    Sikou Qin was stabbed many times by Chuntao, so she was lucky enough if could survive, but the baby in her belly was impossible to be saved.


    After they all went out, Zhao Chuchu looked at Sikou Qin.


    As long as she took action now, Sikou Qin would definitely die.


    But Sikou Qin could not die in the Gan n¡¯s house. Otherwise, it would bring the Gan n into trouble.


    But Zhao Chuchu would let Sikou Qin linger on for a while and stay in aa.


    And this was also Xie Heng¡¯s idea.


    Zhao Chuchu stopped Sikou Qin¡¯s bleeding as fast as she could, pulling her back from the brink of death, but she was still dying.


    ...


    Just as Zhao Chuchu was treating Sikou Qin¡¯s wound, Qiao Heting came with County Magistrate Qiao.


    That was because Xie Heng had given a wink to Gan Quan the moment he came out of the room, signaling Gan Quan to inform them.


    ¡°I heard that the Great Prince¡¯s concubine is here?¡± County Magistrate Qiao directly asked.


    The guard was about to deny it, but when he saw the white-clothed intellectual beside County Magistrate Qiao, his face changed dramatically.


    He didn¡¯t expect that Qiao Heting was also in Yuanjiang County.


    ¡°Yes,¡± the guard replied.


    They were from the Sikou n, so they naturally knew Qiao Heting¡¯s identity.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why did the Great Prince¡¯s concubinee to Yuanjiang County for no reason?¡± Qiao Heting asked.


    The guard could only lie. ¡°The Great Prince¡¯s concubine is not feeling well and heard that there is a Doctor Miracle in Yuanjiang County, so she came to seek medical help, but she didn¡¯t expect that her servant girl would hold a grudge because of being chastised by her. And the servant girl assassinated the Great Prince¡¯s concubine by taking advantage of her trust.¡±


    ¡°How can there be such a heartless person? Where is that servant girl now? Has she escaped? We must hurry to call the guards of the county office to search for her so that we can give an exnation to the Great Prince¡¯s concubine!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s dead, and her body is still at the inn,¡± the guard said. Then he looked at Qiao Heting with a cold gaze, ¡°Mr. Qiao, why are you also in Yuanjiang County?¡±

 Chapter 209 - 209 Great Prince

    209 Great Prince


    Qiao Heting knew what those people were thinking.


    He chuckled and said, ¡°I came to Yuanjiang County after the New Year. In Imperial City, this is not something strange, right? I think your question is kind of strange. Do I have to tell you where I will go every time? I am not gay!¡±


    The guards were speechless.


    They heard that Qiao Heting was an intellectual, but he did not act like one. Sometimes he was just like a scoundrel.


    !!


    They could be sure it was the truth now that they had seen him.


    ¡°Uncle, I grew up with the Great Prince¡¯s concubine. You will know whether it is true or not when Mrs. Xiees out.¡± Qiao Heting looked sideways at County Magistrate Qiao.


    ¡°How dare you say you grew up with the Great Prince¡¯s concubine?¡±


    ¡°What if you are lying?¡±


    The guards were still angry.


    Xie Heng was watching the conversation between Qiao Heting and the guards. He just stayed silent. It was as if he was not even here.


    Two-quarters of an hourter, the door finally opened.


    Zhao Chuchu came out with blood all over her body. She pretended to be tired and said, ¡°She is not in danger for the time being. I¡¯ve tried my best. Her life will depend on how strong she is.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you save her?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s words made the guards speechless.


    Zhao Chuchu wrote them a prescription. ¡°Get the medicine.¡±


    The guard took a look at Zhao Chuchu and left with the prescription.


    Madam Luo said to Zhao Chuchu, ¡°Well, we have prepared warm water. Go and take a bath.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t like the blood all over her body, so she nodded and went to the shower.


    Qiao Heting looked at the door, and then he gave County Magistrate Qiao a wink.


    County Magistrate Qiao understood what he meant.


    ¡°General Gan, would you please ask Old Mrs. Gan to go in and see if it is convenient for my nephew to go in and make sure it is the Great Prince¡¯s concubine?¡±


    ¡°Well, please wait a moment.¡± General Gan then let Old Mrs. Gan in.


    When Old Mrs. Gan saw that Sikou Qin was dressed neatly, she came out and took Qiao Heting in.


    Qiao Heting just looked at the bed from afar, recognized that it was Sikou Qin, and then withdrew.


    Qiao Heting said, ¡°It really is the Great Prince¡¯s concubine.¡±


    The people of the Gan n looked at each other. They had never expected such a person toe to Yuanjiang County and even be attacked.


    General Gan did not dare to be careless. He summoned people overnight. The inn where Sikou Qin stayed was surrounded. No one was allowed to leave. He interrogated the people individually to see if they were rted to this assassination.


    With such efforts, the fact that the Great Prince¡¯s concubine came to Yuanjiang County could not be concealedpletely.


    County Magistrate Qiao sent a letter to Guangqing Province quickly and sent extra staff to wait at the house of the Gan n at any time.


    Zhao Chuchu did not get rid of the child inside Sikou Qin.


    She did not want to meddle in the affairs of the imperial family.


    At the same time, Xie Heng sent Xie Jun back to Lengshui Vige and asked the Chen n to take care of him. He told Xie Jun not to leave the Chen n if nothing was wrong.


    This was to prevent people in Imperial City from seeing Xie Jun and recognizing his identity.


    Zhao Chuchu kept Sikou Qin alive, but Sikou Qin never woke up.


    On the day Zhao Chuchu acupunctured Old Mr. Qiu for thest time, many people from Imperial City arrived in Yuanjiang County.


    Looking at these worn-out people, everybody knew they were always on their way day and night.


    There was an imperial physician with them.


    The man in charge looked handsome. At first nce, he was somewhat simr to Xie Jun, but his sinister and ruthless eyes werepletely different from Xie Jun.


    This must be the Great Prince.


    The Great Prince got off the horse, ignored Gan Maosheng¡¯s salute, and walked in with the imperial physician.


    Looking at Sikou Qin, who was pale, the Great Prince was furious.


    ¡°Who treated her? Come here!¡± the Great Prince shouted.


    Xie Heng pinched Zhao Chuchu¡¯s hand as a sign for her not to worry.


    Zhao Chuchu nodded slightly and then entered the room.


    ¡°It¡¯s me, Your Highness.¡± Zhao Chuchu stooped down to salute the Great Prince.


    The Great Prince heard the sound and looked over. At that moment, his eyes shed with amazement. It seemed that he did not expect that there would be such a beautiful woman in such a small ce.


    ¡°Are you Zhao Chuchu, who dealt with the gue in Yuanjiang County?¡± Great Prince¡¯s tone was gentler, but Zhao Chuchu was disgusted by his indecent eyes.


    Zhao Chuchu was considering the possibility of getting rid of the Great Prince.


    Zhao Chuchu held back her killing intent, lowered her head, and replied, ¡°Well, I just happened to see such a prescription. The imperial court should be responsible for dealing with the gue, and I dare not take credit for it. I just started learning medicine.¡±


    It meant that she had done her best to save Sikou Qin!


    ¡°Tell me more about the assassination!¡± The Great Prince sat down and stared at Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu was sure that the Great Prince knew that Sikou Qin had pestered Xie Heng, so she told him directly that Sikou Qin hade for a doctor that night.


    ¡°In addition to being injured, she seems to have been poisoned chronically. I am not proficient in medicine and dare not make a conclusion. As for the kid inside her, I dare not use drugs indiscriminately.¡± Zhao Chuchu was honest. She knew how to act like a woman who was not experienced at all.


    ...


    The Great Prince suspected her for her different reaction.


    She did not know the identity of Sikou Qin, so it was reasonable for her to have been arrogant.


    After meeting the Great Prince, Zhao Chuchu knew he was just kind of clever. She did not have to be afraid of him.


    Xie Heng had gotten rid of the Great Prince and his family in his previous life. And this time, he could not get a better result than that.


    The Great Prince looked to the imperial physician.


    The imperial physician nodded.


    The Great Prince asked Zhao Chuchu to go out.


    Zhao Chuchu left.


    The Great Prince asked the imperial physician, ¡°How is she?¡±


    The imperial physician looked grave and said, ¡°That woman¡¯s judgment was correct. Your Highness, the child inside her, could not be saved. Please make a decision as soon as possible. Otherwise, she will be in danger as well.¡±


    ¡°Is there any hope?¡± The Great Prince was looking forward to the arrival of his first kid. Now Sikou Qin had failed to protect the baby, which made him very angry.


    ...


    The imperial physician shook his head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know any medicine that can save her. There is nothing I can do for the baby.¡±


    The Great Prince clenched his teeth and hit on the table.


    Initially, he married Sikou Qin to win over Sikou Qin¡¯s family.


    Unexpectedly, this bitch, Sikou Qin, was pregnant and secretly ran out of Imperial City without telling him!


    The Great Prince had been quite good to Sikou Zhendong. However, this old fox seemed to wobble now.


    The pregnancy news came to Sikou Zhendong, and he couldn¡¯t wait to stay away from the Great Prince.


    Sikou Zhendong¡¯s younger sister entered the pce ten years ago, but she never got pregnant. The Great Prince also made great efforts to marry Si Kouqin.


    What irritated the Great Prince most was the purpose of Sikou Qin¡¯sing to Yuanjiang County.


    This bitch cheated on him. She came here for such a poor guy.

 Chapter 210 - 210 Make A Prescription for Her

    210 Make A Prescription for Her


    If the Great Prince had a son, it would be the emperor¡¯s first grandson, and he would be more likely designated as the crown prince.


    He worked hard day and night. He had never touched other women for this child¡¯s sake so that he could have a legitimate firstborn son. As a result, he would finally have a baby, but Sikou Qin almost killed it.


    If Sikou Zhendong didn¡¯t inspire Sikou Qin, she would never do such a thing.


    The Great Prince was sure that Sikou Qin had been fascinated by him before. Otherwise, she would never date him secretly.


    ¡°Your Highness, you should make your decision as soon as possible, or you will endanger her life.¡± Feeling the anger of the Great Prince, the imperial physician said that in a low voice.


    Otherwise, if something happened to Sikou Qin, Sikou Zhendong would definitely make the imperial physician suffer.


    Zhao Chuchu was really clever. She saved Sikou Qin without aborting her baby so that she did not have to face the anger of the Great Prince.


    The Great Prince¡¯s face was livid. After a long time, he gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Give her the medicine!¡±


    The Great Prince bore a grudge against Sikou Zhendong after this.


    When the Great Prince thought Xie Heng¡¯s wife, Zhao Chuchu, was such a gorgeous beauty, he got aroused.


    He thought Xie Heng owed him.


    He nned to snatch Zhao Chuchu from Xie Heng.


    Zhao Chuchu suddenly sneezed, and Xie Heng looked over at the sound and said, ¡°You have been really busy these days. Did you catch a cold? You can write a prescription, and I¡¯ll fill it for you.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu rubbed her nose and then said, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Maybe someone is thinking about me.¡±


    Hearing the words, Xie Heng frowned slightly, and the eyes of the Great Prince looking at Zhao Chuchu came to his mind.


    Great Prince liked beauty best.


    He had forced a lot of women to have sex with him.


    But he seemed to have hidden that side of him very well. He looked like a handsome young man, but he was really filthy.


    ¡°Really?¡± Xie Heng was still kind of worried about Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu shook her head, then went to Xie Heng and sat close to him.


    ¡°Is Great Prince lustful?¡± She asked in a low voice.


    ¡°Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°He looked at me with evil intent. Da Lang, we don¡¯t have many foundations at the moment, so we shouldn¡¯t confront him head-on. Why don¡¯t we go to Mingan Province in advance?¡±


    ¡°OK.¡±


    Xie Heng thought for a moment and agreed.


    They came here with nothing.


    Zhao Chuchu avoided the Great Prince and went to see Old Mrs. Gan.


    ¡°Old Mrs. Gan, Mr. Qiao asked me to go to another ce the other day to help one of his friends. Old Mr. Qiu doesn¡¯t need acupuncture anymore. He will feel better as long as he continues to take medicine. I am not going to say goodbye to them. I n to go back to Lengshui Vige directly.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu came straight to the point.


    Mrs. Gan also knew what Zhao Chuchu was thinking.


    Mrs. Gan saw the Great Prince¡¯s reaction when he saw Zhao Chuchu. She knew that Zhao Chuchu had left early to avoid trouble.


    Mrs. Gan knew what Zhao Chuchu meant, so she said, ¡°OK, I will send someone to the Qiu n to take a messageter. But how long will it take? Why don¡¯t you leave Junjun here?¡±


    ¡°We are going to take Junjun with us because Junjun still needs acupuncture sometimes.¡±


    ¡°In this case, you should be careful. When you are out of town, you should be more tolerant. Local bullies may be more powerful than you in their own ce.¡±


    ¡°OK. Grandma Gan, you don¡¯t have to worry about us.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t be seeing you off. You can leave whenever you want.¡±


    ¡°OK.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu nodded.


    She didn¡¯t have much baggage with Xie Heng, so she put them away and threw them into her carry-on space.


    When they left the Gan n, the guards of the Great Prince saw that Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng were carrying nothing with them and thought they were going out for a walk, so the guards didn¡¯t tell the Great Prince.


    As a result, the two of them did not return until it was dark. Then the guards found out that they had gone back to Lengshui Vige.


    The Great Prince was really upset when he heard about it.


    But now he had to stay with Sikou Qin and could not get away from her. Otherwise, even if Zhao Chuchu had returned to Lengshui Vige, he would be able to get her back here.


    But if the Great Prince did do that, Sikou Zhendong would surely me him for the death of Sikou Qin¡¯s child. Then the emperor would get angry, and the Great Prince would be punished.


    It was alreadyte when Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng reached Lengshui Vige.


    Old Mrs. Chen, watering in the vegetable field, saw Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng and hurried out.


    Old Mrs. Chen asked, ¡°Da Lang, Chuchu, why did youe back sote?¡±


    Xie Heng exined, ¡°We will be away for a few days, so wee back first to pack up.¡±


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°Mingan Province. Mr. Qiao, the nephew of County Magistrate Qiao, said that his friends there were suffering from some strange disease. Therefore Chuchu and I are going to check out.¡±


    ¡°Oh, well. Then go back and pack up. You should eat dinner at my house, so you don¡¯t have to cook.¡± Old Mrs. Chen washed her hands and then walked home. ¡°I¡¯ll go back and tell my daughter-inw. She must start cooking.¡±


    ¡°Well, thank you a lot.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so polite.¡±


    Old Mrs. Chen smiled.


    ...


    Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng went back to Xie Heng¡¯s house first.


    No one had lived here for more than half a month, so there was a lot of dust.


    Xie Heng asked Zhao Chuchu, ¡°What are you going to take? Let me help you.¡±


    ¡°I want to take the things under your bookshelf.¡± Her things were in the carry-on space, so she didn¡¯t have many things to pack.


    The Great Prince was now in Yuanjiang County, and no one knew what he would do.


    Xie Heng should take away those jewels. Otherwise, it would be no good for them if the Great Prince found the jewels.


    The Great Prince was just a smarty-pants, and he would cause more trouble.


    Xie Heng had no official position at present, so he should stay away from the Great Prince.


    Xie Heng smiled and said, ¡°As I said earlier, you can handle those things at will without asking me.¡±


    ¡°Then you don¡¯t mind if I take them all away?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ...


    Zhao Chuchu patted Xie Heng on the shoulder and said, ¡°Well, good for you. I am d that you know what you should do.¡±


    ¡°In the future, you will be in charge of everything, including me.¡± Xie Heng looked at Zhao Chuchu with lit-up eyes.


    Zhao Chuchu chuckled and said, ¡°Well, then you have to do whatever I ask you to do in the future!¡±


    ¡°Of course, your highness.¡±


    ¡°Enough. Go to pack your clothes, and I¡¯ll go and put those things away.¡±


    ¡°OK.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu walked into Xie Heng¡¯s room, switched on, and went to the secret room.


    Within one second, she used her power to take everything in the secret room into the carry-on space.


    She came out of the secret room and said to Xie Heng, ¡°There is no need for this dark room to be a mechanism. Great Prince will definitely send someone to investigate here. We can move the bookshelf, put down the food at home, and hide the food here, which is understandable.¡±


    ¡°OK.¡±


    Xie Heng took down the switch and moved the bookshelves with Zhao Chuchu. The entrance of the secret room was no longer hidden now.


    Xie Heng quickly moved the grain in again and then made some marks. The secret room became a typical basement.


    The two finished this, and Xie Jun¡¯s voice sounded outside. ¡°Bro, Chuchu, the dinner is ready. Let¡¯s go to have dinner.¡±


    Xie Jun stood in the yard and did note in.


    He was afraid that his brother and sister-inw would be embarrassed if he saw something he should not see.

 Chapter 211 - 211 Hit the Mother Lode

    211 Hit the Mother Lode


    Xie Jun was thinking too far ahead.


    Xie Heng didn¡¯t think so much. Seeing that Zhao Chuchu was covered with dust, he asked Zhao Chuchu to take a bath first.


    ¡°It¡¯s toote to prepare hot water. Go to dinner first. We can¡¯t let them wait too long. They may be hungry since they just came back from work.¡± Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t care too much about the dust on her.


    But Xie Heng still went ahead to prepare hot water. He put tworge pieces of wood into the stove, which made it burn slowly. When they came back from dinner, the water should be hot.


    ¡°When youe back, you can take a bath first.¡±


    Xie Heng got up and walked to Zhao Chuchu after finishing these things.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go to the Chen n¡¯s house.¡±


    Seeing that Xie Heng was so thoughtful, Zhao Chuchu felt like she had hit the mother lode.


    Seeing both of them always appear together, Old Mrs. Chen couldn¡¯t help teasing them. ¡°You two are so lovey-dovey these days. You¡¯re practically glued to each other.¡±


    Xie Heng smiled. He just looked at Zhao Chuchu and didn¡¯t exin.


    Old Mrs. Chen looked at them with feigned jealousy.


    ¡°Before, Da Lang was always cold and indifferent. He never smiled at anyone. Since Chuchu cured his eyes, he has be more easy-going.¡±


    ¡°And he¡¯s warmer.¡±


    Old Mrs. Chen¡¯s two daughters-inw, Madam Zheng and Madam Liang, also smiled at Xie Heng and Zhao Chuchu.


    Xie Heng didn¡¯t know what to say and just pretended not to hear them.


    After dinner, Niu Tongsheng heard that Xie Heng and his wife had returned, so he went to the Chen n¡¯s house.


    Niu Tongsheng said, ¡°Well, it¡¯s almost the end of June. Can I gather in the potatoes on Tripe Mountain? You haven¡¯t been in the vige for a long time, and I can¡¯t discuss things with you.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°I will go up to the mountain tomorrow to check, but I have to bother Chief and Uncle Chen to help with gathering in the potatoes. I will go to Mingan Province with Da Lang in two days.¡±


    Then, Zhao Chuchu told them about their n briefly.


    She wanted everyone in Lengshui Vige to know what they were leaving here for.


    She did not want the Great Prince to stir up trouble in Lengshui Vige.


    ¡°When will youe back?¡±


    ¡°I am not sure yet. We need to figure out what Mr. Qiao¡¯s friend¡¯s strange disease is.¡±


    ¡°Okay, will Junjun stay in the vige?¡±


    ¡°He will go with us.¡±


    Niu Tongsheng frowned and said, ¡°Mingan Province is quite far. Isn¡¯t Junjun still taking medicine? I don¡¯t think he should go with you.¡±


    Xie Heng said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Chuchu can take care of him. Junjun will be fine with us.¡±


    ¡°Now that you have decided, we should just let Junjun go with you. Oh, right. Chuchu, we still need you to teach us how to gather in potatoes. After gathering in the potatoes, we can also gather in the rice.¡±


    Speaking of rice, Niu Tongsheng was very excited and said, ¡°Chuchu, your rice seed is really amazing. The harvest of the field we nted is more than all the early rice in previous years!¡±


    Chen Dashan also said, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. The early rice will be enough for a whole year. I¡¯ve never seen such efficient rice seeds!¡±


    Niu Tongsheng and the Chen n managed the fields that Zhao Chuchu nted.


    Zhao Chuchu often went out, so she didn¡¯t have time to take care of it.


    If they hadn¡¯t mentioned it, she would not remember that she still had rice to gather in.


    ¡°The rice seeds I gave you should be enough for the three of our families to growte rice, but I can¡¯t stay in the vige. So I have to ask you to help me. I¡¯ll pay you after Ie back.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to pay us. Don¡¯t worry about it. We nted the rice you gave us. These harvests alone are more than those in previous years. Take that as your payment. Now many people want your rice seeds. I wonder if we can continue to use the rice nted this year.¡±


    Niu Tongsheng was really looking forward to Zhao Chuchu¡¯s positive answer.


    Zhao Chuchu said calmly, ¡°No. I will tell you how to keep rice seeds next year. Even if we nt rice seeds this year, the harvest will not be so good next year.¡±


    In fact, it was feasible. Even if only half of this year¡¯s harvest, it would be better than that in previous years.


    Zhao Chuchu just did not want to give all the seeds to them.


    If she did this, they would gradually think she should help them like this.


    She naturally wanted to make others feel that high-yield rice seeds were difficult to get.


    Otherwise, she would be making trouble for herself.


    Niu Tongsheng said, ¡°I see. Don¡¯t worry. I will exin this to others clearly.¡±


    Then Niu Tongsheng told Xie Heng about soybeans and sorghum.


    Niu Tongsheng thought Xie Heng knew more about these two crops than Zhao Chuchu.


    Seeing this, Zhao Chuchu told them that she would go home first.


    The sweat all over her body made her feel sticky and greasy. She could not stand it anymore.


    After Zhao Chuchu took a bath, Xie Heng and Xie Jun also came back.


    ¡°The water is still hot. You guys can go to take a shower now.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu said to them while drying her hair.


    Xie Jun said, ¡°I¡¯ll go!¡±


    After taking a bath, he could go back to his room. He did not want to bother his brother and his sister-inw.


    Xie Jun was very thoughtful. He wanted to do everything possible to create opportunities for Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng.


    He hoped that they could have babies soon.


    ...


    Xie Heng walked over, took the towel from Zhao Chuchu, and asked Zhao Chuchu to sit on the stool in the yard.


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡±


    He stood behind Zhao Chuchu.


    The evening wind was blowing gently. There was a bright moon in the sky dotted with stars. In the distance, there were only faint outlines of endless mountains. And a beautiful girl was in front of Xie Heng.


    All this was so peaceful, which made Xie Heng feel much more rxed.


    It would be nice if time stopped right now.


    Xie Heng¡¯s movements were gentle, and he slowly helped Zhao Chuchu dry her hair.


    Then he sat beside Zhao Chuchu and said, ¡°I haven¡¯t enjoyed the cool like this for a long time. Looking at the stars and listening to insects, I feel the whole world gradually quiets down.¡±


    ¡°Now and in the future, you can do this whenever you want to.¡±


    ¡°Will you apany me?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ...


    Zhao Chuchu promised him immediately.


    They had formalized their rtionship.


    Zhao Chuchu would not hide her feelings anymore.


    Xie Heng held Zhao Chuchu¡¯s soft hand in his.


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s hand was tiny, making his look big. Xie Heng could wrap Zhao Chuchu¡¯s hand with his.


    Xie Heng looked up at Zhao Chuchu and said, ¡°Do girls all have tiny hands like yours?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    This was the first time Xie Heng had held a girl¡¯s hand.


    In the past, although he had married Sikou Qin and Zhao Chuchu, he had no physical contact with them.


    ¡°Generally, women have smaller, thinner bones than men. That¡¯s why our hands seem smaller than men¡¯s. Of course, nothing is absolute.¡±


    Xie Heng kept looking at Zhao Chuchu¡¯s hands. He imagined how many people had been saved by her tiny hands.


    Xie Heng wanted to know everything about Zhao Chuchu.


    But he knew that he should not ask too much. If he kept asking her questions, he feared that Zhao Chuchu would be angry.


    He was waiting for Zhao Chuchu to tell him everything he wanted to know. He had the patience for it.

 Chapter 212 - 212 You Will Get Paid

    212 You Will Get Paid


    They said nothing overnight.


    The following day, Zhao Chuchu got up early. After washing, she took out bread and milk from the carry-on space so that Xie Heng did not have to cook breakfast.


    After eating bread, Xie Heng asked Zhao Chuchu, ¡°How can I make this?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not easy. There are no tools. If you like it, just tell me. Is it better than steamed buns?¡±


    !!


    ¡°The outside is crisp, and the inside is fragrant and soft. It is quite usual. It should be baked, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. But it is difficult for you to make this in present circumstances.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu prepared a lot of bread. In addition, she also prepared all kinds of pastries.


    Since Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng knew their feelings for each other, she was willing to pamper the man she liked.


    ¡°Tell me how to make itter. Maybe I can do it.¡±


    ¡°Da Lang, you should prepare for the Imperial Examination. You don¡¯t have to spend much time on this.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t want Xie Heng to spend too much time studying food.


    ¡°This is equally important to me.¡±


    After all, if he was able to keep Zhao Chuchu stay with him with food, he was totally willing to spend some time on this.


    ¡°There isn¡¯t much time for this. I¡¯m afraid I will be busy with something else in two years.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu thought so.


    After bing an official, Xie Heng wouldn¡¯t always be avable like now. In this era, office efficiency was not high, and people had to spend a lot of time on official duties.


    Zhao Chuchu left five pineapple buns in the pot and then went to Niu Tongsheng¡¯s house with Xie Heng.


    Niu Tongsheng smiled when he saw them. He then said, ¡°I was just going to look for you guys. I didn¡¯t expect you to be so early. Have you had breakfast? There are porridge and side dishes. Would you like some?¡±


    Xie Heng shook his head and said, ¡°There is no need, Chief. We have eaten our breakfast. Can we go to Tripe Mountain now?¡±


    Niu Tongsheng shouldered the iron hoe and walked forward. ¡°Yes, We should call on Dashan and his brother on the way. I went to see the potatoes in Tripe Mountain two days ago. The potatoes below were huge. There must be a lot of harvests. Chuchu, can you sell some of these potatoes to me next year so I can grow them?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to wait for the next year. You can nt it in September. You cane to me and ask for it then.¡±


    ¡°Can I nt potatoes in September?¡±


    ¡°Well, in fact, December is also OK.¡±


    ¡°Three times a year?¡±


    ¡°Yes, potatoes are not difficult to grow, and there are many ways to eat them. They could be the staple food when there is not much other food.¡±


    ¡°Can we all nt this potato after we gather in the soybeans? In that case, we won¡¯t have to starve all the time next year when there is not much other food!¡± Niu Tongsheng got excited.


    Zhao Chuchu smiled and said, ¡°Yes, if you nt all my rice seeds, you won¡¯t be hungry anymore. But it doesn¡¯t matter if you nt some other grains. You don¡¯t need to worry about food if there is a natural disaster.¡±


    ¡°What we want is simply to have enough food and enough clothes.¡±


    It seemed easy to have enough food and enough clothes, but sometimes it was totally out of reach.


    Such as the end of the world.


    Anyway, Zhao Chuchu was very satisfied with the current environment.


    At least she did not have to struggle to survive.


    While talking, they arrived at the Chen n. Chen Dashan and his brother were carrying iron hoes and preparing to go to Niu Tongsheng¡¯s house. When they saw Niu Tongsheng, Zhao Chuchu, and Xie Henging, they went directly to Tripe Mountain.


    The potato had been gically modified. It did not require a high living environment. The harvest was better than Zhao Chuchu expected.


    ¡°Be careful when digging potatoes. Just don¡¯t hurt the soybean seedlings. We can ask more people to gather in the potatoes here in a day.¡± Zhao Chuchu was really happy when she saw her well-grown potatoes.


    In the afternoon, Zhao Chuchu invited the vigers to gather in potatoes before she left for Mingan Province. Roughly speaking, they gathered in about 6500 kilograms of potatoes.


    The vigers took loads and loads back without stopping.


    The utility room of Xie Heng¡¯s house was packed.


    The vigers refused wages, and Zhao Chuchu gave 25 kilograms of potatoes to each n as a gift of thanks, which meant that they also got the seeds.


    When Zhao Chuchu was nting potatoes, many vigers were helping, so they also knew how to grow these potatoes. They were very grateful to Zhao Chuchu.


    Since Zhao Chuchu got new crops, she asked Niu An to send arge basket of potatoes to Manager Lin of Visitor¡¯s Aroma when sending tofu skins to him.


    At noon that day, Manager Lin asked the chef to make the simplest homemade food with potatoes. It got very popr. Manager Lin came to Lengshui Vige in person to buy some potatoes to send to the main store in the capital.


    ¡°Manager Lin, I will be away for a few days. Why don¡¯t you buy more? Tomorrow, I will let Uncle Niu send them to you. Otherwise, you may not be able to buy such potatoes when you need them. Besides, they are easy to keep and will not go bad in a long time.¡±


    Manager Lin immediately ordered one thousand kilograms after hearing Zhao Chuchu¡¯s words. He wanted to send half of the potatoes to the capital and kept the other half for himself.


    As there were many new dishes in Visitor¡¯s Aroma, Manager Lin¡¯s business was improving. Many customers came from other ces to try the dishes.


    Manager Lin smiled and said, ¡°Well, Chuchu, you should send anything new to Visitor¡¯s Aroma. I believe in you.¡±


    ¡°OK!¡± Zhao Chuchu immediately agreed.


    Manager Lin was satisfied and stayed in Lengshui Vige overnight until he left the next day.


    Seeing such a good harvest of potatoes, Madam Yang limped to Zhao Chuchu with silver and wanted to buy potatoes to grow by herself.


    Madam Yang said, ¡°Chuchu, I heard you have something named potato, right? Can you sell some to me? Don¡¯t worry. I came with silver. You will get paid.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu squinted at her.


    ¡°I really know that I was wrong. I will never bother you again. I am begging you, OK?¡± Madam Yang did not want to mess with Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu did not even look at Madam Yang¡¯s broken leg. Madam Yang would never offend Zhao Chuchu again.


    Zhao Chuchu said calmly, ¡°How much silver do you have?¡±


    ...


    Madam Yang hurriedly said, ¡°At what price did you sell the potatoes to Visitor¡¯s Aroma? I could pay at that price.¡±


    She actually wanted it to be cheaper.


    But she dared not say so.


    Zhao Chuchu sold the potatoes to Manager Lin for 30 cents half a kilogram.


    Hearing the price, Madam Yang was shocked.


    Wasn¡¯t that more expensive than rice?


    ¡°Is this potato more expensive than rice?¡±


    ¡°You can leave whenever you want. I will not force you to buy my potatoes.¡±


    Madam Yang thought for a long time. She wanted to try nting this potato. If the harvest were so good, it would be more cost-effective than nting rice.


    ¡°Can you sell me some rice seeds?¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    ...


    Zhao Chuchu sneered.


    Madam Yang still wanted the potatoes. ¡°Then I want one kilogram of potatoes.¡±


    Sixty cents were too much for her, but she gritted her teeth and made up her mind at the thought that 60 cents might be 600 cents.


    Zhao Chuchu asked Xie Jun to prepare one kilogram of potatoes for Madam Yang.


    Madam Yang paid, took the potatoes, and left quickly.


    She wanted to keep these potatoes as seeds, but she didn¡¯t expect them to be cooked by Madam Ma.


    On this day, Old Man Zhao¡¯s house was boisterous.


    Madam Yang ran after Madam Ma everywhere in the yard. Madam Yang scolded Madam Ma as severely as how Madam Yang used to scold Zhao Chuchu. Finally, Niu Tongsheng came to stop the farce.


    In a rage, Madam Ma went back to her mother¡¯s house.

 Chapter 213 - 213 Pregnant With Ghosts

    213 Pregnant With Ghosts


    Chuchu would not bother with these things.


    By evening, she and Xie Heng would take Xie Jun with them and leave Lengshui Vige.


    It only took them one night to arrive at the Mingan Province.


    However, Mingan Province was evenrger than Guangqing Province.


    !!


    So Xie Heng rented a carriage for the journey to Yuyun County,


    Chuchu prepared all the needed medicine for the big belly disease in advance. After packing it in the box, she rushed to Yuyun County.


    They didn¡¯t stop on the way. Lunch was even finished in the carriage.


    The coachman drove the carriage at top speed, and by evening, they finally arrived at the county town of Yuyun County.


    Xie Jun was dispirited and pale from the bumpy journey. They had to stay in the county overnight and leave for Qiaoyi Town tomorrow.


    When the bartender served the meal, Chuchu inquired about the big belly disease in Qiaoyi Town.


    The second he heard of it, his expression changed abruptly. He hurried to look around at the door. After making sure no one heard of it, he came back to Chuchu and said at half volume, ¡°Youngdy, do not ask about such things. You could be arrested for it.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Chuchu asked, somewhat puzzled.


    ¡°Officials do not allow us to talk about it. They will arrest those who discuss it.¡±


    ¡°Bartender, I am a doctor. A friend wrote me toe over here. Can you tell me about Qiaoyi Town?¡±


    ¡°You are a doctor?¡±


    The bartender had a look of disbelief.


    Chuchu looked so young. How could she be a doctor?


    He would believe her more if she said her husband was one.


    ¡°Youngdy, it is not the time to joke now. I can only say, do not inquire about Qiaoyi Town, and do not go there either. Otherwise, you will surely die if you catch the disease.¡±


    Hearing this, Chuchu knew that the situation in Qiaoyi Town was even more severe than Qiao Heting had told her.


    The authorities had probably already sealed off Qiaoyi Town. The fate awaiting the folks of Qiaoyi Town was likely to be burned to death.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there a doctor who can cure it?¡±


    ¡°If there were, it wouldn¡¯t end up like now. s, youngdy, you should stop asking around and stay away from there.¡±


    Finishing this, he hurriedly ran away, fearing she would relentlessly question him.


    Xie Jun seemed about to understand. ¡°Brother, sister-inw, is there a gue in Qiaoyi Town?¡±


    ¡°Not really. Human-to-human transmission is called gue.¡±


    Blood Bug Virus was a human-animal transmission disease. People would not infect each other in daily contact, which was not the same as the early flu in Yuanjiang County.


    ¡°Then why did the bartender make it so appalling?¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s something unknown.¡±


    ¡°Then do you have a solution?¡±


    ¡°We must check the patient first to know if it can be cured.¡±


    Xie Jun was suddenly full of worries.


    He hadn¡¯t even forgotten now that he had almost been burned to death by fire.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look so sad. I will be there for you even if the sky is falling.¡± Xie Heng smiled and rubbed Xie Jun¡¯s brow. ¡°You have to trust your sister-inw.¡±


    Xie Jun looked at Chuchu eagerly. ¡°You must have a way, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡±


    ¡°I hope you can save them.¡±


    Xie Jun secretly prayed for the people in Qiaoyi Town, hoping they would survive the disease.


    Young as he was, he did not want to see such casualties.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not spend the night in the town and go directly to Qiaoyi Town. One less night of dy may save one more life. Brother, sister-inw, I can hold up.¡±


    ¡°Now it¡¯ste. Even if we want to keep going, it¡¯s unsafe. Your sister-inw and I took turns carrying you on our backsst night, and we¡¯re tired. We need to get a good rest before we leave for there tomorrow.¡±


    Xie Jun was getting anxious when hearing this.


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll go tomorrow and have a good rest tonight.¡±


    ¡°Well, finish your dinner now.¡±


    Xie Jun hurriedly began eating the rice in bit bites, trying to finish it early so that his brother and sister-inw could rest.


    They asked for two rooms. Xie Jun was still young, so he shared the room with Xie Heng, and Chuchu had a separate room.


    After a good night¡¯s sleep, they paid the bill and left for Qiaoyi Town the following day,


    The closer to Qiaoyi Town, the more tense the atmosphere.


    Most of the people wereing from Qiaoyi Town to the direction of the county.


    Only the group of Chuchu was heading in the opposite direction from them.


    Chuchu asked several people on the way, but details were scant, and they were unwilling to mention Qiaoyi Town.


    As they approached Qiaoyi Town, there was already a barrier set up by the government officials, forbidding all to enter or leave.


    Chuchu made the excuse of visiting her parents and gave the official some silver, so they sessfully went in.


    The three of them had not gone far when they heard the officials behind them mocking andughing.


    ...


    ¡°They¡¯ll only get themselves killed. Others tried every means to escape from Qiaoyi Town, but they paid to get in.¡±


    ¡°Why do you care so much about them? It¡¯s hard to hold back a man who¡¯s meant to run into something terrible. They asked for it. The money is enough for us to eat a good meal.¡±


    ¡°s, do you think those ghost fetuses in Qiaoyi Town will escape and make trouble? I am always feeling anxious. It is said that more and more people are pregnant with ghosts.¡±


    Chuchu looked at them, frowning.


    She did not want to bother with these people.


    After all, the lives of the people of Qiaoyi Town were more critical.


    The magistrate of Yuyun County was quite interesting.


    He did not find doctors to cure the disease. Instead, he allowed the spread of such nonsense.


    Pregnant with ghost fetuses?


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid the people at the county courthouse were those who were pregnant with evil intentions,¡± she thought.


    Xie Jun said quietly, ¡°Sister-inw, is there a ghost?¡±


    ...


    Chuchu answered, ¡°Of course not. It¡¯s all made up by the treacherous people. If gods and ghosts existed in the world, there wouldn¡¯t be so many people suffering.¡±


    Xie Heng said, ¡°Junjun, even the real evil ghost is not as scary as the human. You must remember, in the future, even what you see with your own eyes is not necessarily true. You have to judge with your mind.¡±


    Xie Jun nodded. ¡°I see.¡±


    As they entered Qiaoyi Town, they felt panic and despair everywhere.


    No one had a smile on their face. Their expression was either numbness or fear; some were even bawling, cursing heaven¡¯s injustice!


    Why did they have to be punished like this in Qiaoyi Town?


    For the arrival of three strangers, no one was willing to take a different look at them.


    In such an atmosphere, even a healthy person would be driven crazy.


    Xie Jun was also frightened and clutched Xie Heng¡¯s hand tightly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± Xie Heng gently reassured Xie Jun. ¡°You should remember what you saw with both eyes today, and whatever decision you make in the future, think about the people of Qiaoyi Town.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because when you are recovered, you will also have your ambitions.¡±


    Although Jun Xie did not understand why Xie Heng said that, he had always listened to Xie Heng and believed that Xie Heng would not harm him, so he gathered the courage to see the present Qiaoyi Town.


    Chuchu walked into the forefront with the medicine box on her back.


    Finally, she saw a beggar with a bulging stomach lying in the corner of the house. People would believe he was dead if not for the still slightly heaving chest.


    Not minding his filthy body at all, she walked up and took the beggar¡¯s hand to check his pulse.


    The beggar found someone touching himself, struggling to open his eyes.


    Only to see a beauty like a fairy in the painting looking at him, he exhausted hisst trace of strength to make a sound. ¡°Are you a fairy?¡±

 Chapter 214 - 214 Don’t Delay Me From Saving People

    214 Don¡¯t Dy Me From Saving People


    ¡°I¡¯m a doctor. Don¡¯t move. I¡¯ll check your pulse,¡± Chuchu said warmly and smiled at the beggar.


    The beggar fell into a trance at her smile. ¡°Am I already dead?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not dead yet. Don¡¯t be afraid. My sister-inw can save you.¡± Xie Jun squatted down beside them.


    Seeing such a lovely child as Xie Jun, the beggar more than ever felt that he had died.


    Otherwise, how could such a good-looking person approach him and still not mind him dirty?


    Chuchu was now sure that this beggar had been infected with the Blood Bug Virus.


    ¡°Da Lang, look around for an inn. Let¡¯s take the man there first.¡± She looked back at Xie Heng.


    ¡°The inn is over there.¡± Xie Heng had note over together because he was observing theyout of Qiaoyi Town. So he immediately pointed out the direction of the inn when Chuchu asked.


    The inn¡¯s g signs had been tattered. They could barely recognize that it was an inn if not for good eyesight.


    Xie Heng came over, helped the beggar get up, and walked toward the inn.


    The inn was open. The sorrowful inn owner was lying on the counter with a look of waiting for death.


    Seeing the three strangers, the inn owner was a bit stunned.


    ¡°Are you here to stay the night?¡± He didn¡¯t quite dare to believe it. ¡°Hasn¡¯t Qiaoyi Town been blocked off by the soldiers? How did you get here?¡±


    Chuchu replied, ¡°I¡¯m a doctor. A friend wrote to me that someone in Qiaoyi Town has a strange disease and asked me to take a look here. Please bring some hot water to help this uncle wash up, and ask all the patients like him in the town toe over here.¡±


    The inn owner was shocked for a moment but quickly began to persuade Chuchu, ¡°So many doctors havee to see them, but they can¡¯t help. Youngdy, you are at such a young age. Can you save those people with big bellies?¡±


    ¡°Now the people in town are basically waiting to die. If you are notpletely certain about saving them, I would advise you to avoid all this. It¡¯s better to stay away from those about to die.¡±


    Chuchu understood what he meant. He meant no harm to her and was not looking down on her.


    He was just worried that Chuchu couldn¡¯t cure the patient and ended up being retaliated against by them.


    ¡°I am certain. Please get the patients here as soon as possible. The imperial court will not give you a chance to live if it is toote,¡± Chuchu said seriously.


    The owner sighed. ¡°Everyone says that our people havemitted too much evil and are targeted by wronged ghosts. Those with big bellies are pregnant with ghosts. Even the court believed it and blocked our town¡­¡±


    After a pause, he looked at Chuchu again, his expression stern. ¡°Youngdy, if you can save us, we will set up a monument for you.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about thatter. Do as I say first, don¡¯t waste time.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go right away. Dachuan, boil some water.¡±


    After instructing the bartender, he hurriedly went out.


    It was hot at present, and the water boiled up quickly.


    Dachuan helped the beggars to take a bath after nervously asking Chuchu, ¡°Youngdy, what you said earlier is true? Can you cure these patients? Our town is not haunted by wronged spirits. They are not pregnant with ghosts either, right?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just sickness. Quickly go help him wash and change dry clothes for him.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡±


    He did not dare to dy.


    But after walking a few steps, he turned back. ¡°Youngdy, if you can save the patients with big belly disease, then can you, please help my mother too?¡±


    ¡°I will go vige by vige. Right now, let¡¯s check the pulse of the people in town first.¡±


    ¡°Well, thank you, youngdy.¡±


    Dachuan¡¯s eyes were red, and he took the beggar to the back to take a bath as fast as he could.


    Chuchu moved two tables outside the inn together with Xie Heng to make a simple consultation area.


    Xie Jun also came to help.


    The inn owner soon returned, followed by more than a dozen people with big bellies.


    Men and women, young and old.


    He was panting and sweating. ¡°Doctor, only they are willing toe to you for treatment. Everyone else doesn¡¯t believe in you. I, I¡¯ve tried my best.¡±


    From youngdy to doctor, the inn owner was also hoping that Chuchu had a way to cure them.


    But along with them came a middle-aged man.


    As soon as he approached, Chuchu could smell the medicinal herbs on him. It was evident that he was also a doctor.


    However, before she could say anything, the man spoke first to Xie Heng,pletely ignoring her. ¡°Are you the one who can cure their big bellies the shopkeeper said? You speak boldly for a man at such a young age.¡±


    Xie Heng said in a calm voice, ¡°Age does not represent experience, let alone medical skills. You are old enough, yet you cannot cure them.¡±


    ¡°How dare you speak such nonsense in front of the seniors? Do you know the rules of this business, that the junior should be respectful to the senior? You say you are a doctor, but you don¡¯t even know the most basic things. Did you all hear that? This kid is not a doctor at all!¡±


    ¡°My husband is indeed not a doctor, and we never said he was one.¡±


    ¡°Listen, are the liars so bold and arrogant now? Do you think you can do whatever you want here because the government has sealed off Qiaoyi Town? Now kneel and admit your mistake. I can pretend this never happened.¡±


    He seemed to have something on them, like a hero returning from the battlefield.


    Chuchu looked at the inn owner. ¡°This is your doctor from Qiaoyi Town? No wonder more and more people are getting sick. Not much of a doctor, but a master of high and mighty posture.¡±


    ¡°Shut up. You don¡¯t have the right to speak here!¡± The middle-aged man pointed at Chuchu angrily.


    Chuchuughed. ¡°If we are to rank the seniority in terms of medical skills, I should be able to be considered as the ancestor of you. However, you are too useless. I am not willing to be your ancestor.¡±


    ¡°You, you¡­¡± The middle-aged man was so angry that he couldn¡¯t speak. After a moment, he shouted at those with significant belly diseases. ¡°Get this girl for me, or you won¡¯t ever catch a bit of medicine at my ce!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t intend to use your medicine, lest you add something in it and make these people worse. If you want to see me curing them, I will not be so stingy as not to show you. If you are not to stop your bullshit, get the hell out of here, and don¡¯t dy me from saving people.¡±


    The middle-aged man was almost on the verge of death from seething rage.


    ¡°Oh, right, I forgot to introduce myself. My surname is Zhao, my husband¡¯s family name is Xie, and I am from Yuanjiang County, Guangqing Province.¡± Chuchu looked at the middle-aged man and slowly added this sentence.


    ...


    Qiaoyi Town was far away from Yuanjiang County, but the story of a gue that urred in Yuanjiang County at the beginning of the year had already reached here.


    Hearing this, the inn owner¡¯s eyes widened open, and he immediately asked, ¡°Are you Mrs. Xie that had cured the gue in Yuanjiang County?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t say I¡¯m the only one who cured the gue, but I did make the recipe for the gue.¡± Chuchu looked at the middle-aged man with a half smile. ¡°Do you think I am qualified to be your ancestor?¡±

 Chapter 215 - 215 You Can’t Learn My Medical Skills Anyway

    215 You Can¡¯t Learn My Medical Skills Anyway


    The middle-aged man¡¯s expression changed abruptly when hearing this.


    He never thought that such a little girl was the one who contained the gue in Yuanjiang County.


    He was also in Yuanjiang County when the gue broke out, but after a diagnosis, he found that he could do nothing about the gue. He hurried back to Mingan Province to avoid getting into trouble.


    How could she cure a disease he couldn¡¯t even do anything about?


    It must be bragging or impersonation. Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t be at this age.


    ¡°You are talking nonsense. She is said to be mute and an ugly girl. You must be an impostor who came to Qiaoyi Town specifically to swindle money. Even seriously ill patients are not spared. You¡¯ll get youreuppance.¡±


    He suppressed the shock in his heart and pointed at Chuchu, cursing indignantly.


    Xie Heng looked at the patients. ¡°Are you going to believe in a quack doctor who has no solution for this disease, or do you believe in my wife¡¯s medical skills? Don¡¯t let irrelevant people dy the process if it¡¯s thetter. You will suffer when it¡¯s toote.¡±


    The patients were already waiting to die. Following the inn owner over was thest ray of hope for them.


    Now that they heard that Zhao Chuchu was the one who ended the gue in Yuanjiang County, the hope in their hearts was infinitely magnified. After Xie Heng¡¯s words, they certainly would not allow this middle-aged man to keep talking nonsense here and stop them from seeing the good doctor.


    ¡°Doctor Jiang, since you don¡¯t have the means to cure us, you shouldn¡¯t stop us from seeking medical treatment!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The doctor didn¡¯t even say how much silver she would charge us, so how is she a liar?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t want to die, and we don¡¯t need you to make decisions for us. Either leave or keep quiet; our lives are not up to you to mind.¡±


    Their tone was already considered euphemistic.


    He said that Chuchu was a liar, but those seeking his medical treatment had to go to his pharmacy for costly medicine, at least twice as expensive as other pharmacies. He was making a lot of money from this.


    He was now saying this in fear that Zhao Chuchu could cure their diseases, and no one would ever buy medicine at his pharmacy.


    ¡°Doctor Jiang, did you hear that?¡± Chuchu looked at him. ¡°If you continue to talk bullshit, then I will stop trying to be civil.¡±


    Doctor Jiang¡¯s face had already turned red from the patient¡¯s words.


    Now he was rechallenged by Chuchu. He gritted his teeth. ¡°I¡¯d like to see how capable you are. Cure them? Huh!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s useless to see the process. You can¡¯t learn my medical skills anyway.¡±


    Dr. Jiang. ¡°¡­¡±


    He had been in Qiaoyi Town for so many years and had been greatly respected by people.


    Now he had be the one to be expelled because of a little bitch.


    Uneptable! He would never settle for it!


    He could not wait to see the patients die on the spot and then report to the officials to have Chuchu arrested.


    Chuchu already didn¡¯t bother to pay attention to him.


    She asked these people with big bellies to line up one by one and take turns to have their pulse checked.


    As she expected, they were all infected with the Blood Bug Virus.


    The medicine she prepared also came in handy.


    Because she didn¡¯t know when the imperial court would give the stupid order to burn people alive again, she prescribed them western medicine.


    These medicines were very effective in treating the Blood Bug Virus, a rapidly developing medical sess inter generations.


    After taking medicine, the patients felt less ufortable and painful.


    Although Doctor. Jiang¡¯s medical skills were not good, but at least he had been practicing medicine for many years and had limited experience, so naturally, he could see that Chuchu¡¯s treatment worked for people with big belly disease.


    However, some cases were severe and required surgery.


    Before that, she talked to the person who was going to have the surgery to understand this matter.


    ¡°Rip the belly open? Would I still be alive by then?¡± That patient¡¯s face turned pale.


    ¡°Sure. You have my word on that. But if you don¡¯t choose to do the surgery, you won¡¯t live past this year. Whether you want to do it or not, it is your own choice. I will not force you and respect you,¡± Chuchu said severely.


    Hearing this, Doctor Jiangughed out loud. ¡°This is the so-called magic doctor? Rip open the belly? I suspect that she is one of those cult believers. She will dig out your hearts to refine drugs¡­¡±


    Chuchu coldly said, ¡°As a doctor, you are helplessly and incorrigibly ignorant. You¡¯ve disgraced the reputation of the doctor. If you could cure them, Qiaoyi Town would not have be as miserable as it is now! I came to save lives. Instead of humbly asking me for advice, you are full of jealousy.¡±


    ¡°No wonder your medical skills haven¡¯t improved at your age. I bet you¡¯re all focused on how to calcte and manipte others.


    ¡°You, you¡­¡±


    Chuchu felt that he was too annoying. She straightly went forward and knocked him out with a palm¡¯s smash to stop his ceaseless chatter.


    ¡°Or, you ask your family?¡± She looked at the man she was talking to before.


    He didn¡¯t say anything for a long time, but the other woman spoke first. ¡°Doctor, I believe you. As long as you can save me, I can suffer anything. I just want to live. My child is not yet grown.¡±


    Chuchu looked at the woman, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. As long as you recuperate well, you will get better soon.¡±


    The woman nodded and chose to believe Chuchu without hesitation.


    Chuchu asked the inn owner to prepare a more spacious good room, sent the person in, and then requested Xie Heng to keep watch outside.


    It was impossible to create a sterile environment under pressing circumstances, so she could only carefully sterilize the room before operating on the patient.


    The patient was already under anesthesia.


    She took out the necessary surgical tools from the space and started to operate on people.


    Why didn¡¯t she use her supernatural power?


    The supernatural power still had not been able to return to its peak. Now it could still only be used three times a day.


    So these three times should be used on the knife.


    After operating on the woman and stitching up the wound, she walked out.


    ...


    The woman¡¯s husband was outside.


    ¡°How is my wife? Is she, is she still alive?¡± The man saw that only Chuchu had walked out. His crimson eyes were filled with despair.


    ¡°The effect of the medicine has not yet passed. We will have to wait. But you have to take good care of your wife for the next several days¡­¡± Chuchu instructed the matters to be noted after the operation carefully and asked the man to repeat it to confirm that he remembered.


    Seeing this, the man who was hesitant earlier also discussed it with his family and agreed to have the surgery.


    But Chuchu told them to wait. She had to go to see the beggar first.


    The beggar was already in serious condition. If not for Chuchu, he would not survive the night.


    Chuchu used her healing powers on him to bring him back to life.


    When the beggar was settled, she then performed the second surgery, still in the inn.


    During the surgery, those who were not so sick and felt better after taking Chuchu¡¯s medicine returned and shared the news. As a result, more patients came to the inn, hoping that Chuchu could cure their illnesses.


    After all, no one wanted to be told they were pregnant with ghosts.


    ...

 Chapter 216 - 216 What Did You Steal?

    216 What Did You Steal?


    Zhao Chuchu was exceptionally busy. She was so busy that she didn¡¯t even have the time to eat.


    Xie Heng cooked and brought the food in front of Zhao Chuchu to feed her. She ate as she treated the patients to prevent herself from having to wait untilte at night to have time to eat.


    Zhao Chuchu was going to refuse, but she was too hungry to care about such things.


    She was busy untilte at night. That was when she was finally able to take a look at all the patients in Qiaoyi Town.


    Xie Heng told the manager to bring her a tub of hot water for Zhao Chuchu to have a bath.


    Zhao Chuchuy in the tub and finally felt rxed and refreshed.


    However, all she could think of was this matter about the Blood Bug Virus.


    Qiaoyi Town¡¯s situation alone was already critical. It wouldn¡¯t be hard to guess what the other viges would be like.


    Blood Bug Virus was a disease caused by a blood-sucking bug that acted like a parasite. Any human or mammal who came in contact with the infected water would be infected.


    Without the help of medicine, no one could recover by themselves. Even if one were cured, their immune system still wouldn¡¯t have any effects on this disease. They were prone to be again infected by this disease if they came into contact with the infected water.


    Therefore, Zhao Chuchu not only had to cure the people but also solve the problem of the infected water as well. People would need to be adequately protected before going into the water. They must pay attention to their hygiene and wash their hands before eating. They shouldn¡¯t go anywhere near any excretion, and people shouldn¡¯t drink water that wasn¡¯t boiled.


    At that moment, Zhao Chuchu learned from the inn manager that Heyang Vige was the worst off.


    Zhao Chuchu decided to head to Heyang Vige to take a look the next day and get some rest for now.


    After the bath, Zhao Chuchu asked for someone to pour the used water away. Only then did Xie Heng return to the room.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already asked around and discovered which viges were infected with this disease.¡± Xie Heng handed Zhao Chuchu a piece of paper.


    It was a map of Qiaoyi Town. All the viges were marked with the number of people infected. It was pretty obvious which viges were the worse off.


    ¡°I¡¯m nning on going to this ce tomorrow.¡± Zhao Chuchu ced the map on the table and pointed at Heyang Vige. ¡°I¡¯ve been asking around. They said that there¡¯s ake next to this vige. This is the river source that Qiaoyi Town uses for its water source. Therefore the origin of the big belly disease should be here as well.¡±


    Then, Zhao Chuchu told Xie Heng why people were infected with the Blood Bug Disease.


    Xie Heng was a little stunned. ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯ve always asked people to boil the water before drinking it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. This way, the temperature can kill off most of the virus in the water. This reduces the possibility of someone being infected. Humans look like we dominate this world, but we¡¯re actually very weak. A small virus canpletely crush us. Da Lang, if you be an official one day, no matter where, remember to spread what I¡¯ve told you.¡±


    During that time, the medical level wasn¡¯t as good. If people didn¡¯t take more care, a gue would be able to wipe out half the poption.


    It was something that did happen in history.


    ¡°I remember everything you¡¯ve told me.¡± Xie Heng nodded thoughtfully.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been busy all day, and you still have to go to Heyang Vige tomorrow. You need a good night¡¯s rest. The trip to Heyang Vige isn¡¯t going to be easy. The Blood Bug Virus will be even worse over there as well.¡±


    ¡°Are you hungry?¡± Xie Heng asked all of a sudden.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make you supper if you¡¯re hungry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alreadyte. I¡¯ll make something to eat myself if I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    With that, Zhao Chuchu took out two small cakes.


    ¡°Here, I¡¯ll treat you to some.¡±


    This was still something that Xie Heng hadn¡¯t seen.


    It looked very delicate. Xie Heng, who didn¡¯t really like sweet food, ate the cream indifferently.


    ¡°Tastes good.¡± Xie Heng looked at Zhao Chuchu. ¡°What is this called?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s called a cake. From where Ie from, we can only eat these on our birthday. It¡¯s just that these cakes are too small. They can only serve as snacks.¡± Zhao Chuchu swallowed thest mouthful of cake. Then she smiled and looked at Xie Heng. ¡°Do you think we¡¯re being a little too selfish?¡±


    ¡°Junjun¡¯s still a little too young. It¡¯s better for him not to eat as much sweet food,¡± Xie Heng said matter-of-factly. ¡°He can¡¯t restrain himself as much yet, so we have to restrain him.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t really retort because she felt Xie Heng had a point.


    However, she still felt a little bad for Xie Jun, who liked her so much.


    ¡°When is Junjun¡¯s birthday? Let¡¯s give him a surprise then.¡±


    ¡°8th August.¡±


    ¡°There are only two months left. That¡¯s perfect. The poison in his body should be mostly removed by then. I can give him a cake at that time.¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, don¡¯t be so nice to Junjun. Boys shouldn¡¯t be given such an easy time.¡±


    ¡°You talk like you don¡¯t spoil him.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu rolled her eyes at Xie Heng.


    ¡°The person who spoils Xie Jun the most is Xie Heng himself. How dare he say that I spoil Xie Jun.¡±


    ¡°I have my own reasons.¡±


    ¡°Excuses, excuses.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright. Let¡¯s go to bed. We¡¯ll talk about it tomorrow.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu pushed Xie Heng out of her room.


    Xie Heng felt a little helpless. He turned around and saw some cream still in the corner of Zhao Chuchu¡¯s mouth, so he reached out and wiped it off with his thumb. ¡°If Junjun sees this, he¡¯ll know we¡¯ve been eating something behind his back.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu subconsciously touched the corner of her mouth. The cream had already been wiped away by Xie Heng.


    ¡°Go back and get some rest. Many things are waiting to be done by you tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Okay, goodnight.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu smiled as she looked at Xie Heng.


    ...


    Xie Heng reached out and rubbed Zhao Chuchu¡¯s head, then closed the door for her.


    Xie Heng returned to his room and looked down at the cream on his thumb.


    He didn¡¯t know what had gotten into him. He actually ced the cream in his mouth.


    He didn¡¯t know if it was because it was from Zhao Chuchu, but the cream tasted sweeter than what he had tasted moments ago. He didn¡¯t find it too sweet, either.


    When Xie Heng came back to his senses and realized what he had done, he felt his ears turn red.


    He felt that he had done something wrong behind Zhao Chuchu¡¯s back.


    Xie Heng quickly walked to the sink and washed his face with water. Only then did he calm down a little.


    Obviously, Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t know what Xie Heng did.


    She was so tired that she fell asleep as soon as her head touched the pillow.


    However, that night, she had a dream. She dreamed of Xie Heng wiping the cream off her face and then eating the cream bit by bit.


    Zhao Chuchu only woke up when the sun was high in the sky.


    ...


    The lighting from the outside made her realize that everything was just a dream.


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s face turned red.


    She was dreaming of crazy in her dreams! The dream was of her and Xie Heng as well.


    People say that dreams can reveal one¡¯s desires. Did she desire Xie Heng that badly?


    Zhao Chuchu was at a loss for words.


    She only managed to calm herself down after a while. She then took a deep breath to steady herself.


    When she was a perfect calm, she stood up and began putting her clothes on.


    Zhao Chuchu had initially thought that Xie Heng would still be asleep so early in the money.


    In the end, she realized that Xie Heng had gotten out of bed way before she did. He seemed to have ck eyes as well.


    ¡°Da Lang, what did you dost night? Were you sneaking around?¡± Zhao Chuchu pretended to be normal and began teasing Xie Heng. ¡°What did you steal?¡±


    ¡°Being too tired on the roads caused me to lose sleep. Therefore I stayed awake all night.¡± Xie Heng¡¯s voice was calm. He wasn¡¯t going to admit to what he had done the night before.


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Zhao Chuchu was a little suspicious.


    Xie Heng nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. I went to borrow the kitchen so that I could make breakfast. You can dig in, and I¡¯ll go and call for Xie Jun. Soon, we can set off for Heyang Vige.¡±

 Chapter 217 - 217 The Will to Live

    217 The Will to Live


    Zhao Chuchu saw that Xie Heng looked alright, so she didn¡¯t pursue the matter further.


    Xie Heng went upstairs to get Xie Jun, and Zhao Chuchu went to the back of the inn alone to eat breakfast.


    When Dachuan saw Zhao Chuchu, he was the first to wee her. ¡°Doctor, are you here to eat breakfast? Mr. Xie has already made breakfast for you. I¡¯ll bring it for you¡­¡±


    ¡°No need, I¡¯ll do it myself.¡±


    ¡°Doctor, when will you take a look at my mother?¡± Dachuan asked cautiously.


    Zhao Chuchu looked at Dachuan. ¡°I remember you said you were from Heyang Vige?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°It just so happens that I¡¯m going to Heyang Vige today. Do you want toe with me?¡±


    ¡°For real, doctor?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great. Thank you, doctor.¡±


    Dachuan hurriedly ran to the back kitchen and brought a bowl of porridge for Zhao Chuchu. ¡°Please enjoy your meal, Doctor.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was at a loss for words.


    Dachuan seemed to have heard Zhao Chuchu¡¯s advice to the people in town and taken it seriously. He washed his hands before serving Zhao Chuchu¡¯s porridge.


    Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng had breakfast, took Xie Jun with Dachuan, and headed towards Heyang Vige.


    The shopkeeper also asked Dachuan to take the inn¡¯s mule cart so as to get to Heyang Vige as soon as possible to save lives.


    From Dachuan, Zhao Chuchu learned more information rted to Heyang Vige.


    But no matter how much she heard, it was still far less shocking than seeing it with her own eyes.


    Zhao Chuchu had already prepared for the worst but did not expect the situation to be worse than she had imagined.


    All the animals, including wild ones, shared the same water source, which was theke by the vige.


    There was excretion all over the ce near theke. Even when Zhao Chuchu arrived, there were kids catching fish by theke.


    Zhao Chuchu was rendered speechless.


    A ce like this was a severely afflicted area for the Blood Bug Virus.


    When they reached the vige, the vigers sat in the shade with indifferent expressions. The whole vige wasn¡¯t lively at all.


    When the children saw them, they just nkly swept their eyes and withdrew their gaze, and then they did not look at Zhao Chuchu.


    They didn¡¯t even answer when Dachuan greeted them.


    When Dachuan saw the vige be this way, his eyes turned red. ¡°Doctor, please, you must save them. They are not ignoring us. They have experienced too much despair and cannot believe they have be like this¡­¡±


    ¡°I understand. It¡¯s okay. Let¡¯s go take a look at your mother first.¡± Zhao Chuchu interrupted Dachuan¡¯s words.


    In such an environment, there was no chaos in Qiaoyi Town because these people no longer had the will to live.


    They felt they were bound to die, so they didn¡¯t want to continue struggling.


    This was the most terrible situation.


    The mentality of the people who wanted to die had changed as well. Therefore, it wouldn¡¯t be easy to save them even with Zhao Chuchu¡¯s help.


    Dachuan¡¯s residence was in the western part of Heyang Vige.


    There were a few scattered families in this area, and they were quite a distance away.


    In front of the dpidated fence was a horribly thin old woman who seemed to be propping a human skin on a skeleton, and she was hunched over and moving forward with difficulty.


    ¡°Mother!¡±


    Dachuan saw the situation and immediately rushed over to hold the old woman. Even for someone like Dachuan, tears began trickling down his face.


    Dachuan¡¯s mother looked over when she heard Dachuan¡¯s voice. She recognized it was her son and immediately pushed him away.


    ¡°What are you doing back here? Don¡¯t evere back to Hengyang Vige. I don¡¯t have a son like you!¡± the old woman yelled at Dachuan with all her strength.


    But because she was weak and sick, she didn¡¯t have any strength at all, and she couldn¡¯t even push Dachuan.


    Dachuan cried and said, ¡°Mother, we met a miracle doctor. She can cure you. I came home this time to bring her to see you. Mother, you will be able to live well.¡±


    ¡°A miracle doctor? How many doctors call themselves miracle doctors, but none of them can cure us. This is not a disease. It is a ghostly fetus, a ghostly fetus that the god of gue had sent toe to collect a debt!¡± Dachuan¡¯s mother was worked up, and her voice trembled.


    ¡°Mother, I¡¯m not lying to you. This doctor is really a miracle doctor. I saw with my own eyes that she cured those people in town with the same disease as you. Moreover, the doctor said that the ghostly fetus was not real. You are just sick.¡±


    Dachuan¡¯s mother smiled miserably. ¡°Dachuan, I know you are filial, but now this vige can not return to the way it was. Go away. Leave this ce. Leave Qiaoyi Town, and go far away. Keep the family blood running for your father, okay?¡±


    ¡°Mother, I¡¯m not leaving. The doctor can cure you. You can definitely live a long life.¡±


    ¡°Dachuan, leave quickly. I beg of you.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu watched the mother and son cry and couldn¡¯t help but interrupt them. ¡°If you keep talking, it¡¯s going to be dark. Dachuan, help your mother sit down first. I will check her pulse first.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu finished and went forward, taking the lead in finding a ce to sit down.


    Dachuan hurriedly helped his mother over.


    Dachuan¡¯s mother wanted to struggle. She was unwilling to spend any more money to see any doctors. She hoped that Dachuan could save some money for himself and live well.


    But she was no match for Dachuan.


    Dachuan believed in Zhao Chuchu. Naturally, he would not give his mother a chance to break free.


    Zhao Chuchu checked her pulse, and her brows knitted slightly.


    Dachuan¡¯s mother was not only diagnosed with the Blood Bug Virus, but her body has also taken a beating from old age, and some medicines couldn¡¯t be used on her.


    ...


    Zhao Chuchu could only give her a milder medicine to temporarily relieve her pain and then gave Dachuan another prescription to use on his mother.


    ¡°Doctor, why is this medicine different from yesterday¡¯s?¡± Yesterday, Dachuan was watching at the side and remembered the pills Zhao Chuchu gave out, so he could tell at a nce that the medicine given today was different.


    Zhao Chuchu exined, ¡°Your mother¡¯s body is different from those strong men. Some medicines can not be used. Otherwise, it will kill her. This is a milder medicine for your mother, although the effect is slower; if your mother takes it persistently for some time, your mother will be cured.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it is. Sorry doctor, I¡¯m not a professional. I shouldn¡¯t point fingers at you.¡±


    Dachuan felt embarrassed.


    Zhao Chuchu wouldn¡¯t be offended over such trivial matters.


    It was usual for him to be nervous about his mother.


    In addition to Dachuan¡¯s mother, his brother, sister-inw, and nephew also had the Blood Bug Virus.


    Only their condition was not as severe as Dachuan¡¯s mother¡¯s, and the medicine they took was simr to the ones Zhao Chuchu prescribed in town yesterday.


    After they ate the medicine, they obviously felt that the difort had been relieved.


    ¡°Doctor, you are a miracle doctor!¡± Dachuan¡¯s elder brother, Dahai, had an excited look on his face. ¡°I¡¯m feeling better already!¡±


    ...


    ¡°The symptoms are reduced, but you still have to continue taking medicine,¡± Zhao Chuchu said after a pause. She looked at Dachuan. ¡°Go get your vige chief toe over.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll go right away.¡±


    Dachuan ran outside without looking back.


    While going to the vige headman¡¯s house, he shouted loudly, ¡°All fellow vigers, there really is a miracle doctor who can cure the disease. We are saved, don¡¯t worry. All of us in Heyang Vige will definitely be fine!¡±


    However, none of the numb vigers believed Dachuan¡¯s words, and some even scolded him.

 Chapter 218 - 218 All Must Die

    218 All Must Die


    Dachuan was not angry even after being scolded.


    He also patiently exined to the people. ¡°I swear, on my family, I didn¡¯t lie to you. Why don¡¯t youe to Doctor Miracle now? My mother got a lot better after taking medicine.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s just a temporary effect. Our vige is doomed. No one can save us!¡±


    ¡°Are you proud of yourself for not getting sick? I tell you, it will be your turn sooner orter!¡±


    !!


    ¡°No one can escape, and so are you, Dachuan. Hahaha, all must die. All must die together.¡±


    Dachuan smiled and saw the vigers¡¯ faces that had be grim from despair and couldn¡¯t help but frown.


    In the end, he did not argue with them and ran to the vige chief¡¯s house as fast as he could.


    The vige chief sat under the house¡¯s eaves with a sad face and sighed.


    He was not even in the mood to talk back to Dachuan, whom he used to like very much.


    Dachuan had to go up himself and push the vige chief. ¡°Uncle, our vige is saved.¡±


    Hearing this, the vige chief looked at Dachuan and then shook his head. ¡°No one can save us!¡±


    Dachuan said, ¡°Doctor Miracle can save us. We have a Doctor Miracle in Qiaoyi Town. Yesterday, I watched her work all day in the town to save those dying. Before returning to the vige today, I went to see those people. They indeed looked much better!¡±


    ¡°Uncle, now that things have gone so far, instead of waiting for death, it is better to let Doctor Miracle take a shot. My mother and the others took medicine prescribed by Doctor Miracle, and now they are getting visibly better. That Doctor Miracle is Mrs. Xie, who contained the gue in Yuanjiang County. I¡¯m really not lying to you.¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡± The vige chief suddenly stared at Dachuan. ¡°Mrs. Xie?¡±


    ¡°Yes, a while ago, there was a gue in Yuanjiang County. It was Mrs. Xie who came up with the prescription to contain the gue.¡±


    ¡°Dachuan, is it true what you said?¡±


    The vige chief suddenly got up and grabbed Dachuan¡¯spel. ¡°If you lie to me, I will beat you to death.¡±


    ¡°I absolutely did not lie to you, uncle. You want to go over to check it out?¡± Dachuan smiled bitterly. Of course, he hoped that Zhao Chuchu could cure all the people, but Zhao Chuchu was not God. She couldn¡¯t make sure everyone was saved.


    After the vige chief knew that Doctor Miracle was Mrs. Xie, he immediately returned to his house to carry his grandson over.


    This time, Zhao Chuchu whispered to Xie Heng, ¡°Da Lang, I think we need some more work to treat the vige. It¡¯s just impossible to get them to line up here for treatment.¡±


    ¡°They no longer have the will to live. They are pretty much numb and waiting to die. This kind of person is the most difficult to deal with. But don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take care of this. I can make them alle here and stay in line. Otherwise, it will be too tiring for you to visit them individually. You¡¯re saving people, but don¡¯t be that hard yourself.¡±


    Xie Heng did not want Zhao Chuchu to save people like this.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to save people, but if you get yourself involved, it¡¯s not worth it,¡± he thought.


    Not to mention the fact that Zhao Chuchu was the woman he loved. Zhao Chuchu¡¯s insight and knowledge were far more valuable than the lives of these people.


    It was not that Xie Heng despised these people. He was trying to be realistic.


    ¡°Where is Doctor Miracle?¡±


    At that moment, an urgent voice came from outside, followed by an old man carrying a child and rushing into Dachuan¡¯s house, looking around excitedly.


    ¡°There is no Doctor Miracle, only a woman.¡± Hearing this, Zhao Chuchu immediately got up. ¡°Bring him over.¡±


    The visitor was the vige chief.


    As soon as he saw how young Zhao Chuchu was, he immediately felt uneasy.


    In his understanding, the youngdy who contained the gue should be at least twenty to thirty years old, but the one in front of him was obviously still a young girl. Therefore, he found it a little unbelievable.


    The vige chief hesitated and stood still.


    Zhao Chuchu saw the suspicion in his eyes and did not want to bother exining, and stood there looking at the vige chief.


    Dachuan came in panting. ¡°Uncle, why are you walking so fast? I can¡¯t even catch up with you! Oh, yes, this is Mrs. Xie. Uncle, bring Shitou over for Mrs. Xie to see.¡±


    After saying that, Dachuan saw the vige chief still standing dumbfounded. He snatched the kid and walked to Zhao Chuchu.


    When the vige chief came back to his senses, Zhao Chuchu had already grabbed the child¡¯s hand and was taking his pulse.


    The situation in this vige was dire, and the child in front of him was only a few years old.


    The vige chief rushed over and asked nervously, ¡°How is my grandson?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu made a shushing gesture.


    The vige chief silenced him and kept staring at his grandson.


    Zhao Chuchu finished checking his pulse and looked at the vige chief. ¡°I heard that people like him are pregnant with a ghost?¡±


    ¡°Are they not? Even the doctor can¡¯t cure them!¡± The vige chief said subconsciously.


    Zhao Chuchuughed. ¡°It¡¯s just that other doctors can¡¯t cure it. That doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t. You are infected with a bug, and the bug is in your body. That¡¯s why you are sick. Chief, how many are left in your vige that doesn¡¯t have the disease?¡±


    ¡°Miss, can my grandson be cured or not? Don¡¯t beat around the bush, okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes, then you can tell me now, how many people in your vige are not infected?¡±


    ¡°Most people are already sick, and there are only a dozen people left who are unaffected. Miss, how did that bug get into our bodies.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu pointed in the direction of theke. ¡°You and animals share the water in thatke. The worms live inside thatke. The worms in the water will parasitize both humans and animals.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°But in fact, it is not so terrible.¡±


    ¡°If we don¡¯t drink water there, what do we do? We can¡¯t live without water, can we?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very simple. We¡¯ll separate men and animals. In addition, do not drink cold water again. Make sure you boil the water before drinking. That way, you can avoid a lot of health problems.¡±


    ¡°So we won¡¯t get sick?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that you won¡¯t get sick. It¡¯s to reduce the possibility of getting sick. We are humans. We all get sick. It¡¯s just by doing so we can be less likely to get sick.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was patient in exining to the vige chief.


    ...


    Zhao Chuchu was very good-tempered as long as she was not dealing with unreasonable people.


    She studied medicine, so she could perfectly understand the patient¡¯s fear and nervousness. She could understand their asional bad temper or paranoia.


    However, if someone wanted to cause trouble for her, she would definitely defend herself.


    It all depended on the attitude.


    Politeness could be exchanged with politeness.


    She would not treat someone rude to her with respect.


    Zhao Chuchu said this to the vige chief while taking medicine out of the medicine box to feed the child.


    The child WAS too small to use toorge a dose of medicine. The best way was to put him on an intravenous drip.


    Zhao Chuchu did not deliberately purchase these medical supplies. They were bought incidentally and in small quantities.


    She had to make the best use of these things.


    After the child took the medication, there was no effect for the time being.


    ...


    Xie Heng had gone out without her knowledge.

 Chapter 219 - 219 Nobody Is Forcing You

    219 Nobody Is Forcing You


    Dachuan¡¯s mother and elder brother waited for Zhao Chuchu to finish treating the child beforeing out of the house.


    The vige chief, suspicious of Zhao Chuchu being a swindler, was shocked to see the two of them.


    Dahai, in particr, had already looked dead earlier, but now he looked as if he hade to life, and his whole spirit and temperament were different.


    ¡°Dahai, are you all right already?¡± The vige chief asked sharply.


    Dahai shook his head. ¡°Not entirely, but it¡¯s better than before. Uncle, Mrs. Xie is a good doctor. We have to trust Mrs. Xie. As long as she cures us, we can all live.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, are you really able to cure us and save Heyang Vige?¡± The vige chief looked sideways at Zhao Chuchu.


    Xie Jun said first, ¡°Of course it¡¯s true. My brother used to be blind. Then he was cured by Chuchu. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can visit our vige and ask around. Then you will know how good Chuchu¡¯s medical skills are!¡±


    The vige chief knelt straight down and kowtowed heavily. ¡°Mrs. Xie, I beg you to save Heyang Vige. We don¡¯t want to die. We want to live!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was caught off guard and hurriedly went forward to help the vige chief up. ¡°Initially, I came here because I was entrusted by someone to treat you. Don¡¯t worry. As long as you are not already dead, I should be able to save you.¡±


    The vige chief burst into tears. ¡°Are you telling the truth, Miss?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m telling you the truth. I promise you.¡± Zhao Chuchu nodded thoughtfully. ¡°But I still need your cooperation. Don¡¯t worry. A man has already paid for this for you. His name is Qiao Heting.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu told them her patron was Qiao Heting.


    She thought he would take the me for her should anything go wrong in the future.


    Now Zhao Chuchu did not want any confrontation with the imperial court for now.


    After all, there was the Great Prince watching over her.


    ¡°Qiao Heting, who is this guy?¡± The vige chief was puzzled because he had never heard of this name.


    ¡°Just think of him as a man trying to do a good deed every day.¡± Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°Your town will get better. The imperial court will not kill you. You¡¯re in lockdown because they are still unsure if the disease will infect others.¡±


    ¡°Will it be passed from person to person?¡±


    ¡°No, so don¡¯t believe in the rumors. Chief, now go and call all the people in your vige toe here. I¡¯ll treat them one by one. For those who can¡¯t walk, carry them over.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go now.¡±


    The vige chief turned around and ran.


    But in the meantime, Xie Heng had convinced half of the vigers toe to Dachuan¡¯s house. The remaining half hadn¡¯t gone because they had yet to arrive.


    With the vige chief¡¯s persuasion, it was much more efficient.


    One by one, vigers from Heyang Vige came to Dachuan¡¯s house.


    Their reaction was the same as Dachuan¡¯s mother and the vige chief. When they saw the young Zhao Chuchu, they all expressed doubts about Zhao Chuchu¡¯s medical skills.


    Because the doctors they had seen were at least middle-aged, when they saw Zhao Chuchu was so young, they immediately became suspicious.


    ¡°All stand in line, one by one. Take turns for the treatment. You may leave if you have any doubts. My sister is not a very good-temper person. Make sure you don¡¯t regret it by then.¡± Xie Jun walked up to the crowd and tried to maintain order with a great deal of dignity.


    Probably because Xie Jun was too good-looking or because Zhao Chuchu stood there looking at them with a powerful aura, the vigers finally did not say anything terrible about Zhao Chuchu or Dachuan.


    Although they knew they were waiting for death, even the vige chief advised them to take a shot. Now that the handsome boy said what they were hoping for in their hearts, they could not help but operate under the hope that Zhao Chuchu could really cure them.


    In fact, Zhao Chuchu had already determined that all the people in this vige were suffering from schistosomiasis.


    But she did not getzy and prescribe medicine directly, but still checked their pulses one by one to determine if they had other diseases besides schistosomiasis.


    Even so, Zhao Chuchu was rather efficient.


    Xie Jun was helping out, fanning Zhao Chuchu and wiping her sweat withoutint.


    By the time Xie Heng returned, Zhao Chuchu had already treated a third of the vigers.


    He went up and sat down beside Zhao Chuchu, helping her distribute medicine or write prescriptions.


    Not everyone¡¯s constitution was suitable for those medicines.


    Most people in Heyang Vige had severe conditions that required surgery.


    Zhao Chuchu talked to them about it beforehand.


    Like those people in the town, they strongly reacted when they heard about the surgery where one¡¯s abdomen had to be cut open.


    ¡°Is she really saving lives? Can a person still live after being cut open?¡±


    ¡°Is she really Doctor Miracle? I have never heard of anything like this.¡±


    ¡°After all this drama, is she trying to kill us? She must be sent by the imperial court to kill us!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    Xie Heng spoke coldly, ¡°How hard is it to kill you? If my wife does note to Qiaoyi Town, you all have to die sooner orter. Did she waste so much time and resources just to kill you? If you want the treatment, stay. If you don¡¯t, leave. No one is forcing you to do anything. What do your lives have to do with us?¡±


    Xie Heng came with an imposing presence, emitting the aura and majesty of a king.


    As the former grand secretary, the vigers of Heyang Vige could never live with an attitude like that.


    Moreover, Xie Heng¡¯s stern look made them believe that even if they really died in front of him, he would not care.


    ¡°What my husband said is exactly what I wanted to say. If you believe me, stay. If you don¡¯t, then leave. But I¡¯ve said it before. If you leave now, even if you regret it afterward, it¡¯s useless. Even if you kneel and beg me, I won¡¯t give a damn!¡± Zhao Chuchu said indifferently.


    Dachuan said anxiously, ¡°This is how some people in town are cured. The government¡¯s men are outside Qiaoyi Town. Why would Mrs. Xie do this to you? Since she is Doctor Miracle, isn¡¯t it normal for her to have her own ways of treating people that we haven¡¯t heard of?¡±


    The people looked at each other, not daring to say anything and not daring to leave.


    Finally, it was the vige chief¡¯s son who was the first toe forward. ¡°Mrs. Xie, I believe you.¡±


    After a pause, he looked at the vige chief. ¡°Father, even if I didn¡¯t make it, it¡¯s my destiny. Please don¡¯t me Mrs. Xie¡­¡±


    ¡°Bullshit, stop saying things like that. I said I can save you, and I mean it!¡± Zhao Chuchu interrupted him, ¡°Although you will feel more pain during the recuperation period. It¡¯ll onlyst for half a month, saving you the problem for decades of pain down the road.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, I believe in you. Please save me.¡±


    ...


    Zhao Chuchu looked at him and nodded, then said to the others, ¡°Those who are willing to stay, stay. Or you can leave. It¡¯s up to you.¡±


    In the end, only five stayed, and the other eight left.


    The vige chief tried to persuade them, but in the end, they left anyway. He let out a long sigh.

 Chapter 220 - 220 Sikou Qin Is Dead

    220 Sikou Qin Is Dead


    Incorrigible people couldn¡¯t be reasoned with.


    He had done what should be done. They would bear the consequences of their own actions.


    The vige chief felt that he had done his very best.


    On this day, Zhao Chuchu mainly treated those who did not need surgery and left the surgery for tomorrow.


    She also needed to prepare a rtively clean room as a temporary operating room. The sterility requirements were difficult to meet, so she had to do the best she could.


    Zhao Chuchu refused help from the vige chief and others. Only Xie Heng stayed there with her.


    By the time they were done, it was dark.


    The vigers of Heyang Vige prepared the dinner.


    Zhao Chuchu quickly finished dinner, took a shower, and was ready to sleep.


    She had to perform surgery on the vigers tomorrow, so she had to rest well.


    Zhao Chuchu fell into bed and went to sleep.


    Xie Heng, however, did not.


    He knew the events in Qiaoyi Town would soon be known to the government.


    The vigers of Heyang Vige in the previous life did not end up well, so he also had to prevent that Doctor Jiang from sowing discord and making the officials and soldierse to Heyang Vige in the middle of the night to make a mess.


    Yuyun County¡¯s magistrate was ipetent and a muddlehead. He was not a good official who would cater to the people¡¯s interests.


    Late at night, Xie Heng, who had closed his eyes to meditate, opened his eyes abruptly.


    He nced toward Zhao Chuchu¡¯s room and quietly left his room, and went to the vige entrance.


    The masked man in ck with a short figure revealed only a pair of sharp eyes. He was waiting there. When he saw Xie Henging, he cupped his hand and saluted, ¡°Master, the mission has beenpleted.¡±


    ¡°Where did you do it?¡±


    ¡°Jianan Province.¡±


    ¡°Has the Imperial City known about it?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Keep watching.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The man shed away and disappeared into the night.


    Sikou Qin died in Jianan Province.


    Jianan Province was the home of the Great Prince¡¯s mother.


    The death of Sikou Qin ultimately ended the association between Sikou Zhendong and the Great Prince.


    As for how they would fight, that was their business.


    He would asionally add fuel to the fire, making things worse between them.


    In his previous life, Sikou Zhendong and the Great Prince were no match for him, let alone in this life!


    Xie Heng stood at the vige entrance for a while longer before returning.


    As soon as he stepped into the room, Xie Heng felt something was wrong, but the next moment he knew someone else was in the room. He knew it was Zhao Chuchu.


    He was so familiar with her scent that even if he didn¡¯t see her, he was sure it was Zhao Chuchu.


    Xie Heng pretended not to notice and went inside.


    Zhao Chuchu suddenly jumped out and attacked him, but Xie Heng dodged her attack and fought with her in the room.


    But Xie Heng lost.


    It wasn¡¯t that he let Zhao Chuchu win on purpose, but because he couldn¡¯t beat Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu let go of him and lowered her voice. ¡°What did you do in the middle of the night?¡±


    Xie Heng also did not want to hide anything from Zhao Chuchu, so he whispered in her ear, ¡°Sikou Qin died in Jianan Province, where the Great Prince¡¯s grandfather¡¯s family is located.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu froze for a moment, thenughed lightly. ¡°Da Lang, that¡¯s really evil of you.¡±


    It didn¡¯t ur to her that he had even prepared where Sikou Qin would be killed in advance.


    Neither the Great Prince nor his grandfather¡¯s family could escape it.


    ¡°You¡¯re not afraid?¡± Xie Heng asked.


    Zhao Chuchu raised her eyebrows. ¡°Why should I be afraid? I¡¯m not the one you are trying to mess up. Moreover, since you have done so, I believe you arranged everything long ago and will not get me involved.¡±


    Xie Heng gave Zhao Chuchu a deep look and couldn¡¯t help but touch her head. ¡°Chuchu, do you really trust me? Aren¡¯t you afraid that one day I will betray you?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°You can¡¯t beat me. I will kill you in person if you betray me one day.¡±


    ¡°Although I hope you can trust me wholeheartedly, Chuchu, I still hope you don¡¯t fully trust me. If one day I do something wrong to you, at least you have a way back, silly girl.¡±


    Xie Heng couldn¡¯t help but say this to Zhao Chuchu.


    Although Zhao Chuchu was very determined to deal with certain things, she was sometimes overly simple and was not calctive.


    She was the kind of person who was straightforward and didn¡¯t like to beat around the bush. Even though he knew she was just toozy to be calctive, Xie Heng still wished that Zhao Chuchu would keep an eye out.


    ¡°I believe you are like an old man, always worrying about nothing. The people I can trust are naturally those I think I can trust. Da Lang, I have never been wrong in distinguishing people. Even though I can¡¯t see through you, I know you¡¯re not a man to do such a thing.¡±


    Xie Heng admitted that Zhao Chuchu had pleased him by saying this, which put him in a perfect mood.


    ¡°I will not take your confidence in me for granted.¡± His eyes burned, locking onto Zhao Chuchu. ¡°Well, it¡¯ste now. You should go back and rest. If there¡¯s anything else on my side, you don¡¯t have to worry about it. I can handle it.¡±


    ...


    ¡°Well, I just saw you go out in the middle of the night and thought you would do something.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t follow me?¡±


    ¡°No. After all, I said I trusted you, so I waited for you toe back and tell me what happened.¡±


    ¡°As long as it¡¯s something you want to know, just ask me. I¡¯ll tell you.¡±


    Xie Heng promised.


    Then he urged Zhao Chuchu to go to bed even if he couldn¡¯t let go.


    Zhao Chuchu went back to her room andy down.


    In fact, when Xie Heng got off the floor and walked to the door, she already knew about it from next door.


    Initially, she wanted to follow him secretly, but after two steps, Zhao Chuchu finally came back and waited for him in Xie Heng¡¯s room.


    However, Sikou Qin¡¯s death was a surprise to Zhao Chuchu.


    She thought Xie Heng would let Sikou Qin live to arrive at the Imperial City.


    ...


    Jianan Province was an excellent choice of location!


    Fortunately, she was not Xie Heng¡¯s enemy. Otherwise, she would have been killed by Xie Heng when she was reborn.


    Zhao Chuchu thought about these things and fell asleep in a daze.


    Soon it was the next day.


    When Zhao Chuchu woke up, Xie Heng was already cooking breakfast.


    Because Zhao Chuchu had to operate on the patients today, Xie Heng did not let someone else do it and made Zhao Chuchu her favorite food himself.


    After Zhao Chuchu ate breakfast, he asked the vigers willing to do the surgery yesterday toe over.


    Zhao Chuchu disinfected the temporary operating room thoroughly before calling the vige chief¡¯s son toe in.


    He was terrified. His whole body was tense, and he couldn¡¯t stop shaking and trembling.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. Just close your eyes, and you¡¯ll be fine.¡± Zhao Chuchu told him to lie down, and she asked Xie Heng to guard the door so that no one would break in.


    The vige chief¡¯s son swallowed. His voice was dry. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid. Anyway, I¡¯m already dying. If I¡¯m lucky, I could survive this. If I¡¯m not, I¡¯d readily ept it. This is my destiny. I won¡¯t me you.¡±


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be so negative! I have already done this in town. I¡¯m very skilled. Don¡¯t be afraid. I won¡¯t kill you,¡± Zhao Chuchu said. Soon the anesthesia took effect, and he lost consciousness.


    Just as Zhao Chuchu began the operation, she heard amotion outside.


    Doctor Jiang came to Heyang Vige with a bunch of officials. Because someone in the vige tipped them off, they quickly found where Zhao Chuchu was.


    Doctor Jiang shouted, ¡°Sir, that devil of a woman is here to cut people¡¯s stomachs open, you should arrest her before she kills more people and the whole of Yuyun County is pregnant with ghosts!¡±

 Chapter 221 - 221 Don’t Try To Run Away

    221 Don¡¯t Try To Run Away


    Zhao Chuchu believed Xie Heng could stop them, so she ignored them and decided to concentrate on the operation.


    Since she had promised Qiao Heting to save people, she would do her part, whether she was trying to do a good deed or just looking at getting his money.


    As for Doctor Jiang, she decided she would teach him a lessonter.


    A man like him could only resort to such despicable ways of doing things.


    !!


    ¡°Qiaoyi Town is already big trouble for the imperial court. We can¡¯t turn the whole of Yuyun County into a dead city, or that bloodsucker of a woman will be more powerful by taking more lives. I¡¯m afraid that even Mingan Province will be a graveyard!¡± Doctor Jiang continued to yell.


    The leader was the head sheriff of Yuyun County, who stared coldly at the vigers of Heyang Vige. ¡°Is the evil woman inside?¡±


    Xie Heng looked at him calmly. ¡°She is a doctor, not a devil. This swindler ndered my wife just because she could cure the big belly disease, which stopped him from making a fortune. That¡¯s why he would be so despicable as to do such a thing.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, why don¡¯t you go to Qiaoyi Town first to see if those patients have gotten better after taking the medicine? If the big belly disease can be cured, it will be a credit to you. Now that Qiaoyi Town is under lockdown, these people are dying anyway, so why don¡¯t you give my wife a chance?¡±


    The officials who originally wanted to take down Zhao Chuchu heard Xie Heng¡¯s words and were somewhat moved.


    In fact, they were all born and raised here. Therefore, if all the patients in Qiaoyi Town could be cured, these people would not have to die, and the imperial court would give them credit.


    These people couldn¡¯t escape Qiaoyi Town anyway.


    ¡°Schr, is this true?¡± The sheriff put away his sword and looked at Xie Heng sternly.


    Xie Heng said calmly, ¡°Your Excellency hase to Heyang Vige so early, so you must not have inquired about the day before yesterday in the town yet. Why don¡¯t you send someone to the town to see if the people my wife treated are still alive and then decide what to do with us?¡±


    Seeing that Xie Heng was so confident and did not have the nobility of a schr, the sheriff developed a better impression of Xie Heng.


    ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll have someone ask around first. If anyone dies, you are definitely ountable.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, sir, we are in Heyang Vige. We are not going anywhere.¡±


    ¡°Go to the town and ask around.¡±


    The sheriff waved his hand and ordered two people to leave Heyang Vige.


    When Doctor Jiang saw this, he hastily stopped those two men and looked at the sheriff. ¡°Sir, this man has got quite the tongue. You can absolutely not trust his words. If there are fewer people, I¡¯m afraid they will incite the people here to rebel so that they can take advantage of the opportunity to escape. We can¡¯t let anyone go to the town at this point!¡±


    Xie Heng slightly hooked his lips. ¡°Doctor Jiang, why are you so afraid of them going to the town? Is it because you are worried that the truth of your fooling the officials will be made public? If you are not guilty, why don¡¯t you let them find out for themselves? Or do you have the final say in Qiaoyi Town, and even the sheriff has to listen to you?¡±


    ¡°How dare you?¡± The sheriff sniffed and red angrily at Doctor Jiang. ¡°Are you trying to tell me what to do?¡±


    Doctor Jiang¡¯s heart trembled. ¡°Sir, I dare not. I just think they are acting unusually. I¡¯m worried that they¡¯re not telling the truth and are trying to run away. By the time they¡¯re out of our sight, you may be to me for all the victims here.¡±


    ¡°Doctor Jiang, may I ask if the people here have died without reason? They were already sick, and you said they were pregnant with a ghost. Even if we didn¡¯t save them, they would have died. So why do you think we killed them now?¡± Xie Heng retorted.


    Doctor Jiang¡¯s breath caught in his throat, and he couldn¡¯t think of anything to say in rebuttal.


    Xie Heng continued, ¡°From the very beginning, we have dered ourselves to be from Yuanjiang County, Guangqing Province, and my wife is Zhao Chuchu, who happened to assist the imperial court in containing the gue. When the gue broke out in Yuanjiang County, where were you?¡±


    ¡°You, you¡­¡± Doctor Jiang¡¯s face turned red.


    The sheriff, however, spluttered, ¡°Wait, who did you say you were?¡±


    Xie Heng cupped his hand and said, ¡°I am Xie Heng, a schr in Yuanjiang County, Guangqing Province, and the one treating the patient inside is my wife.¡±


    ¡°Is that Mrs. Xie, the one who controlled the gue in Yuanjiang County?¡±


    ¡°It was the imperial court¡¯s work to control the gue. My wife just happened to offer a prescription,¡± Xie Heng said modestly.


    ¡°Someone, arrest this bastard first!¡± the sheriff ordered coldly. ¡°This bastard has caused me to almost offend our savior. Someone beat the crap out of him!¡±


    After a pause, the sheriff looked at Xie Heng gently. ¡°Mr. Xie, is Mrs. Xie in there saving people now?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Excellency.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. That¡¯s good. It¡¯s all a misunderstanding. Mr. Xie, don¡¯t take it seriously. I was worried about the safety of the people of Qiaoyi Town, so I rushed over here in a hurry and questioned you without any reason. Anyway, Qiaoyi Town is probably saved now that you are here.¡±


    ¡°My wife said that she would do her best, but I would like to ask you to go back to the government and clear things up for the people here. They are not pregnant with ghosts but just contracted the disease because they drank the contaminated water.¡±


    ¡°Can they really be cured?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Good to know.¡±


    The sheriff sighed in relief and asked his men to hurry to see if they needed help with anything.


    ¡°Can I go in and take a look?¡± the sheriff asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Xie Heng stopped him and didn¡¯t hide the truth from him. ¡°Some people are so sick that they must be opened up in the stomach to eradicate the root cause.¡±


    ¡°What? You mean to open up the abdomen?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Can the person still be alive?¡±


    The sheriff felt creeped out just thinking about it, but the young boy in front of him spoke indifferently as if it was nothing serious.


    ¡°Sir, you have every reason to doubt me. Why don¡¯t you send someone to the town to see if those people whose stomachs were cut open are still alive?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, this is unnecessary since Mrs. Xie is called Doctor Miracle. I believe Mrs. Xie.¡±


    The sheriffughed dryly because he actually dared not do so.


    It was too shocking to have one¡¯s belly cut open.


    He was worried that he would be killed by Xie Heng as soon as he turned around.


    In fact, the sheriff had started to be scared of Xie Heng.


    He was scared of him, even if he looked like a good man with a good look.


    Xie Heng nodded slightly and asked him to sit down outside the door.


    He wanted to refuse but did not dare to and regretted going to Heyang Vige.


    ...


    In addition to his fear of Xie Heng and his wife, he was also scared of Heyang Vige because it was the vige with the most victims.


    Doctor Jiang over there was screaming from being beaten up.


    Xie Heng frowned slightly and turned to ask the sheriff. ¡°He is making too much noise. I¡¯m afraid it will affect my wife. Can you please bring him to another ce?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes, my bad.¡± The sheriff immediately asked his men to take Doctor Jiang away.


    Doctor Jiang never expected that he would end up like this when he had initially nned to set Zhao Chuchu up.

 Chapter 222 - 222 What A Sweet Couple

    222 What A Sweet Couple


    Zhao Chuchu came out after operating on the vige chief¡¯s son. The sheriff immediately got up and looked at Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°Chief, have someone carry your son to the room next door first. Then, when he wakes up, you can bring him back home,¡± Zhao Chuchu said directly to the vige chief.


    The vige chief answered yes and told the family to carry his son to the room next door carefully.


    Zhao Chuchu waited for them to go out and disinfect the room before letting the next patient in.


    !!


    The sheriff was very nervous but did not dare check on the vige chief¡¯s eldest son¡¯s condition in front of Zhao Chuchu. However, he kept straining his neck to see if he could find out anything.


    Xie Heng saw the situation and said in a soft voice, ¡°Sir, you can go and see. As long as you do not speak loudly and do not touch the patient, it¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The sheriff hurriedly went over to take a closer look at the vige chief¡¯s son¡¯s condition.


    After all, he was a person who worked in the governing bureau. It would only take him a nce for him to determine whether the person was alive or dead. Now he knew that the vige chief¡¯s son was just unconscious.


    The cut on his abdomen had been bandaged.


    Although he was curious about what the wound looked like, the sheriff did not dare to see it.


    ¡°Sir, can you please leave first? Mrs. Xie said that people who have undergone surgery need time to rest. So sorry, sir.¡± The vige chief was worried about his son and mustered up the courage to ask the sheriff to go out.


    Without saying anything, the sheriff turned around and left the room.


    He thought about it and decided to stay and see if what Zhao Chuchu said about opening the belly was really able to save the person. At the same time, he had someone go back to the county office to inform the assistant of the county magistrate about it.


    After all, the assistant of the county magistrate of Yuyun County was more reliable than the magistrate.


    Otherwise, the magistrate would probably freak out upon hearing the news. By then, if anyone brought this up, he could ask the Thousand Battalion to have Xie Heng and Zhao Chuchu arrested.


    In fact, the sheriff was also afraid, but he decided to make a bet on it.


    After all, he was from Yuyun County and didn¡¯t want the imperial court to order the people to be killed.


    Now that the assistant of the county magistrate was around, the magistrate could be stalled for now.


    In just a few days, it would be known whether those so-called people pregnant with ghosts in Qiaoyi Town were getting better.


    The sheriff waited until the evening when Zhao Chuchu finally finished operating on thest patient.


    The people who had been operated on earlier had also woken up, and after the anesthetic effects had worn off, the wound hurt so much that they screamed.


    Zhao Chuchu told them to bear with it.


    In order to give Zhao Chuchu ess to better care for these people who had undergone surgery, Dachuan¡¯s family temporarily stayed in other people¡¯s homes in the vige so that Zhao Chuchu could have their house.


    Zhao Chuchu was so tired that she could not lift her arms.


    Xie Jun rushed to give Zhao Chuchu a massage on the back and shoulders. ¡°Chuchu, are you feeling any better?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu smiled over her shoulder. ¡°It would be better if you could push a little harder.¡±


    Xie Jun smiled and exerted all his strength.


    Even though his arm was sore, he didn¡¯t stop.


    ¡°Junjun, I¡¯ll do it.¡± Xie Heng saw this and went forward to take over for Xie Jun. ¡°Go see if the others need your help.¡±


    ¡°Um, okay.¡± Xie Jun was happy that his brother was so thoughtful as to take the initiative to give his sister-inw a massage. He immediately stepped aside.


    Xie Heng¡¯s force was moderate, making Zhao Chuchu squintfortably. ¡°Da Lang, that¡¯s quite a hand you¡¯ve got.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve done this before,¡± Xie Heng said. ¡°How about now? Want me to ease up?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°Well, you can rest for a while and then eat somethingter.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Zhao Chuchu answered. However, as she was too tired, she unknowingly fell asleep.


    Xie Heng lowered his head and looked at the sleeping Zhao Chuchu with worried eyes.


    After a while, Xie Heng went to the front and carefully picked up Zhao Chuchu, intending to carry her back to her room to sleep on the bed.


    As soon as he touched Zhao Chuchu, she woke up and opened her eyes.


    Their eyes met.


    Zhao Chuchu was confused and fell into a pair of eyes that were as deep as the sea and could not see the bottom.


    She subconsciously smiled. ¡°Da Lang, I¡¯m sleepy.¡±


    After saying that, she naturally hooked his neck, rubbed herself into his arms, and fell asleep again.


    Xie Heng¡¯s heart was so soft that his tone was gentle. ¡°Then you can sleep for a while. I¡¯ll heat up the food for you so you can eat it when you wake up.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu muttered something and then quieted down again.


    Xie Heng smiled and said, ¡°Sweet dreams.¡±


    He carried Zhao Chuchu to the bed and gently put her down.


    Zhao Chuchu fell onto the bed, turned over, and turned her back to Xie Heng.


    Xie Heng covered her with the nket and then looked at her. He saw that she was exhausted and had fallen asleep. However, he did not stay in the room but went to look after those who had undergone surgery.


    The sheriff did not leave either.


    Even though those who had surgery were in pain, they didn¡¯t look as dead as before.


    The sheriff¡¯s world was shaken.


    He cautiously approached Xie Heng and asked quietly, ¡°Mr. Xie, will they all stop having big bellies afterward? That¡¯s how they¡¯re cured? Then why don¡¯t the others do it?¡±


    ...


    ¡°Surgery will greatly injure people¡¯s vitality. These people¡¯s situation has been serious to the extent that there is no cure for it. Only by doing this can the disease bepletely removed. They would have died if more time had been wasted. So it was better to take a shot than do nothing.¡±


    ¡°But such a method is unheard of.¡±


    ¡°She is called Doctor Miracle because of her unique way of treating patients. Ordinary doctors have used all the methods they can think of, but they can¡¯t save people, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Sir, I know what you are worried about. But since they would die anyway, why not choose a path that might lead to survival? As human beings, we all have a strong survival instinct, don¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°You have a point. Don¡¯t worry. The government won¡¯te to Qiaoyi Town to give you trouble in these few days. But, Mr. Xie, I hope Mrs. Xie¡¯s method is beneficial. Otherwise, no one can save you by then.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for reminding me, but please also rest assured. We will not disappoint you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu woke up in the dead of night.


    Hearing the moaning of the patient next door, Zhao Chuchu got up.


    Xie Heng had not slept and was sitting outside in the courtyard.


    ...


    When he heard the sound of the door opening, Xie Heng turned around to look.


    Zhao Chuchu rubbed her eyes, yawned, came over, and spoke naturally, ¡°Da Lang, I am so hungry.¡±


    Xie Heng smiled and got up. ¡°Go brush your teeth. Then, I¡¯ll bring out the food for you. I saw you were sleeping very well, so I made you some porridge. So have some porridge, and then I¡¯ll cook for you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll just drink the porridge. It¡¯s sote now. Don¡¯t wake them up,¡± Zhao Chuchu said.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Xie Heng had warmed up the food for Zhao Chuchu, but Zhao Chuchu had been asleep for more than two hours, and the food was no longer fresh.


    Xie Heng felt sorry for Zhao Chuchu¡¯s tiredness and knew that she liked to eat freshly made dishes, so he prepared the ingredients, ready to cook again when she woke up.


    Zhao Chuchu scooped adle of cooled, boiled water to rinse her mouth and face while Xie Heng brought the porridge out.


    When the sheriff opened the door and saw the two young people sitting in the courtyard, the corners of his mouth twitched, and he closed the door and went back to his room.


    ¡°What a sweet couple!¡± he said.

 Chapter 223 - 223 Are You Going To Watch Us Die?

    223 Are You Going To Watch Us Die?


    Soon, it was the next day.


    After Zhao Chuchu examined those who had undergone surgery and determined that there were no adverse reactions, she left Xie Jun and a few healthy women to watch over the patients while she took Xie Heng, the vige chief, and the young adults who did not have the disease to theke.


    ¡°The source of your illnesses is in thiske. So if you want to stop this disease in the future, you must use protective equipment when you go into the water,¡± Zhao Chuchu said to them, ¡°And you¡¯d better not drink the water in thiske again.¡±


    ¡°So, Mrs. Xie, what should we do?¡± the vige chief asked. ¡°Our ancestors used to drink the water from it for generations. Howe they were fine, and we got sick?¡±


    !!


    ¡°They were just lucky. However, if you find a method to treat the contaminated water, you will be less likely to get sick.¡±


    Then, Zhao Chuchu told them how to deal with the contaminated water and asked them to build a well in another ce or bring water down from the mountain.


    It was not easy for Heyang Vige to build a well because most of the vigers were sick, and there was no way to gather enough men.


    Therefore, the easiest thing for Heyang Vige was to bring water down from the mountain.


    After all, bamboo was everywhere, and by using it as a pipe, water could be brought down while preventing wild animals from polluting the water.


    After hearing what Zhao Chuchu said, the vige chief and others agreed on the water diversion method.


    Finding a treatment for the contaminated water was not urgent, but having a stable source of drinking water was the most important thing for now.


    Zhao Chuchu went with Xie Heng alone to the mountains to find a suitable water source, citing the vige¡¯s need.


    She needed to test the water source, but it was inconvenient to do so with so many people.


    The vige chief didn¡¯t know Zhao Chuchu¡¯s intention and thought Zhao Chuchu was doing it for Heyang Vige, so he thanked her a lot.


    Before Zhao Chuchu went up the mountain, he asked the vige chief which hill had a water source, so she could save her effort in searching for it and go straight to her destination with Xie Heng.


    Zhao Chuchu went to the mountain in the morning and returned at noon, telling the vige chief which mountain had the best water source for drinking and the best route to set up the bamboo pipe.


    The vige chief immediately started to cut the bamboo and did what Zhao Chuchu said.


    Zhao Chuchu talked to Xie Heng about the faucet, and Xie Heng quickly devised a n to make a bamboo faucet.


    Zhao Chuchu tried it out, and it worked pretty well, but it was not like the modern days when there were all kinds of plumbing essories, so the vigers had to figure out how to put them on.


    They were only responsible for giving instructions, so they didn¡¯t need to do anything in person.


    Six dayster, Qiao Heting arrived at Heyang Vige.


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s medical skills were beyond his expectations, and Heyang Vige recovered considerably, except for those who were seriously ill.


    After the publicity of the town and the vigers of Heyang Vige, those who suffered from schistosomiasis in Qiaoyi Town went to Heyang Vige for medical treatment, so there was no need for Zhao Chuchu to run around.


    No one regretted it more than the vigers who refused to have the operation in the first ce.


    Those whose stomachs had been cut open by Zhao Chuchu were alive and well. Even if they could not get out of bed for a while and had to take care of their wounds, they were getting better day by day.


    At least they were no longer suffering from the illness, except for the painful wounds and weakness of their bodies.


    They were full of expectations that Zhao Chuchu would go back to them.


    However, Zhao Chuchu was too busy treating people from other viges daily to pay attention to them.


    For those who needed surgery in other viges, Zhao Chuchu told them to head home and that she would visit them one at a time.


    Otherwise, there were not enough ces to stay in Heyang Vige.


    Probably because Zhao Chuchu used up to three times her power daily, she found her power began to improve.


    On her eleventh day in Qiaoyi Town, her power finally broke through, going from three to six times a day.


    This meant that Zhao Chuchu¡¯s strength also began to grow.


    This excited Zhao Chuchu, as she thought her power would be stuck at a maximum of three times a day.


    Six times wasn¡¯t a lot, but it would speed up the rate at which Zhao Chuchu could heal them.


    Those in Heyang Vige who refused the surgery finally relented and had someone help them go to Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, when are you going to treat us?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. If we waste any more time, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to make it.¡±


    ¡°Can you treat us first and hold off on the ones in other viges?¡±


    What they said was all rehearsed in advance. Unfortunately, they all chose to ignore what Zhao Chuchu had said in the first ce.


    Zhao Chuchu gave them a look. ¡°So what?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t saving people what you¡¯re supposed to do?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only right for a doctor to treat people.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, no matter what, it should be our turn. Mrs. Xie, are you going to watch us die?¡±


    Now, even the family members of those patients started to use Zhao Chuchu of being unprofessional, trying to make her feel ashamed of herself.


    But Zhao Chuchu wasn¡¯t the kind of woman to be forced into doing anything.


    She even refused to save the members of the Zhao n.


    She took their money because if they were still sick, those who were cured might be infected with the flu again.


    After all, she was not a saint.


    Schistosomiasis couldn¡¯t be passed from person to person. When they suspected her of attacking them earlier, she had already made it clear that it would be useless to kneel and beg her after refusing her help!


    Zhao Chuchu snickered. ¡°What does it matter to me if you live or die? I hadn¡¯t forgotten the looks you gave me when you said I was here to kill you. I don¡¯t care what you do behind my back, but it¡¯s your fault for tipping off Jiang so the government woulde and kill me!¡±


    ¡°You are a doctor, Mrs. Xie. How can you watch us suffer and not do anything about it? Are you heartless? Why are you so cold-blooded and unfeeling? Are you worthy of your reputation as Doctor Miracle?¡± They were all saying the same thing, trying to force Zhao Chuchu to cure them.


    ¡°I have never called myself Doctor Miracle. I don¡¯t care what you call me. Of course, you can threaten me with my husband and Junjun, but I promise to make you wish you were dead. You can¡¯t possibly take back what you said, and I will not save anyone who tried to screw me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense!¡±


    ...


    ¡°Doctor Jiang has told me everything about his punishment. It¡¯s okay that you don¡¯t want to live, and I¡¯m not forcing you. But you harmed me because of your ignorance. Sorry, it is God¡¯s business to forgive you, and I am only responsible for saving those who should be saved.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu sent them a clear, strong message in a determined tone.


    ¡°I told you, I won¡¯t save you.¡±


    ¡°No matter what you say, you can¡¯t make me change my mind.¡±


    When the patients saw that Zhao Chuchu did not fall for their traps, they became flustered. So they changed their tone of voice.


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, we were afraid, so we didn¡¯t know what we were talking about. So please show some mercy and don¡¯t take what we said seriously.¡±


    ¡°I know I¡¯m wrong. But, as long as you¡¯re willing to save me, I will do whatever you ask me to repay your kindness.¡±


    ¡°I tried to stop them from going to Doctor Jiang, but I alone couldn¡¯t stop them. Mrs. Xie, please, I promise I will forever bear your kindness in mind.¡±

 Chapter 224 - 224 Its Bad For Her Reputation

    224 It¡¯s Bad For Her Reputation


    No matter how hard they pleaded, Zhao Chuchu was unmoved.<div>


    She just looked at them indifferently.


    When those people saw this, they were gradually overwhelmed with frustration.


    No matter what they said, Zhao Chuchu did not answer anymore, let alone agree to treat them.


    The other people wanted to say something but stopped.


    As themotion went on, they started to go crazy.


    ¡°Bitch, since that¡¯s your n, none of us will survive.¡±


    Probably because they felt Zhao Chuchu had left them no other choice, they broke down, got up, and tried to kill Zhao Chuchu before they died.


    However, before they could get close to Zhao Chuchu, she kicked each of them away.


    Zhao Chuchu smiled. ¡°What? You want to kill me? You have to see if you have the ability to do so. I am not your mother. I don¡¯t have to spoil you. I can understand you not epting the operation at the beginning. Maybe I¡¯ll be kind enough to save you if you had not made trouble for me.


    ¡°But what have you all done? First, you didn¡¯t believe in my medical skills, so you wanted others to kill me? And now you want me to repay your grievances with virtue? Do you think it¡¯s possible? Let me make this clear now. I would rather watch you die before me now than save you.¡±<div>


    Seeing this, the family members of those patients began to curse.


    ¡°You should be condemned for saying things like that!¡±


    ¡°You will be punished sooner orter, and you will be struck by a bolt of lightning.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re an evil woman! God will punish a bitch like you!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. God will punish you before he punishes me. I have never been ashamed of myself. If there¡¯s karma, you people should be the first to get it.¡± She looked at them fearlessly.


    Zhao Chuchu turned her head to look at Xie Jun and told him, ¡°Junjun, remember, don¡¯t ever forgive people so easily, or they will stab you in the back once you turn around. So don¡¯t be kind to such people ever.¡±


    Xie Jun pursed his lips tightly. What he had seen and heard in Qiaoyi Town these days was far beyond his perception.


    He never knew how vicious people could be, nor did he know that so many people in the world were struggling more than he was. Everywhere was filled with numbness and despair, but there was goodness too.


    Even if Xie Jun had begun to adapt slowly, it still had a significant impact on his mind.


    ¡°Chuchu, I will!¡±<div>


    ¡°Well, if you save someone who is ungrateful once, never think to save them again because you don¡¯t owe them anything!¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Junjun, in this world, men are the mostplicated creatures. Therefore, never test a man¡¯s integrity because the most terrible evil spirits are the humans themselves.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was looking at the vigers when she said this.


    The treachery of men was more than just a phrase. It was the truth.


    The vigers of Heyang Vige had not really experienced desperation, so they were not that treacherous.


    One would see the dark side of human beings in doomsday.


    But Zhao Chuchu wanted Xie Jun to remember this so that in the future, if he could sit in the top position, he would be able to see things from a different perspective.


    At that time, Xie Heng would not be able to take care of everything for him.


    Benefits were what drove men to go to extremes. She would rather they still be brothers in the future like they are now than see them turn their backs on each other.


    However, after those vigers heard the words, they not only did not reflect on themselves but also resented Zhao Chuchu even more.


    But Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t care at all.


    Zhao Chuchu was never going to change her mind.


    Moreover, even if she managed to save them, they would not be grateful and even take it for granted.


    ¡°You can do whatever you want, but you will not intimidate me. But if you can¡¯t kill me, it¡¯s you who will die!¡± Zhao Chuchu stared at them and spoke word by word. ¡°I studied medicine for my own sake, not to be a savior. So leave God to do his own thing. I¡¯m just a normal person.¡±


    Seeing that Zhao Chuchu was unwilling to save them, they knelt on the ground and kowtowed. ¡°We don¡¯t want to die. Please save us¡­¡±


    Zhao Chuchu stood in front of them. Even if their heads were blood-stained, she did not frown.


    At this point, they finally understood that Zhao Chuchu could really be cruel to such an extent that she was nonchnt about all their requests.


    Gradually, one person stood up and slowly walked out of Dachuan¡¯s house.


    When someone led the way, there was a second and a third.


    They walked out of the house expecting to turn back, hoping that Zhao Chuchu was just teaching them a lesson and would call them back.


    However, Zhao Chuchu did nothing.


    They were desperate.


    Even if they were already half dead, they still had the strength to curse and swear, cursing Zhao Chuchu with the most vicious words.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go.¡± Zhao Chuchu waved her hand and signaled the other vigers to leave.


    When everyone left, Xie Jun looked up at Zhao Chuchu. ¡°Chuchu, you are not wrong. You learned your medical skills on your own. It has nothing to do with them. They are not qualified to force you to do what you do not want.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t think I was being too cruel?¡± Zhao Chuchu smiled and asked.


    Xie Jun shook his head. ¡°No, they are the ones who did not believe in you in the first ce and wanted to harm you. I do not want you to save them at all. Don¡¯t be sad. Except for them, everyone else loves you. In my heart, you¡¯re the best person in the world.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu stroked Xie Jun¡¯s head. ¡°So, what have you learned these days?¡±


    ¡°I have learned a lot, but I have also seen many things the books don¡¯t record. My brother told me that whether it is a natural or man-made disaster, the people are still the worst hit. He told me to make sure I remembered this. The people are what sustain the foundation of a country. If the foundation copses, the country will cease to exist.¡±


    ¡°Well, your brother is right. Junjun has grown up and knows so much now.¡±


    In fact, Qiao Heting had been watching Zhao Chuchu from the side.


    He knew very well why Zhao Chuchu refused those patients, but he did not me her for that.


    He was not a pedant. Perhaps because of the reputation of the Qiao n, he could forgive people who set him up. But more often than not, he envied Zhao Chuchu¡¯s recklessness because she could live her own life without being restrained by anything.


    Those who were truly powerful were qualified to lead a life like that.


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, may I have a word with you?¡± Qiao Heting stepped forward.


    Hearing this, Xie Jun immediately sensed something unusual.


    He pulled Zhao Chuchu behind him and used his thin body to protect Zhao Chuchu by standing in front of her. He stared at Qiao Heting with a cautious look. ¡°Why don¡¯t you wait till my brotheres back? Just the two of you spending time alone is bad for her reputation.¡±


    Qiao Heting was speechless.


    ¡°We¡¯ll just be in this courtyard. What the hell is the kid thinking?¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, my brother will be back soon,¡± said Xie Jun as he turned back to Zhao Chuchu. ¡°Mr. Qiao is handsome and attractive. He better stay here in case he attracts a bunch of girls.¡±


    Qiao Heting was again speechless.

 Chapter 225 - 225 Already Using Strong Medicines To Stay Alive

    225 Already Using Strong Medicines To Stay Alive


    Zhao Chuchu did not know how to respond.


    ¡°Junjun, Mr. Qiao wants to ask me some things. He was afraid that you would not like to hear these discussions, so he euphemistically asked you to leave,¡± Zhao Chuchu exined to Xie Jun.


    Xie Jun did not ept her excuse. He felt that Qiao Heting wanted to snatch Sis away from his brother.


    Although his brother was incredible, he only had his fame as a schr for now. Therefore, he could notpete with Qiao Heting at all.


    !!


    After all, the young maidens in Lengshui Vige all preferred men with good family backgrounds. Xie Jun felt that the current Xie Heng could notpare to Qiao Heting. It was possible thetter would snatch Sis away.


    ¡°Sis, I will stand here. Even if others were to see the two of you together and spread rumors, I could be a witness to shoot down those allegations,¡± said Xie Jun adamantly.


    Qiao Heting could not do anything. He could not chase Xie Jun away, so he allowed thetter to stay by Zhao Chuchu¡¯s side as he asked about Qiaoyi Town.


    Zhao Chuchu answered all of his questions one by one.


    When Qiao Heting heard Zhao Chuchu¡¯s im that everyone could be cured, his mood improved significantly.


    ¡°As expected, Mrs. Xie is Doctor Miracle. I did not misjudge you. In two days, I will bring my friend to see you and personally thank you.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu turned him down and said, ¡°There is no need to do so. For matters of money and goods, there is no need for thanks. Moreover, this is also my first time seeing such a disease. I have also gained experience from this. It is an opportunity that is hard for me toe by.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, you are too kind. We should be grateful to you. If it weren¡¯t for you, even with 10,000 taels of gold, no one would be able to treat these citizens.¡±


    ¡°I know what you are saying, Mr. Qiao. However, there truly is no need for that. If I need anything, my husband will provide it for me.¡±


    Qiao Heting was speechless.


    He had yet to say anything, but Zhao Chuchu had already seen through him.


    ¡°Mr. Qiao, if you wish to thank me, why don¡¯t you pay me more? In order to treat the illnesses of the people, I have used quite a number of medicinal herbs. Unfortunately, what you have paid so far won¡¯t cover my costs.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu gave Qiao Heting a sideways nce.


    It was best to discuss payment. That way, others would not be able to im that her rtionship with Qiao Heting was out of the ordinary.


    Qiao Heting reassured her, saying, ¡°Mrs. Xie, don¡¯t worry. When this strange sickness in Qiaoyi Town is settled, my friend will reward you handsomely. As for the county office, rest assured, they will not dare to cause trouble for you.¡±


    That meant that Qiao Heting¡¯s friend was of high status!


    However, Zhao Chuchu had no interest in investigating who this friend of his was.


    She would just do her part and collect her payment.


    ¡°That would be best. A few days ago, a doctor from the town came looking for trouble because of this. My temperament is not too good. Mr. Qiao, I would be grateful if you could quell these troubles for me.¡±


    ¡°You left too fast.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Qiao, if we didn¡¯t leave quickly, would we be able to leave at all?¡±


    Qiao Heting was momentarily stunned before he managed to respond.


    He was very familiar with the Great Prince¡¯s disposition. Moreover, he knew that Sikou Qin hade to Yuanjiang County to cause trouble for Xie Heng. Therefore, he understood why they had left Yuanjiang County so quickly.


    Qiao Heting pondered for a moment. Then, finally, he said in a low voice, ¡°That person is already dead.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± eximed Zhao Chuchu, feigning surprise. ¡°Who are you referring to?¡±


    ¡°The Great Prince¡¯s concubine has passed in Jianan Province.¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s eyes were wide open. She pretended to be as astonished as possible.


    ¡°You are not ying tricks with me, right? I diagnosed the Great Prince¡¯s concubine back then. Although she was critically ill and wouldn¡¯t wake up anytime soon, as long as she rested, she would recover. So how did she die like that? Is the imperial physician so ipetent?¡±


    Qiao Heting gave Zhao Chuchu a deep look and asked, ¡°Did you really not know?¡±


    ¡°How could I know? When the imperial physician arrived, I passed on the care of the Great Prince¡¯s concubine to him. As far as I know, he is far more proficient in medicine than I am. Moreover, the royal family has all sorts of precious medicinal herbs. Therefore, treating the Great Prince¡¯s concubine would have only been a matter of time.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, you were the one who attended to the Great Prince¡¯s concubine first!¡±


    ¡°Yes, I did. However, she was still alive when I handed her to the imperial physician.¡±


    ¡°But others will not think like that!¡± said Qiao Heting with a serious look. ¡°You had better prepare yourself. The Sikou n will be on your tail soon!¡±


    ¡°Even if theye looking for me, I cannot resurrect the dead,¡± said Zhao Chuchu helplessly. ¡°Moreover, I had never met the Great Prince¡¯s concubine before I treated her. I have never left Yuanjiang County before. Why would I kill her?¡±


    Qiao Heting retracted his inquisitive gaze.


    Sikou Qin died due to medicine in the pce. Now, the imperial harem and court were in turmoil. Sikou Zhendong¡¯s people did not find any evidence in Yuanjiang County. So they naturally would not detain Zhao Chuchu and prevent her from leaving.


    After all, she was not an ordinary citizen. The current emperor wanted to live a long life; therefore, he had been exceptionally interested in Zhao Chuchu, this Doctor Miracle.


    One day, he might even invite her to Imperial City.


    Moreover, the strange disease of Qiaoyi Town had already spread to Imperial City. The emperor had dispatched the imperial physician to Qiaoyi Town.


    Aside from here, cases of the big belly disease gradually appeared in other ces.


    Zhao Chuchu could treat this illness. However, with the magnitude of her contribution, no one in the court dared to touch her, especially Sikou Zhendong and the Great Prince.


    ¡°Rx. No one will trace that person¡¯s death back to you. No matter how incredible your skills are, you couldn¡¯t have gotten poison to kill her,¡± Qiao Hetingforted Zhao Chuchu. ¡°Moreover, there are people in Imperial City protecting you.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu looked at Qiao Heting and asked directly, ¡°Are you trying to get me to treat your friend?¡±


    Qiao Heting was speechless.


    ¡°If not, why did you spend so much money to invite me over to prove my medical skills?¡± asked Zhao Chuchu. ¡°Mr. Qiao, please speak frankly.¡±


    Qiao Heting smiled bitterly and said, ¡°I truly can¡¯t keep any secrets from you. Mrs. Xie, how did you figure it out?¡±


    ¡°You said that you met your friend before seeking us out. I managed to identify a faint scent of medicine on you. You are in peak condition, so any scent of medicine will most likely be from the people around you. Only those who deal with medicine all year long will have such a scent on them.¡±


    Qiao Heting lifted his sleeve and sniffed it. Indeed, there was a faint scent of medicine on his clothes. However, ordinary people would not notice it unless they actively sought out the smell.


    ¡°Mrs. Xie is impressive,¡± Qiao Heting praised as he gave her a thumbs up. ¡°Would you be willing to look at my friend¡¯s condition?¡±


    ...


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it when this case is over,¡± Zhao Chuchu said. She rubbed her thumb and index finger together and added, ¡°However, you should know that the price for curing a rare disease is higher.¡±


    Qiao Heting was an intelligent man. He knew that Zhao Chuchu had already guessed that his friend was an extraordinary figure, judging from the fact that his friend needed to keep his identity a secret. So he smiled and said, ¡°Mrs. Xie, do not worry. We will treat you well.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu liked dealing with smart people. However, she still warned Qiao Heting, saying, ¡°Mr. Qiao, you¡¯d better be prepared.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°This friend of yours likely only has a few more years to live.¡±


    When Qiao Heting heard this, his expression changed drastically. He even had a somewhat murderous look in his eyes.


    Zhao Chuchu reassured him, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t get mad. I do not know when you arrived in Qiaoyi Town. I do not have the habit of spying on the affairs of others. The reason why I guessed so is that your friend is using strong medicines to stay alive.¡±

 Chapter 226 - 226 He Is Junjun’s Birth Brother

    226 He Is Junjun¡¯s Birth Brother


    When Zhao Chuchu mentioned spying on the affairs of others, Qiao Heting remembered when he stalked her and ended up getting beat up.


    Zhao Chuchu continued by saying, ¡°Since I can detect the scent of medicine from you, I naturally can differentiate what sort of medicine it is. With this knowledge, figuring out the situation is not difficult.¡±


    Qiao Heting stared at her for a long while.


    ¡°Then, do you know what illness my friend has?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. After all, there are many ways medicine could be used. I can only be sure of his illness after checking his pulse. Mr. Qiao, if you want to rely on someone, don¡¯t suspect them. Otherwise, don¡¯t rely on suspicious people. If you still doubt me, feel free to seek the expertise of others.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that I will take action against you?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, Mr. Qiao, you can¡¯t do anything to me. Even if you try to kill me, you will die instead,¡± said Zhao Chuchu with a faint smile.


    In terms of murdering people, Qiao Heting paled inparison to her.


    As long as he was human, he would not be able to escape her assassination.


    Her power was control over water, after all!


    Qiao Heting also realized this. He chuckled and said, ¡°That is right. I am no match for you, Mrs. Xie. Then, thank you for your help in advance.¡±


    ¡°With enough money, anything is on the table.¡±


    ¡°Must it be money?¡±


    ¡°If not money, what would it be? Should I depend on the good conscience of others and wait for them to repay my kindness? Wake up, Mr. Qiao. There is nothing more dependable than money.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s transparency caught Qiao Heting off guard.


    He fell silent for a while, then asked, ¡°Mrs. Xie, is it beyond even your ability?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu knew what Qiao Heting was asking.


    She actually knew what illness his friend had.


    Just like Xie Jun, his friend was poisoned.


    However, unlike Xie Jun, the poison had already worked its way deep into his friend¡¯s body. So now they were using strong medicines to hold their effects at bay.


    Even if she neutralized the poison, his chances of survival were slim.


    His internal organs were already corroded by the poison. The only way for him to have a chance of living a long life was to rece them.


    She might be able to prolong his life with her healing power, but she was not omnipotent. After neutralizing the poison, she could only lessen his pain and allow him a few more years to live.


    ¡°I dare not guarantee it, but there is a high likelihood of that being the case,¡± confessed Zhao Chuchu.


    Qiao Heting sighed.


    He bid Zhao Chuchu farewell and then left.


    Xie Jun tugged at Zhao Chuchu¡¯s sleeve and asked, ¡°Sis, what does Mr. Qiao n to do? Is he trying to snatch you away from my brother? Sis, I can tell at a nce that he is not as loyal as my brother. So don¡¯t leave us behind.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu could not control herughter as she patted his head. Finally, she said, ¡°Don¡¯t think too much. As long as your brother does not do anything wrong to me, your concerns will note to fruition.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a pinky promise between us.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was willing to satisfy this simple wish of his.


    ¡°Sis, I will be on your side no matter what. If my brother does anything wrong, I will leave him behind and go with you,¡± said Xie Jun as he looked at Zhao Chuchu. ¡°When I grow up, I will care for you until you are old.¡±


    ¡°I am not that much older than you are. So why would you need to look after me in my old age?¡±


    Xie Jun scratched his head and replied, ¡°That is true. You are so capable, Sis. Then I will make sure that I don¡¯t be a burden to you.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu smiled as she rubbed his head again.


    Xie Heng was gentle and attentive. Xie Jun was sweet and cute. It might just be that they were specially delivered to her by the gods in heaven.


    Not long after Qiao Heting left, Xie Heng returned.


    These past few days, he had been instructing the vigers in treating the infected water. He was out early and came backte at night, but at least he had achieved some results.


    Heyang Vige was slowly beginning to return to its original liveliness, and the vige was filled with moreughter.


    ¡°Da Lang, starting tomorrow, I will be heading to other viges,¡± Zhao Chuchu informed Xie Heng of her n as she packed the items she needed to carry out surgery.


    Xie Heng poured himself and Zhao Chuchu each a ss of water and said, ¡°Then, I will follow you. We will bring Junjun along with us.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, that was what I nned as well.¡±


    To prevent unnecessary trouble, Zhao Chuchu wanted Xie Heng to keep a lookout for her in case anyone barged in during her surgeries.


    After finishing his drink, Xie Heng also helped her pack.


    Zhao Chuchu listened intently for a moment. Then, when she was certain no one was outside, she lowered her voice and asked Xie Heng, ¡°Da Lang, Qiao Heting came to see me just now. He wanted me to help treat a friend of his. Which prince is this friend of his?¡±


    ¡°His friend is third in line for the throne.¡±


    ¡°The Third Prince?¡±


    ¡°They are cousins. In my previous life, the Third Prince had passed away this winter.¡±


    ¡°Do you know what the cause was?¡±


    ¡°It was said that he had fallen ill. It was onlyter that I knew that his symptoms were the same as Junjun¡¯s. Chuchu, are you nning to get involved with the imperial family?¡±


    ¡°Da Lang, do you not want me to save him?¡±


    ¡°Not at all. I just don¡¯t want you to be the target of public criticism.¡±


    ...


    ¡°I cannot save him. The poison has reached his organs. Even if I neutralize it, at most, it will only reduce his pain. He won¡¯t have long to live.¡±


    When he heard this, Xie Heng frowned.


    ¡°Da Lang, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°He is Junjun¡¯s birth brother.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu fell silent.


    After a moment, she asked, ¡°Then, wouldn¡¯t that make Junjun Qiao Heting¡¯s younger cousin? They do not look alike at all.¡±


    ¡°That is correct.¡±


    ¡°Is Junjun a son of the Empress?¡±


    ¡°He is the son of Empress Yuan.¡±


    Empress Yuan was the original spouse of the Emperor. However, she passed away more than a decade ago due to childbirthplications.


    Who said that it was a good thing to be born into an imperial family?


    ...


    Xie Jun was basically a bundle of misfortune.


    His birth mother died while giving birth to him. Before he got to know his birth brother, his brother had also died in his previous life. Would he meet the Emperor when thetter was also on his deathbed?


    Zhao Chuchu asked, ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you mention this before? Do you not want me to save the Third Prince?¡±


    Xie Heng replied, ¡°It is not that I don¡¯t want you to save him. The Third Prince does not have much time to live. You are just amoner whose medical skills are incredible. I do not wish for you to get caught up in this mess. The Third Prince also does not want Junjun¡¯s identity to be exposed.¡±


    ¡°Have both of you met before?¡±


    ¡°No, before the Third Prince passed away in my previous life, I met him. He had long known Junjun¡¯s identity and was secretly protecting him. Hence, when Junjun came to Imperial City, he was not discovered by anyone. The Third Prince also guided me in discovering Junjun¡¯s lineage.¡±


    ¡°That means that the Third Prince is also brilliant.¡±


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the fact that he contracted some strange poison, thends of Wei would be his.¡±


    ¡°If that is the case, why didn¡¯t you ask me to save him in the first ce?¡±


    ¡°How can you be certain that he will live?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu did not understand.


    With a straight face, Xie Heng exined, ¡°The imperial family has too many secrets. No good wille from knowing any of them. Chuchu, I know that you can take care of yourself, but it is best to keep your distance from trouble. Even if we encounter them sooner orter, it is best to avoid them as long as possible.¡±


    He added, ¡°There are some things that I am not at liberty to divulge. However, if Qiao Heting brings you to see the Third Prince, you will understand why I am saying this. I respect the Third Prince greatly, but sometimes, life is too painful. Death is the only release.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu noticed that Xie Heng was reluctant to continue, so she did not pursue the matter.


    Maybe the Third Prince¡¯s secret was too hard to tell, and Xie Heng did not want to reveal his private affairs.


    Out of the blue, Xie Heng asked, ¡°Chuchu, do you know where Junjun¡¯s poison came from?¡±


    ¡°I do not know.¡±


    ¡°It is a prohibited drug. Therefore, only the Emperor has ess to it.¡±


    When she heard this, Zhao Chuchu was shocked.


    She did not dare believe what she heard.


    No matter how cruel a tiger was, it would not eat its son. The Emperor actually dared to do such a thing, even against his own son?

 Chapter 227 - 227 We Will Develop in Secret

    227 We Will Develop in Secret


    Xie Heng did not have any reason to lie to her.


    Zhao Chuchu pondered for a moment and realized his words made sense. After all, members of the imperial family prioritized their own status in the court over their rtionships as fathers and sons.


    The Emperor had been in power for a long time. He would be unwilling to relinquish it.


    Moreover, the family of Empress Yuan was very influential. The Emperor was probably worried that the Qiao n would support the Third Prince, or Junjun, to be the next Emperor, so he decided to act first.


    !!


    ¡°Understood. I will be careful,¡± answered Zhao Chuchu as she considered various possibilities in her mind.


    Even if she neutralized the Third Prince¡¯s poison, she would do it secretly. They could not let Imperial City learn about their involvement; otherwise, Xie Jun¡¯s background would be easily exposed.


    However, if the Third Prince could find out that Xie Jun was his younger brother in his previous life, it was possible that it would also happen in this life.


    ¡°Does he know who Junjun is now?¡±


    ¡°Not yet. He has yet to meet Junjun.¡±


    ¡°Then are we letting him meet Junjun?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Xie Heng shook his head.


    In his previous life, it was precisely because the Third Prince knew that his younger brother was still alive that he exerted all his resources on paving the path to the throne for thetter. Unfortunately, as a result, the Third Prince¡¯s health worsened, and he passed away.


    The love the Third Prince had for Xie Jun was beyond all doubt. Even after meeting Xie Jun a few times, he did not reveal any emotions that might cause others to suspect Xie Jun¡¯s identity.


    ¡°If you have a way to prolong his life for several years, we will arrange for him to meet Junjunter. Otherwise, he will try to help Junjun with no regard for his well-being,¡± exined Xie Heng. ¡°Chuchu, the Third Prince¡¯s body cannot take such stress anymore.¡±


    ¡°Has his condition already deteriorated to such a state?¡± said Zhao Chuchu as she frowned slightly. ¡°If I manage to heal him, will he pose a threat to you and Junjun?¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t,¡± confirmed Xie Heng decisively. ¡°However, the people backing him will.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu fell silent.


    How was that any different from the Third Prince himself harming them?


    The struggle for power was forever cruel. Even if one were unwilling, the people behind them would push them to act.


    It was because once someone was in such a position, they represented more than just themselves!


    ¡°So, Chuchu, I hope you will not get involved in this. At least not for now. I am still not powerful enough to protect you,¡± Xie Heng said with a serious expression. He added, ¡°The Third Prince is a good person, but his party will always have a conflict of interest with us.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± answered Zhao Chuchu as she nodded her head.


    As long as the Third Prince was still alive, the people backing him would hope for him to be the next Emperor.


    Even if the Third Prince himself were not interested, he would be forced by his supporters to seize the throne.


    The war for session was always savage. Regardless of how mighty Zhao Chuchu was, she was only capable in the field of medicine. Even though she had powers, she would not be able to put up a fight against the imperial army.


    Moreover, Xie Heng was only a schr, while Xie Jun was only ten years old.


    Xie Heng advised Chuchu, saying, ¡°Chuchu, our road ahead will be arduous. So, we can¡¯t afford to keep a high profile. The nail that sticks up always gets hammered down.¡±


    She replied, ¡°That¡¯s right. We need to develop in secret. We still have a long way to go. Da Lang, keep up with your good work!¡±


    To achieve the goal of bing an influential grand secretary, he only had himself to rely on!


    Of course, Zhao Chuchu did not desire power. Her dream was to live happily with warm clothes and a full stomach. All she wanted was to leave her days of fighting zombies and struggling for her next meal behind.


    The next day, Zhao Chuchu woke up bright and early. After eating breakfast, she left to visit other viges.


    Before she left, she instructed the vige chief, ¡°Today, you must arrange for Dachuan¡¯s house to be well guarded in case trouble arises. Some of the vigers are on the brink of going mad. They might resort to unscrupulous deeds out of desperation.¡±


    When the vige chief saw that Zhao Chuchu was so serious about this matter, he did not dare to be careless. He replied, ¡°Alright. Mrs. Xie, do not worry. I will definitely make proper arrangements.¡±


    ¡°I will be heading to Chen Vige today. If you need me, you can find me there.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu informed the vige chief of her whereabouts and then left Heyang Vige with Xie Heng and Xie Jun.


    Chen Vige was not far from Heyang Vige. Only two patients there required surgery.


    Knowing Zhao Chuchu¡¯s rules, the vigers of Chen Vige did not dare to offend her and were very respectful to her. They provided her with whatever she needed without a second word. This was to prevent her from leaving them to their own deaths in a rage if they offended her.


    After all, people from the town and Heyang Vige had proven that Zhao Chuchu could actually treat big belly disease.


    Zhao Chuchupleted the surgeries and simrly educated the vigers of Chen Vige about the cause of the illness. She also helped them seek out the infected water areas and taught them how to treat them. Finally, she instructed them to follow Heyang Vige¡¯s example.


    In the following days, Zhao Chuchu traveled between the various viges. She was so busy that she lost weight.


    In the blink of an eye, August came. The cases of big belly disease in Qiaoyi Town finally disappeared gradually due to Zhao Chuchu¡¯s treatment.


    The disease did not see widespread transmission. When the imperial physician finally rushed over to Qiaoyi Town, he was astonished by Zhao Chuchu¡¯s medical skills.


    However, hemented that it was not Xie Heng who had the medical skills but Zhao Chuchu. Otherwise, he would have rmended that he join the imperial physician academy.


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, we thank you for treating this strange disease in Qiaoyi Town. If it weren¡¯t for you, who knows how things would have turned out?¡± The imperial physician thanked her. He was not as arrogant as Doctor Jiang. Even if he was not too eager to deal with a young maiden, he at least maintained a level of professionalism.


    ¡°You are too kind, sir. I merely treated their illnesses after getting paid. There is no need to thank me. It is only right and proper to do what you are paid to do,¡± said Zhao Chuchu with a smile. She knew that he looked down on women.


    However, since he had been professional about it, she would not expose him in public.


    The imperial physician asked, ¡°Based on local reports, aside from Qiaoyi Town, there are still patients with big belly disease in other areas. Mrs. Xie, could you hand over the prescription for treating this disease to the imperial court?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    It was one thing for her to do so willingly. However, the imperial physician had actually asked her directly.


    Even Qiao Heting had not asked her to surrender the prescription for treatment. So who did the imperial physician think he was?


    He asked her to give up her prescription for free. In this era, it was the greatest taboo to ask for the secrets of others. Yet, this imperial physician truly took her for granted!


    Zhao Chuchu had initially nned to give the imperial court the prescription.


    However, this imperial physician was such a hypocrite. He looked down on her, yet he shamelessly asked for her prescription.


    She replied, ¡°Since Mr. Qiao paid me, this prescription is technically his. If you want it, why don¡¯t you ask him? Pardon me for not being able to betray the trust given to me by Mr. Qiao. You understand my predicament, right? After all, every physician will have their own secret prescription.¡±


    ...


    The face of the imperial physician turned red after he heard what she said.


    She was just one step away from spelling out loud that he was shameless.


    He was at fault, to begin with. Flustered that Zhao Chuchu had seen through his intentions, the imperial physician chided, ¡°You should be honored that the imperial court is interested in your prescription. If your selfishness results in the deaths of patients in other ces, can you bear the consequences?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu retorted, ¡°I disagree with you. You are paid by the imperial court, so you have to help them solve this crisis. But, on the other hand, I am a nobody from the countryside. I came here because someone invited me here. If all physicians should contribute everything they have selflessly, why don¡¯t you share with me all of your skills first?¡±


    Her words greatly angered the imperial physician.


    He pointed a finger at Zhao Chuchu. He stuttered for a long while, ¡°You¡­you¡­¡±


    Zhao Chuchu added fuel to the fire, saying, ¡°You are very good at exploiting the generosity of others. So why is it that you are so enraged when it¡¯s your turn to be generous? You seem rather familiar with such double standards. Could it be that you also practice this in the imperial physician academy?¡±

 Chapter 228 - 228 Death Comes Sooner or Later

    228 Death Comes Sooner or Later


    ¡°Presumptuous. You are ignorant and unreasonable!¡± shouted the imperial physician, unable to contain his rage. ¡°Whoever marries you will have eight lifetimes of misfortune. How can such an outrageous woman like you exist in the world?¡±


    ¡°Imperial Physician Zhang, your words could not be further from the truth. Being able to have a woman like Chuchu as my wife is the good fortune I umted over three lifetimes,¡± said Xie Heng, who just happened to walk in. He continued speaking to the imperial physician, ¡°Without Chuchu, I would still be blind now.¡±


    The imperial physician nearly perished from anger.


    Xie Heng walked up to Zhao Chuchu¡¯s side and subtly shielded her behind him. Then he stood before the imperial physician and said, ¡°If my wife¡¯s existence brings others misfortune, then wouldn¡¯t the existence of other doctors be a worse nightmare?¡±


    !!


    The imperial physician¡¯s face turned as red as a beetroot, and his breathing became rapid.


    ¡°Be lenient wherever it is possible. My wife came to Qiaoyi Town at Mr. Qiao¡¯s behest. If you have anyints against this, it would be faster if we sought out Mr. Qiao to resolve the issue,¡± said Xie Heng. ¡°Troubling a woman is not very gentlemanly behavior.¡±


    The imperial physician was furious as he shouted, ¡°Just wait and see!¡±


    ¡°Imperial Physician Zhang, who needs to wait?¡± said Qiao Heting right then. His voice rang. ¡°I invited Mrs. Xie here. Imperial Physician Zhang, if you have anyints, address them to me. Indeed, there is no need to trouble Mrs. Xie. If you need the prescription, I will personally submit it to the Emperor when I return to Imperial City.¡±


    When Imperial Physician Zhang saw Qiao Heting, he deted like a balloon. No matter how big his ego was, he forcefully suppressed it.


    ¡°Qiao¡­Mr. Qiao¡­¡± stuttered Imperial Physician Zhang. His previous arrogance was gone. Instead, he respectfully asked, ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°I arrived before you did. I just overheard what you said. Did you want the prescription for treating big belly disease?¡±


    ¡°I would not dare.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Xie is right. I invited Mrs. Xie to Qiaoyi Town. I spent money to buy her prescription. If you wanted it, you could havee straight to me. Why did you need to unt your authority and bully a young maiden?¡±


    ¡°This is all a misunderstanding!¡±


    ¡°I have been listening for a long time, but I do not believe that this is a misunderstanding. However, Imperial Physician Zhang, if you believe that Mrs. Xie must surrender the prescription herself, you should also show some sincerity. Otherwise, social order would be in chaos if everyone acted like this.¡±


    Qiao Heting no longer appeared like a feeble schr. He had the authority of someone from the upper ss. When he looked at Imperial Physician Zhang, thetter did not even dare to breathe.


    ¡°I merely considered that people elsewhere have also contracted big belly disease. Unfortunately, in my haste, I chose my words poorly and misspoke. I was not trying to force Mrs. Xie to hand over her prescription,¡± stuttered Imperial Physician Zhang. ¡°Mr. Qiao, please understand.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, is this true?¡± asked Qiao Heting as he looked at Zhao Chuchu.


    Before Zhao Chuchu could answer, Imperial Physician Zhang hastily apologized to her, saying, ¡°Mrs. Xie, I have indeed misspoken in my haste. However, I did not mean to force you. Please forgive my transgression.¡±


    As he said this, he bowed deeply toward Zhao Chuchu.


    She stepped aside.


    She did not ept his bow.


    ¡°Imperial Physician Zhang, there is no need for this. Since it was a misunderstanding and you have apologized, we will let bygones be bygones,¡± said Zhao Chuchu nonchntly. ¡°I had nned to share the prescription from the very start.¡±


    Imperial Physician Zhang nearly coughed up blood.


    He suspected that Zhao Chuchu was doing this intentionally.


    However, he did not have proof.


    Qiao Heting also appeared to be siding with Zhao Chuchu. Imperial Physician Zhang had no standing or backing in Imperial City. He would not dare to offend Qiao Heting.


    He could only swallow his emotions and say, ¡°Many thanks, Mrs. Xie.¡±


    ¡°You are wee,¡± Zhao Chuchu said with a wide grin.


    When Qiao Heting saw this, he said, ¡°Since this was just a misunderstanding and has already been resolved, we will let this slide. After I return, I will naturally report the prescription to the Emperor. So, Imperial Physician Zhang, you need not worry.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Qiao.¡±


    Imperial Physician Zhang did not dare reveal his anger.


    Qiao Heting asked, ¡°Mrs. Xie, have you considered what we discussedst time?¡±


    ¡°I am sorry, Mr. Qiao. I am afraid that my skills are inadequate for such an important task.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu turned down Qiao Heting in front of Imperial Physician Zhang.


    When Imperial Physician Zhang heard this, he was ted.


    So what if Zhao Chuchu embarrassed him? If she turned down Qiao Heting, she would die sooner orter.


    Although the two did not state it outright, Imperial Physician Zhang knew that Qiao Heting was asking Zhao Chuchu to look at the Third Prince. However, she had turned him down!


    All of Imperial Physician Zhang¡¯s dissatisfaction faded away.


    After all, Zhao Chuchu had offended Qiao Heting.


    As expected, Qiao Heting said while frowning, ¡°That was not what you saidst time!¡±


    ¡°I have researched the prescriptions you gave me. For him to rely on such strong medicines to prolong his life, your friend will not have much longer to live. I do not wish to be involved in this mess.¡±


    ¡°You!¡±


    ¡°Mr. Qiao, please understand.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, do you know what you have done?¡±


    ¡°Oh, by the way, Mr. Qiao, please remember your promise. I expect my payment in full. My husband and brother-inw need the money to spend.¡±


    Qiao Heting was aghast.


    On the side, even though Xie Heng knew that Zhao Chuchu was acting, the words ¡°my husband¡± made him unspeakably happy.


    Zhao Chuchu teased, ¡°Mr. Qiao, are you going back on your word?¡±


    ¡°You will get your money!¡±


    Qiao Heting was grinding his teeth.


    He was clearly enraged by Zhao Chuchu¡¯s backtracking.


    Zhao Chuchu indeed did not want to get involved in this mess.


    She could neutralize the Third Prince¡¯s poison, but she would do so in secret.


    ...


    After all, she had to protect Xie Jun.


    Qiao Heting could do nothing against Zhao Chuchu. Even though he was displeased, he reigned in his emotions.


    ¡°When you return to Lengshui Vige, I will send the money over. Rest assured, not a single cent will be missing.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Qiao. If you have other good deals like this in the future, please seek me out.¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Qiao Heting waved his sleeve and left.


    Imperial Physician Zhang felt really good.


    He did not feel aggrieved anymore.


    She was an ignorant woman from the countryside who was witty with her speech. If she did not know how to deal with other people, she would die a horrible, unimaginable death.


    Imperial Physician Zhang left feeling refreshed.


    Zhao Chuchu watched as Imperial Physician Zhang and his group left. The corner of her mouth curled up slightly.


    She spent another five days in Qiaoyi Town, inspecting the treatment of the contaminated water in each vige again. Then, after she was certain that there were no more issues, she nned to return to Yuanjiang County.


    ...


    After all, she had been away from Lengshui Vige for more than a month. Finally, it was time to return home.


    The townsfolk of Qiaoyi Town were extremely grateful to her. When they heard that she was leaving, they offered her the best items in their homes as gifts.


    Zhao Chuchu did not know what to say.


    She rejected their gifts.


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°I have already received payment for your treatment. So if you want to thank someone, thank the government for their trust in me. If it weren¡¯t for that, I would not havee to Qiaoyi Town and would not have been able to treat all of you.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, regardless, we are all alive because of you. These are just tokens of our appreciation. Please ept them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Everyone believed we were impregnated by ghosts and that it was Qiaoyi Town¡¯s punishment for evil doings. You came to save us. These are your just rewards.¡±


    ¡°I know that these aren¡¯t worth much, but they are the best things we can offer. Mrs. Xie, please ept them.¡±


    The townsfolk chimed in one after another.

 Chapter 229 - 229 My Only Regret

    229 My Only Regret


    They were grateful to Zhao Chuchu from the bottom of their hearts. Zhao Chuchu had given them another chance at life. They no longer suffered from the pain of the disease.


    Zhao Chuchu looked around her. She said, ¡°I ept your gratitude but do not want your stuff. Your lives are difficult as well. Leave the stuff for your own use. From now on, take care of your hygiene. Do not drink water without boiling it first. That way, you will not fall sick so easily.¡±


    The crowd pleaded, ¡°Mrs. Xie¡­¡±


    ¡°I know what you want to say. Save the talk. There is nothing that needs to be said. All of you, head back to your homes. We also need to head off. I hope that the next time I see you all, you will be in better condition than you are now. Farewell.¡±


    After she said this, she leaped onto the cart. She waved at the crowd and signaled the driver to embark.


    The townsfolk chased the cart and tried to push the items onto it. However, they were no match for Zhao Chuchu.


    Just like how the items were thrown onto the cart, they were thrown off.


    ¡°Thank you. I ept your gratitude,¡± shouted Zhao Chuchu as she asked the driver to speed up. The cart distanced itself from the crowd.


    Only then did she sit down.


    Xie Jun immediately shifted closer to her and asked, ¡°Sis, are we returning to Lengshui Vige?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± said Zhao Chuchu as she nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to go back?¡±


    ¡°I do. How long will it take?¡±


    ¡°It will take around half a month.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu looked at Xie Jun. All this while, he had been traveling with her and Xie Heng. His skin was darker from being under the sun, but he had also bulked up quite a bit.


    He no longer needed acupuncture daily but was still on medication. However, he had neverined about it.


    ¡°How about the crops in the field?¡± asked Xie Jun anxiously. ¡°Brother, why don¡¯t we rush back as soon as possible to check on them?¡±


    Xie Heng patted his head with a smile and said, ¡°Why are you worried about these things as a kid? Why don¡¯t you tell me what you have learned from Sis on this trip.¡±


    Hearing that, Xie Jun put on a serious expression as he told Xie Heng everything he had learned in detail.


    Xie Jun was a smart kid to begin with. However, before this, Xie Heng had been overprotective of him.


    He remembered everything Zhao Chuchu taught him and knew how to apply the knowledge.


    Xie Heng nced at Zhao Chuchu and saw thetter nodding in approval. He then patted Xie Jun¡¯s head in contentment, saying, ¡°Junjun, remember what you have learned. In the future, regardless of what you face or what decision you have to make, think of this experience in Qiaoyi Town.¡±


    ¡°Bro, I know. I willmit this to memory,¡± said Xie Jun as he nodded. He had always obeyed Xie Heng and would not doubt his words.


    Given that this trip away from the vige was hard toe by, Xie Heng was in no rush to return. He instead asked the driver to slow down. He nned to enjoy the sights along the way, allowing Xie Jun to broaden his horizons.


    In this life, Xie Jun would no longer die young. He would have ample good times ahead, and his future was full of possibilities. Xie Heng certainly hoped that Xie Jun would be sessful.


    However, in Xie Heng¡¯s mind, Xie Jun¡¯s primary identity would still be his younger brother.


    Even if the two of them eventually took on very different roles in the court, Xie Heng still intended to build Xie Jun up.


    Two dayster, they arrived in a town.


    It waste in the evening, so they decided to spend the night here.


    They booked a room to rest in.


    All along the way, there were people following behind them in secret.


    Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng both knew this. However, they paid the people no heed and continued slowly on their journey.


    When Xie Jun fell asleep, Zhao Chuchu changed into night clothes.


    ¡°Da Lang, take good care of Junjun. I will be back before dawn.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was going to visit the Third Prince.


    She merely turned down Qiao Heting for Imperial Physician Zhang to see. She would be visiting the Third Prince. It was just that she had changed to doing this in secret.


    Xie Heng said, ¡°Be careful. Don¡¯t let them discover you.¡±


    ¡°They will not discover me,¡± replied Zhao Chuchu confidently.


    Even though the people tailing them were nimble, they were no match for her.


    Zhao Chuchu quietly left the inn. After she was out of town, she dashed in the northwest direction.


    Qiao Heting had vaguely mentioned where the Third Prince was. Xie Heng knew the spot the former was referring to, so he helped Zhao Chuchu pinpoint the exact location.


    The Third Prince was tormented by sickness and was very weak, so he traveled at a slower pace than Zhao Chuchu and her group. Nevertheless, she soon found the ce he was staying.


    On the surface, the ce appeared like an ordinary manor.


    However, Zhao Chuchu could detect the breathing of close to 100 people in the manor. Moreover, all of them knew martial arts.


    This was such a small manor, yet it was so heavily guarded.


    Aside from the sentries who could be seen on duty, plenty of guards were hiding in secret.


    Even a fly would not be able to enter the ce unnoticed.


    Going past this lineup was rtivelyplex for other people. However, in the eyes of Zhao Chuchu, this manor was no different from an uninhabited yground.


    Zhao Chuchu carefully listened for movements and identified the exact room where the Third Prince was residing. Then, she headed straight there.


    There were even more guards on duty outside of the Third Prince¡¯s room.


    Zhao Chuchu heard Qiao Heting¡¯s voice from inside the room. ¡°Third Brother, why don¡¯t you rest early tonight? Let¡¯s stop reading.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I can still manage this,¡± a feeble and gentle voice uttered. ¡°I don¡¯t have much time left. I want to find ninth brother as soon as possible. I¡¯m sure that he¡¯s still alive.¡±


    ¡°But so many years have passed, and we still do not know his whereabouts.¡± Qiao Heting sighed and continued, ¡°If he is also like you, he most likely has¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say such inauspicious words. The heavens bless good people. Ninth brother will certainly be well.¡±


    Qiao Heting said, ¡°Before this, Zhao Chuchu was willing to take a look at your illness, Third Brother. However, after she argued with Imperial Physician Zhang, she turned me down. Should I go ask her again?¡±


    ...


    ¡°Don¡¯t. You will get her involved. I have consulted various famous physicians from all over the world. All of them have diagnosed that I will not make it past the age of 20. I have long epted this reality. I can ept anything that happens to me. Ninth brother is my only regret. I fear that I will never be able to see him again.¡±


    ¡°We will find him.¡±


    ¡°Back then, he was still so small. I even held him before. Who would have thought¡­¡±


    As he said this, the Third Prince stopped and let out a long sigh.


    Zhao Chuchu picked up a stone and threw it toward the wall opposite the room.


    The guards outside the room immediately rushed forward to investigate the source of the sound.


    Zhao Chuchu made use of this split second to enter the room.


    Qiao Heting reacted quickly. Without hesitation, he stood in front of the pale and feeble man to protect thetter.


    He red at the intruder and was ready to call for help. Instead, Zhao Chuchu made a hush sign and whispered, ¡°Hush. Mr. Qiao, do you want to let everyone know that I am here? I don¡¯t want to die yet.¡±


    When he recognized Zhao Chuchu¡¯s voice, Qiao Heting was momentarily stunned.


    Zhao Chuchu removed the cloth that hid her face, revealing her appearance.


    ...


    When the Third Prince saw this, he asked, ¡°Who is this young maiden?¡±


    ¡°My name is Zhao Chuchu,¡± she introduced herself while nodding slightly. ¡°Mr. Qiao, is this the friend you were referring to?¡±


    ¡°Third Brother, this is Mrs. Xie,¡± introduced Qiao Heting. He paused for a moment before he turned toward Zhao Chuchu and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you were incapable of helping my friend? So why are you visiting us sote at night? What do you n to do?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu fell silent for a moment before she responded, ¡°Mr. Qiao, I have a good temper. Otherwise, I would have beaten the crap out of you for what you have just said.¡±

 Chapter 230 - 230 I Can Do Nothing About It

    230 I Can Do Nothing About It


    Hearing this, the Third Prince chuckled.


    ¡°Why?¡± Qiao Heting was puzzled. ¡°You sneaked in. How could I be careless?¡±


    ¡°Get out of the way.¡± Chuchu gave him a dirty look and walked up to the Third Prince. ¡°Your Excellency, forgive me foring like this. It¡¯s really because my family is made up ofmoners. We don¡¯t dare to cause any trouble. We can onlye and see you like this in the middle of the night. Please, sit down.¡±


    The Third Prince said, ¡°Mrs. Xie, I am grateful that you came. Sorry for causing you any trouble.¡±


    Chuchu nced at the Third Prince and found that he did not look like Xie Jun, probably because Xie Jun had been poisoned before and had not grown up yet.


    Although the Third Prince was in the same situation, the royal family was not the same as an ordinary family of farmers.


    The poison was too potent. Even though the royal family had the best medicine in the world, they could not stop the poison from seeping into internal organs. So, it was true that the Third Prince would not live long.


    Even if his blood was detoxified, he could only live another three or four years.


    If Chuchu was at the peak of her powers, she could use her powers to renew the life of the Third Prince.


    But she would not do it.


    The Third Prince was kind to Xie Jun only because Xie Jun was his brother. However, she was an outsider. If they knew she had powers, they would probably try to imprison her and make her the royal life-renewal medicine.


    After checking the pulse of the Third Prince, she shook her head. ¡°I apologize. I can do nothing about it.¡±


    Qiao Heting suddenly became agitated. ¡°There is nothing you can do?¡±


    ¡°He is not sick but poisoned. He was already poisoned even in his mother¡¯s womb, right? It¡¯s a miracle that he has survived so long. Even if I could cleanse the poison, he would only live a few more years,¡± Chuchu said honestly.


    ¡°How do you know that he was poisoned before he was born?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Qiao, don¡¯t forget that I am a doctor. Since I¡¯m called a Doctor Miracle, do you think I wouldn¡¯t know this? It¡¯s ridiculous for you to doubt me about that.¡±


    Qiao Heting¡¯s breath caught in his throat.


    The Third Prince opened his mouth to mediate. ¡°My cousin is too concerned about me, so please don¡¯t be too insensitive to him. I would only like to ask, how can you be sure that I am poisoned?¡±


    ¡°If I can¡¯t even know it by checking your pulse, how dare Ie to Qiaoyi Town to cure big belly disease?¡± Chuchu asked rhetorically. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, never mind. Anyway, I have already done what I¡¯ve promised to Mr. Qiao.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your understanding. I was just curious about it. Many doctors have diagnosed me as sick, not poisoned.¡±


    ¡°It is indeed simr to certain illnesses, but if you were sick, those doctors would have prescribed the right medicine and you would have recovered long ago. Why keep it till now?¡±


    ¡°Do you have a way to remove the poison?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but I don¡¯t know if you can get the herbs needed.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t get them?¡±


    ¡°Well, a few herbs are only avable to the royal family, so¡­¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, you might as well write a recipe for us.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll put it straight here. The poison has spread throughout your body. Even if your body is detoxified, you won¡¯t live long as normal people. At best, you will live the remaining several years peacefully without suffering from toxic attacks. That¡¯s all I can do.¡±


    Chuchu looked at the Third Prince with a serious expression.


    He answered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s predicted that I won¡¯t live more than 20 years. If I live a few more years, that¡¯s a bonus. I will only be grateful to you.¡±


    ¡°I hope you are reasonable,¡± Chuchu said before she looked at Qiao Heting. ¡°Please bring a pen and paper for me, Mr. Qiao. I will write down the prescription for you.¡±


    ¡°Many thanks.¡±


    The Third Prince showed his gratitude with a fist-and-palm salute.


    Chuchu nodded slightly.


    Seeing that the Third Prince did not say anything, Qiao Heting did as Chuchu said.


    She quickly wrote down the prescription and handed it to Qiao Heting.


    Qiao Heting handed it to the Third Prince.


    It was said that those who had been suffering from a long-time illness would be doctors. The Third Prince had been suffering from poisonous attacks all his life, so naturally, he had done some research on medicinal herbs.


    With a first nce at the prescription, he found those rare ingredients.


    He looked at Chuchu secretly. His gaze was a bit curious.


    Chuchu noticed his gaze but pretended not to know anything.


    ¡°How is the form going to be used?¡± he asked.


    Chuchu told him the procedure carefully.


    In fact, it required acupuncture.


    But the Third Prince¡¯s body was so much weaker than Xie Jun¡¯s that he couldn¡¯t endure it.


    Still, the Third Prince was older. He could take more dosage of medicine than Xie Jun.


    ¡°This is enough for six months!¡± Qiao Heting heard her words and became incredulous.


    Chuchu nodded. ¡°He¡¯s too weak. It is simply impossible to detoxify him all at once. But don¡¯t worry, as long as you follow my instructions strictly, he will be able to live past 20, and it¡¯s all up to him as to how many years he can earnter.¡±


    Qiao Heting nced at the Third Prince.


    The Third Prince said, ¡°Good. Thank you in advance, Mrs. Xie.¡±


    ¡°There is no need to be so formal. It would be better to make the goods delivered and the bill cleared.¡± Chuchu smiled slightly.


    ¡°Who wants your thanks? Money is all I want,¡± she thought.


    Qiao Heting was a bit frustrated. ¡°Mrs. Xie, is money the only thing you care about? I will surely pay you.¡±


    ¡°Great wits have short memories. I¡¯d better remind you first.¡±


    ¡°Heting, go get ready. Mrs. Xie deserves it.¡±


    ...


    ¡°Yes, Third Brother.¡±


    Qiao Heting turned around and left.


    The Third Prince and Chuchu were left in the room.


    The smile on the Third Prince¡¯s face faded away. ¡°Mrs. Xie, have you ever seen this poison?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Chuchu denied. ¡°I am only talented in studying medicine, plus my husband has privately sought out a lot of ancient books rted to medicine to cure his eyes. I have seen a poison simr to your symptoms in the ancient books.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a pity that the ancient books were burned. Otherwise, it would have proved for me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for doubting you, Mrs. Xie.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, and it¡¯s normal for people who have been sick for a long time to be skeptical. My husband and brother-inw were like that before.¡±


    ¡°Then, why didn¡¯t you treat them before?¡±


    ¡°Would you believe me if I said it was because my husband didn¡¯t trust me?¡± Chuchu asked with a smile. ¡°He burned the ancient books because he was afraid that I would mess up. He didn¡¯t expect me to learn something.¡±


    ...


    ¡°You learned medicine in a year?¡±


    ¡°My husband forced me to memorize those ancient medical books every day, and I could recite them backward. So, I can more or less apply some of them. In addition, the gue in Yuanjiang County gave me a lot of confidence and made me more courageous.¡±


    The Third Prince did not continue the topic.


    Chuchu also knew her words had ws, but she did it intentionally.


    Everyone had their secret. Until the Third Prince found Xie Jun, she was safe.


    Because the Third Prince suspected that Xie Jun was also poisoned and she could possibly be the only doctor who could detoxify the poison.


    Later, Qiao Heting returned.


    He brought a bulging pouch with him and handed it to Chuchu.


    ¡°This is part of it. If your prescription works, there will be a great reward following.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Chuchu took it, weighed it, and found it stuffed with bank notes.


    One was a prince and the other was the heir of a noble family. Chuchu believed that they would not be stingy with this.

 Chapter 231 - 231 You Suspected Xie Jun?

    231 You Suspected Xie Jun?


    Chuchu put the pouch away and said to the Third Prince, ¡°If you feel ufortable, juste to me at Lengshui Vige. However, I don¡¯t want to get into trouble, so please keep it low-profile when youe.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡± The Third Prince nodded his head.


    ¡°Then, farewell.¡± Chuchu turned around and left.


    The Third Prince did not speak for a long time and was just looking outside the door.


    ¡°Third Brother, do you believe her?¡± Qiao Heting broke the silence.


    The Third Prince replied, ¡°Zhao Chuchu has grown up in Lengshui Vige since she was a child and has never left there. Her parents are also honest farmers. There is nothing wrong with her.¡±


    ¡°But her medical skill was still questionable¡­¡±


    ¡°Maybe she has a talent for it?¡±


    ¡°What about Xie Heng?¡±


    ¡°Xie Heng? He¡¯s smart, and the farthest ce he¡¯s ever been in his life is probably Qiaoyi Town. But you have to be careful with him. He¡¯s not mediocre.¡±


    ¡°So, is he rted to the Imperial City?¡±


    ¡°He can¡¯t be working for the Great Prince, but it is strange that Sikou Qin suddenly gets close to him. It¡¯s a pity that Sikou Qin is dead. Otherwise, we could get some information from her.¡±


    After saying that, as if he suddenly remembered something, the Third Prince fell into deep thought.


    ¡°What are you thinking about, Third Brother?¡±


    ¡°Have you seen Xie Jun?¡±


    The third prince raised a question abruptly.


    ¡°Yes, I have.¡±


    ¡°Is there anything suspicious about him?¡±


    ¡°He has been sick and he looks like a child of seven or eight years old. There is no suspicion regarding him.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t he 10 years old this year?¡±


    ¡°Well, Third Brother, you suspected Xie Jun?¡±


    ¡°I wish he was my ninth brother. In that case, he would be safe. But the age is not right¡­ Well, did you say Xie Jun looks only seven or eight years old?¡±


    ¡°Right, but his illness is different from yours, Third Brother.¡±


    ¡°Ugh.¡±


    The Third Prince sighed.


    Back then, his ninth brother had left the Imperial City to the north, and the survivors who were present at his ninth brother¡¯s ident were foundst year. They also proved that those people had taken his ninth brother to the north, so how could he have ended up thousands of miles away in the south?


    ¡°Heting, why don¡¯t you double-check Xie Jun and see if there is any doubt about where hees from?¡±


    Qiao Heting initially wanted to talk him into giving up, but when he thought of the Third Prince¡¯s health, he held those words back.


    He knew very well that the Ninth Prince was the biggest wish of the Third Prince, who wanted to find his brother in his lifetime.


    It was a pity that there was no news after so many years, and even the clues were lost.


    ¡°I see, Third Brother. But Zhao Chuchu cured the strange disease in Qiaoyi Town. I¡¯m afraid that someone doesn¡¯t want her to live.¡± Qiao Heting was worried.


    After all, the Third Prince was a thorn in the eyes of many people.


    Also, many people would be afraid of a doctor like Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°I will protect her family,¡± the Third Prince said. ¡°We can¡¯t let them kill such a great doctor because of their selfishness.¡±


    ¡°But Third Brother, your body¡­¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Zhao Chuchu say that? I still have several years to live.¡±


    Hearing this, Qiao Heting smiled faintly and pursed his lips without speaking.


    ¡°Heting, since you¡¯re begging them, you have to trust them, and even more so, don¡¯t question them behind their backs. Otherwise, you¡¯ll be killed by her. She doesn¡¯t have a good temper.¡± The Third Princeughed.


    Qiao Heting¡¯s forehead wrinkled.


    ¡°Those people in Heyang Vige, she had never treated them, right?¡±


    ¡°Third Brother, I¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay, I know what you mean. Don¡¯t mention this matter again in the future. I¡¯ll go back to the Imperial City first and find all the medicines of the prescription. To be honest, I¡¯m afraid of dying too.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t die, Third Brother.¡±


    Once getting into this part, Qiao Heting¡¯s heart ached.


    Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do. He could only watch the Third Prince suffer.


    If not for his health, he should be the current crown prince instead of the cocky Great Prince.


    Maybe the Third Prince was too excellent, so heaven did this to him.


    He hoped that Zhao Chuchu could cure the Third Prince. Even if only for a few years, they still had time to continue looking for a way to cure him.


    When Chuchu returned to the inn from the vige, Xie Heng was still awake.


    ¡°It¡¯s already toote. Why aren¡¯t you sleeping?¡± Seeing him wide awake, she frowned. ¡°You haven¡¯t had a good rest during this time. Even the strongest man can¡¯t withstand such exhaustion.¡±


    ¡°There is no harm in staying upte one more night.¡± Xie Heng got up and took Chuchu¡¯s medicine box. ¡°You¡¯ve been running around all night. Go and sleep first. I¡¯ll keep watch.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t you ask me about it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just what I know. It is the same whether you tell me or not.¡±


    Chuchu said, ¡°The Third Prince could live only a few years. There is nothing I can do.¡±


    ...


    ¡°Just do your best. Don¡¯t overthink,¡± Xie Hengforted her. ¡°Even if you give more, the others may not appreciate it and may even take it for granted.¡±


    ¡°Just think of it as a doing for Junjun.¡±


    ¡°Well, get some rest first. We¡¯ll talk about what we haveter.¡±


    Seeing that Xie Heng insisted, she didn¡¯t say anything else.


    After washing her face, she went to bed.


    Only after Chuchu fell asleep did Xie Heng sit down to rest, still watching over Chuchu and Xie Jun.


    During the next journey, they were followed and watched by the stalkers.


    Xie Heng continued the original n and took Xie Jun to let him see the lives of ordinary people so that he could better understand them.


    This journey took nearly 20 days. They even spent Mid-Autumn Festival during the trip.


    The three of them returned to the vige. Niu Tongsheng, who was working in the field, hurriedly ran to Xie¡¯s house when he heard the news.


    Old Mrs. Chen had already arrived.


    ...


    ¡°You are finally back. People came to our vige almost daily during this period, and even the county office sent people several times. Chuchu, do you know how much rice you have harvested? You didn¡¯t nt much, but the harvest almost caught up with the first-half harvest of the whole vige!¡±


    Old Mrs. Chen looked excited.


    ¡°My family only nted one block of field, and the harvest is already better than the previous year¡¯s. Also, the rice is especially fragrant! We also used your seedlings for thete rice, so I won¡¯t be afraid if I would go hungry next year!¡±


    ¡°So much?¡± Chuchu was a little surprised.


    ¡°Of course. Would I lie to you?¡± Old Mrs. Chen beamed with pleasure. ¡°Chuchu, you are sopetent. If you still have the rice seeds for next year, even if it costs 10 taels of silver per catty, I will buy it!¡±


    ¡°Da Lang, Chuchu, you¡¯re finally back!¡± Niu Tongsheng¡¯s voice arrived before he came in. ¡°I didn¡¯t send the rice over when it was collected because you were not home. It¡¯s put away in my house. You¡¯d better free up a room for storage.¡±


    Niu Tongsheng strode inside, smiling with the joy of harvest.


    ¡°Our sorghum and soybeans grow well too. The restaurant owners and many businessmen came to order our tofu skins. Now, the watermill is bustling and hustling day and night. I want to invite more people to visit the watermill, but you have not returned. I don¡¯t dare to make the decision.¡±


    While saying this, he handed them the ount book to check the water mill¡¯s ie for the previous month.

 Chapter 232 - 232 What Were the Benefits of Being the Emperor?

    232 What Were the Benefits of Being the Emperor?


    The poprity of tofu skins exceeded Zhao Chuchu¡¯s expectations.


    Many merchants wanted to go and get tofu skins. However, it was Niu Tongsheng¡¯s first time doing business, so he didn¡¯t dare to agree and told them to wait for Zhao Chuchu to return.


    ¡°Chief, there are some things you can actually decide on,¡± Zhao Chuchu said. ¡°You can learn slowly if you don¡¯t know how.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid of being cheated because of my inexperience. So I dare to do it only when you guys give me an idea.¡± Niu Tongsheng was embarrassed. ¡°After all, this watermill workshop is funded by you, and you are the owner. Now the people in the vige are counting on the watermill workshop to make their lives prosperous, so I¡¯m taking on a lot of responsibility, and it¡¯s better to be careful.¡±


    !!


    ¡°Everyone must pay some tuition to learn. It¡¯s better to lose now thanter. But, Chief, you are not confident in yourself. You have to believe in yourself!¡± Zhao Chuchu encouraged him.


    Niu Tongsheng quickly shook his head. ¡°No, no. It¡¯s better to follow you to learn more skills.¡±


    Then Xie Heng asked, ¡°Then, Chief, which of these people do you think is worth doing business with? You might as well create a list of those you approve of.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Niu Tongsheng froze for a moment. ¡°Create a list?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Don¡¯t you remember who they are?¡±


    ¡°I do. I wrote them all down to prevent missing any of them!¡±


    Then, Niu Tongsheng circled all the people he thought he could do business with.


    He knew how to read, but not much. So he had the ountant write down the names of all these people, and then he slowly kept track of who was who.


    He now spoke with good reason and clear logic. He investigated all the people on the list and gave the reasons why he could cooperate with them and which he could not.


    After hearing this, Xie Heng looked at Niu Tongsheng. ¡°Chief, you can do business with the people you picked out on your list this time. But, of course, whether you seed or fail depends on you. So remember not to be too honest and tell them everything.¡±


    ¡°What did you say, Da Lang? You want me to do business with them by myself?¡± Niu Tongsheng could not believe it.


    ¡°Yes. Chuchu and I can¡¯t keep an eye on the watermill workshop all the time, so most of the business is still left to you in the future,¡± Xie Heng said with a straight face. ¡°Whether or not the people in this vige can live a good life depends on you, Chief.¡±


    ¡°What? Well¡­Da Lang, you have given me too much trust. What if I mess this up?¡±


    ¡°I believe in you, Chief. Don¡¯t you have confidence in yourself? You can grow crops well, so how can you not learn how to do business?¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, Da Lang and Chuchu have said so, so stop rejecting their good intentions. Besides, Chuchu has to learn medicine, and Da Lang also has to study, so where would they find the time to take care of those trivial matters in the watermill workshop?¡±


    At that point, Old Mrs. Chen spoke.


    ¡°In my opinion, since Da Lang and Chuchu are in the vige, you should hurry up and learn well. Otherwise, when Da Lang goes to take the Provincial Examination in two years, won¡¯t Chuchu and Junjun go with him? So two years is enough time for you to learn, right?¡±


    Niu Tongsheng thought it made sense, so he patted his chest and said, ¡°Well, since you all believe in me, I will learn well and try not to let you down.¡±


    ¡°You can do it, Chief!¡± Zhao Chuchu encouraged Niu Tongsheng. ¡°When the watermill workshop gets prosperous, we¡¯ll live a good life!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Niu Tongsheng had a confident look. ¡°Our Lengshui Vige will definitely lead a good life. We are the first to do business with tofu skins. If we can¡¯t seed in doing so, then I am really useless!¡±


    ¡°Chief, don¡¯t say so.¡±


    ¡°By the way, Da Lang, where will you store the grain? I¡¯ll have them all sent overter.¡±


    ¡°Put it in the room over here.¡± Xie Heng pointed to the empty room next to Xie Jun¡¯s room. ¡°It¡¯s been packed up, so just put the grain in there.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go back and call someone to help. You just came back, so take a rest first.¡±


    Niu Tongsheng hurriedly went away again.


    Old Mrs. Chen also followed to call her son, who was working in the field, back to help.


    Before Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng could react, the vigers picked up the stretcher, pushed the cart, and soon helped to send back the Xie n¡¯s grain.


    This kind of harvest made them all excited. They hoped that they could get the rice seeds next year so that they would still have food left over in addition to paying taxes.


    Looking at the piles of rice that filled up the room, Zhao Chuchu was very happy.


    Food was more important to her than money.


    After experiencing that situation, money was not that important to her. When it came to a critical moment, it was a waste, and only food was the most practical.


    Xie Heng was a schr and did not have to pay taxes, so the food belonged to them entirely.


    After nightfall, Zhao Chuchu asked Xie Heng¡¯s opinion and then put two-thirds of the grain into the carry-on space so that it would not be targeted by thieves.


    In addition, most of the potatoes were likewise stored.


    Only after this was done did Zhao Chuchu say to Xie Heng, ¡°The Great Prince did send someone to search our house.¡±


    ¡°I found out about it, too,¡± Xie Heng said. ¡°The bookshelves have also been turned over.¡±


    ¡°Was anything missing?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Before the trip, nothing that should not have been left wasn¡¯t, so even if the Great Prince dug into the ground, he could not find a single helpful thing.


    Furthermore, Sikou Qin¡¯s death would make him anxious, so he wouldn¡¯t return to Yuanjiang County for a while.


    ¡°But I found this.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu took out a white handkerchief and showed Xie Heng the powder stain.


    ¡°I found it by the water tank.¡±


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°Poison.¡±


    ¡°Is he trying to kill us?¡±


    ¡°But they had no time to do it. There were signs of a fight next to the water tank. Although the other party had cleaned up, I still found the clues. Da Lang, who else is targeting us besides the Great Prince? The Third Prince?¡±


    ¡°Well, it should be him. He had Qiao Heting invite us to Qiaoyi Town, so he may also have the idea of investigating us.¡±


    ¡°These people are really interesting. They can even think about us trivial people!¡±


    ...


    Zhao Chuchu spoke sarcastically.


    ¡°Don¡¯t they feel tired?¡±


    ¡°Tiredness is nothing if they can get to that position. They only want to have the whole world in their hands.¡±


    ¡°Then do you want to, Da Lang?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Xie Heng shook his head. ¡°Chuchu, do you want to?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Wasn¡¯t it good to live in peace when getting old?


    What were the benefits of being the Emperor?


    The Emperor had to get up by starlight and work till the moon rose. Even if the world was in his hands, he still became a puppet of the world and lived his life for others.


    She did not have such lofty and ambitious ideals. She just wanted to live a peaceful and stable life without worrying about food; nothing else was important to her.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s travel the world when everything is settled in the future. We can go anywhere you want to go and see the world, okay?¡± Xie Heng looked at Zhao Chuchu, his gaze burning.


    ...


    ¡°Okay.¡± Zhao Chuchu smiled brightly. ¡°Don¡¯t go back on your word. If you stay in power in the future, I won¡¯t be with you.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t!¡± Xie Heng said firmly.


    He had once stood on the highest ce overlooking all the people, and the feeling of being alone was not good.

 Chapter 233 - 233 All Were Hers

    233 All Were Hers


    ¡°Then it looks like I¡¯ll have to wait for the day you retire.¡±


    ¡°Retire?¡±


    ¡°Well, that is, toplete all the work and then resign from the job.¡±


    ¡°To retire is an interesting expression.¡±


    !!


    It seemed more understandable for Xie Heng than retirement.


    Zhao Chuchu wrapped her arms around Xie Heng¡¯s shoulders and winked. ¡°Da Lang, I¡¯ll be waiting for you then.¡±


    Xie Heng felt the heat run up his cheeks and did not dare look directly at Zhao Chuchu. ¡°Okay!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see if there are any signs of poisoning in other ces. I can¡¯t die before your retirement.¡± Zhao Chuchu let go of Xie Heng and turned around to check other ces.


    Xie Heng took a deep breath to calm his heartbeat.


    Zhao Chuchu could always stir up his emotions easily, and he would lose the self-control he was so proud of.


    Zhao Chuchu checked the house inside and out and found nothing else except for what she had found next to the water tank.


    It seemed that the Third Prince¡¯s people were more powerful. Otherwise, how did the Great Prince not get any advantage?


    Zhao Chuchu even found a bloodstain.


    But the house was cleaned thoroughly, so it was unclear how intense the fighting was.


    ¡°Qiao Heting is notpletely a bad guy,¡± Zhao Chuchu said to Xie Heng after she returned from her check. ¡°He didn¡¯t leave us homeless.¡±


    ¡°He still has a conscience,¡± Xie Heng said. ¡°If we had been left homeless, it would probably mean that the Great Prince had the upper hand and that the Third Prince waspletely defeated.¡±


    ¡°This guy has never trusted me.¡±


    ¡°So what? He can¡¯t find evidence and won¡¯t do anything to you.¡±


    ¡°Da Lang, I¡¯m only afraid that there is not much time left for us to prepare ourselves.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about this. At least until I serve in the imperial court, we are safe. The rtionship between the Great Prince and the Sikou n has broken down, and the Empress is pregnant, so all the forces in the imperial court are fighting and can¡¯t care about those of us who are not important.¡±


    Xie Heng was well-informed, so Zhao Chuchu believed he had another identity.


    However, since he had not said anything about it, she did not ask.


    No one knew if there were telepathic connections between them. While Zhao Chuchu was thinking about it, Xie Heng brought up the matter.


    ¡°Chuchu, all of my informationes from the Ink-reflecting Bookstore,¡± Xie Heng said in a low voice. He took out a white jade-carved seal and handed it to Zhao Chuchu. ¡°This is a token. You can go to any Ink-reflecting Bookstore to get anything you want with it.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu took it and carefully examined it for a moment. The bottom of the seal was engraved with the word ¡°Ink-reflecting¡± in italics and looked ordinary.


    But what Xie Heng took out was obviously not something ordinary.


    ¡°Anything? Even the Ink-reflecting Bookstore?¡± Zhao Chuchu joked.


    ¡°Yes, if you want it, it¡¯s yours.¡± Xie Heng nodded seriously.


    ¡°Including you?¡±


    ¡°I am also yours.¡±


    Zhao Chuchuughed. ¡°Then I¡¯ll take it.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu knew of the Ink-reflecting Bookstore. It was very famous in the Wei Dynasty and was especially sought after by those intellectuals.


    But the owner of the Ink-reflecting Bookstore was an old man in his sixties, and the old man was particrly bad-tempered. Even a young girl like the original owner had heard of it from Niu Ziming, who often showed his desire for the Ink-reflecting Bookstore in front of young girls.


    It seemed that it was a symbol of an intellectual¡¯s status to be able to buy a book from the Ink-reflecting Bookstore.


    Zhao Chuchu did not expect that the real owner of the Ink-reflecting Bookstore was Xie Heng.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the Ink-reflecting Bookstore an old one? When did you get it?¡±


    ¡°The original owner exchanged it with me for a piece of news.¡±


    ¡°What news is it that it¡¯s worth giving up the bookstore?¡±


    ¡°Everyone has obsessions in their hearts, and some are so strong that they give up everything. The old owner of the bookstore is such a person. He is very affectionate.¡±


    ¡°That old man?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the Ink-reflecting Bookstore has never been ordinary. It controlled many channels of information gathering.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯ve made a fortune.¡±


    Xie Heng smiled. ¡°I also became the owner of the Ink-reflecting Bookstore before. But I made it earlier this time.¡±


    ¡°What about besides the Ink-reflecting Bookstore?¡± Zhao Chuchu tilted her head and looked at him. ¡°You are not short of money.¡±


    ¡°I also have some stores in several docks, but thosend deeds and other things are not here. So when we go to Guangqing Province, I will give all those things to you to keep,¡± Xie Heng said.


    Zhao Chuchu asked, ¡°Then wouldn¡¯t your entire fortune be with me?¡±


    ¡°You can tell me your biggest secret, so I always have to take out all of mine to reassure you.¡±


    Xie Heng had wanted to say it for a long time but didn¡¯t have the right opportunity.


    Now it was just right. Everything went as it should.


    Zhao Chuchu also knew his biggest secret.


    He did not want Zhao Chuchu to be shaken by uneasiness and doubt.


    Since he loved Zhao Chuchu, he was willing to let her know everything about himself and support her.


    ¡°Da Lang, if you are betrayed by me one day, you will suffer a lot.¡±


    ¡°If that day doese, it will definitely be because I have done something wrong to you.¡±


    ...


    Xie Heng knew Zhao Chuchu¡¯s nature too well.


    She was clear about love and hate and would never do anything to hurt him without reason.


    Moreover, what Zhao Chuchu wanted was just a peaceful and free life. She had no great desire for money or power.


    ¡°When the timees, you can kill me.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t speak too soon.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Because maybe that day will reallye.¡±


    Xie Hengughed. ¡°Other things cannot be guaranteed, but never hurting you is the only thing I can be sure of.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu gently punched him. Then she took out a piece of chocte and handed it to Xie Heng. ¡°Here, take it. I hope it will be sweet to your heart.¡±


    Xie Heng was already used to Zhao Chuchu suddenly taking something out, so he happily epted it.


    This kind of sweet burden belonged to him alone.


    ...


    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, so go rest quickly. It¡¯s not good for your health if you stay up any longer,¡± Xie Heng urged Zhao Chuchu. ¡°No matter what happens in the future, I will keep my promise.¡±


    ¡°Well, you should also go to bed early.¡±


    After saying that, Zhao Chuchu quickly kissed Xie Heng on the cheek and ran away.


    Xie Heng was caught off guard, and his mind went nk. He stood frozen in ce with a blush on his handsome face. All he could think about was that gentle touch, and his heart beat rapidly.


    Zhao Chuchu closed the door. Then, remembering Xie Heng¡¯s dumbfounded look, she couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    He had lived for two lives, but he was still so innocent and would blush at a kiss.


    However, Zhao Chuchu liked that about him.


    She held the white jade seal and yed with it carefully. This was Xie Heng¡¯s trump card, and it was all Xie Heng had.


    Now, including Xie Heng, they were all hers!


    She closed her eyes contentedly, and even when she fell asleep, the corners of her mouth couldn¡¯t stop rising.


    It took Xie Heng a long time to return to his senses after being kissed by Zhao Chuchu.


    He touched his face as if Zhao Chuchu¡¯s breath still remained.


    An unprecedented sweetness flowed through his body and made him feel sweet and happy.


    It seemed that no one could escape from love.


    In the past, Xie Heng did not understand, but now he knew.


    It turned out that there was really such a girl in the world, and just seeing her would make people seem as if they had everything in the world!

 Chapter 234 - 234 Are You Serious?

    234 Are You Serious?


    It waste August, and the great millets Niu Tongsheng and others nted were ready to be gathered in.


    The day after Zhao Chuchu returned to Lengshui Vige, she went to help gather in the great millets.


    Madam Kong didn¡¯t want Zhao Chuchu to do this. She said, ¡°Chuchu, you don¡¯t have to do these things. You just watch on the side. You are a doctor. This is not what you should do.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu raised her eyebrows and said, ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate me, Madam Kong!¡±


    !!


    Although she had never done this kind of work before, she thought it to be effortless as a person with supernatural power.


    With her strength, Zhao Chuchu proved to them that she could save people and work in the field. She was much faster than those farmers like Niu Tongsheng.


    Zhao Chuchu finished half of such argend of great millets, and Niu Tongsheng should finish the rest.


    The vigers were stunned.


    ¡°Chuchu, when did you be so powerful?¡±


    ¡°You are much faster than us.¡±


    ¡°If we can be like Chuchu, we can gather in the great millets really soon.¡±


    Hearing this, Zhao Chuchu said with a smile, ¡°You helped us with our fields before, so I should help you guys. Hurry up, and we can finish it soon.¡±


    Although this was the first time for them to nt the great millets this year formally, thanks to Xie Heng¡¯s guidance after he had read the books, the great millets grew well, and the harvest looked very good.


    The quality of great-millet brewing was excellent. Zhao Chuchu had been nning to let them grow the great millets as food, but now Zhao Chuchu decided to suggest that they learn to brew wine after seeing the good harvest of the great millets.


    She did not know how to brew, but she had books about it. She could let Xie Heng study it carefully and try to make wine with the great millets. Then the great millet wine would be a famous brand of Lengshui Vige.


    Madam Kong said, ¡°That¡¯s right. We got the good weather, so we¡¯d better gather the great millets as soon as possible and dry them. Otherwise, when the bad weatheres, it will be serious trouble. Chuchu is definitely right.¡±


    Everyoneughed and talked. It took one day to gather in the great millets of Niu Tongsheng¡¯s family, and then they went to gather in the great millets of other families.


    In the previous Lengshui Vige, every family did their own work almost without anymunication. They would never help one another unless they were really close.


    But now, probably because of Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng, people in Lengshui Vige, except the Zhaos and several other families excluded by Zhao Chuchu, had be very united and always helped each other. They were more efficient than before.


    It took five days to gather in the great millets in the vige, and Niu Tongsheng started to take care of the business of tofu skins.


    With the guidance of Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng, Niu Tongsheng learned very quickly. At the same time, Niu Tongsheng let the intelligent young people in the vige follow him to learn things. It seemed that Niu Tongsheng really managed the watermill workshop carefully.


    Zhao Chuchu seldom got involved in the watermill workshop except asionally checking the ount books.


    It was better to teach people fish than directly giving them fish. Zhao Chuchu would leave Lengshui Vige sooner orter, and they would have to rely on themselves then.


    Every time Niu Tongsheng came to Xie Heng¡¯s house, he smiled and told Zhao Chuchu about his sess in the business on that day.


    Now Niu Tongshen did not have to go to all kinds of ces. Many merchants who did groceries or restaurant business woulde to Niu Zongshen.


    They didn¡¯t even need the watermill workshop to deliver the goods. They said that they could send someone to get the goods.


    Niu Tongsheng did not get conceited. No matter how big the deal was, he would not immediately agree to it. Instead, he would distribute the deals of tofu skins ording to the daily output so as to avoid any insufficient supply because of his greed. And also, he did not want to ruin his reputation by using defective products.


    Besides teaching Xie Jun lessons daily, Xie Heng studied the brewing of the great millet wine.


    Zhao Chuchu also helped him.


    There was some great millet wine in her carry-on space. Although there was not much, it should be enough for Xie Heng to use as a reference.


    However, this matter did not go very smoothly because various things were dying it from time to time.


    After all, autumn was the harvest season.


    The soybeans on Tripe Mountain should be gathered in now.


    Niu Tongsheng basically managed the soybeans.


    Zhao Chuchu always went out to treat people. It seemed that she hardly stayed in Lengshui Vige.


    Niu Tongsheng was busy all day and neverined. Maybe because he had achieved his goal, he looked more energetic.


    Madam Yang saw that the business of the watermill workshop was prospering with each passing day, and other people who were friends with Zhao Chuchu were gradually living a good life. Only they, the people of the Zhao n, who had gone too far initially, didn¡¯t get any benefits. Zhao Chuchu even treated a stranger better than them.


    Madam Yang was really regretful.


    She tried to get her grandchildren to approach Zhao Chuchu several times, but Zhao Chuchu just refused to help them.


    Over time, Madam Yang dared not try again for fear of offending Zhao Chuchu again. She did not want Zhao Chuchu to break her leg.


    There was already a cripple at home, and Madam Yang did not want another one.


    Zhao Chuchu did not know how Madam Yang was. She only got some good news from Zhao Men.


    Zhao Men came to tell Zhao Chuchu in person.


    ¡°Sister Chuchu, I am going to marry Hu Yiming.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was stunned when she heard the news. After a while, she remembered who Hu Yiming was.


    It was not Zhao Chuchu¡¯s fault. She had been so busy that she almost forgot about Hu Yiming.


    If Zhao Men hadn¡¯t mentioned it now, she would never remember that she had brought Zhao Men and Hu Yiming together.


    ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu stopped what she was doing and looked at Zhao Men carefully.


    Zhao Men nodded, ¡°Well, although people all said he was a fool, except my parents, he was the one who treated me best. He will share anything good with me. Moreover, the Hu family is a schr family, and the people of his family don¡¯t look down on me because I am a vige girl.¡±


    ¡°Now that you have decided, you should follow your heart. Men, I have to say that the Hu family is really good. The people of the Hu family are very friendly and kind. However, I still want you to know that if you don¡¯t like Hu Yiming, you shouldn¡¯t marry him because the Hu family is good.¡±


    ¡°I will miss him if he is not around. Does it mean I like him?¡±


    Zhao Men lowered her head and blushed.


    Zhao Men didn¡¯t understand this before, but after Hu Yiming called off his engagement with Zhao Meijuan, he often came to Lengshui Vige to look for her. Over time, Zhao Men was moved by him. Hu Yiming also taught her to write his name.


    ...


    The Hu family came to propose marriage several timester, and they were very sincere in asking her to marry Hu Yiming.


    Even if they were refused every time, they did not give up.


    Zhao Chuchu smiled and said, ¡°Look at you. You really like him. Although we are only cousins, I will prepare a generous gift for you if you want to get married.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu would cure Hu Yiming and turn him into a normal person.


    But Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t tell Zhao Men right now.


    The reason why people got surprised was that they were unprepared to receive unexpected joy.


    Zhao Men would definitely like this wedding gift, and the Hu family would treat Zhao Men better because of this.

 Chapter 235 - 235 He Scared Me Every Time

    235 He Scared Me Every Time


    Zhao Men hurriedly said, ¡°Sister Chuchu, I came to share this happy event with you. I am noting for some gift. It¡¯s because of you that our family could live a better life. And it¡¯s because of you that I could meet him. You don¡¯t have to spend money on this.¡±


    Actually, they should be giving Zhao Chuchu a gift.


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about itter. I won¡¯t tell you now. By the way, have you decided on the date?¡±


    Zhao Men whispered, ¡°Not yet, but my father has said yes to the Hu family, and they will officiallye to propose to me in a few days. Sister Chuchu, will my life be totally different after marriage?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. If your husband loves you, you will have one more person who will treat you very well. However, the Hu family will also treat you well.¡±


    ¡°But Sister Chuchu, I am not well-educated. Can the Hu Family really ept me like this? Or are they just looking for someone to bring babies for the family?¡±


    Zhao Men also had an inferiorityplex and worries.


    If Hu Yiming had not hurt his brain and turned into a fool, Zhao Men would never be able to marry him.


    If Hu Yiming became normal one day, would he admit that Zhao Men was his wife?


    Zhao Chuchu touched Zhao Men¡¯s head and said, ¡°Don¡¯t overthink. You can see from Hu Yiming¡¯s elders that they are not such people. If they really want to do this, they can find a girl who is better off than you with their family background.


    ¡°Why do they want you? It is only because Hu Yiming likes you. They want Hu Yiming to be happy, and they also approve of you. In this case, it will be okay for you to say so in front of me. Don¡¯t mention it in front of others. If the people of the Hu family know about this, they will feel really sad.¡±


    Zhao Men nodded, ¡°Alright, I think you are right.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid of your family. Although there are scums, you can¡¯t say there are scums everywhere. There are many good men in the world. You have to tell identify them by yourself.¡±


    Zhao Men looked at Zhao Chuchu and said, ¡°Sister Chuchu, are you pleased to marry Xie Heng?¡±


    Xie Heng?


    They seemed to be husband and wife.


    In fact, they were not officially married.


    Of course, Xie Heng was important to Zhao Chuchu.


    She had a possessive desire for Xie Heng and was willing to share all the joys and sorrows with Xie Heng, which was unprecedented.


    Zhao Chuchu might like Xie Heng, indeed.


    But was Zhao Chuchu happy?


    The present life was what Zhao Chuchu wanted.


    ¡°Well, I am happy. He treats me very well and respects me very much. No matter what I do, he will support me silently. Even in the eyes of others, treating men is immoral, but he will not say anything about it. He even defends me.¡±


    It was not easy for a man of ancient times to ignore these things. And he used to have great power in his hand. It was really not easy for him to be like this.


    But Xie Heng did whatever he could, and he was even willing to wash her hands and make soup for her.


    Zhao Chuchu could earn money, and she did notck food or drinks. What she wanted was someone who could understand her.


    ¡°Well, my brother-inw is very good. Now many girls in the vige regret that they didn¡¯t marry him. However, if it weren¡¯t for you, my brother-inw wouldn¡¯t be able to see now. Those girls don¡¯t deserve such a good man like my brother-inw.¡±


    After a pause, Zhao Men looked into the room and said in a low voice, ¡°But really, I¡¯m kind of afraid of him. His eyes are a little scary. I think he can see through me every time he nces at me.¡±


    ¡°He is just an ordinary man. Why are you afraid of him?¡±


    ¡°No, my brother-inw will certainly not be an ordinary person in the future. The vige head is not as scary as him. Every time I see him, I always feel frightened.¡±


    ¡°Silly girl.¡±


    Zhao Chuchuughed.


    Zhao Men was just a simple girl, and it was normal to be frightened by Xie Heng¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I am not the only one. My parents and other people in the vige say that my brother-inw¡¯s eyes have beenpletely different since you cured them.¡±


    ¡°After all, he has grown up, hasn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Well, Sister Chuchu, we are doing a good job in the tofu business. My father ns to move to town. What do you say?¡±


    Zhao Men changed the subject.


    ¡°But my father is afraid that the business will decline after moving to town, so he wants to know your opinion.¡±


    ¡°Of course, the town is better than the vige. You can set up a tofu stall in the town directly. However, it will be better to go to the county. I don¡¯t know if you guys dare.¡±


    ¡°The county?¡±


    ¡°Well, you are the only family that sells tofu now. There are more people in the county than in the town, and the business will be better rtively. But if you go to the county, you will encounter more problems than in the town, and you will have more opportunities to make money.¡±


    Zhao Men was silent for a moment. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go back and discuss it with my parents.¡±


    ¡°Well, go ahead. Don¡¯t forget to tell me when you decide on the date.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Zhao Men smiled shyly and turned to walk out of Xie Heng¡¯s house.


    Zhao Chuchu smiled and looked at her back. After she walked away, she returned to the house and told Xie Heng about it.


    ¡°I n to help Hu Yiming cure his brain when they get married.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you wait a little longer?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I can see that you like Zhao Men very much. Hu Yiming¡¯s situation does not affect his safety, so it¡¯s okay to cure him a littlete. We can see whether the Hu family really cares about Zhao Men.¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯m an excellent judge of people. The people of the Hu family have a good family education. Hu Yiming¡¯s grandmother and parents are all reasonable people. Even if Hu Yiming wants to turn his back on Men, his elders will not allow him. Besides, Hu Yiming is very filial. Men should marry him.¡±


    Xie Heng smiled and said, ¡°Now that you have decided, then I am okay with it. By the way, the Xia n shoulde soon!¡±


    ¡°The Xia n? What do they want? Take me back to live a good life?¡± Zhao Chuchu suddenly remembered that the Xia n was the n of the original owner¡¯s grandparents.


    Xie Heng asked, ¡°Will they do that?¡±


    ...


    ¡°Of course not. I guess it was because I cured the big belly disease, and they heard about it. They were so eager toe to take me back. They want Doctor Miracle to be their granddaughter, which will also make them famous. People will go to beg them for treatment.¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°It depends. It¡¯s not easy for them to take advantage of me. I lived such a miserable life, but none of them showed up to help me. Now I got my reputation, and they immediately came to me. They are just daydreaming.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu grunted coldly.


    What kind of life did the original owner live before?


    Did the Xia n care? Did theye to ept her as their granddaughter?


    They had nevere to her.


    Knowing that Zhao Chuchu was extraordinary, they wanted to be rted to her.


    Zhao Chuchu immediately knew what they were thinking about.


    They were just a bunch of b*stard.


    ¡°If they dare to go too far, I will teach them a lesson. Even the Zhao n is nothing to me. I am also not afraid of the Xia n, whom I have never dealt with before. They are also nothing to me.¡±


    ...

 Chapter 236 - 236 Are You Trying to Tell Me What to Do?

    236 Are You Trying to Tell Me What to Do?


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget that there is the Yuan n,¡± Xie Heng reminded Zhao Chuchu. ¡°If necessary, you can let the Yuan n deal with the Xia n. The Xia n is different from the Zhao n. You should not deal with the Xia n in the same way as you deal with the Zhao n. It¡¯s not worth it to have your reputation stained.


    ¡°I know you don¡¯t care about that, but Chuchu, sometimes a good reputation can do a lot of things. So, you don¡¯t have to make your grievances against the Xia n that obvious. If you trust me enough, I can take care of it for you.¡±


    ¡°Da Lang, I never like to keep myself bottled up. I hate to forgive people. I¡¯m not like you. Besides, considering what I did to the Zhao n, I¡¯ve got enough problems if someone is really trying to mess me up. It doesn¡¯t matter if the Xia n intervenes.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu made a confession about her thoughts to Xie Heng.


    !!


    She would hurt those who hurt her first even more.


    In front of absolute power, any n and trick were useless. She was not worried even for a little bit.


    As for Xie Heng, she believed he was capable enough of protecting himself.


    She wouldn¡¯t find a weak man as her husband anyway.


    Xie Heng stroked Zhao Chuchu¡¯s head. ¡°Okay. I¡¯m just making suggestions. It¡¯s up to you whether you ept them or not. But no matter what you do, I¡¯m on your side.¡±


    ¡°Da Lang, do you think I¡¯m mean?¡±


    ¡°To be merciful to your enemies is to be cruel to yourself. As long as you are protecting yourself, whatever means are justified. Chuchu, don¡¯t be hard on yourself.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu smiled and cracked a bright smile.


    She just liked Xie Heng¡¯s nature of not being a pedant and giving lectures everywhere.


    Advising and forcing were different things.


    Xie Heng had always been the one to ept everything she had to offer, not to shape her.


    Even if he would be affected this way, he never said no, and everything was done in her favor.


    ¡°What if I affect your career one day?¡±


    ¡°Then, we will live in seclusion in the mountains and not enter the government organization. Chuchu, as long as you are happy, there¡¯s nothing I wouldn¡¯t do.¡±


    Power was a two-sided de. Some people were dominated by power and became ves to it, while he was invariably the one who was in control of it.


    Zhao Chuchu looked at Xie Heng and smiled. ¡°Why do you listen to me on everything? Aren¡¯t you afraid that you will regret it in the future?¡±


    ¡°Missing you is what I will regret for the rest of my life.¡± Xie Heng scratched Zhao Chuchu¡¯s nose. ¡°It¡¯s a blessing for me to meet you, so I¡¯m not trying to pursue anything anymore. Chuchu, no matter what happens in the future, you must remember that I will never do anything to hurt you.¡±


    ¡°You have to believe in me too!¡±


    After saying that, the two of them looked at each other and smiled knowingly.


    However, Zhao Chuchu had only seen Yuan Hui when she was waiting for the members of the Xia n to show up.


    The aura of Yuan Hui had changed drastically after several months of absence.


    Zhao Chuchu knew from Xie Heng that Yuan Hui had been fighting with the Yuan n¡¯s people for a long time and that she had won for the time being.


    She was no longer weak as she was at the beginning, and she had changed into a person with an imposing and confident presence.


    ¡°Chuchu.¡± Yuan Hui cracked a bright smile at Zhao Chuchu as soon as she got off the carriage. ¡°Long time no see.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu walked over and looked Yuan Hui up and down. ¡°You¡¯ve changed. You look fantastic now!¡±


    ¡°Oh, aren¡¯t you sweet? I haven¡¯te to thank you properly before because I was dyed by family matters. I hope you don¡¯t mind!¡± Yuan Hui exined briefly. ¡°But I heard that you are trying to work on new recipes. I wonder if I can try them today?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, of course, you can. Come in first.¡± Zhao Chuchu dragged Yuan Hui into the house.


    Except for Xie Heng who knew that Yuan Hui had once recuperated from her injuries in his family, no one knew Yuan Hui.


    Xie Jun asked Zhao Chuchu curiously, ¡°Chuchu, it seems like I have never seen her before. Who is she?¡±


    ¡°She was injured and has been recuperating at home. I didn¡¯t tell you because I was afraid that I would scare you,¡± Zhao Chuchu said.


    ¡°Junjun,e. Let me introduce myself. My name is Yuan Hui.¡± Yuan Hui looked at Xie Jun with a smile.


    ¡°Hi.¡± Xie Jun was a little embarrassed. ¡°Chuchu didn¡¯t tell me, and I didn¡¯t know that you have lived here before. I¡¯m really sorry.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize because you didn¡¯t know it.¡± Yuan Hui smiled, then she waved her hand. ¡°Xiaozhi, bring it over here.¡±


    The teenager in green clothes immediately fetched a box from the carriage and scuffled to Yuan Hui¡¯s side.


    Yuan Hui took the box and handed it to Xie Jun. ¡°Junjun, this is a gift for you. Why don¡¯t you open it and see if you like it?¡±


    Xie Jun looked at Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu nodded. ¡°Just take it, Junjun. Don¡¯t forget to thank Huihui.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Huihui.¡± Xie Jun grinned as he took the box and opened it. The box contained a very delicate set of writing brush, ink stick, ink b, and paper.


    Xie Jun fell in love with it at first nce and the smile under his eyes became even stronger.


    ¡°I like it very much. Thank you, Huihui.¡±


    Xie Jun said thanks again.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± It was just a suitable gift for a child like Xie Jun.


    Although Zhao Chuchu wasn¡¯t an expert on this, she knew this gift was worth a lot.


    ¡°By the way, unload other things and take them to the courtyard too,¡± Yuan Hui instructed Xiaozhi. ¡°After that, you guys go back to the city first. I am probably going to stay here for a few days.¡±


    ¡°Miss, I¡¯m afraid this is not appropriate¡­¡± One of the mammies hurriedly stepped forward to stop her.


    Yuan Hui¡¯s tone was slightly cold. ¡°Mammy, are you trying to tell me what to do now? Have you forgotten what you said before you came out?¡±


    ¡°I dare not. I¡¯m only worried that you will not get used to the life here. Why not let me stay with you?¡±


    ¡°Let me make this clear to you. You¡¯re not in the position to tell me what to do. Do you understand?¡±


    Yuan Hui¡¯s expression was so cold that the woman immediately knelt down. ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you do!¡±


    ...


    ¡°I¡¯m wrong.¡±


    ¡°Either go with them, or I will sell you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with them.¡±


    She gave an immediate response, afraid that if she hesitated, she would really be sold by Yuan Hui.


    When Yuan Hui lost her temper, the others did not dare to say anything.


    Zhao Chuchu stood on one side, staring coldly at the Yuan n¡¯s people.


    One by one, they carried things from the carriage, taking up most of the Xie n¡¯s yard.


    Zhao Chuchu was a little speechless.


    ¡°Why so many?¡±


    ¡°I originally thought of helping you in remodeling the house, but you have already married. I thought it would be inappropriate, so I can only bring you some worthless things, in case you should need them.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think they are worthless.¡±


    ...


    In fact, the wealth of every vigerbined was not enough to buy 10 percent of those things.


    Yuan Hui smiled. ¡°They¡¯re really worthless.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu sighed. ¡°Miss Yuan, that¡¯ll get you more haters before you know it.¡±


    ¡°With you around, no one dares to touch me.¡±


    ¡°Maybe one of them is me.¡±


    ¡°If that were true, you would not have saved me in the first ce. It¡¯s only because of you that I shouldn¡¯t have been killed.¡±


    When Yuan Hui said this, she took a nce at the mammy.

 Chapter 237 - 237 Return the Favor

    237 Return the Favor


    Zhao Chuchu saw the woman¡¯s body slightly tremble and her head hung lower!


    ¡°Well, it ain¡¯t always a blessing to work for rich people, huh?¡± she thought to herself.


    But since Yuan Hui didn¡¯t say anything, Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t think to inquire so much.


    After everything was unloaded, Yuan Hui let them go and waited for her in the city.


    !!


    When they were far gone, Yuan Hui pulled Zhao Chuchu to the bench and sat down with her.


    ¡°I actually wanted toe and thank you in person a long time ago, but there were just too many things at home for me to handle. If I don¡¯t solve them, I can¡¯t live for myself, so I hope you won¡¯t me me.¡± Yuan Hui added, ¡°I used to be naive and thought I had to be kind to people, and then¡­¡±


    Speaking of this, Yuan Huiughed sarcastically. ¡°I guess we won¡¯t know better until we suffered a setback. Chuchu, thank you so much for saving me. But for you, I would be dead, let alone think to avenge myself.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all God¡¯s n.¡± Zhao Chuchu raised her chin. ¡°Give me your hand. Let me check your pulse.¡±


    Yuan Hui gave her hand to Zhao Chuchu.


    The Yuan n dealt with the salt business. They were not short of money at all, so Yuan Hui recovered well.


    ¡°You¡¯re in good shape without any after-effects.¡± Zhao Chuchu said to Yuan Hui, ¡°It won¡¯t affect you in the future.¡±


    ¡°Well, the doctor in Guangqing Province said so too.¡± Yuan Hui continued, ¡°Chuchu, I have one more favor to ask of you.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Is there a medicine that can make people gradually be disabled?¡±


    ¡°You want this medicine?¡±


    ¡°No, I just want to ask about it.¡±


    ¡°There is, of course, but it is not easy to make it.¡±


    ¡°Is it true that after consuming this medicine, one will unknowingly turn into an invalid?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then, this person will die?¡±


    ¡°We have to see if the drug is administered continuously. If it only turns a person into an invalid and no more drugs are used afterward, he can still live for a few more years. If the medicine is carefully and cleverly prepared, a person will not know he is drugged until he dies.¡±


    Yuan Hui frowned slightly. ¡°What if it¡¯s an old man?¡±


    ¡°Old people? Then, I¡¯m afraid they won¡¯tst a few years. What¡¯s wrong? Why do you ask this?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if it is the case, but my grandmother¡¯s condition is getting worse and worse when she was perfectly healthy two years ago. Now, she is bedridden. She needs to be tended to in everything.


    ¡°At first, I didn¡¯t think that much, but in the past few months, I have discovered quite a few secrets. Chuchu, can you please make a trip to Guangqing Province and help me take a look at my grandmother?¡±


    Speaking of this, Yuan Hui¡¯s tone was already tinged with a hint of pleading.


    Zhao Chuchu thought for a moment. ¡°Then, can you tell me about your grandmother¡¯s condition now? The more details, the better. It¡¯s also better if you tell me what happened all these years.¡±


    Yuan Hui was relieved, so she talked about the condition of her grandmother in detail.


    Yuan Hui¡¯s grandfather died early. His concubines had been having their eyes on the fortune of the family. It was her grandmother that kept everything going properly so that the Yuan n was not falling apart.


    Her grandmother had always been the pir of the Yuan n.


    Yuan Hui¡¯s father was the eldest son of Old Mrs. Yuan, and after he got married and his wife gave birth to Yuan Hui, Old Mrs. Yuan gradually handed over the Yuan n¡¯s business to him.


    He was so busy that he neglected Yuan Hui¡¯s mother, and when Yuan Hui¡¯s mother was pregnant with her second child, she miscarried due tock of care and eventually died of depression.


    Later, when Yuan Hui was seven years old, Yuan Hui¡¯s father married his second wife.


    This woman was quite a tactful one.


    Within two months of entering the family, she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, and a yearter, she gave birth to a pair of twin sons.


    Unfortunately, however, Yuan Hui¡¯s father died in an ident.


    Old Mrs. Yuan¡¯s heart was broken, so Yuan Hui¡¯s stepmother started to intervene in the Yuan n¡¯s business.


    The Yuan n was neverpletely handed over to Yuan Hui¡¯s stepmother, and Old Mrs. Yuan was always on guard against her.


    Her stepmother was also very diligent and patient. She neverined once and treated Yuan Hui in the way she did before.


    If Yuan Hui had not been persuaded by her stepmother toe to her aunt¡¯s home in Yuanjiang County and had not been nearly killed, Yuan Hui would not have been able to see her for what she really was.


    Yuan Hui¡¯s father died five years ago, but Old Mrs. Yuan¡¯s health deteriorated only two years ago. At the moment, she was lying in bed, unable to move her hands or speak. She couldn¡¯t even keep a clear mind.


    Yuan Hui¡¯s stepmother found many famous doctors to treat Old Mrs. Yuan and also told others that she would not have been able to raise three sons without the support of Old Mrs. Yuan.


    ¡°What ident did your father die in?¡±


    ¡°Well, he was robbed outside the town and was hacked to death. The government also investigated and caught the gang of bandits, and they confessed.¡±


    ¡°What did your grandmother say about this?¡±


    ¡°It was my grandmother who personally went there to deal with it.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu pondered for a moment.


    It seemed to her that this kind of murder was more often than not nned out.


    Since the Yuan n was influential in Guangqing Province, the Yuan n was not an ordinary family. They should see thising before their family was killed.


    ¡°Do you know your stepmother well?¡±


    ¡°Her father was a schr. Originally, she was to be my father¡¯s concubine, but my grandmother said she could not insult the schr¡¯s daughter. Since her family is a decent one, she became my father¡¯s second wife.¡±


    ¡°So, is there anything wrong with her?¡±


    ¡°No. If there was, my grandmother would have found out long ago.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu, however, didn¡¯t say anything. Sometimes, old people were more thoughtful when making decisions.


    ...


    Maybe it wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t know, but she couldn¡¯t say.


    ¡°Then, your grandmother didn¡¯t have an unusual attitude toward her either?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Yuan Hui shook her head.


    ¡°That¡¯s strange.¡± Zhao Chuchu added, ¡°Your grandmother is sick for no reason and has been having her body checked on a regr basis. Howe there is no relief at all?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I find it strange and want to ask you to take a look. You can rest assured. You will get what you deserve.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about payment. I just saw that you don¡¯t have much patience with that woman. Is she your stepmother¡¯s servant?¡±


    ¡°Well, I went back this time and had an argument with her too. She is very defensive of me these days.¡±


    ¡°Then, how can you have the courage toe to Yuanjiang County? You¡¯ve really got guts!¡±


    Yuan Hui smiled bitterly. ¡°Although the family power is in her hands now, many elderly people are taking orders only from my grandmother. They know that my grandmother loves me, so they¡¯re not that strict with me.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°But I can¡¯t go away for now. I have to wait for a few days. Can your grandmother wait?¡±


    ...


    ¡°Yes, the doctor said that my grandmother has at least one year to live. We¡¯ll wait till you¡¯re done. Chuchu, I¡¯m really helpless this time, or I wouldn¡¯t havee to you for help.¡±


    ¡°Consider this as a favor you owe me. But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m going to need you to return the favor too.¡±

 Chapter 238 - 238 Not Her!

    238 Not Her!


    ¡°Anything you ask, Chuchu.¡± Yuan Hui smiled and continued, ¡°But let¡¯s hold on for a second. Can I see new recipes for tofu and tofu skins first? There¡¯s been a lot of talk in the city about fresh dishes of Visitor¡¯s Aroma.


    ¡°My family is not in the restaurant business, but I would like to see and try something new. Chuchu, is that okay? My cousin really wants to go.¡±


    ¡°You mean Mr. Qiao?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯ve met him. But he can be out of his mind sometimes. Just ignore him.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s really nice. He invited me to Qiaoyi Town to give treatment to those people.¡±


    ¡°He did?¡±


    Yuan Hui frowned slightly when she heard this.


    ¡°Yup.¡± Zhao Chuchu pretended not to know anything.


    Yuan Hui said, ¡°You stay away from him. You don¡¯t want to get yourself in trouble.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Let¡¯s not talk about him.¡±


    Yuan Hui pulled Zhao Chuchu to go out. She then turned back and shouted, ¡°Junjun, if you see anything you like, move it to your room first and wait for your sister toe back to deal with the rest!¡±


    Xie Jun quickly came out. ¡°Okay, thank you, Huihui.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± Yuan Hui smiled before pulling Zhao Chuchu outside, while saying, ¡°Junjun is really a peach, isn¡¯t he? If only my two younger brothers were half as thoughtful as he is.¡±


    ¡°Junjun has been living with my husband since he was a child. He is grateful to whoever treats him well. Your brothers have probably been spoiled. It¡¯s reasonable that they are arrogant and capricious.¡±


    ¡°Forget about them. I¡¯m not in the mood to talk about them.¡±


    Yuan Hui did not want to say anymore.


    The two of them went to Zhao Guitang¡¯s house first.


    It didn¡¯t ur to them that Hu Yiming was there. He was helping Zhao Men strain the raw soy milk. When he saw Zhao Chuchu and Yuan Hui, he immediately shouted from inside the kitchen, ¡°Men, we¡¯ve gotpany!¡±


    Yuan Hui knew at a nce that there was something strange about Hu Yiming, but she didn¡¯t show it.


    ¡°Mr. Hu, you don¡¯t know me?¡± Zhao Chuchu deliberately teased Hu Yiming, ¡°I¡¯m Men¡¯s elder sister. That means I¡¯m your elder sister too, right?¡±


    Hu Yiming looked at Zhao Chuchu timidly. ¡°Chuchu.¡±


    ¡°How about her?¡±


    ¡°Hello.¡±


    At this time, Zhao Men happened toe out. Hu Yiming immediately ran to her side and hid behind her.


    ¡°Chuchu, what are you doing here? Who is she?¡±


    ¡°My name is Yuan Hui. You guys can call me Huihui.¡±


    ¡°Hello, Huihui.¡±


    ¡°Men, Huihui wants to try fresh soy milk and tofu pudding. Why don¡¯t you make some for her?¡±


    ¡°Good. I just finished making it in the kitchen. Wait a moment, Huihui. I¡¯ll check it out.¡±


    Zhao Men turned around and went back to the kitchen, with Hu Yiming following behind her.


    Yuan Hui took a nce at the courtyard. She saw the stone mill and the shelf for filtering soy milk, but she quickly withdrew her gaze, not probing too much.


    In a short while, Hu Yiming came out while carefully holding two bowls of fragrant soy milk in his hands.


    ¡°Wait a moment. I¡¯ll add sugar.¡± Hu Yiming put the soy milk in front of them, then he scuffed toward the house and took out a jar of sugar. He added two spoonfuls of sugar to each bowl. ¡°It tastes better with sugar.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Zhao Chuchu and Yuan Hui spoke in unison.


    It was Yuan Hui¡¯s first time drinking soy milk. Her eyes lit up. ¡°Well, Chuchu, this is delicious.¡±


    ¡°If you like it, you can drink as much as you want during this time in Lengshui Vige.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful!¡±


    When she was in Guangqing Province, Yuan Hui had to deal with people every day, which made her mentally exhausted. When she came to Lengshui Vige, she could think about nothing and just drink soy milk like everyone else. There was nothing else she could hope for.


    Zhao Men made four bowls of tofu pudding, two of salty vor and the other of sweet vor.


    Yuan Hui had tasted pretty much everything delicious the country had to offer.


    However, the simple cuisine of tofu was so alluring to her. To her, it was as innocent as Zhao Chuchu and Zhao Men, whom she didn¡¯t have to rack her brains to deal with.


    ¡°I think I prefer the salty vor.¡± Yuan Hui ate both bowls and finally pointed to the salty one. ¡°Of course, the sweet one also has a special vor. Seriously, if we sell this in the capital, we will definitely get a good deal!¡±


    ¡°We are now nning to open up a stall in the county. The capital is probably out of the question for now. It is just a small business. I¡¯m afraid there is no ce for us in the capital.¡± Zhao Men was a little embarrassed.


    Yuan Hui said, ¡°Since you¡¯re doing a small business, you¡¯re more likely to get a ce in the capital. There are more people in the capital than in Yuanjiang County, and many people are willing to try this new food. What¡¯s more, the side dishes in the salted tofu pudding are very delicious. If you are going to expand your business in the capital, you can alwayse and find me in the Yuan n.¡±


    Zhao Men nced at Zhao Chuchu. Zhao Chuchu nodded.


    Zhao Men then smiled and said, ¡°Thank you, Huihui.¡±


    ¡°Why do you keep saying thank you? I mean, that¡¯s not necessary.¡± Yuan Hui was speechless.


    ¡°Huihui, I¡¯ll make fried tofuter. Do you want to try it?¡±


    ¡°It can be eaten fresh in the pot?¡±


    Yuan Hui looked at Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°Yes, why don¡¯t we get some tofu skins first and fry themter? Let¡¯s have hot pot tonight.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    After saying that, Yuan Hui went with Zhao Chuchu to the water mill.


    ...


    But this time, Yuan Hui did not follow her inside. She was particrly careful when it came to such kind of asion as she didn¡¯t want people here to have a wrong opinion of her.


    Zhao Chuchu brought out a handful of tofu skins and asked Yuan Hui to take them to Zhao Men, while she went to other vigers¡¯ houses to buy some vegetables, chicken, and fish.


    Xie Heng came back from collecting soybeans and saw Zhao Chuchu carrying a basket of vegetables. So, he walked toward her and naturally took it. ¡°What are you doing with so many vegetables? Are you nning to cook something new?¡±


    ¡°Yuan Hui is here. I n to make hot pot tonight.¡±


    ¡°Good, then you go home first. I¡¯ll wash the vegetables.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s chicken and fish.¡±


    ¡°I know, you go home first. Let me take care of these.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it together, so we can get it done fast.¡±


    Xie Heng smiled and didn¡¯t refuse again.


    The two of them whispered and walked toward the river, which looked like a sweet young couple in the eyes of vigers.


    ¡°Yuan Hui wants to go to Guangqing Province to treat her grandmother. She suspected her grandmother was poisoned by her stepmother. Da Lang, what kind of person is Yuan Hui¡¯s stepmother?¡± Zhao Chuchu was actually talking to Xie Heng about the Yuan n.


    ...


    ¡°It¡¯s not her.¡± Xie Heng added, ¡°Although Mrs. Yuan is a ruthless person, she is also respectable. The n of mobilizing these people is supposed to make the two of them enemies and divert Yuan Hui¡¯s attention.¡±


    ¡°Why do you say that?¡±


    ¡°In the face of the nationwide disaster and the opposition of her family, she donated more than half the fortune of her family to help her country and took the lead to fight ourmon enemies. Such a woman is way aboveing up with such tricks to mess up her family.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was surprised. She knew Yuan Hui¡¯s stepmother was not to me for her husband¡¯s death and Yuan Hui¡¯s misfortune.


    After all, she still had three sons. The Yuan n was sooner orter her son¡¯s. She couldn¡¯t possibly donate her family¡¯s money for the sake of a good reputation.


    ¡°Then, who are you?¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, are you sure you want to be a part of this?¡±


    ¡°At least give Yuan Hui a heads-up.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better if Yuan Hui doesn¡¯t know!¡±

 Chapter 239 - 239 Can’t Let Those Outsiders Have It

    239 Can¡¯t Let Those Outsiders Have It


    The moment Xie Heng said that, a thought shed across Zhao Chuchu¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Could it have something to do with those people again?¡±


    Xie Heng smiled but didn¡¯t answer.


    Zhao Chuchu understood.


    !!


    It made sense. The Yuan n was a giant in the salt industry. They were so rich that they could probably buy a country. Who wouldn¡¯t want to be as wealthy as them?


    Especially for those royal descendants, there are many areas where they might need money.


    The Yuan n was too wealthy. They were equivalent to plump, well-fed goats waiting to be ughtered and eaten!


    ¡°Never mind then. We shouldn¡¯t tell Yuan Hui about this, lest it brings us trouble. Ignoring other things, I¡¯d rather let Junjun have the Yuan n than be someone else¡¯s cash cow,¡± Zhao Chuchu said. ¡°Junjun doesn¡¯t have a strong foundation since the Yuan n is already involved. So we should help Junjun rather than outsiders.¡±


    ¡°You can head to Guangqing Province this time, but don¡¯t tell Yuan Hui the truth. It¡¯s best for her and her mother to continue with this misunderstanding because that¡¯s what those people want,¡± Xie Heng said softly.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll listen to you.¡±


    When the two of them finished washing the vegetables and returned, the fish and chickens had already been delivered to the Xie family.


    Xie Heng looked at the groceries that took up half of the courtyard and felt a little troubled. Finally, he said, ¡°Chuchu, take a look. We¡¯ll leave the ones that we can use and give the rest to the other vigers.¡±


    ¡°These are all gifts from Yuan Hui. Can we really just give them away like that?¡±


    ¡°Our house can¡¯t fit this much stuff.¡±


    Chuchuughed out loud.


    ¡°Okay, stopughing and go pick out the groceries. I¡¯ll go prepare the fish and chicken for cooking.¡±


    Xie Heng touched Zhao Chuchu¡¯s head, then walked into the kitchen to start the fire and boil some water.


    Zhao Chuchu called Xie Jun out of his room.


    Yuan Hui had sent over way too many things.


    Other than rice, noodles, and othermon foods, there were also textiles, supplements, candies, and sweets, among other items. There was so much of it that it couldn¡¯t fit in the Xie n¡¯s house.


    Zhao Chuchu picked out everything that she and the Xie brothers could use, as well as the expensive supplements. Then, she distributed the rest to the vigers with whom she had good rtionships.


    The Zhao n once again couldn¡¯t do anything but watch as other people benefited from Zhao Chuchu.


    The chief of the n was infuriated, yet he didn¡¯t dare say a single word.


    No one dared demand anything from Zhao Chuchu unless they had a death wish.


    The chief of the Zhao n pondered for a long time and decided to speak to old man Zhao.


    He said, ¡°I¡¯m not scolding you or anything, but Zhao Chuchu is your granddaughter. Are you just going to watch as she gets close to those outsiders andpletely ignores her n? Do you think this is right? Regardless of what happened, we¡¯re still rted by blood. Go find Zhao Chuchu and talk to her.¡±


    Old Man Zhao was befuddled and said, ¡°What am I supposed to say?¡±


    ¡°Tell Zhao Chuchu that as a woman, she can¡¯t be married without her own native family! She has already been mad at us, and I think it¡¯s time for us to put this behind us and reconcile with each other. Otherwise, she¡¯s being unfilial! You and your son raised her. Therefore, it¡¯s her duty to be filial to you and give back to the n.¡±


    ¡°She has already severed ties with the Zhao n. How can I speak to her now? That kid is quite a ruthless one. I don¡¯t want to get my leg broken and end up suffering!¡±


    Old Man Zhao rejected the n chief¡¯s request without a second thought.


    So many disasters have happened in the past six months. Old Man Zhao simply wanted to stay as far away as possible from Zhao Chuchu and not get into any trouble.


    ¡°You, you¡¯re such a hopeless person. You can¡¯t even control your granddaughter. Are you still a man?¡± The n chief was very frustrated by Old Man Zhao¡¯s response. Finally, he said, ¡°Look how well Zhao Chuchu treats outsiders! This should all belong to the Zhao n, and now, it¡¯s all going into other people¡¯s pockets!¡±


    ¡°Those things belong to her. So what has it got to do with us?¡± Old Man Zhao spoke in a husky voice. ¡°Besides, Xie Heng was the one who taught her all those things. So she has a good fate!¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, fate? Those things could have belonged to the Zhao n. Do you want your descendants to continue making a meager living as farmers? As long as you can convince Zhao Chuchu to return, the Zhao n will never have to live in such hardship anymore.¡±


    ¡°Our ancestors all lived like this and survived just fine, didn¡¯t they? Besides, who can guarantee that Zhao Chuchu¡¯s business ideas can sustain them and let them live a good life forever? So please listen to me. Don¡¯t go and look for her. If you agitate her, she might break your leg too.¡±


    Old Man Zhao tried to convince the n chief to give up.


    The n chief was infuriated.


    ¡°Hopeless, you¡¯re absolutely hopeless! I¡¯m telling you right now. If you don¡¯t get Zhao Chuchu back from today onward, you don¡¯t belong to the Zhao n either!¡±


    The n chief stood up and left immediately after saying that.


    Old Man Zhao¡¯s expression changed, and he hurriedly ran out and tried to call the n chief back.


    Yet, although the n chief was quite old, he ran faster than a bunny.


    Old Man Zhao returned home, almost wanting to cry.


    When Madam Yang saw his expression, she couldn¡¯t help but yell at him. ¡°What¡¯s with that crybaby¡¯s face? Do I owe you something? To whom are you trying to show attitude?¡±


    Old Man Zhao hurriedly exined, ¡°Wife, I wasn¡¯t trying to show you an attitude. It¡¯s just that the n chief spoke to me just now.¡±


    ¡°Why did that old geezer speak to you? He wants something from our family again?¡± Madam Yang¡¯s expression turned ugly as she said, ¡°Every time he looks for us, nothing good happens.¡±


    ¡°He¡­he said that Chuchu helped the other people in the vige improve their lives so much, but the Zhao n received absolutely nothing from her. He said that the Zhao n deserves those things. He told me to convince Chuchu toe back; otherwise, he¡¯ll chase us out as well.¡±


    ¡°Did that old geezer really say that to you?¡± Madam Yang suddenly stood up.


    ¡°Yeah, but how can I possibly talk to Chuchu? What if she breaks my legs as well?¡±


    ¡°That old useless idiot. Can¡¯t he speak to that demon himself if he wants something from her? Why is he asking us to do it? And then? They¡¯re going to get all the benefits from it? I¡¯m going to go reason with them right now. If it weren¡¯t for that rotten idiot giving us all those disastrous ideas back then, Chuchu wouldn¡¯t be so distant from us now.¡±


    Madam Yang pushed all the me onto the n chief, then walked toward the door, intending to reason with him.


    Old Man Zhao hurriedly stopped her. ¡°But that¡¯s what everyone is thinking now. They might chase us out if we try to argue with him.¡±


    Old Man Zhao was scared too.


    A family without its n is like a tree without its roots. No one will help them if they get bullied.


    ¡°How dare he? I¡¯m going to reason with him. Who does he think he is?¡±


    ...


    Madam Yang was extremely cowardly in front of Zhao Chuchu, but she didn¡¯t know fear in front of anyone else.


    Her two sons stood at the side and didn¡¯t dare say anything.


    Madam Yang got even madder. She shoved Old Man Zhao aside and dashed out of the door.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to ask that old geezer what he¡¯s trying to do!¡±


    ¡°Wait, don¡¯t go!¡±


    Old Man Zhao ran after her as he called out to his sons, ¡°Come and help stop your mother!¡±


    But Madam Yang had already disappeared when Old Man Zhao ran out of the door.


    He had no choice but to run toward the n chief¡¯s house.


    Before he reached the n chief¡¯s house, he heard Madam Yang yelling. ¡°You old geezer. If you want Zhao Chuchu¡¯s things, why don¡¯t you talk to her yourself? What gives you the right to order our family to do it for you? Oh, so you get all the good stuff while we suffer all the bad consequences?


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, I¡¯ve been putting up with you for a very long time, you rotten old idiot. You were the one who severed ties with Zhao Chuchu back then, and now you¡¯re asking us to convince her toe back? Why don¡¯t you do it yourself if you¡¯re so smart and capable? Why are you hiding behind us like a coward?¡±


    Old Man Zhao gasped. This was really bad.


    ...


    The chief n¡¯s wife was a very loud and brazen woman when she was young.


    When she heard Madam Yanging to their door and scolding them, she wouldn¡¯t just sit and listen. She immediately dashed out and started fighting with Madam Yang.


    For a while, the shrieks and screams of the two women echoed throughout Lengshui vige.


    By the time Niu Tongsheng arrived, the two families were in an all-out war. No one could separate them.

 Chapter 240 - 240 Dogs Biting Each Other

    240 Dogs Biting Each Other


    Old Man Zhao¡¯s son wasn¡¯t as strong as the sons of the n chief. Soon, they were badly wounded by the men from the n chief¡¯s home.


    On the other hand, Madam Yang beat the n chief¡¯s wife till her hair was aplete mess, and there were scratch marks all over her face.


    ¡°Stop, stop now!¡± Niu Tongsheng roared angrily. ¡°Are you trying to kill each other? Quick, pull them apart!¡±


    The people who followed Niu Tongsheng to the n chief¡¯s home hurriedly went forward and pulled them apart.


    !!


    ¡°All of you ck-hearted, filthy, disgusting animals! You¡¯re all sluts, bitches, rotten assholes¡­¡± Madam Yang continued to point at the n chief¡¯s family and screech at the top of her lungs despite being restrained by other people.


    ¡°Enough!¡± Niu Tongsheng yelled again. ¡°Keep yelling, and I¡¯ll get the vige chief toe and be the judge. Look at you. You¡¯re from the same vige¡ªthe same n even! So why cause such an ugly scene? You want other people to watch you like circus animals?¡±


    Madam Yang cried andined to Niu Tongsheng, ¡°Chief, you have to help us! This old geezer has all these evil schemes. He saw that Zhao Chuchu¡¯s watermill workshop business was doing really well, so he came up with the idea of making us convince Zhao Chuchu to return. Otherwise, he¡¯ll chase us out of the n!¡±


    Niu Tongsheng couldn¡¯t help but frown when he heard Madam Yang¡¯s exnation.


    Of course, the chief of the Zhao n couldn¡¯t bear letting Madam Yang badmouth him like that. There was no way he would let her embarrass him like that!


    ¡°Nonsense! When did you hear me say that? Do you have evidence? You were the one who was greedy and came here to make a big fuss out of nothing, and now you¡¯re posing as the innocent one? I¡¯m going to open up the ancestral hall today and chase your family out of the n!¡±


    ¡°Chief, listen to him. This old geezer¡¯s scheme failed, and now he¡¯s seeking revenge on us! So you have to help us!¡±


    ¡°You, you shrew! How can you be so shameless?¡±


    ¡°Hubby, say something! What did that old geezer say to you? Tell everyone else exactly what he said!¡±


    Madam Yang tugged at Old Man Zhao forcefully.


    Old Man Zhao had been a coward his entire life. He had never been able to stand up straight like a man. Now that the conflict had grown out of control, he started feeling scared and wanted to avoid trouble. He stuttered, ¡°Umm, let¡¯s just settle this among ourselves. There¡¯s no need to let everyone know about it, right?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? You useless coward! Look at how badly your sons and daughters-inw are bullied. How can you say something like that? Are you even human?¡±


    Madam Yang was infuriated. She questioned Old Man Zhao viciously.


    ¡°Tongsheng, you heard her. Madam Yang is trying to frame me and defame me! This is an act of nder!¡± The n chief immediately took the opportunity to push the me onto Madam Yang.


    ¡°Old geezer, do you dare swear on your life that you didn¡¯t say those things?¡±


    ¡°You shameless shrew, are you trying to force me to die?¡±


    Niu Tongsheng was extremely troubled, and he was at a loss for what to do.


    He had witnessed Madam Yang¡¯s good behavior for the past few months. Although he wasn¡¯t entirely certain, he felt there was a good chance the chief of the Zhao n was to me for this conflict.


    The reason was simple. This old geezer had always been a cunning fellow. It was normal for him to do things to harm others, even if it didn¡¯t benefit him. He would definitely be very upset if he saw other people living such good lives!


    It was entirely in character for him to do something like that.


    ¡°Old Man Zhao, you should tell us the truth.¡± Niu Tongsheng looked toward Old Man Zhao.


    Old Man Zhao was still rather unwilling. Madam Yang suddenly pinched him hard, almost making him jump up in pain. Then, finally, he decided to tell the truth. ¡°He tried to force me to convince the kid toe back. He said that the watermill should belong to the Zhao n. It shouldn¡¯t be upied by outsiders.¡±


    ¡°Old Man Zhao, how can you lie like that? Aren¡¯t you afraid of divine retribution?¡± The chief of the Zhao n was livid.


    Old Man Zhao replied, ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of saying it. If I were lying, I would get struck by lightning and die.¡±


    ¡°Okay, great, wonderful. If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll open up the ancestral hall and chase you out of the Zhao n! Tongsheng, this is the Zhao n¡¯s internal affair. You don¡¯t have the right to intervene even if you are the vige chief!¡± The chief of the Zhao n was utterly infuriated.


    ¡°If you dare to do that, I¡¯ll ram myself to death in the ancestral hall, then be a ghost ande back to haunt you. Then, you¡¯ll never be able to sleep peacefully again!¡± said Madam Yang immediately.


    The chief of the Zhao n was so mad that he could barely breathe. He pointed at Madam Yang but couldn¡¯t say a single word.


    Niu Tongsheng was speechless.


    He had been negotiating with those merchants and business people day after day. On top of this, he was the vige chief. So, naturally, he had an authoritative aura.


    ¡°If you continue this ridiculous nonsense, I¡¯ll chase the entire Zhao n out of Lengshui vige. You know very well what shameful things you did. Now you¡¯re trying to cry and wail about it. Who do you think you¡¯re trying to threaten? Lengshui vige doesn¡¯t need shameless people like you!¡±


    The moment Niu Tongsheng said that, the Zhao n chief¡¯s expression changed.


    ¡°Tongsheng, what gives you the right to say something like that?¡±


    ¡°I am the chief of Lengshui vige, and the Niu n is bigger than the Zhao n!¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    The Zhao n chief was speechless.


    Actually, the Niu and Zhao ns were about equal in terms of poption.


    But the thing is, Xie Heng was a schr. He and Niu Tongsheng were really close, and the Zhao n couldn¡¯te out on top against them.


    If Niu Tongsheng really wanted to chase them out of Lengshui vige, the governing bureau would probably rule in his favor because Xie Heng is Zhao Chuchu¡¯s husband. When that happens, the Zhao n will be all but finished.


    When the rest of the Zhao n heard Niu Tongsheng¡¯s threat, they started moring as well.


    ¡°Third uncle, you¡¯re going overboard. Are you nning to force us to die for your scheme?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re really going to do that, we will stop recognizing you as the chief immediately. We¡¯ve always made decisions based on the majority. So let¡¯s see who gets chased out of the n.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯ve been living peacefully in Lengshui vige. You are the one who is trying toe up with these evil ideas. You want to take advantage of other people, but you failed, so now you¡¯re ming it on others. I won¡¯t stand by your side for immoral deeds like this. I support justice!¡±


    When the Zhao n chief heard his n members reprimanding him, he felt his vision turning ck and almost fainted from anger.


    ¡°You, all of you¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve heard everyone. Although you are the chief of the Zhao n, you still need to understand that you can¡¯t just make decisions for the n on your own!¡± said Niu Tongsheng coldly.


    ¡°Regardless, you¡¯ll each receive one stroke of the cane for what you¡¯ve done today. That will be the end of this issue today. I won¡¯t let you off the hook so easily if you dare to do something like this again!¡±


    The Zhao n chief clenched his teeth, but there was nothing he could do to Niu Tongsheng.


    The entire Niu n came to support Niu Tongsheng. But on the other hand, the members of the Zhao n all betrayed him because they were worried that they might get chased out of Lengshui vige.


    Who was he doing all this for?


    These ungrateful imbeciles!


    ...


    The Zhao n chief turned around and walked back into his house without saying a single word. He was furious.


    But Madam Yang wasn¡¯t done yet. She said, ¡°Vige chief, how can we just let it go? Look at how badly injured my son is. They have to pay for his medication. Otherwise, I won¡¯t let this go.¡±


    Niu Tongsheng saw that her son was indeed quite badly wounded, so he ordered the Zhao n chief¡¯s family topensate them with five taels of silver.


    The Zhao n chief¡¯s family had no choice but to admit defeat and pay them the money.


    Only then was this ordeal finally over.


    But the two families were now enemies because of it.


    When Zhao Chuchu heard about it, sheughed so hard that she had a stomachache.

 Chapter 241 - 241 I’m Afraid They Would Use Xie Heng To Threaten You

    241 I¡¯m Afraid They Would Use Xie Heng To Threaten You


    Who gave the Zhao n chief the audacity to ask her to return to the n?


    Did he really think that she was just a cash cow?


    Old Man Zhao and Madam Yang were much wiser now. So they didn¡¯t dare look for her.


    ¡°That¡¯s your maiden family?¡± Yuan Hui asked. ¡°Chuchu, how did you manage to be so cold-hearted toward them?¡±


    !!


    ¡°Because they almost killed me back then. That¡¯s why I made up my mind to sever all ties with them. I won¡¯t care about what happens to them, and I don¡¯t care what others say about me. As long as you can do that, you can be cold-hearted as well.¡±


    Yuan Hui sighed and shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t do that. I¡¯ve been taught since childhood that women must take good care of their reputations. I admire how free you are, but I definitely can¡¯t be like you.¡±


    ¡°The environment in which we grow up makes our character. If I weren¡¯t ruthless, I would have died.¡± Zhao Chuchu smiled, then said, ¡°Yuan Hui, at least you still have your family to protect you, but my parents died early on. So I¡¯ve seen all the warmth and cold the world has to offer. That¡¯s what made my heart tough.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard about this before, but what about your mother¡¯s maiden family? They never came to look for you?¡± Yuan Hui asked. ¡°My mother¡¯s maiden family had fallen from grace. They were afraid that people would misunderstand if they searched for me. That¡¯s why they rarely interacted with me over the years.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of that, they may not even know of my existence,¡± Zhao Chuchu said in a self-deprecating manner.


    ¡°Don¡¯t know? How is that possible?¡±


    ¡°Yuan Hui, are you knowledgeable about the Xia n?¡±


    ¡°The Xia n? You mean the Xia n of Guangqing Province?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Your mother¡¯s maiden family is the Xia n?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Really? But I have never heard about a daughter from the Xia n marrying someone in Yuanjiang County.¡±


    Yuan Hui was shocked.


    The Yuan and Xia ns werepetitors. The two ns had been fighting against each other through various overt and covert means. The only thing they didn¡¯t do was start an all-out war.


    Yuan Hui knew a thing or two about the Xia n. The girls from the Xia n were extremely arrogant and looked down on almost everyone. Even though the Xia n had been going downhill and was no longer a match for the Yuan n, they continued to put up a tough front. In particr, the Xia n has always made life difficult for the women of the Yuan n.


    If a daughter from the Xia n married someone in Yuanjiang County, it would definitely not be a secret in Guangqing Province.


    But now that Zhao Chuchu mentioned it, Yuan Hui recalled that the girl with the surname Kang in the Xia n somewhat resembled Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°Chuchu, what actually happened?¡±


    ¡°My mother¡¯s name is Xia Chenn.¡±


    ¡°Xia Chenn?¡±


    Yuan Hui¡¯s eyes widened, and she eximed, ¡°Didn¡¯t she pass away when she was around 15 years old?¡±


    Yuan Hui knew about this.


    Everyone in the province knew about how Xia Chennmitted suicide to preserve her dignity when she was kidnapped by bandits.


    Many big ns even used Xia Chenn¡¯s story as a case study to teach their daughters that a woman¡¯s dignity is more important than her life.


    But Zhao Chuchu was saying that her mother was Xia Chenn?


    ¡°Yeah, I even met my aunt, who married into the Kang family.¡± Zhao Chuchu nodded. The mammy from the Xia n said that Xia Chenn ran away with another man, but Yuan Hui heard that Xia Chenn had died. Something interesting was happening!


    For a while, Yuan Hui didn¡¯t know what to say.


    If that were the case, what happened to Xia Chenn that the Xia n had to publicly dere that Xia Chenn had died?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know the exact reason yet because I don¡¯t want to cross paths with the Xia n for now. Yuan Hui, how much do you know about the Xia n? Could you tell me about them? I feel that based on the way that the Xia n does things, they¡¯re going to find me quite soon.¡±


    ¡°Because you solved the gue and cured the ¡®big belly disease¡¯ in Qiaoyi Town, then became known in the royal court?¡±


    ¡°Probably.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s actually possible. Unfortunately, the Xia n has a history of being snobs,¡± Yuan Hui frowned and said. She paused, held Zhao Chuchu¡¯s hand, and said, ¡°Chuchu, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m here with you. Even though I can¡¯t solve the Yuan n¡¯s problems, for now, the Xia n can¡¯t do anything to me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve be a famous doctor now while the Xia n is going downhill. If they somehow acquired a granddaughter who is a ¡®miracle doctor,¡¯ they could gain more influence. Other people might recognize the Xia n because of your skills as a doctor. With you as their new ace card, they may be able to rise again.¡±


    Zhao Chuchuughed and started to talk about the original owner¡¯s life. ¡°Haha¡­If they tried at all to take care of me back then, I don¡¯t mind being their ¡®ace card.¡¯ Unfortunately, they hadpletely ignored my existence. When my parents passed away, no one from the Xia n came to look for me, let alone take care of me.


    ¡°While I was bullied and abused in the Zhao n, I prayed countless times that someone would save me from those dark days of despair, yet no one came to my rescue. Fortunately, Da Lang married me and helped me escape that pathetic life. He even taught me to read.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any feelings toward the Xia n. All I have is resentment against them. I can treat them as strangers if they don¡¯te looking for trouble. But if they try to ckmail me just because they are technically my elders, I will make them regret it!¡±


    ¡°Wow, I didn¡¯t think that the Xia n could be such disgusting people. It seems like your mother didn¡¯t run into bandits back then. It was probably some scheme from her husband¡¯s mistresses,¡± Yuan Hui said. ¡°I¡¯ll get someone to investigate what really happened.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Yuan Hui.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s nothing significant, but it¡¯ll be great if it helps. However, the Xia n is in the salt business as well, and they have a decent rtionship with the government. So, Chuchu, you must be prepared that they might threaten you with your husband¡¯s career.¡±


    Her grandmother was bedridden right now because of her illness, and most of the connections of the Yuan n were dependent on her grandmother. So there was very little that she could do.


    If she asked for help from Xiao Heting, Zhao Chuchu would definitely be implicated in their conflicts, and that wouldn¡¯t be worth it.


    It would be easier to go against the Xia n than those people who are higher up.


    ¡°I know. That¡¯s why I said that I had a favor to ask you. It¡¯s regarding the Xia n.¡±


    ¡°I will try my best to help you. The Xia n is desperate for respect and recognition. But, Chuchu, do you know why your father and mother married each other?¡±


    ¡°I know part of it.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu told Yuan Hui what she knew.


    Yuan Hui thought about it, then said, ¡°In that case, your parents probably didn¡¯t run away, which makes sense. But the Xia n has always been a despicable bunch. I don¡¯t know what they might do to threaten you. Sigh, I¡¯ll return to the county first and tell them to start investigating.¡±


    Yuan Hui couldn¡¯t just sit without doing anything. She didn¡¯t want Zhao Chuchu to be a victim of the Xia n¡¯s scheme, and she wanted to try her best to help her.


    What she owed to Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t simply be repaid with money.


    Zhao Chuchu asked her to stay another night, but Yuan Hui rejected her and hurried back to the county.


    ...


    When Niu Tongsheng went to meet Zhao Chuchu, Yuan Hui had just left.


    After greeting Zhao Chuchu, Niu Tongsheng asked her, ¡°Why did Miss Yuan Hui leave?¡±


    ¡°She had something to do at the county. Do you need something from me?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked.


    Niu Tongsheng told Zhao Chuchu about the fight between Old Man Zhao and the Zhao n chief¡¯s family.


    ¡°Oh, I thought something big happened. Chief, I¡¯m sure you can take care of this. There¡¯s no need to look for me.¡±


    ¡°But Old Man Zhao¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already severed ties with them and won¡¯t interfere with their business.¡±


    Niu Tongsheng felt at ease upon hearing that.


    ¡°Madam Yang told you to look for me?¡± Zhao Chuchu seemed to remember something. She turned her head to look at Niu Tongsheng and asked, ¡°Is she trying to make me feel sympathetic for them or something?¡±

 Chapter 242 - 242 Better To Take It That She Was An Orphan

    242 Better To Take It That She Was An Orphan


    Niu Tongsheng felt a little awkward. He cleared his throat and said, ¡°I thought I should juste and ask you first, but it¡¯s up to you what you want to do about it. I won¡¯t stick my nose into other people¡¯s business.¡±


    ¡°What can I do? I think we should just ignore people we dislike. You don¡¯t need to take anything Madam Yang says to heart. There¡¯s no way she can threaten you,¡± Zhao Chuchu said with a serious expression. ¡°I won¡¯t do anything for them.¡±


    ¡°Alright, in that case, you can just treat whatever I say about them in the future as stories. But, as the vige chief, there are some things that I have to do.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I understand.¡±


    !!


    Zhao Chuchu wouldn¡¯t try to find trouble with Niu Tongsheng for such a minute issue.


    As the vige chief, it was his responsibility to deal with certain things. How else was he supposed to assert his authority in the vige?


    Niu Tongsheng left after telling Zhao Chuchu about the incident. Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t help butugh as she thought about the Zhao n chief¡¯s n to benefit from her sess.


    They really thought they could take advantage of her?


    Did they think that she was soft and could easily be bullied?


    Zhao Chuchu forgot about the incident in no time.


    Madam Yang thought that she could probably gain some sympathy from Zhao Chuchu by being so ¡°well-behaved.¡± However, she didn¡¯t think that Zhao Chuchu wouldn¡¯t even show her face throughout the entire incident, and Niu Tongsheng didn¡¯te back after leaving either.


    Madam Yang was rather furious and felt it was unfair, yet she only dared toin silently inside. She was afraid of saying anything aloud lest it reaches Zhao Chuchu¡¯s ears and somehow provokes her.


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t know what they were thinking, and she didn¡¯t care.


    She was quite free in the afternoon, so she decided to harvest the soybeans with Xie Heng.


    The seeds were of high quality. So, naturally, the yield of the soybeans was good.


    Many of the vigers regretted not listening to Zhao Chuchu and nting soybeans. Based on the current production volume of tofu skin from the watermill workshop, they were able to sell and use all their crops, even if they had nted soybeans exclusively.


    ¡°Chuchu, do you think we can reim barrennd to nt soybeans next year like you?¡± Old Mrs. Chen asked Zhao Chuchu secretly. ¡°I feel like the watermill workshop would use even more soybeans next year.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Zhao Chuchu said. ¡°But nting soybeans yourself would be very tiring. How about hiring some people to do it for you?¡±


    ¡°Hiring people? No way! We have manpower at home. I think we¡¯ll manage if our family works together.¡± Old Mrs. Chen wasn¡¯t willing to spend money to hire other people. From her point of view, since she could still work on the farms, her family should be able to manage if they work a little harder.


    ¡°Grandma Chen, we either don¡¯t nt these soybeans, or we nt a lot of them. If we need to do everything ourselves, we will work ourselves to death! Besides,bor isn¡¯t expensive at the moment. Also, no one else knows how to nt soybeans, so it would be easy to hire other people.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s still extra money.¡±


    ¡°Everything has a cost. If you do it yourself, is your time andbor not worth any money?¡±


    Old Mrs. Chen felt that Zhao Chuchu had a point. She said, ¡°I¡¯ll discuss with my sonter and see if we should buy a plot of barrennd to cultivate ourselves and nt soybeans next year. Chuchu, you can sell these soybean seeds to me, right?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re on the same side, of course.¡±


    The soybeans that Zhao Chuchu nted were gically modified. As a result, they could be sown directly and didn¡¯t require additional tending or cultivation.


    Old Mrs. Chen grinned ear-to-ear. She felt fortunate that she wasn¡¯t shortsighted like the Zhao n back then. Otherwise, there was no way something this great would happen to her family!


    It was like their ancestors were blessing them with good luck!


    ¡°Oh yeah, Grandma Chen, my mother passed away early, and the Zhao n didn¡¯t really tell me about my mother. Could you tell me about her? What kind of person was she?¡±


    ¡°Ah, your mother; she was a great woman.¡±


    Old Mrs. Chen made a thumbs-up.


    ¡°Although Madam Yang is a very lousy person, she often boasted about your mother when she was still alive. She said that your father had a really good eye and married a good wife. Moreover, your mother could do everything and was especially good at embroidery work.


    ¡°All of the girls and wives in the vige asked your mother to teach them how to embroider. Your mother was very generous and was willing to teach them. But after your mother passed away, the girls in the vige who had good rtionships with your mother either got married or¡­never mind, no point talking about them.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    The original owner was starving and didn¡¯t even have enough clothes to wear. So why didn¡¯t those people try to help her?


    ¡°Who were they?¡±


    The original owner was very young, so she didn¡¯t remember these things, but Zhao Chuchu wanted to know.


    She didn¡¯t want to let those ungrateful people benefit too much!


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s pretty much just the Zhao n and some of the other families. Wait, I thought you knew, and that¡¯s why you kept your distance from them. You didn¡¯t know about this?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know.¡±


    It seems like she did the right thing for other reasons.


    No wonder. They were ungrateful people in the first ce. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have neglected the original owner to such an extent after her mother died.


    Zhao Chuchu thought about how they joined the rest in trying to abuse and even kill her initially. She felt absolutely disgusted. They were even more appalling than Madam Yang.


    ¡°That was why I decided not to interfere back then. I felt like they weren¡¯t worth your effort. I was a little worried that you would get tricked by them again. It¡¯s a good thing that you didn¡¯t fall for their ttery,¡± Old Mrs. Chen said. ¡°They forgot all about your mother the moment she died. It was honestly quite ridiculous.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I always remember what other people do to me, be it good or bad deeds. So since they treated me like that, why should I be nice to them? Oh yeah, how did my mother marry into Lengshui Vige? Howe I¡¯ve never seen my maternal grandfather and her maiden family before?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really know about that. All I know is that in the winter of that year, your father went to the county to do some work, and when he came back, he brought your mother with him. He said that it was his boss who introduced her to him. Madam Yang saw that your mother looked pretty and clean and was very easy-going, so she epted her happily.¡±


    ¡°No one came to look for my mother?¡±


    ¡°No one came before. Chuchu, are you trying to find your mother¡¯s maiden family?¡±


    ¡°I just felt strange. Why did my maternal grandfather not look for my mother?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps your mother was an orphan and no longer had any rtives. That¡¯s why she let your father¡¯s boss make the decision and married your father.¡±


    ¡°Other than that, did my father behave differently when she arrived at Lengshui Vige?¡± Zhao Chuchu decided to ask it in another way. She said, ¡°For example, did you or anyone else ever feel strange that she was willing to marry my father¡­¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, what are you talking about? Do you think that your father wasn¡¯t good enough for your mother?¡± Old Mrs. Chen immediately cut Zhao Chuchu off and said, ¡°You can¡¯t say something like that. That¡¯s being unfilial!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°¡­ That¡¯s not what I meant. Please don¡¯t misunderstand, Grandma Chen. I¡¯m just trying to know your first impression of my mother, like what kind of person you felt she was.¡±


    Old Mrs. Chen pondered for a while, then said, ¡°Well, actually, a lot of people were saying that your mother didn¡¯t look like she came from an ordinary family. Instead, she looked like the daughter of a very wealthy family. But then she was able to do all the tough work, so people stop saying that after a while.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu went silent.


    ...


    Old Mrs. Chen said again, ¡°Chuchu, your parents passed away a long time ago. Even if she really had a maiden family, they didn¡¯te to find her while she was alive. Now that she has passed away, there¡¯s no way that they woulde looking for you. So I think you should just take it that your mother was an orphan.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, what¡¯s the difference anyway?¡±


    Xie Heng said that Xia Chenn was trafficked to Lengshui vige by human traffickers. When the original owner¡¯s father saved her, Xia Chenn had already lost all her memories. But many things seemed strange about Xia Chenn. Perhaps there were other secrets about this? Was that why Xie Heng wasn¡¯t willing to tell her?

 Chapter 243 - 243 She Was Just A Replacement

    243 She Was Just A Recement


    Whatever Zhao Chuchu heard from Old Mrs. Chen happened after Xia Chenn married into the Zhao n.


    Xia Chenn had never told anyone in Lengshui Vige about her maiden family.


    Old Mrs. Chen was full of praise for Xia Chenn. She felt pitiful that Xia Chenn died so early. By the end of their conversation, Zhao Chuchu had be the one consoling Old Mrs. Chen.


    When she returned home in the evening, Xie Heng was already cooking in the kitchen.


    !!


    Zhao Chuchu went inside to help Xie Heng tend to the fire as she asked, ¡°What are we having for dinner?¡±


    Xie Heng lifted the pot lid and said, ¡°Someone went to the county today. I asked them to help buy us some meat. So I¡¯m making braised pork for you today.¡±


    The alluring fragrance drifted into Zhao Chuchu¡¯s nose, which made her eyes curl into joyful crescents. ¡°I haven¡¯t eaten that in a long time. It smells amazing.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t have time to make them previously, but now I have a bit more time on my hands. So if there¡¯s anything that you want to eat, just tell me, and I¡¯ll cook it for you.¡±


    ¡°Da Lang, all the other men try to stay as far away from the kitchen as they can. Howe you¡¯re willing to cook every day? Aren¡¯t you afraid that other people mightugh at you for spending so much time in the kitchen despite being a schr?¡±


    ¡°I find it enjoyable. What does other people¡¯s opinion have to do with me? Besides, I can¡¯t control what other people think, so why should I make myself upset for nothing?¡±


    Xie Heng was very nonchnt about it.


    Zhao Chuchu liked his cooking, so what if he spent his entire life in the kitchen?


    Other people can¡¯t experience the enjoyment he derives from it, and he wouldn¡¯t bother exining it to them.


    ¡°Da Lang, Xia¡­what was my mother¡¯s status in the Xia n? Why do I feel like this story has some other secrets?¡±


    Xie Heng stopped stirring the meat in the pot momentarily.


    But he immediately continued cooking as he said, ¡°You will know about it very soon, even if I don¡¯t tell you. I¡¯m worried that you may get outraged because of it, so I didn¡¯t tell you. But since you have asked, there¡¯s no point for me to continue hiding it.¡±


    Xie Heng paused for a while and asked Zhao Chuchu to pass him a te before continuing. ¡°Your mother¡¯s birth wasn¡¯t prestigious or celebrated at all. She was seen as a stain on the Xia n¡¯s reputation, which they were desperate to remove. The human trafficking incident was a hoax. They were actually trying to kill her.


    ¡°But the people whom the Xia n hired to do the dirty deed became greedy when they saw your mother. They felt that it was a pity just to kill her, so they decided to sell her off. Your mother was quite lucky to have met your father. He saved her, and that¡¯s why she married your father.


    ¡°Speaking of this, the mammy from the Xia n wasn¡¯t wrong. Xia Chenn did indeed run away with another man. Your mother was just a recement raised in seclusion in the Xia n. They couldn¡¯t bear to kill the real Xia Chenn, so they decided to let your mother die in her ce.¡±


    ¡°My mother was a recement?¡± Zhao Chuchu immediately identified the key issue. She asked, ¡°Did they identally mistake her for Xia Chenn when she was a baby? And the Xia n found the real Xia Chennter on?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and your mother¡­¡±


    Xie Heng paused. He found it quite hard to say this.


    ¡°Did the previous chief of the Xia n rape someone, and it resulted in her?¡± Zhao Chuchu immediately guessed what had happened.


    Xie Heng nodded, feeling somewhat embarrassed. ¡°It was him and his daughter-inw¡­But someone swapped her with the real Xia Chenn. That¡¯s why everyone in the Xia n wanted your mother dead. The real Xia Chenn was only found when your mother was 12. Your mother was bullied by everyone in the Xia n.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    Isn¡¯t this one of those stories where children were swapped right after birth? Just that it¡¯s a much sadder and more sinister version.


    Once the real child returned, the old child would be cast aside and treated even worse than the maids and servants.


    If Xie Heng¡¯s story was urate and her mother was really in such a position, there was no way that she could live a good life in the Xia n.


    No wonder Old Mrs. Chen said that she behaved like a daughter from a wealthy family, yet she knew how to do all the difficult and tiring chores.


    She was their precious daughter before she was 12 years old. After that, she was worse than the servants!


    ¡°Chuchu¡­¡±


    ¡°Da Lang, don¡¯t speak first. I need some time to think.¡±


    If the Xia family dared toe to her and behave entitled and arrogantly in front of her, they couldn¡¯t me her for taking some ruthless actions.


    Absolutely disgusting!


    If she had a choice, the original owner¡¯s mother probably wouldn¡¯t want to be born in this world.


    The person who did the most wrong was that animal of a man who was the chief of the Xia n. So why was her mother the one who had to suffer?


    Xie Heng could feel Zhao Chuchu¡¯s killing aura.


    He wanted to say something, but when the words reached his mouth, he swallowed them.


    He didn¡¯t disturb Zhao Chuchu. Instead, after he was done cooking dinner, he called out to her, ¡°Chuchu, it¡¯s dinner time. You can think about this after dinner.¡±


    ¡°Da Lang, can you tell me what you knowter?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s expression returned to normal. She helped Xie Heng bring out the utensils and called Xie Jun out to eat.


    Without Yuan Hui there, Xie Heng felt a lot morefortable.


    He didn¡¯t have anything against Yuan Hui, but he preferred the feeling of their family spending time together.


    While eating, Xie Heng kept putting food in Xie Jun¡¯s bowl, but he didn¡¯t eat much himself.


    ¡°Brother, why are you eating so little?¡± Xie Jun stuffed his mouth full of food. He asked with his cheeks puffed up and in a confused voice, ¡°Do you not like meat?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m feeling a little full already,¡± Xie Heng said. ¡°You should slow down. No one is fighting with you for the food. So why are you trying to gulp down everything?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Xie Jun chewed and ate his food slowly, and he didn¡¯t dare to gulp his food down anymore.


    But when he saw Zhao Chuchu eating just like him, Xie Heng didn¡¯t say anything. Instead, he pouted his lips and mumbled, ¡°Sis-inw is treasured, but no one cares about Junjun.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng didn¡¯t know whether they shouldugh or cry when they heard Xie Jun.


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°Junjun is treasured as well. You are our treasure. Your brother didn¡¯t want you to eat so quickly because he was afraid that your tummy would feel ufortable at night. It¡¯s not that he didn¡¯t want you to eat.¡±


    Xie Jun realized that Zhao Chuchu had heard hisint, and his face turned red as he said, ¡°Sis-inw, I wasn¡¯t trying to me you just now¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright, I know what you mean. Keep eating.¡±


    No one would want to hold a grudge against this cutie!


    ...


    Xie Jun looked at Xie Heng nervously.


    Xie Heng said gently, ¡°I won¡¯t scold you for something like that. But you can just tell me directly next time if you have something to say.¡±


    ¡°Alright, sorry, brother.¡± Xie Jun lowered his head.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Continue eating dinner.¡± Xie Heng couldn¡¯t bear to scold Xie Jun either.


    This was his brother, whom he was willing to protect at the cost of his own life. Although they were not rted by blood, their rtionship was more intimate than that of real brothers.


    If there was anyone in the world he could give up everything for, it would be Xie Jun, if not Zhao Chuchu.


    Xie Jun felt that he had done something wrong. After dinner, he spontaneously took up the chore of washing the dishes.


    Zhao Chuchu returned to Xie Heng¡¯s room with him and continued talking about the Xia n.


    ¡°Your maternal grandfather¡¯s name is Xia Songquan. He is still the chief of the Xia n. Besides your mother, he has three daughters and four sons, all of whom are married. His eldest daughter, Xia Chenn, ran away. His second daughter, Xia Chengxuan, married into the Kang n, while his youngest daughter, Xia Chengqian, married into the Jiang n in Mingan Province.


    ¡°As for his four sons, they married daughters from the Li n, Lin n, Qian n, and Xue n. Although all four ns are merchants, they are slightly less sessful than the Xia n. Moreover, the Lin and Xue ns have beef with each other, while the Li and Qian ns are rted via marriage.


    ¡°The Xia n isn¡¯t one solid entity. They actually have quite a lot of internal conflict. All four of his sons want to be the next chief of the n. The Kang n has simr ns. They want to overtake the Xia n to be the second salt merchant in the Guangqing Province. It¡¯s just that Xia Songquan is still alive, so the Kang n doesn¡¯t stand a chance for now.


    ...


    ¡°Other than this, Xia Songquan¡¯s wife, who is Xia Chenn¡¯s mother, also wants to rece Xia Songquan. So there are a lot of holes in the Xia n, and you have many opportunities to break them down.¡±

 Chapter 244 - 244 He Won’t Fool Around For Much Longer

    244 He Won¡¯t Fool Around For Much Longer


    ¡°The Xia n seems to be rotten at its core. No wonder it can¡¯tpete with the Yuan n. From the elders to the youngsters, none of them seem like good people! This is why they say good fish can¡¯te from a dirty pond!¡± Zhao Chuchu said. ¡°But why did Xia Chengxuan look so weak and cowardly? I suppose she is the daughter of a mistress, right?¡±


    Xie Heng nodded and said, ¡°Her mother was a servant previously. But she still lived a better life than your mother.¡±


    ¡°They were born with different statuses. You didn¡¯t tell me all these for fear that I might try to seek revenge on the Xia n?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t really know you back then, so I didn¡¯t want you to be involved in this messy situation. But now, I¡¯m not afraid anymore. I know that you can judge the situation for yourself. Besides, you would have found out about these things eventually. So I¡¯d rather tell you about it now than let you find out yourself.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu smiled and patted his shoulder. ¡°Da Lang, I like how you¡¯re so honest with me. I wouldn¡¯t like it if you were someone who¡¯d do things in roundabout ways and hide everything for me in the name of protecting me.¡±


    ¡°I want you to be happy, forever.¡±


    ¡°With you here, I will.¡±


    Xie Heng told Zhao Chuchu quite a lot more about the different powers and factions in the Guangqing Province so that she could have a rough understanding of the ce.


    The battles between ancient families were silent yet equally ferocious and deadly.


    After learning numerous secrets about the Xia n, she had a bad impression of them.


    Even Madam Yang had some good qualitiespared to the Xia n. Unfortunately, the Xia n seemed to have no redeeming qualities.


    Perhaps they had be extremely arrogant because of the wealth that they had umted over generations. On top of this, the emperor today was ipetent and inept. As a result, the Xia n became ustomed to solving any problem with money, and they never valued human lives!


    The Xia n was just a merchant family, yet they dared to behave that way. Things must be even worse with other ns which were more powerful.


    No wonder the governing bureau issued orders to burn infected individuals alive during the gue. The current emperor of the Wei Dynasty simply depended on the solid foundation that his predecessors had built. Otherwise, no country would be able to withstand such a disastrous regime!


    Even if there were no external threats, the people would start a revolution.


    ¡°How long will the emperor be in power?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked softly. She was actually considering the possibility of eliminating the current emperor and recing him with Xie Jun.


    Assassinating the emperor was extremely easy for Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°Three more years.¡±


    ¡°Will any disastrous events happen in these three years?¡±


    ¡°Nothing major, but many small-scale, unfortunate events will happen.¡±


    ¡°I see. Never mind then.¡±


    ¡°You want to kill him right now?¡±


    ¡°I was thinking about it. But he won¡¯t be able to fool around like this for much longer. So I think I shouldn¡¯t throw the Wei Dynasty into turmoil.¡±


    If the emperor suddenly died, there would surely be chaos internally in the dynasty.


    The emperor didn¡¯t have many years left anyway. So Zhao Chuchu was okay with letting him live out the rest of his tenure in peace.


    ¡°What I just said must be shocking. But you seem so calm after hearing that.¡± Zhao Chuchu turned to look at Xie Heng.


    Xie Hengughed and said, ¡°You were only talking about it, but I¡¯ve done countless deeds that are equally horrifying.¡±


    He paused for a while, thenid his fair, smooth-skinned hands out. ¡°I don¡¯t know how many people¡¯s blood is on these hands, and I don¡¯t know how many people have cursed me to die the most gruesome death before burning eternally in hell. I don¡¯t know what hell looks like, but I came back.¡±


    ¡°Do you regret it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never regretted any decision that I¡¯ve made. I will have whatever consequences caused by my decisions because I made them myself.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu pinched Xie Heng¡¯s face and said, ¡°You are an honorable man.¡±


    She firmly believed that whatever Xie Heng did, he did it for the sake of the Wei Dynasty.


    Otherwise, after reincarnating, he could have easily used the knowledge from his previous life to rece the current emperor!


    After all, Xie Heng could reach the peak of power in the dynasty despite having extremely humble beginnings.


    Xie Heng looked at Zhao Chuchu and said, ¡°Perhaps one day, you will realize that I¡¯m an absolutely despicable man.¡±


    ¡°I only believe in my own judgment. Da Lang, if you really did those things for selfish reasons, you wouldn¡¯t be Mr. Xie of Lengshui Vige by now!¡±


    Xie Heng didn¡¯t speak for quite a while.


    He reached his arms out and pulled Zhao Chuchu into his embrace. He mumbled softly, ¡°Chuchu, why do you trust me so much?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu had never felt so secure as she listened to his heartbeat. She said, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because I like to judge books by their covers.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t hold in herughter after she said that.


    Xie Heng¡¯s lips curled up. He said, ¡°Then should I work hard to be the man that you want me to be?¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re amazing as you are. Da Lang, I¡¯m not a particrly ambitious person. All I want is to find someone who truly resonates with me. As long as you remain open and honest with me like you are now, I will feel satisfied.¡±


    ¡°I will!¡± Xie Heng promised Zhao Chuchu.


    He didn¡¯t want much from her either. He just wanted to spend the rest of his life with her and grow old together.


    Three dayster, Yuan Hui returned to Lengshui Vige.


    When she returned, Zhao Chuchu wasying out the soybeans that she had just brought back from the sun-drying field. She was talking to the carpenter in the vige about a simple tool called air-drying cabs. This tool could filter out the soybeans that were shriveled up as well as other impurities. Moreover, it¡¯d be much faster than slowly tossing the beans with baskets.


    ¡°Yup. It¡¯s operated by grabbing the handle and turning it. It¡¯s a lot easier and much faster than the method you¡¯ve been using previously. It¡¯s also quite cheap since the only material required is wood.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try to figure it out and make one as soon as I can.¡±


    ¡°You cane to me if you have any questions.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    The carpenter walked away happily, thinking about the air-drying cab.


    Yun Hui walked toward Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°Your skin is quite fine. You should stand further away. Otherwise, if the hair from the beans gets on you, you might get itchy.¡± Zhao Chuchu hurriedly stopped her. ¡°Go there and wait for me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine; let me help you,¡± Yuan Hui smiled and said.


    ...


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to spend time undoing what you¡¯ve done. That¡¯s really troublesome.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu rejected her.


    Yuan Hui had no choice but to stand aside and watch as Zhao Chuchuid out the soybeans that were brought back together with their stalks.


    ¡°Chuchu, I thought you only needed to pluck the pods of the beans?¡±


    ¡°How long is that going to take? It¡¯s much faster to harvest everything like this and sun-dry them. Then, the pods will open up automatically when they dry up.¡±


    Yuan Hui felt a little embarrassed. She said, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen it before. That was stupid of me.¡±


    ¡°Well, now you know,¡± Zhao Chuchu said loudly.


    ¡°Chuchu, go talk with Miss Yuan. We¡¯ll settle the rest,¡± Old Mrs. Chen and Madam Kong said simultaneously. ¡°We got this. There¡¯s not much left.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu saw that only a small portion of the beans hadn¡¯t beenid out yet, so she left the rest to them and went off with Yuan Hui.


    After leaving the sun-drying field, the smile on Yuan Hui¡¯s facepletely disappeared. She said, ¡°Chuchu, I managed to find out about some things in the past few days. I¡¯ll tell you now, but please don¡¯t get mad.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead. I will control my emotions.¡±


    ...


    What Yuan Hui said was a far cry from what Xie Heng told Zhao Chuchu.


    It was almost the same as what she had previously told Zhao Chuchu.


    The Xia n had done their very best to hide the truth behind Zhao Chuchu¡¯s mother¡¯s disappearance. They even used it to their advantage by twisting the story in their favor!

 Chapter 245 - 245 Not Afraid That They Might Betray You?

    245 Not Afraid That They Might Betray You?


    ¡°Also, some people from the Xia n arrived in Yuanjiang County yesterday,¡± Yuan Hui told Zhao Chuchu about another piece of intel.¡± They are asking around in the city about you right now.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°The fifth son of the Xia n, Xia Chengxue. He iszy and good-for-nothing, and his favorite ce is the brothel. The first thing that he did after arriving in Yuanjiang City was to go to the red-light district. I think he didn¡¯t start looking for you until at least three dayster.¡±


    ¡°How many children does the Xia n have other than him?¡±


    !!


    ¡°The eldest daughter is Xia Chenn, the second son is Xia Chengzhu, the third daughter is Xia Chengxuan, the fourth daughter is Xia Chengqian, the fifth son is Xia Chengxue, the sixth son is Xia Chengrong, and the seventh son is Xia Chengfu. However, they are all useless, spoilt brats. I don¡¯t think you need to worry about them.¡±


    ¡°If something actually happens, you have to help me.¡± Zhao Chuchu pretended to be afraid.


    Yuan Hui thought that Zhao Chuchu was actually scared of going against the Xia n. He said, ¡°Xia Chengxue is a useless coward. He doesn¡¯t stand a chance against you. Never mind; let¡¯s not talk about this. There¡¯s something else that I want to talk to you about.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The tofu skin that you¡¯re making. Although the Yuan n primarily runs a salt business, we also do other things. Only the people of Guangqing Province know about tofu skin right now. The dynasty is massive, and there are many other ces to sell the tofu skin.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°Since Guangqing is already upied by the Visitor¡¯s Aroma restaurant chain, why don¡¯t you leave the sales of tofu skin in other areas to the Yuan n?¡±


    ¡°You want to do business with me regarding tofu skin?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but not in Guangqing Province. What do you think, Chuchu?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°I would like to, but the production from the watermill workshop right now won¡¯t be able to handlerge orders like that. So I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to supply you with enough tofu skin.¡±


    Yuan Huiughed and said, ¡°Have you not thought about opening watermill workshops elsewhere? Chuchu, the dynasty is vast. There are many ces where you can make money. Imagine how many opportunities you miss by limiting yourself to Guangqing Province.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have the energy to operate such a massive business. So instead of being greedy and throwing myself into a spin, I would rather stay here and focus on Guangqing Province. After all, Rome wasn¡¯t built in a day.¡±


    ¡°In that case, would you like to consider coborating with me?¡±


    ¡°In what way? Yuan Hui, you should know that nothing in this world can be more attractive than profit. Even the best of friends can be enemies because of profits. Are you sure you want to do business together with me?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked.


    ¡°I know what you¡¯re worried about. But Chuchu, have you thought about this before? Although you arepetent, you don¡¯t have a strong foundation. If you coborate with the Yuan n, you will have someone to back you up. I can¡¯t guarantee you much, but I can assure you that if you do business with me, we won¡¯t be hiding anything from each other.¡±


    Yuan Hui smiled, then continued, ¡°Actually, I¡¯m also looking for a backup n for myself because I¡¯m not absolutely certain that I will be able to beat the other people from the Yuan n. If I lose, at least I have a way out. Take it that I¡¯m using the Yuan n¡¯s connections for my own benefit.


    ¡°Chuchu, this coboration is between you and me, not the Yuan n. Would you like to consider it?¡±


    No one dislikes money, including Zhao Chuchu.


    Although the deal with Visitor¡¯s Aroma is still going very well, Visitor¡¯s Aroma is only a restaurant. Therefore, there is a limit to how much goods they can digest. Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t have the time or energy to expand the business, while Niu Tongsheng and the others were doing something like this for the first time. They needed time to learn and grow.


    But Yuan Hui was different. She had the support of the Yuan n, which was a giant in the business world. She had ess to connections and resources that would help grow the business way faster and on arger scale than Zhao Chuchu.


    Guangqing Province was sufficientlyrge for Lengshui vige. The future of this business depended on Niu Tongsheng and the others.


    Zhao Chuchu could teach them how to make money, but she wouldn¡¯t do it for them.


    ¡°Alright, I agree with your proposal!¡± Zhao Chuchu said as she looked at Yuan Hui.


    Yuan Hui smiled and said, ¡°Chuchu, trust me; I won¡¯t let you down.¡±


    ¡°Yup, I trust you,¡± Zhao Chuchu said with a smile as well. ¡°But I need to tell the vige chief about this to avoid misunderstandings. Yuan Hui, I want to leave the Guangqing Province to them.¡±


    ¡°I understand. I just want to make money, not cut off someone else¡¯s fortune.¡±


    Yuan Hui was well aware of what to avoid.


    After Niu Tongsheng heard the proposal, he only asked Zhao Chuchu one thing, ¡°Does that mean that Visitor¡¯s Aroma would be sourcing tofu skin from your new shop?¡±


    ¡°No, the new shop won¡¯t be in Guangqing province and won¡¯tpete with the watermill workshop. So chief, don¡¯t worry about it. Since I gave you the form for making tofu skin, I won¡¯t rob you of your business,¡± Zhao Chuchu exined.


    Niu Tongsheng felt a little embarrassed. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that. I was just thinking if you¡¯re going to open a new shop in Guangqing, maybe my sons can follow you to gain more experience and learn from it.¡±


    Yuan Hui said, ¡°Absolutely, it¡¯s just that the new shop won¡¯t be located in Guangqing Province.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Niu Tong was a little hesitant. To be frank, he wanted his sons to go out and see the world. Perhaps they will find the right opportunity and profit from it. At the very least, they would be able to learn new things. But if it¡¯s outside of Guangqing Province, it would be a little too far. Niu Tongsheng wasn¡¯tpletely ready to part from his children yet.


    ¡°I¡¯ll discuss it with themter on. If they want to do it, would you let them follow you? I¡¯m not trying to take advantage or anything; I just want my sons to see the world out there. I feel more at ease with Miss Yuan leading them.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with it. What about you, Chuchu?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine as well.¡±


    Niu Tongsheng smiled and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll talk to them when I get hometer.¡±


    Niu Tongsheng had made up his mind. If his sons were willing to go, he¡¯d tell Zhao Chuchu to pay them like the other workers that she¡¯s hiring. They¡¯ll do whatever work they need to do. There¡¯s no harm in going out there and experiencing more things.


    He didn¡¯t want his sons and descendants to stay in this tiny vige forever.


    He couldn¡¯t go out, so he wanted his sons and grandsons to go out.


    Everyone should have ambitions.


    Yuan Hui actually wanted to do more than sell tofu skin. She also wanted to expand the soybean business.


    While she was in Lengshui vige, Yuan Hui saw how big the market for soybeans could be. Although at the moment, the Wei Dynasty valued soybeans much less than rice and barley, there were very few people farming soybeans.


    Yuan Hui was certain that Zhao Chuchu knew many other uses of soybeans; she just hadn¡¯t revealed them yet.


    Zhao Chuchuughed when she said, ¡°Yuan Hui, did you sneak inside my brain and steal all my thoughts?¡±


    ¡°You managed toe up with two foods made from soybeans that we had never seen before like it was nothing, and you nted so many soybeans yourself. If soybeans are really useless, there¡¯s no way you would put so much effort into them. Although I¡¯m not as capable as you, at least I grew up in the Yuan n. So I have my own judgment of things like this.¡±


    ¡°You are right. I do know many other uses for soybeans. I even thought about renting farnd to nt more of it. But I thought about it and felt that this approach didn¡¯t make sense. It¡¯s much better to let people see the different ways to use and consume soybeans. That way, the number of people nting soybeans would increase naturally, and we wouldn¡¯t be the only ones benefiting from it.¡±


    ¡°If it were other people, they would try their very best to hide it from everyone else. But you decided just to take it out and share it with everyone. Be honest, Chuchu, were you ever worried that they might betray you someday?¡±

 Chapter 246 - 246 Be Nice When I’m Gone

    246 Be Nice When I¡¯m Gone


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind if they can pay the price for betraying me.¡± Zhao Chuchu nced at Yuan Hui and smiled. ¡°There are many ways to expose a person, and I wouldn¡¯t mind using the cruelest out of them.¡±


    Yuan Hui was shocked by the murderous intent inside Zhao Chuchu¡¯s eyes.


    She had always known that Zhao Chuchu was not a person to be messed with, but that was the moment that she felt that the most.


    ¡°Hui, I was never a good person. Whether I save a person or not is decided by my mood. No one has the right to try and use me, not even my grandparents. I don¡¯t even care if they yell at me for not being respectful or if I¡¯m embarrassing them. Those mean nothing to me.¡±


    !!


    There was pride in Zhao Chuchu¡¯s eyes when she said that, and she could back that up.


    Even if she didn¡¯t have the ability, she would still say the same thing.


    Trying to tie her down with morality would prove useless.


    Yuan Hui regained her wits and looked at Zhao Chuchu in her eyes. ¡°Chuchu, to be honest, I envy you a lot. If I could be like you, others would never have the chance to control me. But I don¡¯t have the ability to do that.¡±


    ¡°As long as you¡¯re strong enough in your heart, you¡¯ll have the power to face all fears and enemies. Of course, you¡¯ll also need the strength to do that. Let me give you a piece of advice. Sometimes, being heartless is the answer.¡±


    ¡°But, you aren¡¯t heartless. It¡¯s the opposite. To me, you¡¯re kinder than everyone else. You said you would only save people if you were in a good mood. However, if the person is not bad, you will do anything to save them. Chuchu, I¡¯m very d that I could meet you.¡±


    ¡°Girl, I¡¯m sensing a lot of thank-yous again if we keep this conversation going. We are friends now. Let¡¯s not talk about this again. Instead, why don¡¯t you think about how you can help me make more money.¡±


    ¡°Huh? I¡¯m still hoping that you can help make me rich.¡±


    Yuan Hui and Zhao Chuchu looked at each other and grinned.


    Fate worked in mysterious ways. Having arrived in Lengshui Vige more than half a year, other than Zhao Men, she had no other friends around her age.


    Yet, she had only crossed paths with Yuan Hui once, and they had be friends almost right away.


    After thinking for a short while, Zhao Chuchu suggested, ¡°Hey, why don¡¯t we head to Guangqing Province tomorrow? I can take a look at your grandmother too. I don¡¯t want to talk to the Xia n anyway. It¡¯s about time I ghost them for a while.¡±


    ¡°Are you reallying to Guangqing Province?¡± Yuan Hui eximed in surprise. ¡°Then, what about your house?¡±


    ¡°My husband¡¯s still there. He can take care of everything. I don¡¯t have to worry bout a thing!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing! Thank you, Chuchu¡­.¡±


    Tears filled Yuan Hui¡¯s eyes as she finally found hope for her grandmother.


    ¡°There you go again.¡± Zhao Chuchu sighed.


    Yuan Huiughed embarrassedly. ¡°I can¡¯t control myself. I just can¡¯t wait for my grandmother to wake up! I won¡¯t stay here today, then. I have to go back to the county to prepare. I¡¯ll send someone toe get you tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. There¡¯s a cart that heads to the county from here every morning. I¡¯ll just hitch a ride.¡±


    ¡°I see. Alright! I¡¯ll wait for you in the county then!¡±


    Before heading back, Yuan Hui bought 25kg worth of beancurd from the watermill workshop and brought them back with her to the county.


    When Xie Heng learned that Zhao Chuchu was going to head to the Guangqing Province, he did not try to stop her. He only reminded her to be careful when she got there and not to get into trouble.


    ¡°Do you want me to bring Junjun with me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Junjun will stay here. You¡¯re going on a personal trip. Bringing him might slow you down.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid he might be sad if he hears this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the truth, and he knows it.¡±


    ¡°Fine. Then take care of yourself and Junjun. As for his medicine, just give him the same amount as always. The weather will turn cold as well, and I¡¯m not sure when I¡¯ll be back. If it really bes too cold, remember to wear the inner clothes I gave you.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Xie Heng liked it when Zhao Chuchu nagged him. It was warm and sweet to him.


    The inner clothes that Zhao Chuchu mentioned were able to keep people warm using advanced technology developed in the apocalyptic world. The weather in ancient times was even worse than in the future. Even if the Guangqing Province were down far south, snow would still fall, and many people would die yearly from the cold.


    Although Xie Heng and Xie Jun could endure the past few winters, Zhao Chuchu still didn¡¯t want the people she considered her family needing to struggle through the cold.


    Besides the inner clothes, she also had a lot of hot packs with her.


    Just a single hot pack couldst an entire winter. It was thin and could produce heat the whole day. There was no need for her to start a fire in the night.


    However, Zhao Chuchu had yet to n to take them out.


    It would take two days to arrive in the Guangqing Province from Yuanjiang County. Even though Xie Heng knew that Zhao Chuchu would have a lot to eat on her way there, he still made a couple of cookies and buns for her.


    He wanted her to remember him when she ate them, even when he wasn¡¯t by her side.


    That was a small trick that the man had thought up.


    Zhao Chuchu had nned to travel light, but she did not expect that Xie Heng would prepare enough for that wouldst five to six days.


    She was speechless, but she couldn¡¯t refuse his kindness. The food was a result of Xie Heng staying up the whole night.


    ¡°Dng, why do I feel like you¡¯re the wife waiting for her husband toe home?¡± Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t help but tease.


    Xie Heng chuckled a little. ¡°I don¡¯t mind that. Our children can have yourst name too.¡±


    ¡°Then, what about the Xie n?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what thest name my children carry. They still have the blood of the Xie n, and that¡¯s enough¡­¡± Xie Heng then moved closer to thedy¡¯s ear and whispered, ¡°I was infertile in my past life anyway.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu almost choked on her own saliva.


    ¡°Are you proud of that?¡±


    ¡°Not at all. I just feel fortunate.¡±


    He was d that he didn¡¯t have any children in his past life because if he had to regress, then it would mean that he would have to leave them.


    Xie Heng always thought that being infertile in his past life was a blessing in disguise.


    Zhao Chuchu turned around and grabbed Xie Heng¡¯s face before kissing him.


    Xie Heng was caught off-guard, and his eyes widened. All he could think of was her warm and soft lips.


    ...


    ¡°Dng, I feel like I love you even more, every day,¡± Zhao Chuchu said with her lips still touching his. ¡°Be good at home and stay away from otherdies when I¡¯m gone, okay?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu then continued to kiss the man.


    Xie Heng was able to react this time. His kiss went from a passive to an active one. It was a long kiss, and Zhao Chuchu could not handle it.


    Only then did she learn that kissing the man she held dearly could make her legs turn to jelly.


    Xie Heng was an intelligent person. Even if he had no experience, he could quickly master kissing.


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s head started to spin, and she rested her whole body on him.


    The loving couple did not even notice Xie Jun walking out of his room, still rubbing his eyes.


    The young boy was petrified by what he saw.


    After a few seconds, his face turned red, and he ran back to his room.


    Perhaps the young boy was too anxious, and he knocked the table on his way back, causing him to groan in pain.


    Xie Heng finally realized that Xie Jun was up. He unwillingly let go of Zhao Chuchu with his face was slightly burning.


    ...

 Chapter 247 - 247 Please Continue

    247 Please Continue


    ¡°Y-you guys can go on. I didn¡¯t see a thing!¡± Xie Jun quickly covered his eyes.


    Zhao Chuchu reacted with a grunt as her face turned red. That was her first time experiencing her legs turning into jelly from a kiss.


    Although they were interrupted, she recalled the kiss and could still feel how sweet it was. She finally understood why people loved kissing so much.


    Zhao Chuchu wasn¡¯t as embarrassed as Xie Heng was. She didn¡¯t even feel awkward about getting seen while kissing the man she loved. She pushed Xie Heng back and returned to the house.


    !!


    Xie Heng let out a deep sigh.


    Zhao Chuchu was ady who could easily destroy all of his self-control.


    He was not a man with high libido, but he had a huge thirst for Zhao Chuchu.


    He looked at her back and forced his expression to return to the cold one so that he could calm down.


    Zhao Chuchu had already approached Xie Jun by that time.


    ¡°Where did you hit yourself? Let me check.¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m fine.¡± Xie Jun smiled like an idiot.


    The young boy was d that the rtionship between his brother and sister-inw had finally advanced. He was hoping that he could be an uncle soon.


    ¡°Please continue. I don¡¯t know anything. I¡¯m going back to bed.¡±


    Completely speechless, Zhao Chuchu stopped the boy. ¡°Stop. I heard it all the way from there. It would hurt a lotter if you broke your bone.¡±


    Seeing the serious expression on Zhao Chuchu¡¯s face, Xie Jun was angry at himself for not watching where he was going and interrupting them.


    He decided that he would wake upter next time so he wouldn¡¯t get in the way between his brother and sister-inw.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Seeing that Xie Jun wasn¡¯t moving, Zhao Chuchu reached out to pull the young boy¡¯s shirt up.


    Xie Jun quickly stopped her as his face turned red. ¡°I-I can do it myself.¡±


    He quickly pulled his shirt up.


    Zhao Chuchu quickly checked, and just as she had expected, there was a huge bruise on the little boy¡¯s waist.


    She red at the boy and scolded him. ¡°How can you be so careless? Look at this! Wait here. I¡¯ll go get some medicine.¡±


    ¡°Sorry¡­¡±


    Zhao Chuchu patted the young boy¡¯s head and returned to her room. She took some medicine from her carry-on space and handed them to Xie Heng, instructing the man how to apply it on the boy.


    ¡°Apply it three times a day. You just have to smear it over the bruise. Try to be gentle.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be leaving first. You boys take care of yourself while I¡¯m gone.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu grabbed her luggage and the food that Xie Heng had prepared.


    ¡°Can youe back earlier?¡± Xie Jun chased after her. ¡°We will wait for you! I¡¯ll be a nice boy!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu turned around and waved her hand. ¡°Good boy. Hurry up and go put the medicine on!¡±


    ¡°Okay! Don¡¯t forget to think of brother every day!¡± Xie Jun reminded loudly, worried that she might forget.


    Zhao Chuchuughed awkwardly and shifted her attention to Xie Heng.


    Xie Heng was gently looking at her. Noticing that she was looking back, too, he smiled.


    He then nodded, signaling her to take care of herself.


    Zhao Chuchu grinned. ¡°I¡¯ll be back as fast as I can.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Xie Heng nodded.


    Zhao Chuchu finally left.


    The cart was already waiting for Zhao Chuchu.


    The vigers only thought she was heading into the county to cure someone. Not one of them expected that she was heading to Guangqing Province.


    When Zhao Chuchu finally reached the county, Yuan Hui was already waiting for her at the inn.


    They departed almost immediately.


    Zhao Chuchu urged the coachman to hurry them to Guangqing Province. In the end, the two-day trip was cut short into one.


    Guangqing Province did live up to its name as the busiest city south of Wei Dynasty.


    There was a huge line where hundreds of people were waiting for their turn to enter the city. Yells of the guards could be heard from time to time to maintain order.


    Even though the Yuan n was only a merchant family, they were still an important one in the city. Naturally, a prestigious family as such had special privileges. They didn¡¯t even need to wait in line to enter the city.


    The city was even busier than the entrance. Stalls were set up everywhere. The sounds of sellers promoting themselves were like a melody.


    Zhao Chuchu pulled the curtain open a little and looked at the busy street excitedly.


    She had traveled to many ancient cities that were turned into tourist spots in her past life. Although those cities were busier and more crowded than the Guangqing Province, it wouldn¡¯t beat being in the actual time when the city was bustling.


    As Yuan Hui was used to being in the city, it was natural that she wasn¡¯t excited.


    However, Zhao Chuchu closed the curtain a few secondster.


    ¡°Do you like the city?¡± Yuan Hui asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s lively,¡± Zhao Chuchu replied. ¡°Much livelier than Yuanjiang County. But, I still prefer the life of a farmer.¡±


    ¡°You can be a farmer in this city too. Chuchu, have you ever thought of moving here?¡±


    ¡°Not for now, at least. We¡¯ll have to wait until Dng¡¯s exam is over.¡±


    ¡°You can move here anytime you want! If you don¡¯t want to live with us, I can arrange another ce for you to stay!¡±


    ...


    ¡°That¡¯s right! How long until we arrive at your house?¡±


    ¡°About an hour or so.¡±


    ¡°Then, tell me more about Guangqing Province. What are the ces I can visit when I have the time?¡±


    Yuan Hui started to introduce the city to Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu finally had a brief understanding of Guangqing Province after that.


    ¡°That is where the Xia n is situated at.¡± Yuan Hui suddenly pointed in a direction. ¡°Past this street, everything there belongs to the Xia n. However, they did many unforgivable things to obtain this hugend. They forced the original owners to leave and paid them less than the market price.¡±


    ¡°Has the Xia n always been thiswless?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing the original owners can do. To them, they believed that they were assisting the poor.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s eyes twitched after hearing that.


    Zhao Chuchu looked at the walls of the Xia n mansion. The wall had surrounded an extravagant family and had stopped outsiders from peeking in.


    Just as they passed by one of the side doors of the Xia n mansion, a father and son duo was kicked out by the servants of the Xia n.


    ...


    ¡°Get lost! Your daughter is not here. How dare a beggar like you make a mess here? Leave, or I¡¯ll break your leg!¡± the head of the servant scolded arrogantly as he pointed at the father and son. ¡°Who do you think you are? You don¡¯t even have the right to mess with the Xia n!¡±


    ¡°Please. Xi¡¯er, my daughter, works as a maid here. Please help me find my daughter. It has been three months since west heard from her. At least let me know she¡¯s fine. I beg you!¡±


    ¡°Are you deaf? Get lost!¡±


    The servant kicked the father.


    The father fell down the stair and almost got stepped on by the horse pulling the Yuan n¡¯s carriage.


    Fortunately, the coachman was skillful enough to steer the horse away, or else the father would¡¯ve been dead.


    ¡°Dad!¡± The son, a little boy, cried as he helped his father up.


    The father sped his chest as blood dripped from his mouth. He pushed his son back and climbed back to the servant. ¡°Please! Just let me meet my daughter!¡±


    ¡°Get lost! I told you that your daughter is not here!¡±


    The servant turned and mmed the door shut.


    ¡°Please¡­¡±


    The father banged on the door, but there was no response.


    Zhao Chuchu frowned at the sight of that.


    The father was already sick. Being kicked by the servant had only made the illness even worse.


    ¡°Even the servants of the Xia n are so arrogant!¡± Yuan Hui scolded and instructed her servant to help the father and son.

 Chapter 248 - 248 It Will Hurt a Little

    248 It Will Hurt a Little


    The father and son were escorted by the servants.


    When they got close, Zhao Chuchu spotted a terrifying wound on the left face of the boy. It was already inmed and infected. If the wound were not tended to right away, it would leave a huge scar on his face for the rest of his life.


    Yuan Hui was not expecting such a shocking sight either.


    ¡°Chuchu!¡± She turned to look at Zhao Chuchu.


    !!


    Zhao Chuchu knew what Yuan Hui wanted and nodded. ¡°We should find an inn first. We have to treat the wound right away, or else it¡¯ll leave a huge scar.¡±


    She could see the kindness and gentleness in the eyes of the father and son. She could tell they were kind people.


    Zhao Chuchu would not hold back on saving people like them.


    She also overheard the argument and knew the daughter had gone missing in the Xia n¡¯s mansion.


    With such an unfortunate incident, there was no way she would sit still and do nothing.


    Yuan Hui quickly got her men to bring them to an inn.


    The father and son thought that Zhao Chuchu and Yuan Hui were going to kill them, and they were trembling in fear.


    ¡°I apologize if I have offended you. But, please spare us. I beg you¡­¡± pleaded the father.


    He even knelt and banged his head on the floor.


    ¡°Stop! We aren¡¯t going to hurt you. We just want to help because we saw the wound on your son¡¯s face.¡± Yuan Hui quickly signaled her servants to help the father up.


    The man was stunned as he could not believe what he had just heard.


    ¡°D-did you just say you will help my son?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The man felt as if he was dreaming.


    He was just kicked out of the Xia n, and in turn, he ran into a kind group of people who wanted to save his son.


    He was worried that he was just dreaming, but he didn¡¯t want to lose the chance either.


    With his daughter missing, if anything happened to his son as well, he would not have the guts to face his dead wife.


    When they finally reached the inn, the owner spotted Yuan Hui and immediately greeted her. ¡°Ms. Yuan!¡±


    ¡°Give me one of the best rooms you have,¡± Yuan Hui said.


    ¡°Will do! Please, follow me.¡±


    Although the Yuan n only traded in salt, their business was still huge. It was natural that people would want to form a good rtionship with the family.


    The owner did not even ask why Yuan Hui had brought so many people to the inn. He guided them to the room and was ready to leave.


    ¡°Owner, can you get me some hot water and clean towels? Also, can you have someone get these medicine for me?¡± Zhao Chuchu stopped the owner and requested, telling him the medicine she needed.


    ¡°Of course. Please wait while I go get them.¡± The owner immediately nodded.


    Zhao Chuchu looked at the child and pointed at the stool. ¡°Can you sit over there for me?¡±


    The boy was scared and hugged his father¡¯s leg tightly. He looked at the stool but did not move.


    ¡°I apologize. My son is very shy around strangers.¡± The man was careful with his words. ¡°Are you really going to save my son? We are poor peasants, and we can¡¯t pay you¡­¡±


    ¡°I know. You don¡¯t have to worry about it,¡± Zhao Chuchu said. ¡°Sit. If you wish for your son¡¯s face to be ruined, then you can ignore me.¡±


    The man heard that and quickly turned to his son. ¡°This youngdy is a nice person. She¡¯ll treat you, and we can go find your sister.¡±


    The boy then let go of his father and slowly moved toward the stool. He was extremely tense because he was still scared.


    Zhao Chuchu looked at the boy and gently smiled. ¡°It¡¯s going to hurt a little. Can you endure it?¡±


    Perhaps the kid had not seen such a beautifuldy and never had someone talk so softly to him, but he was able to ease up immediately. ¡°I¡¯m not scared!¡±


    ¡°Good. Just do what I say, and there won¡¯t be a scar on your face, okay?¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    The father was a little excited.


    ¡°Yes. She¡¯s a skilled doctor. If she said so, then it¡¯s definitely doable,¡± Yuan Hui said.


    ¡°Th-thank you¡­¡± The man¡¯s eyes were filled with tears now, and he couldn¡¯t even make aplete sentence.


    ¡°Alright. Don¡¯t interrupt me.¡± Zhao Chuchu was still not used to handling such a situation.


    The man immediately shut up and even held his breath, worrying that he would annoy Zhao Chuchu.


    The owner had sent someone to bring hot water and towels to the room.


    Zhao Chuchu first cleaned the wound on the boy¡¯s face before slowly moving away the hairs stuck to the wound.


    The boy was in so much pain that he was sweating, and his face turned white. However, he bit hard on his lip so that he would not make a voice.


    Zhao Chuchu noticed that and folded a clean towel. ¡°Open your mouth. Bite on this. I don¡¯t want you to hurt your own lip.¡±


    Tears started to roll down the boy¡¯s face.


    Ever since his face was injured, other than his father, everyone hadughed at him. No one had treated him with such kindness before.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Does it hurt?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re very nice¡­¡± the boy said.


    Zhao Chuchu patted the boy¡¯s head. ¡®I have a brother who¡¯s around your age. There¡¯s no way I can see a boy like you suffering. Come on. Stop crying. The tears will make your wound hurt even more.¡±


    ¡°Okay! I won¡¯t cry!¡± The boy tried to wipe his tears away.


    Zhao Chuchu quickly stopped him and wiped the tears for him with a towel instead. ¡°Be brave.¡±


    ...


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    The boy nodded hard as if he was worried that Zhao Chuchu would not see it.


    The father shed a tear at the side too.


    Since debridement was needed for the wound, Zhao Chuchu had to ask the rest to leave the room.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like people watching me while I work. Take the medicine I asked the owner to help purchase,¡± she told the father.


    ¡°Me?¡± The man pointed at himself.


    ¡°Yes. Those are for you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    The man did not hesitate anymore.


    If Zhao Chuchu were not a quack, it wouldn¡¯t have made sense for her to save them without any reason. They had no money.


    ...


    It was clear that she was saving them out of her kindness.


    Noticing that the boy was in a lot of pain, she decided to give him anesthesia. She then took a few pieces of medical equipment out of her carry-on space and performed the debridement. After that, she started to heal the wound with her power before wrapping it up.


    The whole process took her an hour toplete.


    Once she was done, the little boy woke up from the anesthesia.


    ¡°Does it still hurt?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked with a smile.


    The little boy looked at thedy¡¯s shining eyes and thought they were brighter than the stars.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore! Thank you!¡±


    ¡°Good boy. Can you tell me your name?¡±


    ¡°My name is Huan¡¯er, and my sister¡¯s name is Xi¡¯er! It¡¯s been a long time since Ist saw my sister¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you miss her?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll find your sister!¡±


    ¡°Really? I believe you! Will my face heal now? Will I stop being ugly?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It will heal.¡±


    ¡°Yay! I-I don¡¯t know how I can repay you¡­ I don¡¯t mind being your pet¡­¡±


    ¡°You stupid child. I can buy my own pet. You just have to grow up healthily and be a useful man. When you finally seed, don¡¯t forget about me, okay?¡±


    In terms of helping a person so that she could benefit from them, Zhao Chuchu would not even let a child go.

 Chapter 249 - 249 She Is Most Likely Dead

    249 She Is Most Likely Dead


    However, she had no idea that her words would affect others greatly.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been here long enough. I¡¯ll go open the door for your daddy toe in.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu pinched Huan¡¯er¡¯s cheek, which wasn¡¯t wounded, and got up to open the door.


    The man was pacing back and forth outside the room. His face was full of worries. When he heard the door open, he quickly rushed up to Zhao Chuchu. ¡°Miss, can I go see my son now?¡±


    Thedy nodded and stepped aside for the man to enter the room.


    Yuan Hui heard that Zhao Chuchu hade out and walked out of the room next to them.


    ¡°Is it done?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Let me see.¡±


    Yuan Hui went in and saw that half of the child¡¯s face was bandaged up, and his hair was shaved off.


    ¡°It¡¯s troublesome since he had long hair. Shaving them off is easier for the wound to recover. I know how important hairs are, but his life is more important than that.¡±


    ¡°Those hair aren¡¯t important as long as he can recover! Thank you, young miss. Thank you for saving my son! I¡¯m willing to do anything you ask!¡± The father quickly knelt and bowed. ¡°My name is Deng Dalin. You have my eternal gratitude!¡±


    ¡°You both sure are father and son.¡± Zhao Chuchuughed awkwardly. ¡°I don¡¯t need anything from you. I just have a couple of questions and need your honest answers. As for the treatment, just think of it as me helping out.¡±


    ¡°Ask away! I will try my best to answer everything!¡±


    ¡°Alright. Are you from Guangqing Province? What were you doing at the Xia n¡¯s mansion? Did something happen between you and them?¡±


    Deng Dalin¡¯s expression changed as soon as he heard the questions.


    After a moment of silence, anger could be heard in his voice. ¡°We are from the Deng n in the western suburb. My daughter, Xi¡¯er, started working for the Xia n as a servant two years ago. She would asionally send us messages and even make shoes and socks for us. However, about three months ago, we stopped getting messages from her. After asking around, I heard that the head butler took a liking to her and promoted her to a rank two servant who directly serves the madam. The person who told me said we could expect an easy life after that. But that¡¯s not what I wanted. I never liked the idea of her working for the Xia n, but she applied for the job without letting me know. She¡¯s my daughter. I know she would tell us the good news immediately if she was promoted and not go missing instead. We came into the city half a month ago to look for her. The Xia n took our silver, promising we could see her, but they kept asking for more silvers. Huan¡¯er is still a child, and he thought they wouldn¡¯t let us meet with Xi¡¯er, so he yelled back at them. They¡­ They then burned his face with a pair of tongs for coals. I¡­¡±


    Deng Dalin could not finish his sentence after that.


    The father, who was as strong as a bull, had tears in his eyes.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying Xi¡¯er went to work for the Xia n on her own ord.¡±


    ¡°Yes. She¡¯s a good child. When she learned that I was sick, she wanted to make money so that I could cure my illness. When I eventually learned about it, she was already hired. If not for me, she wouldn¡¯t have gone missing!¡±


    ¡°Have you ever thought of the possibility that she didn¡¯t want anything to do with you after she made some money?¡± Yuan Hui asked.


    ¡°No! Not my daughter. I know her well enough to know that she¡¯s not this type of person!¡± Deng Dalin insisted.


    Judging from the situation, Zhao Chuchu believed that Xi¡¯er was probably dead.


    From Huan¡¯er¡¯s healthy side of his face, Zhao Chuchu could see that he would grow into a handsome man. Although Deng Dalin might look old and worn out, it wasn¡¯t hard to see that he used to have a good look too. It would make sense that Xi¡¯er was pretty as well.


    With how many selfish and arrogant people were in the Xia n, there was no way they would let go of ady who was pretty and still young.


    ¡°Miss, I know Xi¡¯er could be dead, but I still want her body back. At least, I want toy her to rest on my own¡­¡± Deng Dalin sobbed. ¡°But, they wouldn¡¯t even give me that. Not only they chased us out, but they even burned my son¡¯s face! They are devils!¡±


    Yuan Hui sighed.


    ¡°With how things have turned out, try not to overthink it. If you want to find where Xi¡¯er is, then make sure you are healthy first, or else there¡¯s nothing you can do.¡± Zhao Chuchuforted. ¡°No matter what happens, you still have to live on.¡±


    ¡°I know¡­ Thank you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Other than you, were there any other families who had lost their daughters who worked for the Xia n?¡±


    ¡°Yes, more than one, actually. But, some of them gotpensated and stopped making a scene.¡±


    ¡°So, you are saying that this has frequently been happening?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know much about the detail, but I did hear that a widow lost her daughter like this and had gone mad since then.¡±


    ¡°I see. Alright. Why don¡¯t you stay here in the inn for now? Just have the inn send a message to the Yuan n if you need anything. Just tell them that the message is for Yuan Hui.¡± As evidence was still needed, Yuan Hui decided to stop Deng Dalin.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, young miss. We can just stay somewhere else. We can¡¯t rely on you after what you¡¯ve done for us.¡± Deng Dalin refused.


    ¡°Are you trying to ruin your son¡¯s face by staying at some dirty ce again? You know it took me a lot of work to clean that wound, right?¡±


    Deng Dalin immediately gasped.


    ¡°Just stay here until everything gets better. Don¡¯t worry about the money. We aren¡¯t doing this out of goodwill,¡± Yuan Hui said. ¡°We still have something to attend to, so please stop wasting our time.¡±


    ¡°M-my apologies. I wasn¡¯t trying to do that¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll need to change the medicine for your son tomorrow. So staying here is the best option for you. I don¡¯t have to waste time looking for you. I¡¯m the type of doctor who ensures my patient fully heals. Please don¡¯t ruin my reputation.¡±


    Deng Dalinw was embarrassed.


    He never thought that he would bring Zhao Chuchu that much trouble.


    Just as he wanted to say something, Zhao Chuchu and Yuan Hui turned to leave without giving him a chance to do so.


    After they walked out of the in, Zhao Chuchu chuckled. ¡°Looks like the Xia n has been up to a lot of no good. Thank God I have nothing to do with them, or else such a perfectdy like myself will be tainted by it.¡±


    ¡°Do they think they¡¯re still living in awless world? How dare they do that to a little boy? If their servants are like that, then their master will be no good either.¡± Yuan Hui was furious. ¡°I have never seen such a cruel family! Chuchu, what are you nning to do?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go visit your grandma first. We can think about this after I¡¯ve healed her. But I¡¯ll need you to help look into what Deng Dalin said.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s easy! I was nning to do that anyway! But we should prepare for the worst. It doesn¡¯t seem like Xi¡¯er is still alive.¡±


    ¡°Yes. She¡¯s probably dead. That¡¯s the only reason the Xia n canmit such evil acts without worries.¡± Zhao Chuchu scoffed. ¡°I wonder how many dirty things they¡¯ve done?¡±

 Chapter 250 - 250 Not Sick

    250 Not Sick


    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about that family for now. Let¡¯s head back so I can take a look at your grandmother.¡± Zhao Chuchu paused and decided to change the topic.


    ¡°I have to keep your identity a secret for you. I can¡¯t let them know who you really are yet,¡± Yuan Hui said.


    ¡°I understand.¡± Zhao Chuchu nodded.


    Yuan Hui then briefly introduced the members of the Yuan n to Zhao Chuchu.


    !!


    Zhao Chuchu was able to memorize what Yuan Hui had said.


    They finally arrived at the Yuan n¡¯s mansion.


    The Yuan n kept a low profilepared to the extravagant Xia n.


    At the very least, the Yuan n wasn¡¯t trying to unt their wealth through adornment.


    The coachman directed the horse cart into the mansion.


    Everyone came out to wee Yuan Hui¡¯s return.


    ¡°Young miss!¡±


    Yuan Hui gently nodded and quickly took Zhao Chuchu to the building where Old Mrs. Yuan was staying.


    When they arrived, they ran into an elegant woman walking out.


    Zhao Chuchu could instantly recognize the woman as Mrs. Yuan, Yuan Hui¡¯s stepmother.


    ¡°You¡¯re back,¡± Mrs. Yuan said. ¡°Did everything go well outside?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Thank you for your concerns, mother,¡± Yuan Hui calmly replied.


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. Your grandmother woke up for a while yesterday. She said she missed you. If you¡¯re free for the next few days, why don¡¯t you stay at home and apany her?¡±


    ¡°I understand. I n to do that as well.¡±


    ¡°And, this is?¡±


    Mrs. Yuan turned to look at Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°This is a friend that I met on my way back.¡±


    Yuan Hui did not n to disclose who Zhao Chuchu was.


    Those who had followed her out had been warned by her not to disclose that either. She even threatened to fire them if Zhao Chuchu¡¯s identity was exposed.


    There was a saying that a servant who served a second master was not a good servant. That was why those fired would not have a good life after that. The threat she had made was an effective one. At least, they wouldn¡¯t even dare to think about disclosing who Zhao Chuchu was.


    Mrs. Yuan understood what Yuan Hui was implying and had no intention of asking more questions.


    ¡°Greetings, Mrs. Yuan. I came here to seek refuge with my rtives, but I only found out that they had moved after I came here. I have no choice but to follow Hui here for now. I would like to apologize for intruding.¡± Yuan Hui bowed.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about it, miss. You¡¯re Hui¡¯s friend and wee to stay for as long as you want. Just think of this as your own home. If you need anything, just ask one of the servants.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mrs.Yuan.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave first then.¡±


    Mrs. Yuan gently nodded and left the house that Old Mrs. Yuan was staying in.


    Zhao Chuchu watched the woman leave.


    From Mrs. Yuan¡¯s upright attitude, Zhao Chuchu could tell she wasn¡¯t the type who would harbor evil intentions.


    It seemed to Zhao Chuchu that there was indeed a misunderstanding between Yuan Hui and her stepmother.


    However, Zhao Chuchu remained silent about her opinion and followed Yuan Hui inside.


    The moment she entered, she could smell the pungent aroma of the Chinese herbs that filled the room. A thick tester could be seen inside the room, and it had made the room dark and depressing.


    The skinny Old Mrs. Yuany on the bed unconsciously. If not for her chest moving up and down from her breathing, others would¡¯ve thought she was dead already.


    With just a single nce and Zhao Chuchu could tell that the old woman was not sick but poisoned.


    The old woman would die in a few years if the poison were not cured.


    Yuan Hui looked at Zhao Chuchu anxiously, worried that even her friend might be unable to save her grandmother.


    Yet, Zhao Chuchu nodded, and Yuan Hui was delighted to see that.


    When Zhao Chuchu said she could save someone, she would always mean it.


    Yuan Hui would¡¯ve asked what Zhao Chuchu would need to save her grandmother if not for their situation.


    After making a quick diagnosis, the twodies left.


    Words of them leaving quickly reached Mrs. Yuan¡¯s ears.

 Chapter 251 - 251 They Can’t Dominate Anymore

    251 They Can¡¯t Dominate Anymore


    ¡°Madam, what is the girl trying to do? She¡¯s bringing an outsider to see the old madam. What if¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    The mammy disagreed with Yuan Hui¡¯s action and grumbled to Madam Huo about it. Halfway through her ramble, Madam Huo cut her off with a look.


    ¡°Sorry.¡± The mammy lowered her head.


    ¡°What the girl wants to do is her business. As a mother, I should have my boundaries when ites to disciplining and educating her, lest it causes us to be distant!¡± Madam Huo said impassively. ¡°From now onward, you¡¯re not allowed to speak behind her back.¡±


    ¡°Yes, madam.¡±


    ¡°Now go.¡±


    Madam Huo waved to signal the mammy to leave.


    She hurriedly left.


    After she left, Madam Huo¡¯s head maid said, ¡°Madam, why didn¡¯t you stop her? What if something happens to old madam? That would be¡­¡±


    ¡°The girl never liked me. Sinceing back from Yuanjiang Countyst time, she has been treating me like an enemy. If I tried to stop her from doing this, she¡¯d probably hate me for it. Right now, the Yuan n is in a precarious position. We can¡¯t make things worse.¡±


    ¡°But why don¡¯t you exin it to her? Madam, you care about the girl more than anyone else!¡±


    ¡°Exining won¡¯t work because she won¡¯t believe me.¡±


    ¡°But if madam doesn¡¯t tell her, she would never know. Like right now, she¡¯s going against you for everything. It¡¯s very disadvantageous for you, madam.¡±


    ¡°Young people have the right to be a little capricious. It doesn¡¯t matter what she thinks of me or what misunderstandings she has. I will treat her as my daughter, even if I didn¡¯t give birth to her.¡±


    ¡°Madam¡­¡±


    ¡°I understand what you¡¯re trying to say, but we have no other options right now. You¡¯ve been with me for a very long time. You should know my character better than anyone else. I don¡¯t want to hear you say anything like this anymore in the future!¡±


    The maid wanted to say something but decided to keep quiet in the end. ¡°Yes, madam,¡± she said.


    ¡°Go. I need some silence alone.¡±


    Madam Huo told all of her closest subordinates to leave her.


    She sat there alone and pondered for a long while with a calm expression on her face. She sighed as exhaustion crept up her face.


    To be honest, she didn¡¯t want to fight with Yuan Hui like this for much longer.


    In the eyes of others, the Yuan n was like a plumpmb. They had raised their knives and were ready to bring them down on them at any time. Yuan Hui had been extricated from this issue since the beginning. The only way for her to continue threading at the outskirts of the conflict is to be in conflict with her stepmother.


    Even if those people strike out at them, they will let Yuan Hui go.


    When that happens, perhaps Yuan Hui will be able to protect her sons.


    Madam Huo closed her eyes. Unfortunately, she would never be able to tell Yuan Hui about these things. All she could do was continue their feud. Otherwise, Yuan Hui would be dragged into the Yuan n¡¯s turmoil.


    After being in this emotional and exhausted state for a while, Madam Huo returned to her usual decisive and domineering demeanor.


    Regardless of what happens in the future, she will try everything to protect the Yuan family, even if it costs her all of her savings.


    In Madam Huo¡¯s eyes, money could never be as important as her family!


    Hopefully, the girl Yuan Hui brought back was part of her n. She hoped that Yuan Hui could learn to be a bit wiser and more cautious when dealing with people, even if she practiced it on Madam Huo.


    Of course, Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t know what Madam Huo was thinking. She arrived in Yuan Hui¡¯s courtyard and wrote a prescription for her. She said, ¡°These are the herbs that I¡¯ll need to cure your grandmother. Get the ingredients based on this list, but don¡¯t let other people cook the medicine for you.


    ¡°Also, after you bring back the medicine, pass it to me first. Some of the ingredients and dosages on the list are decoys to trick other people, so don¡¯t do anything with the ingredients! Your grandmother can still be cured. You don¡¯t need to be too worried.¡±


    Yuan Hui was very excited, but she had to suppress her emotions. She grabbed Zhao Chuchu¡¯s hand and said softly, ¡°Chuchu, are you telling the truth? I¡¯m not dreaming right now, right?¡±


    ¡°If you want to know whether you¡¯re dreaming, you can grab yourself. You don¡¯t need to grab me. It hurts!¡± Zhao Chuchu muttered helplessly.


    Yuan Hui hurriedly let go of her and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I got too excited. Chuchu, thank you.¡±


    After that, she gave Zhao Chuchu a big hug.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I felt so happy. If my grandmother can be saved, my mother won¡¯t be able to dominate the n on her own in the future.¡±


    ¡°She will be fine.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t exin to Yuan Hui that Madam Huo wasn¡¯t actually the kind of person that Yuan Hui thought she was.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get someone to buy the herbs right now.¡±


    ¡°Wait, there¡¯s no need to hurry. Wait two more days before going. Your grandmother will be fine in the short term.¡±


    ¡°Right, I might alert my mother if I act too soon. If she tries to jeopardize this, things will get very troublesome. Chuchu, I¡¯ll listen to you for this.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu nodded.


    Yuan Hui kept the medicinal recipe and brought Zhao Chuchu to the room that the servants had prepared so Zhao Chuchu could rest.


    Since Yuan Hui returned to the Yuan n, she has had an unending list of things to do. She didn¡¯t have time to apany Zhao Chuchu at all.


    Zhao Chuchu was d about this. She would rather be alone.


    For the next few days, Zhao Chuchu went to the inn every day for Huan¡¯er and took the opportunity to walk around the city and find out more about the Xia n.


    After asking around, she realized just how arrogant and haughty the Xia n was in the province.


    If there were no Yuan n on top of them, they would probably be ¡°kings¡± in the area.


    This was because they were extremely rich. Even though they were on the decline now, the wealth that they had umted over several generations was enough for them to splurge on anything they desired.


    As for the women who had married into the Xia n, Zhao Chuchu also found out about them. The most sessful one was the girl from the Kang n.


    But now that the Kang n seemed to want to rece the Xia n¡¯s status, the two n¡¯s rtionship had worsened. This was why Xia Chengxuan¡¯s life in the Kang family wasn¡¯t very good. Even a lowly mammy dared to take advantage of her.


    As the eldest daughter of the Kang n, Kang Xiuwan was also neglected in her family. On the contrary, her sisters had been famous around the province, and all of the men in the province knew how talented the daughters of the Kang n were.


    Zhao Chuchu wasn¡¯t interested in the Kang n¡¯s domestic conflicts.


    ...


    More importantly, how much longer could the Xia n put up with the Kang n¡¯s actions?


    Given how they were used to being on top of other people, there was no way the Xia n would be okay with letting their subordinates be their superiors.


    Zhao Chuchu thought about how he could make the Kang and Xia ns fall out.


    If these two ns fought against each other, the other ns rted to the Xia n by marriage would definitely not just watch from the sidelines.


    Despite their decline, the Xia n was still extremely wealthy. Of course, the others would want to get something from them.


    Over the next few days, Zhao Chuchubined the information that she had gathered with what Xie Heng told her and gained a deeper understanding of the factions in the capital of Guangqing Province.


    The Yuan n was fragmented internally as well. Faced with external threats, most of the members of the Yuan n weren¡¯t thinking about how to ovee the challenge together. Instead, they were all thinking about how to get the position of the n chief.


    Moreover, Old Mrs. Yuan was unconscious then. This was a one-in-a-million chance in their eyes.


    Once Old Mrs. Yuan died, everything in the Yuan n would belong to them.


    This is why they all saw Madam Huo as their enemy.


    They were afraid that Madam Huo would take all the wealth in the n and marry someone else, which would cause them to lose their spoils.


    ...


    ¡°People often say that the bigger the n, the moreplicated their internal affairs are. In such arge n, the more likely there will be internal conflicts,¡± Zhao Chuchu sighed and mumbled to herself. This is the best ce to hide all sorts of filth and muck!¡±

 Chapter 252 - 252 Are They Real Sisters?

    252 Are They Real Sisters?


    As she spoke, Zhao Chuchu stepped into the inn where Deng Dalin and his son were staying.


    The inn¡¯s owner received Zhao Chuchu very politely. ¡°Doctor, you¡¯re here. Have you had breakfast? I¡¯ll get someone to prepare some for you if you haven¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°No need. I came here to reapply medication for my patient.¡± Zhao Chuchu rejected him.


    ¡°Doctor, I¡¯m sure you have time for some food, right? How about I get you something to eat first?¡±


    !!


    ¡°Mister, if you want something from me, you should just tell me.¡±


    This wasn¡¯t the first time that Zhao Chuchu hade to this inn. The owner definitely wanted something from her, given his obsequious behavior.


    The owner of the inn felt a little embarrassed. He scratched his head and said, ¡°You saw through my intentions, haha. I¡¯ve been married to my wife for many years, but we haven¡¯t had any children. But the other doctors all said that there¡¯s nothing wrong with either of us, so I thought maybe you can help us solve this problem.¡±


    ¡°After I tend to my patient. Oh, right. You know about how I do things, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, definitely, I¡¯ll abide by your rules. So don¡¯t worry about it, doctor.¡±


    ¡°Okay, in two days, when Ie here to reapply medication for Huan¡¯er, bring your wife and wait here for me.¡±


    ¡°Alright, thank you so much, doctor.¡±


    The inn¡¯s owner was very grateful, and his attitude toward Zhao Chuchu became even more respectful.


    Deng Dalin had spent the entire time with Huan¡¯er for the past few days. He barely even stepped out of the room.


    When he saw Zhao Chuchu walk into the room with her medicine box, he stood up awkwardly and left the room.


    She knew that this young girl didn¡¯t behave like the other doctors. If he just stood there and did nothing, he might somehow offend her.


    Deng Dalin hoped that Huan¡¯er could recover.


    While Zhao Chuchu was reapplying medication for Huan¡¯er, she asked, ¡°Did anyonee and ask you and your dad about anything?¡±


    ¡°Not for now. What¡¯s wrong?¡± Huan¡¯er looked toward Zhao Chuchu and asked. ¡°Will curing my face get you into trouble?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s because I want to be sessful. I want other people to know about me.¡±


    ¡°Sister, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to do it. You are the most capable person I know.¡±


    Huan¡¯er¡¯s admiration for Zhao Chuchu was evident, and he didn¡¯t try to hide it at all.


    On the first day that he met Zhao Chuchu, his face hurt so much that he couldn¡¯t sleep at night. But after that, Huan¡¯er could feel his face getting better every day.


    ¡°Close your eyes,¡± Zhao Chuchu said, taking off the gauze and reapplying the medicinal ointment for the boy.


    The reason Huan¡¯er recovered so fast was that Zhao Chuchu had been using her healing superpowers on him every single day. Otherwise, it would take him at least a few months to recover.


    ¡°If anyone asks you about me, tell them that I am an orphan from Mingan Province. I came to Guangqing Province to look for my long-lost rtives. However, those rtives have already left Guangqing Province, which is why I¡¯m temporarily staying with the Yuan n.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I got it.¡± Huan¡¯er nodded.


    He sincerely hoped that Zhao Chuchu could help him find his sister.


    But he was very well-behaved and never mentioned this in front of Zhao Chuchu.


    But he was a child, after all, and didn¡¯t know how to hide his thoughts and emotions. Zhao Chuchu could immediately tell what he was thinking.


    Zhao Chuchu was certain that Xi¡¯er was already dead, but she didn¡¯t tell Deng Dalin and Huan¡¯er about it. She was afraid that they wouldn¡¯t be able to take such disastrous news. If they did anything stupid, she would have wasted her efforts saving them.


    ¡°Huan¡¯er, remember, whatever happens, we need to look forward and not live in the past. That¡¯s the only way for us to grow, mature, and be stronger.¡±


    ¡°Sister, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not afraid of having scars on my face. You spent so much effort saving my life. I must cherish my life to be worthy of your efforts.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu smiled and rubbed his head. Then she said, ¡°Yup, that¡¯s right. I¡¯m done reapplying the medicine. I still have other things to do, so I¡¯ll leave first. You stay here and listen to your father.¡±


    ¡°Yup, I will,¡± Huan¡¯er answered.


    Zhao Chuchu smiled, then packed up her medicine box and opened the door to leave.


    Deng Dalin bowed at Zhao Chuchu. Zhao Chuchu nodded, then walked past him and went downstairs.


    The owner of the inn was already standing there and waiting for her.


    He saw with his own eyes how Zhao Chuchu managed to improve Deng Dalin and Huan¡¯er¡¯s conditions within a few short days. This was what drove him to ask Zhao Chuchu to treat him and his wife.


    After all, at his age, most people would want children.


    ¡°Doctor, take care.¡± Then, the owner of the inn personally walked Zhao Chuchu to the door.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to send me off; goodbye.¡± Zhao Chuchu stopped the inn owner.


    At the same time, a woman just happened to walk into the inn. When she saw Zhao Chuchu, she raised her eyebrows and asked, ¡°Brother-inw, who is this woman?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu looked toward where the sound came from. The woman was dressed in very bright and mboyant clothes. Although Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t have a habit of judging people by their looks, she still felt like she had just seen one of those prostitutes standing on the streetside and trying to solicit men toe into the brothel.


    ¡°My sister had been managing everything at home for you. How can you have another woman outside? Do you think you¡¯re worthy of my sister like this?¡± The woman sounded like she was condemning the owner of the inn, but her tone sounded oddly jealous.


    Obviously, her real question was, why couldn¡¯t the inn owner¡¯s mistress be her?


    ¡°She¡¯s just a doctor. What nonsense are you talking about? Can you not make a fool of yourself and me?¡± the inn owner said impatiently. ¡°Although I¡¯ve told you so many times, if you want to meet your sister, just go there yourself. Don¡¯te to the inn and wait for me to go with you. People are going to misunderstand.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    Were they really sisters?


    Could her attempt to seduce her brother-inw be any more obvious?


    And based on what the inn owner said, she continued to do this after being rejected several times.


    Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for the inn owner¡¯s wife. How did she get such a scourge of a sister?


    ¡°What doctor? No proper girl would expose themself and be a doctor! Touching men¡¯s hands all day? I think she¡¯s just trying to seduce other men in the name of treating them!¡± The woman sneered.


    A dangerous smile appeared on Zhao Chuchu¡¯s face as she said, ¡°Well then, madam, should I tell everyone about the illness that you don¡¯t dare to mention? If you would like to hear it, I will say it out loud. Otherwise, I want you to apologize for what you just said!¡±


    There weren¡¯t many people in the inn then, but a few guests were sitting in the main lobby and eating.


    ...


    Whatever the woman said just now had already attracted a lot of strange looks, but Zhao Chuchu¡¯s words were even more shocking.


    Not only were the guests stunned, but the woman¡¯s expression also changed drastically because Zhao Chuchu struck right at her pain point.


    A certain part of her body had an unbearable itch, which often caused her to wake up in the middle of the night. She had been suffering greatly from it.


    But because of how embarrassing it was, she didn¡¯t dare see a doctor. She simply forced herself to endure every day and didn¡¯t dare to tell other people either. So naturally, she was horrified when Zhao Chuchu pointed it out.


    If Zhao Chuchu said it aloud, she would be too ashamed to live.


    ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? You didn¡¯t measure my pulse, and you¡¯re spouting all this crap. Absolutely ridiculous! You better apologize, or I won¡¯t let you off easily!¡±


    ¡°You would know whether I was telling lies. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve had a hard time at night, right? The itch must be killing you, is it not?¡±


    ¡°Shut up! Don¡¯t you dare spout any more nonsense!¡±


    The woman was so mad that she was quivering.


    Zhao Chuchu smiled and said, ¡°I dare you not to apologize.¡±


    She wouldn¡¯t try to reason with women like her.


    ...


    She decided to target Zhao Chuchu out of nowhere. So why should Zhao Chuchu give in?


    Absolutely no way!


    ¡°You, you¡­¡±

 Chapter 253 - 253 Not Going To Apologize?

    253 Not Going To Apologize?


    Zhao Chuchu was very calm andposed. She simply stared at the woman.


    Although her gaze was calm, it made the woman¡¯s scalp feel warm.


    The woman subconsciously took two steps backward.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to deal with people like you,¡± the woman said hurriedly, then turned and tried to leave.


    Zhao Chuchu reached her hand out casually to block her path. She looked at her impassively and said, ¡°I said apologize. Did you not hear me?¡±


    ¡°Move. I said I¡¯m not going to interact with you!¡±


    ¡°But, unfortunately, I¡¯m not going to let you go like that. You arrived here and immediately tried to defame me with your nonsense, and you think you can decide what happens now?¡± Zhao Chuchu smiled and said. ¡°In case you didn¡¯t hear me, I¡¯ll repeat myself. Apologize!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu emphasized every single sybus when she spoke thest word.


    The woman didn¡¯t dare look at Zhao Chuchu. Instead, she lowered her head and tried to walk around Zhao Chuchu to exit the inn.


    But Zhao Chuchu suddenly grabbed her dor. Her eyes turned cold as she said, ¡°You think you can just run away like that? Apologize!¡±


    The woman immediately started yelling, ¡°What are you doing? Are you trying to beat me? I¡¯m warning you, if you dare to touch me, I¡¯ll make sure that you get out of this easily! Brother-inw, are you looking at this? This mad bitch is trying to be violent with me. She¡¯s definitely interested in you!¡±


    Everyone looked toward Zhao Chuchu in unison.


    The owner of the inn was infuriated. He said, ¡°Stop with this nonsense. She came to treat the wounds of the father and son that she had saved two days ago. How can you say all these ridiculous things without knowing anything? I¡¯m going to chase you out!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re definitely cheating on my sister. Why is sheing to this inn and not any other inn? She¡¯s just looking for a reason to screw around with you¡­¡±


    [p!]


    The woman waspletely stunned by Zhao Chuchu¡¯s p.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like to make life difficult for women, but I also don¡¯t go easy on women who try to create trouble for me,¡± Zhao Chuchu said coldly. ¡°Apologize!¡±


    ¡°How dare you beat me?¡± the woman said in disbelief.


    Zhao Chuchuughed and didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°Bitch, I¡¯m going to kill you!¡±


    She charged forward like a maniac and tried to hit Zhao Chuchu back.


    Zhao Chuchu tiled her body slightly to dodge the woman. The woman lost her bnce and fell forward. She knocked into the corner of the table and yelled in pain.


    Zhao Chuchu looked down at her from above and said, ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to apologize?¡±


    ¡°You bitc¡­¡±


    ¡°If you dare insult me one more time, I¡¯ll throw you onto the streets and let the entire province see how stupid you look right now.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu cut her off mid-sentence.


    The woman was shocked, mad, and afraid at the same time. She swallowed the words that were already on the tip of her tongue.


    She raised her head and red at Zhao Chuchu as though she were trying to pierce holes in her face with her gaze.


    Zhao Chuchu was unfazed, and she looked the woman right in the eye.


    Atst, the woman lost the staring contest.


    But she still refused to apologize. Instead, she said, ¡°You know full well what you did. Other people may be unable to tell, but I can see it clearly. You are definitely trying to seduce my brother-inw. There are so many inns out there. So why are youing here?¡±


    ¡°Because I chose this inn. Why? Do you think I¡¯m trying to seduce your brother-inw as well? Do you think your brother-inw is so attractive that every woman who meets him would try to get with him?¡± Just then, Yuan Hui walked in from the door and replied to the woman.


    Everyone looked at her. When the owner of the inn saw that it was Yuan Hui, he knew that this wouldn¡¯t end well.


    His sister-inw was such a good-for-nothing troublemaker. He had no idea what he had done to provoke her. Yet, despite trying to hide from her constantly, she somehow managed to make trouble for him.


    ¡°Miss Yuan, wee to the inn. Please, take a seat,¡± said the owner of the inn obsequiously as he walked toward her.


    Yuan Hui gestured at the owner to stay away. She walked straight to the woman and said, ¡°I am Yuan Hui. Do I need your permission to choose an inn for my friend?¡±

 Chapter 254 - 254 Just Because Your Apologized Doesn’t Mean I Have To Forgive You

    254 Just Because Your Apologized Doesn¡¯t Mean I Have To Forgive You


    Although the woman didn¡¯t know Yuan hui personally, the moment she realized that she was the eldest daughter of the Yuan n, all she could do was tremble in fear.


    ¡°Absolutely not. I wouldn¡¯t dare.¡± The woman kneeled on the ground and kowtowed to Yuan Hui. She was truly afraid of angering this young girl in front of her. She wouldn¡¯t be able to continue living in Guangqing Province if she provoked Yuan Hui!


    Yuan Hui sneered and said, ¡°There¡¯s nothing that you wouldn¡¯t dare to do. I invited this doctor here. If you have something against her, that means you have something against me. Now you¡¯re saying that you don¡¯t dare? Isn¡¯t it a littlete? You said that she¡¯s staying in this inn because she wants to seduce your brother-inw. Who are you to say something like that?¡±


    ¡°I was just anxious and said very inappropriate things. I was just so worried that my brother-inw would do something wrong. I¡¯m really, really sorry for insulting thisdy here. Whatever I said was absolute nonsense. She definitely did not seduce my brother-inw.¡± The woman only dared to bully those who appeared powerless. She was absolutely adamant about not apologizing just now, yet the moment Yuan Hui appeared, she immediately gave in.


    Zhao Chuchu found it hrious.


    Regardless of the era and location, there were plenty of people like this who had entirely different characters based on who they were interacting with.


    Yuan Hui said, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be apologizing to me. Why are you saying those things to me?¡±


    The woman choked for a moment.


    Momentster, she looked at Zhao Chuchu shamefully and said, ¡°Miss, I¡¯m really sorry for saying all that nonsense. I couldn¡¯t control my mouth and said all kinds of ridiculous things. So please be merciful and forgive me.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯m not epting your apology,¡± Zhao Chuchu said impassively.


    ¡°But I already apologized!¡±


    ¡°Do you think people are obliged to forgive you as long as you apologize? If Miss Yuan didn¡¯t stand up for me today, I¡¯m afraid you would havepletely destroyed my reputation within a few days. So why should I ept your apology just because it took you a few seconds toe up with a dumb reason for what you did?¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your business if you want to apologize. It¡¯s my business whether I want to ept your apology. Just because you apologized doesn¡¯t mean I have to ept it!¡±


    ¡°Miss Yuan, you see her reaction. She¡¯s the one who¡¯s going overboard with this.¡±


    Yuan Hui smiled and said, ¡°My friend can be quite entric sometimes. So if she¡¯s not happy, that means she¡¯s not happy. So what if she doesn¡¯t ept your apology?¡±


    ¡°But I already said sorry to her. She can¡¯t do this to me!¡±


    ¡°If I kill you, then apologize and say that it was a mistake, will you forgive me?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked her.


    The woman didn¡¯t know how to refute her.


    Zhao Chuchu approached the woman and whispered softly beside her ear. ¡°That day, many people saw me save the father and his son. Yet, you have decided to ignore this obvious fact that is easy to prove in order to insist on your insults and usations.


    ¡°It¡¯s simply because your sister and your brother-inw didn¡¯t have children after years of marriage, and you want to rece your sister, am I right? That¡¯s why you regard your brother-inw as your man, your property. So whenever any women appear around him, you think they are trying to take your brother-inw away from you.


    ¡°To be honest, I¡¯ve seen sluts, but I¡¯ve never seen one as slutty as you. You¡¯re trying your absolute best to destroy your sister¡¯s marriage so you can get with your brother-inw. Are you praying every day that your sister will just die? Aren¡¯t you afraid of receiving divine retribution someday?¡±


    The woman¡¯s expression changedpletely when she heard that. She stared at Zhao Chuchu in fear and said, ¡°No, no, that¡¯s all lies!¡±


    A devilish smile appeared on Zhao Chuchu¡¯s face as she said, ¡°You know in your heart whether I¡¯m lying. If you continue to mess around with me, I¡¯ll tell everyone about the illness in your lower body. Let¡¯s see who¡¯s the one who won¡¯t be able to lie in Guangqing Province by then!¡±


    The woman moved several steps back.


    Although she didn¡¯t really try to hide her intentions, she wasn¡¯t ready for someone to put them out in the open like this. It was like someone had stripped off all her clothes in broad daylight. It made her feel so embarrassed and shameful that she wanted to dig a hole and bury herself.


    Zhao Chuchu smiled when she saw the woman¡¯s reaction. This person was absolutely no match for her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± the woman kept repeating under her breath. Then, while the crowd wasn¡¯t paying attention, she ran out of the inn as fast as she could. She didn¡¯t dare to stay even one extra second because she feared that Zhao Chuchu might reveal her secret. If Zhao Chuchu had done that, she wouldn¡¯t be able to continue staying in Guangqing Province.


    The owner of the inn felt very embarrassed. He said, ¡°Miss Yuan, doctor, I¡¯m really sorry. I don¡¯t know why she suddenly barged into my inn and said those stupid things. I¡¯ll tell my wife to discipline her immediately. I¡¯m really sorry for the inconvenience caused.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. It¡¯s none of my business anyway. Just be more careful next time. Bye then.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu waved her hand at the inn owner. She wasn¡¯t the kind of person who would be affected by incidents like this.


    Yuan Hui followed her out.


    ¡°Who was that woman? I heard her spewing all that bullshit the moment I arrived. What did you do to her?¡± Yuan Hui asked.


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°It¡¯s because of a man. She felt like someone wasying hands on her precious treasure.¡±


    ¡°The owner of the inn?¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡±


    ¡°Does she think that every woman is as shameless as her?¡±


    Yuan Hui found it ridiculous.


    The owner of the inn seemed to be almost 40 years old. He¡¯s been running this small inn for the longest time. He couldn¡¯t be considered extremely wealthy, though he was a little richer than most ordinary families.


    But would he be good enough for Zhao Chuchu?


    Could Zhao Chuchu be attracted to someone like that?


    That woman was way overestimating her taste in men.


    Although the owner of the inn was quite decent for most women, that was definitely not the case for Zhao Chuchu!


    She¡¯s an extremely talented and proficient doctor. So naturally, she would be treated as a VIP wherever she went. So why would she be attracted to an older man like the owner of the inn? Because she¡¯s waiting for him to pass away so she could inherit his ¡°wealth¡±?


    Yuan Hui couldn¡¯t help but think about how ridiculous the woman¡¯s thought process was, but she didn¡¯t say it to Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°Chuchu, I¡¯ve bought all the medicine you requested. When can you start treating my grandmother?¡± Yuan Hui changed the topic of the conversation. Her grandmother¡¯s illness was far more important than the owner of the inn.


    ¡°We¡¯ll go back now and start immediately,¡± Zhao Chuchu said. She paused, then asked, ¡°Does your mother know about this?¡±


    ¡°She has eyes everywhere. It¡¯s impossible to hide from her.¡±


    ¡°What about the others?¡±


    ¡°They may not know yet.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s okay. Let¡¯s go back first.¡±


    Madam Huo must have helped her secretly get all the herbs on the list.


    Otherwise, Yuan Hui probably couldn¡¯t have done it so quickly with her current influence in the Yuan n.


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t tell Yuan Hui about this spection.


    ...


    The best scenario right now is for Yuan Hui and her ¡°mother¡± to be opposed to each other.


    Otherwise, the only ending waiting for Yuan Hui is death.


    After all, people always like to pick on the weak.


    The two of them returned to the Yuan n.


    Zhao Chuchu met Madam Huo again.


    She could have sworn that Madam Huo definitely knew who she was.


    Yuan Hui tried her best to hide it from Madam Huo, but Zhao Chuchu was a famous ¡°miracle doctor.¡± There was no way that Yuan Hui could hide Zhao Chuchu¡¯s identity from others when she brought Zhao Chuchu back in broad daylight like this.


    ¡°Greetings, Mrs. Yuan.¡± Zhao Chuchu nodded at her as a gesture of respect.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so polite,¡± Madam Huo said. ¡°I hope you find this housefortable. Sorry that I couldn¡¯t give you a proper wee previously. I was very busy with work.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. There¡¯s no need for that. I already feel very sorry for staying in the house and disturbing the family. Thank you very much for allowing me to stay here.¡±


    ¡°You are Yuan Hui¡¯s friend, which means you¡¯re our friend too. There¡¯s no need to be so polite with friends. I see you¡¯re carrying a medicine box. Are you a doctor?¡±


    ...


    ¡°I learned a bit of medical knowledge when I was young, but I¡¯m not an expert. I can probably cure a cough or amon cold, but I can¡¯t treat anything more serious than that.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu appeared very humble.


    Yuan Hui was speechless.

 Chapter 255 - 255 You Think I’m Dead?

    255 You Think I¡¯m Dead?


    Yuan Hui didn¡¯t understand why Zhao Chuchu disyed goodwill toward Madam Huo.


    She knew that Zhao Chuchu was a reasonable and rational person.


    She wanted to hurry Zhao Chuchu and tell her to go, but Zhao Chuchu seemed like she didn¡¯t hear Yuan Hui at all. She continued to stand there and converse with Mrs. Yuan.


    This was the first time that Yuan Hui had seen her mother speak so much. Regardless of what Zhao Chuchu said, Madam Huo could continue the conversation with her.


    ¡°If you need anything, just let me know. You can do whatever you want in this house. Just treat it as your own home. There¡¯s no need to restrain yourself.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Yuan.¡±


    Yuan Hui kept tugging Zhao Chuchu from the side and tried to bring her away. She didn¡¯t want Zhao Chuchu to interact with Madam Huo too much.


    But Zhao Chuchu behaved as though she couldn¡¯t feel or see Yuan Hui at all. She continued to converse with Madam Huo.


    Yuan Hui frowned. She couldn¡¯t understand what Zhao Chuchu was doing at all.


    The two spoke to each other about various topics for a long time before finally ending the conversation.


    ¡°Please go ahead. I still have some business to attend to, pardon me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, please. I didn¡¯t mean to hold you back.¡±


    Madam Huo nodded slightly and walked away with her servants.


    Yuan Hui watched her mother leave, then looked at Zhao Chuchu, feeling rather confused.


    Zhao Chuchu exined, ¡°I thought I should at least get a feel for your mother¡¯s attitude, just in case something goes wrong in the middle.¡±


    ¡°What attitude can she have? She¡¯s definitely thinking of some cunning scheme.¡±


    ¡°As long as she doesn¡¯t jeopardize what we¡¯re trying to do. Under the current circumstances, Yuan Hui, you shouldn¡¯t pay too much attention to her in case she realizes something.¡±


    While Zhao Chuchu was consoling Yuan Hui, she sighed inside.


    Although Yuan Hui had matured a little, she was still no match for Madam Huo.


    Madam Huo made no mistakes and had no loopholes when she spoke. Although Yuan Hui had listened to the entire conversation just now, she didn¡¯t realize that Madam Huo¡¯s words had other meanings.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll listen to you for this. Let¡¯s go. We¡¯ll head there first.¡± Yuan Hui didn¡¯t want to continue the conversation. Instead, she held Zhao Chuchu¡¯s hand and walked forward.


    They weren¡¯t heading to Old Mrs. Yuan¡¯s house. They were going to Yuan Hui¡¯s ce.


    Yuan Hui¡¯s little storeroom was stuffed full of herbs. Zhao Chuchu picked out the ones that she needed and measured the appropriate quantities, then told Yuan Hui to cook the herbs personally.


    ¡°Do not let the medicine leave your line of sight, and don¡¯t let anyone go near it either. If anyone asks about it, tell them that you¡¯re making some supplements for yourself,¡± Zhao Chuchu reminded her.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°We should use this opportunity to bait some rats, right?¡±


    The Yuan family¡¯s mansion was huge. So naturally, Yuan Hui and her siblings weren¡¯t the only ones staying here. There were people from the side branches of the n and outsiders as well.


    Zhao Chuchu roughly memorized the people staying in the Yuan n¡¯s mansion.


    She wanted to see which of these people were from the Imperial City.


    They could use this opportunity to take them out.


    Yuan Hui understood what Zhao Chuchu meant.


    She quickly got someone to prepare the herbal pot and stove for her, then set it up in the courtyard and started cooking the medicine.


    Someone smelled the medicine and went over, following the smell. When he saw Yuan Hui squatting in the courtyard and cooking the herbs, he was rather surprised.


    ¡°Cousin Hui, how can you do this stuff yourself?¡± The first person who came was a man dressed like a schr. When he saw Yuan Hui cooking the herbs, he immediately dashed over and tried to pull Yuan Hui away. He said, ¡°You¡¯ve never done this stuff before. What if you burn yourself? Where are the servants?¡±


    Yuan Hui felt her veins pop a little. She pulled her hand back and shunned the man¡¯s touch. ¡°I had nothing to do just now. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything wrong with learning how to cook herbs. Besides, I¡¯m not a three-year-old kid anymore. So how can I get burned from just cooking medicine?¡±


    The man said, ¡°But still, you shouldn¡¯t be doing something like this. As the eldest daughter of the Yuan n, you can¡¯t do something that defames your status. Somebody, somebody,e¡­¡±


    ¡°Cousin Xu, this is my courtyard. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not appropriate for a son of an external family like yourself toe here uninvited. You always seemed to regard yourself as an upright gentleman. So why are you going against the rules now?¡±


    ¡°I was worried about you, Cousin Hui. I got a little anxious and forgot about this. Please don¡¯t be upset with me. Forgive me.¡±


    The man bowed toward Yuan Hui.


    Zhao Chuchu sat by the window and watched the courtyard.


    She remembered that this schr with the surname Xu was the son of Yuan Hui¡¯s birth mother¡¯s sister.


    He came to the city five years ago to join the Yuan family. After that, he stayed with the Yuan family and studied at the academy.


    Based on what Yuan Hui said, Schr Xu was supposed to be a gentleman. He had always been respectful and humble toward others and never behaved inappropriately.


    But now, that didn¡¯t look like the case.


    Factually speaking, this person seemed rather impatient, and he wasn¡¯t very good at acting either.


    The first thing that he did when he appeared was to tell Yuan Hui not to defame her status instead of showing his concern for her.


    His subconscious reaction to Yuan Hui¡¯s actions revealed his most genuine thoughts.


    He treated Yuan Hui well simply because he wanted to marry Yuan Hui and inherit all of the Yuan family¡¯s property.


    Besides, based on his looks, this man was obviously cold-blooded and didn¡¯t care about other people. He could probably betray anyone in a heartbeat.


    Fortunately, Yuan Hui didn¡¯t have any feelings toward him. Instead, she simply treated him as a cousin who cared about her. Otherwise, she would have been on the losing end of the rtionship.


    Right now, the man whom Yuan Hui perceived as a gentleman even tried to make physical contact with her upon seeing that there was no one else around.


    ¡°Cousin Hui, let me see if you burned yourself. You should leave things like cooking medicine to the servants. Your skin is so fine and smooth. You can¡¯t endure things like this¡­¡±


    ¡°Please behave yourself.¡±


    Yuan Hui was shocked by Schr Xu¡¯s action. She frantically took a step back and refused to let him touch her.


    ...


    ¡°This is the inner courtyard. Please leave here first. I don¡¯t want people to spread rumors that will tarnish my reputation as well as yours.¡±


    Yuan Hui warned Schr Xu sternly.


    Schr Xu behaved like he didn¡¯t hear her at all. He said, ¡°Cousin Hui, I was just concerned for you. If you get burned, I¡¯ll feel very upset. So, please, just let me take a look. That way, I¡¯ll feel at ease.¡±


    He continued to walk toward Yuan Hui as he spoke. A light of confidence and certainty gleamed in his eyes.


    Thest time Yuan Hui left Guangqing Province, he almost died. He was on his toes the entire time.


    If Yuan Hui died, how else would he obtain the Yuan n¡¯s property?


    This was a one-in-a-million chance right now. As long as he could make things happen today, there was no way the Yuan n wouldn¡¯t let Yuan Hui marry him!


    Schr Xu thought about the fortune that he would be able to get if he seeded today.


    ¡°Please behave yourself!¡± Yuan Hui¡¯s tone turned cold as she spoke. ¡°Are you forcing me to call people?¡±


    ¡°Cousin Hui, do you know how much I think about you every day? I think about you when I¡¯m studying, and I think about you when I¡¯m looking at flowers. I even think about you in my sleep¡­ You¡¯re always on my mind, anywhere, at any time. Cousin Hui, I like you very much. Would you marry me? I promise I¡¯ll be good to you!¡±


    Schr Xu pounced over and tried to force Yuan Hui to conform to his will.


    ...


    Yuan Hui was infuriated. She didn¡¯t think that the cousin she had previously respected was a predator!


    ¡°What are you trying to do? Don¡¯te near me. Otherwise, I¡¯ll shout for help!¡±


    ¡°Shout for help? We¡¯re in the room alone right now. Do you think shouting for help is going to do anything? The only thing that¡¯s going to do is taint your reputation. Cousin Hui, if you are with me, I¡¯ll treat you better than anyone else in the world. If you miss me, you¡¯ll never meet a man better than me.¡±


    Schr Xu stepped forward hurriedly and tried to hug Yuan Hui.


    Zhao Chuchu knocked on the window calmly and asked, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m dead?¡±

 Chapter 256 - 256 Why Don’t I Do You a Favor?

    256 Why Don¡¯t I Do You a Favor?


    Schr Xu was taken aback and slowly turned his head to look at what had happened.


    Zhao Chuchu stered on a smile. ¡°I see you are well dressed. You are a schr yourself, a man of letters. But how can you be so nasty as to do such things? You said you would be good to Hui, but you were making her do something she didn¡¯t want to do. Is that what you were taught as a schr? I have never heard of such outrageous things. ¡±


    After Zhao Chuchu took so long to say this, Schr Xu finally returned to his senses. Heughed coldly and said, ¡°Huihui, you can¡¯t just befriend anyone in the street and bring them home. That¡¯ll give us trouble in the future. We are a big family. There are countless pairs of eyes watching our money.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, will you? This is my friend. Who are you to tell me what to do here? I call you a cousin because I respect you. What do you think you are in the Yuan n?¡± Yuan Hui flew into a rage. ¡°Based on what you did just now, I have every reason to kick you out of the Yuan n!¡±


    ¡°Huihui, what do you mean? I am only doing this for your own good!¡± Schr Xu said sharply, ¡°You are still young, so you can¡¯t tell right from wrong. It¡¯s reasonable you will make mistakes at times. I suppose you know how many people are out there coveting our wealth.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you one of them?¡± Zhao Chuchuughed sarcastically. ¡°That was quite a show. God knows what you¡¯d do to make a scene here if I was not here.¡±


    ¡°For your own good, so I¡¯ll ruin your reputation and force you to marry me? Well, that¡¯s impressive.¡±


    While saying this, Zhao Chuchu pped her hands.


    Then she leaped out of the window, walked over to Yuan Hui, and faced Schr Xu head-on.


    Her imposing presence made her look much taller despite being a head shorter than him.


    Schr Xu didn¡¯t like this feeling and subconsciously took a half step back.


    He looked at Yuan Hui. ¡°Huihui, you¡¯d better get rid of the association as soon as possible just in case you should regret it in the future.¡±


    ¡°Regret? What do you mean? I¡¯m only seeing a horny man wanting to sleep with the nobledy of the Yuan n. That would be something she¡¯d regret in the days toe.¡±


    ¡°You, you¡¯re talking nonsense!¡± Schr Xu¡¯s face was red to the neck from shame. ¡°As your cousin, I feel it only right for me to teach this bi*ch¡­¡±


    Before Schr Xu could finish his words, he was kicked by Zhao Chuchu and flew out, hitting the wall and falling again.


    The pain seemed to have muted Schr Xu.


    Zhao Chuchu pushed Yuan Hui inside the house and whispered, ¡°He¡¯s a shameless bast*rd. I¡¯ll teach him a lesson. Just go inside first.¡±


    Yuan Hui looked at Schr Xu on the floor, who grimaced, remembered the disgusting behavior of Schr Xu just now, and went in without hesitation.


    Zhao Chuchu stepped forward and looked down at Schr Xu from above. ¡°You want to make a move on me? You wuss. You are no match for me even if I don¡¯t use my hands.¡±


    After a pause, her gaze fell on Schr Xu¡¯s private parts. ¡°It¡¯s just a worthless thing. You really think it¡¯s gold, huh? Only those hookers would put up with you for the sake of money. What makes you think you cane and harass Yuan Hui?¡±


    Schr Xu was terrified and curled up backward in pain.


    ¡°Don¡¯te over¡­¡±


    Zhao Chuchu smiled an evil grin. ¡°Anyway, it can¡¯t be cured, so why don¡¯t I just do you a favor?¡±


    ¡°What do you want?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu looked at him without saying anything and raised her foot to aim at Schr Xu¡¯s crotch.


    Before it evennded, she smelled a strange smell. Schr Xu¡¯s eyes rolled up, and he passed out directly.


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    It didn¡¯t ur to her that he was so weak. Now her n had to be called off. She had to let Yuan Huie out.


    ¡°This man does not have a good heart. His staying in the Yuan n will only bring you trouble. He must have gotten ess to the inside by cheating. Huihui, it¡¯s time you cleared up things around you,¡± Zhao Chuchu said seriously.


    Yuan Hui looked serious. ¡°I didn¡¯t see thating too. After my grandma fell ill, they all took me for granted. Chuchu, you must help me with this. Help me find out the man that let him in.¡±


    ¡°This is easy. I¡¯ll show you how to do itter. Schr Xu¡¯s patron will definitely bring people over to arrest you when the timees. By then, there¡¯s no denying what you have done.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s indeed outrageous!¡±


    ¡°I know, right?¡±


    ¡°It must be my stepmother. The men my grandmother found for me were all rejected by her. She just wanted me to marry such a useless man so that no one wouldpete with her son.¡±


    Yuan Hui was indignant.


    ¡°It¡¯s easy to find out the truth. Just pass this message to that woman.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be what she wants?¡±


    ¡°How do you know if you don¡¯t try?¡±


    Yuan Hui fell silent.


    Just as a maid returned, she asked the maid to bring Madam Huo the news that Schr Xu had broken into the backyard.


    The maid was so frightened that she was about to kneel and admit her mistake, but she was so frightened by Yuan Hui¡¯s cold eyes that she didn¡¯t dare to move.


    ¡°What? Do I have to go there personally, even for this kind of thing? I can¡¯t even make you guys do anything?¡± Yuan Hui was already angry, and when she saw that the maid was disobedient, she became furious.


    ¡°Absolutely no, I¡¯ll go now.¡±


    The maid shivered and hurriedly turned around and left.


    ¡°Remember, don¡¯t let a second person know except mother, or I¡¯ll sell you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Miss.¡±


    The maid immediately ran to Madam Huo¡¯s courtyard.


    She entered the door and knelt, asking Madam Huo to dismiss the others in the house.


    Madam Huo was puzzled, but when she saw the maid¡¯s pale face, she waved her hand and told them to leave.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Madam, Mr. Xu broke into Miss Yuan¡¯s courtyard and wanted to¡­¡±


    ¡°What did you just say?¡±


    Madam Huo was furious and got up abruptly.


    The maid fell to the ground and put her forehead against it. ¡°It is my fault. Please forgive me.¡±


    ...


    Madam Huo lifted her feet and hurriedly walked out, taking her right-hand man with her, and hurriedly went to Yuan Hui¡¯s courtyard.


    Madam Huo did not say anything during this journey, but her aura made people retreat.


    She soon arrived at Yuan Hui¡¯s courtyard.


    When Yuan Hui saw this, she did not expect Madam Huo toe so quickly, and only her trusted maid and a female housekeeper were with her.


    ¡°Huihui, what¡¯s going on?¡± Madam Huo asked as soon as she entered, her eyes falling on Schr Xu, who had fainted on the ground.


    ¡°Mother doesn¡¯t know? I thought Chuntao had told mother about this?¡± Yuan Hui sneered.


    Madam Huo frowned at her words, knowing that Yuan Hui had thought she was behind this.


    But Madam Huo did not exin.


    ¡°The doorkeeper should truly be med. How can he let a man enter the inner courtyard? If the word gets out. I¡¯m sure your reputation will be ruined.¡± Madam Huo said, ¡°Someone, go and find out who is on duty today!¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± The maid retreated.


    Yuan Hui said, ¡°Mother came in such a high profile. I am afraid that people have already been informed, which gives them enough time to make a n. Even if we catch the man who did it, it won¡¯t be the man who¡¯s really guilty.¡±


    ...

 Chapter 257 - 257 Over My Dead Body

    257 Over My Dead Body


    Madam Huo said indifferently, ¡°We can definitely find the mastermind within the range of the Yuan n. Rest assured, Huihui. I¡¯ll make sure the criminal gets the punishment he deserves.¡±


    ¡°I hope mother can take care of this.¡± Yuan Hui said, ¡°Mother will not let me down, right?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    Madam Huo walked up to Schr Xu, squatted in front of him, stretched out her hands to cup his face, and abruptly twisted it hard.


    Zhao Chuchu raised her eyebrows slightly.


    He saw Schr Xu¡¯s head tilted to the side in a strange position and lost his breath on the spot.


    Madam Huo calmly got up and looked at Yuan Hui. ¡°Are you satisfied now, Huihui?¡±


    Yuan Hui was so shocked by this scene that her face went pale.


    She didn¡¯t expect Madam Huo to kill Schr Xu in front of her directly!


    Moreover, it was as if she was not the one who killed Schr Xu.


    Madam Huo said, ¡°He was drunk and broke into the inner courtyard, identally fell and hit the rockery, and when we found out, he was already gone.¡±


    ¡°You killed him just like that?¡± Yuan Hui looked at Schr Xu, dead on the ground.


    ¡°Well, we must prevent this kind of thing from happening again. After all, you¡¯re the only youngdy in our family. As your mother, I can¡¯t afford to have your name ruined,¡± Madam Huo said word by word as she came up to Yuan Hui.


    After that, she reached out to straighten Yuan Hui¡¯s hair which had fallen. ¡°Huihui, the Yuan n still depends on you. You must protect yourself and free yourself from the need to feel guilty or sorry for the death of an insignificant person. That¡¯s not worth it.¡±


    Madam Huo appeared to Yuan Hui the most horrible at this moment.


    She just killed a man without hesitation.


    ¡°Li, clean this up.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid the Xu n will take revenge on you?¡±


    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t have the heart to.¡±


    Madam Huo knew better than anyone what the Xu n was like.


    They had to rely on the Yuan n, and even if they killed Schr Xu in front of them, they wouldn¡¯t dare to say a word.


    In fact, she knew an essential secret of the Xu n.


    A schr meant nothingpared to the secret.


    He was not a man to mourn over anyways.


    Madam Huo was not worried at all that the Xu n would give her trouble.


    ¡°That¡¯s really impressive.¡± Yuan Hui snickered.


    ¡°You must have suffered today. I¡¯ll let someone send hot water overter. Why don¡¯t you take a hot bath to ease your mind?¡± Madam Huo said. She looked at Zhao Chuchu, ¡°Thank you for today as well.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee, madam.¡± Zhao Chuchu smiled.


    Madam Huo nodded slightly and did not stay in Yuan Hui¡¯s house but turned around and left.


    When she walked away, Yuan Hui couldn¡¯t help but take a deep breath to calm her mind.


    She was not as calm as she appeared to be.


    ¡°How could she kill a man just like that?¡± Yuan Hui said tremblingly, ¡°Maybe it helps to exin my father¡¯s death.¡±


    ¡°Schr Xu¡¯s existence is never good for you. Things like this could happen again. I kind of like your mother¡¯s way of dealing with this. It will save you a whole lot of trouble down the road.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s making sure this would not happen again! Chuchu, I can¡¯t stand it for another moment. I hope my grandmother will wake up sooner to be less influential in the family.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu sighed.


    There were some things she could not exin to Madam Huo.


    Just now, Madam Huo was furious, but she hid it very well and did not let Yuan Hui notice.


    ¡°Anyway, this is a solution to your problem. You also said that the most important thing right now is to cure your grandmother. Everything else should be put aside.¡±


    ¡°Well, then I¡¯ll go and prepare the medicine first.¡±


    ¡°Take a new one.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu poured out the previous one, filled it up, dosed it for Yuan Hui, and told her to go and decoct it.


    When Yuan Hui was decocting medicine, Madam Huo dealt with the people guarding the inner and outer courtyard doors and sold and killed several people.


    The atmosphere in the Yuan n became tense. Everyone¡¯s life could be at stake.


    After Yuan Hui knew about it, she calmed down.


    Although Madam Huo was ruthless, she was indeed a qualified leader of the Yuan n, whether she was putting on a show or not.


    Otherwise, there was no telling how chaotic the Yuan n would be.


    Zhao Chuchu saw that Yuan Hui had no intention of settling ounts with Madam Huo, so she pretended she didn¡¯t know anything.


    Yuan Hui finished decocting the medicine and brought it to her grandmother¡¯s home with Zhao Chuchu.


    Unexpectedly, they were stopped outside the olddy¡¯s yard by a servant of hers.


    Her name was Hua Ying, and she was the maid caring for the olddy.


    ¡°Miss, the doctor said that the olddy needs to recuperate during this period and cannot be disturbed, so please go back today ande back another day.¡± Hua Ying stopped the two people from going.


    ¡°Sister Hua Ying, I am just here to see my grandmother. I am not going to disturb her.¡± Even though Hua Ying was only a maid, Yuan Hui still respected her and called her sister.


    However, Hua Ying did not waver. ¡°Please don¡¯t make things difficult for me.¡±


    ...


    ¡°Sister Hua Ying, I am my grandmother¡¯s first granddaughter!¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. You can¡¯t go in unless you step over my dead body.¡±


    Hua Ying¡¯s attitude was determined, without her usual friendliness and kindness.


    ¡°Miss, please go back.¡±


    ¡°Hua Ying, do you know who I am?¡±


    Yuan Hui was also exasperated.


    ¡°You are the olddy¡¯s granddaughter, but my job is to serve the olddy. Everything shoulde second to the health of the olddy. Please don¡¯t make things difficult for me.¡± Hua Ying bowed and seemed determined to stop Yuan Hui outside the door.


    Zhao Chuchu kept watching their interaction.


    Yuan Hui did not notice, but Zhao Chuchu could see that Hua Ying had hatred for Yuan Hui.


    When she looked at Yuan Hui, resentment shed in her eyes from time to time.


    She thought Hua Ying might also be a woman who was taken in by that Schr Xu.


    ...


    Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t exin her abrupt change in her attitude toward Yuan Hui.


    ¡°Hua Ying, you should know your ce. You are just a maid serving my grandmother, while I am the eldest daughter of the Yuan n, the master of the Yuan n. What makes you think you can stop me from entering?¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t make things difficult for me, Miss.¡±


    Hua Ying still refused to let them in.


    Moreover, when the other maids and mammies in the olddy¡¯s courtyard saw this, they all came forward and stood behind Hua Ying as if they were going to give Hua Ying support.


    Yuan Hui was so angry that her face turned blue.


    What they did indeed got on Yuan Hui¡¯s nerves.


    ¡°Hua Ying, I repeat, get out of the way!¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t make things difficult for me, Miss!¡±


    Hua Ying still said the same thing.


    Yuan Huiughed in anger. ¡°Good, very good!¡±


    ¡°Miss, please go back,¡± Hua Ying said coldly.


    Yuan Hui stared at Hua Ying. ¡°Do you think you are the master of this courtyard because you are the first-ss maid of grandmother¡¯s courtyard?¡±


    Hua Ying did not say anything.


    When she thought that her lover had died because of Yuan Hui, she wanted to kill Yuan Hui.


    She used to serve the olddy wholeheartedly, but in the end, she didn¡¯t even get to marry the man she liked.


    She would not let Yuan Hui off the hook now that her man had died.


    She thought it must be Yuan Hui who seduced Schr Xu first, or he wouldn¡¯t have died.


    She hated Yuan Hui.


    Yuan Hui was shocked by the resentment in Hua Ying¡¯s eyes.


    But Yuan Hui was not stupid. When she thought about what Zhao Chuchu said when Schr Xu ran into her yard, she could probably know why Hua Ying would be like this.

 Chapter 258 - 258 Hate Her to Death

    258 Hate Her to Death


    Yuan Hui was shocked by this.


    Considering even the eldest maid serving her grandmother was easily deceived by Schr Xu, she thought there must be many more victims.


    The entire Yuan n suddenly looked like a joke!


    ¡°Someone, take this impertinent woman away and send her to mother!¡± Yuan Hui figured out the key to the problem and ordered in a deep voice.


    Hua Ying shuddered at the words.


    ¡°Whoever wants to help Hua Ying shall be considered an aplice and sent to mother as well!¡±


    The people who originally wanted to protect Hua Ying all backed up.


    No one wanted to lose their job because of Hua Ying.


    The Yuan n had been generous to its servants. They couldn¡¯t afford to lose their job.


    Hua Ying¡¯s face changed slightly, and she said in a serious voice. ¡°If something happens to the olddy, can you afford the consequences? Stop her!¡±


    Yuan Hui could not help butugh. ¡°You¡¯re so not in the position to mind my grandmother¡¯s business. What are you still waiting for? Do you want to be sold?¡±


    The servants behind her rushed up to her.


    Hua Ying hurriedly backed up and said angrily, ¡°You¡¯re not afraid that the olddy will punish you?¡±


    ¡°You are just a servant. How dare youpare me with you? Don¡¯t think too highly of yourself.¡± Yuan Hui snorted. ¡°I must have treated you so well in the past that you havepletely forgotten your ce in the family. That must have blinded you to the truth. You think you¡¯re important?¡±


    Hua Ying was pressed to the ground, feeling annoyed.


    From the time she served the olddy, even Mrs. Yuan had treated her well. She had never been humiliated like this.


    Hua Ying stared at Yuan Hui with resentment. ¡°I have done my best for the Yuan n and never failed to do my duty, but if you treat me like this, aren¡¯t you afraid of hurting others¡¯ feelings?¡±


    ¡°Remember, you are nothing but a maid. You are just a servant in front of me! How can you talk to me like that?¡± Yuan Hui said coldly, ¡°Someone, p her mouth!¡±


    Hua Ying said incredulously, ¡°How dare you?¡±


    ¡°So you are daring me to do that? I suppose you know I¡¯m the family¡¯s eldest daughter,¡± Yuan Hui asked.


    A mammy immediately violently pped her across the face.


    Hua Ying¡¯s face was instantly marked with fingerprints, but the pain was not as bad as the humiliation that made her angry.


    She hated Yuan Hui and wanted to cut her into pieces.


    Zhao Chuchu saw the resentment in her eyes and knew that if this woman didn¡¯t die, she would bring more trouble to the Yuan n sooner orter.


    After all, she was the one who served the olddy Yuan closely and knew more secrets rted to the Yuan n than others.


    Moreover, Hua Ying¡¯s mentality was already different now. She wanted to be more than just a two-bit servant of the family.


    Her clothes were not much different from those of a noble family.


    The Yuan n was so wealthy that even its servants were arrogant and dreaming of something that did not quite belong to them. Ultimately, they would betray the family for more significant gains.


    Yuan Hui coldly watched as Hua Ying was covered in bruises from the beating. She looked no longer arrogant now.


    ¡°Hua Ying, you must remember you¡¯re a servant of this family, and all your behaviors should be warranted.¡± Yuan Hui said expressionlessly, ¡°No matter how long you have served the olddy, you can¡¯t outweigh me and be the master of this family!¡±


    Hua Ying was nominally a maid, but she only served the olddy and did some easy work. The hard work was all done by other maids. Therefore, she had never gone through such humiliation.


    Now her pretty face was so swollen and twisted that her original look could not be recognized, which was scary.


    ¡°Miss, that¡¯s so cruel of you. If I had onest breath in me, I would never let you off the hook!¡± Even now, Hua Ying still did not admit her mistake.


    Zhao Chuchu bumped into Yuan Hui and quietly referred to jewelry.


    Yuan Hui immediately got the message.


    ¡°Someone, go and count the items in grandmother¡¯s house!¡±


    Previously, no matter what she did, Hua Ying did not have a noticeable reaction.


    Now Yuan Hui¡¯s words caused a look of fear in her eyes.


    Zhao Chuchu smiled faintly.


    ¡°How could a restless subordinate not seek personal gain for herself?¡± she thought.


    Now that the olddy could not keep her clear mind, she might die at any moment, as described by the doctor.


    That was why Hua Ying became increasingly arrogant, thought of herself as the second master of the courtyard, and believed she was to take charge there.


    As long as the olddy was dead, she thought there would be no proof of her theft.


    But Yuan Hui¡¯s arrival now came too suddenly. She was unprepared.


    ¡°Why would you insult me like this?¡± Hua Ying growled. ¡°I served the olddy with all my heart, and this is how you treat me? I¡¯m afraid nobody will be so loyal to the Yuan n in the future.¡±


    Yuan Hui said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to sow discord here. Yuan n has never treated those who are loyal ill. But we will also show no mercy to those who are not. If you are not guilty, why do you look so anxious?¡±


    ¡°Or are you nervous because you have done something wrong? That¡¯s why you acted so crazy. Besides, it is your duty to take care of the olddy. I¡¯m sure the Yuan n has paid you what you deserve. How does that make you our benefactor? Who do you think you are?¡±


    Hua Ying was so angry that her body trembled.


    She took advantage of the fact that everyone¡¯s attention was in the room to suddenly break free from the people holding her and mmed into the pir. ¡°I would rather die than take this humiliation!¡±


    The crowd eximed.


    When she barely touched the pir, a figure appeared out of nowhere, grabbed Hua Ying¡¯s cor, and pulled her back, stopping her from crashing into the pir and killing herself.


    Hua Ying fell to the ground.


    Zhao Chuchu looked down at her from above. ¡°You think you can kill yourself just like that when I¡¯m here? If you are not guilty, you could wait till Miss Yuan finishes counting the items in there and seek justice for you. You don¡¯t have to create panic like that.¡±


    ¡°Of course, if you really die, the entire Yuan n will certainly be overwhelmed with panic. Hua Ying, are you doing it for the olddy or the child in your belly?¡±


    ...


    Hearing these words, Hua Ying¡¯s eyes widened in fear.


    ¡°What are you talking about? You are on her side! You¡¯re deliberately staining my reputation!¡±


    ¡°You know the truth in your heart, but of course, I don¡¯t really understand how an unmarried maid could conceive a child.¡± Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°Miss, we better let Madam Huo take care of this. You¡¯re still ady, after all.¡±


    Yuan Hui was surprised, ¡°Are you telling the truth?¡±


    ¡°Certainly.¡±


    ¡°You are talking nonsense. You said I am pregnant without taking my pulse. You¡¯re not Doctor Miracle.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether I am or not. What matters is that I can see that you are pregnant. That¡¯s enough.¡±


    ¡°You, you¡¯ve gone too far with it. There¡¯s no way I will let you off the hook.¡±


    ¡°People like you should go to hell after death. You don¡¯t have the chance to be a ghost to seek revenge on us.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu retorted indifferently.


    Hua Ying was so furious that she spat out a mouthful of blood and fainted immediately.


    ...


    The courtyard almost went into chaos again.


    ¡°If you make any more noise, I swear I will make you end up like Hua Ying.¡± Yuan Hui sternly shouted, ¡°Someone, ask Madam Huo toe over!¡±

 Chapter 259 - 259 Kill Her

    259 Kill Her


    After Yuan Hui finished speaking, she handed the medicine to Zhao Chuchu and told her to go in and feed the treatment to her grandmother.


    Zhao Chuchu then went inside and found the olddy had woken up already.


    There was a lot of noise outside, but she looked very peaceful.


    ¡°Madam, I am Huihui¡¯s friend. My name is Chuchu.¡± Zhao Chuchu came to her bedside and introduced herself in a low voice. ¡°Huihui wanted me toe to treat you.¡±


    !!


    Old Mrs. Yuan shook her head gently. ¡°It¡¯s useless now.¡±


    ¡°Believe me. I can cure you.¡± Zhao Chuchu said in a soft voice, ¡°I know you are not sick but poisoned. You didn¡¯t say anything because you feared those people would poison Huihui and her brother.¡±


    Old Mrs. Yuan¡¯s look changed slightly.


    ¡°I am a doctor. Just take the medicine first, madam. I will talk to you about this in detailter. Huihui has grown up. She is taking care of the family for you.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu put the medicine aside and helped the olddy to sit against the pillow before feeding her the medication one mouthful at a time.


    ¡°This is the antidote. Drink it for about half a month, and you will get better bit by bit.¡±


    ¡°Your name is Chuchu?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a pity that you are already married. Otherwise, I¡¯ll be d to make you my granddaughter-inw.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was a little speechless.


    ¡°If Xie Heng finds out about this, he will hold a grudge against your family!¡± she thought.


    ¡°Huihui was almost killed before. It¡¯s you that saved her, right?¡±


    ¡°How do you know that?¡±


    ¡°Actually, I know everything. I just can¡¯t open my eyes, but I can hear everything people say around me. Good kid, you shouldn¡¯t get yourself involved in this. It¡¯s too dangerous.¡±


    ¡°From when I saved Huihui, I couldn¡¯t stay out of it already. It¡¯s useless to say anything now. Probably this is all God¡¯s n.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, kid.¡±


    ¡°I think you should stop talking now, madam. Just save some strength. You will be in pain after taking medicine. Whether it¡¯s for the Yuan n or Huihui and her brother, you must take care of yourself.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Old Mrs. Yuan didn¡¯t say anything more, and after drinking the medicine, shey down again.


    When the antidote took effect, it would really hurt so much that even a person like Old Mrs. Yuan couldn¡¯t deal with it.


    Zhao Chuchu was afraid that Old Mrs. Yuan wouldn¡¯t be able to stick it through, so she could only perform acupuncture on her to seal her five senses and ease her pain.


    Probably because she was in too much pain just now, and now that she was unconscious, Old Mrs. Yuan was quite refreshed. ¡°Chuchu, what did you do to make me feel painless?¡±


    ¡°I temporarily sealed your five senses. You can¡¯t do anything now.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. You¡¯re Huihui¡¯s friend. I can trust you.¡±


    Old Mrs. Yuan had seen everything, so she sure could see that Zhao Chuchu meant no harm to her.


    Especially during the period of unconsciousness, Old Mrs. Yuan saw more things from a different perspective.


    She now had a good idea of who she could trust and who she could not.


    ¡°Huihui said the same thing and trusted me with everything.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s my granddaughter, Chuchu. Why don¡¯t you tell Huihui that Hua Ying is useless now? Kill her.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu froze for a moment.


    Old Mrs. Yuan, however, closed her eyes and said a series of names.


    Although she had never seen anyone she named, she knew just by hearing the names that they were invaluable.


    Hua Ying was simply too greedy.


    Zhao Chuchu got the message


    ¡°Take care. I will see you again tomorrow.¡±


    The olddy answered and did not open her eyes.


    Zhao Chuchu turned around and walked out.


    Madam Huo had alreadye over, and a doctor retook Hua Ying¡¯s pulse.


    Madam Huo saw Zhao Chuchu and nodded slightly.


    Zhao Chuchu bowed slightly.


    Yuan Hui saw this and could not help but frown again.


    Zhao Chuchu came to Yuan Hui and whispered what the olddy had said to Yuan Hui.


    Yuan Hui was shocked. ¡°She took so many things?¡±


    Hearing this, Madam Huo took a sidelong nce at them.


    Although Yuan Hui did not like Madam Huo, Madam Huo was now in charge of the Yuan n. She was the one to deal with everything in the backyard.


    Yuan Hui held back her disgust and repeated those words.


    Madam Huo¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Wake up this bitch and interrogate her properly!¡±


    The people around Madam Huo were not nice. They poured a pot of cold water on her face before Hua Ying immediately woke up.


    Seeing so many people around her, Hua Ying finally got scared.


    ¡°Madam, you have to do something for me.¡± Hua Ying crawled over on her knees.


    ...


    The doctor got up. ¡°Madam, she is already three months pregnant.¡±


    Madam Huoughed coldly. ¡°Good, very good!¡±


    Hua Ying¡¯s body was cold, and she couldn¡¯t stop shivering.


    ¡°Tell me. Whose child?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know anything.¡±


    Hua Ying thumped her head on the floor.


    ¡°Madam, she is still a maiden. She couldn¡¯t possibly¡­¡±


    ¡°Drag this bi*ch down and interrogate her properly.¡± Madam Huo interrupted the mammy¡¯s words.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Madam, please don¡¯t kill me. Please¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear her godd*mn voice again!¡±


    ...


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Hua Ying was dragged down like a dead dog.


    The courtyard immediately fell silent.


    Everyone was silent, not daring to say anything.


    ¡°Take them all down as well. For those who are honest, I¡¯ll be easier on the punishment.¡±


    After Madam Huo spoke up, the people around her immediately took action.


    Soon, only Zhao Chuchu, Yuan Hui, and Madam Huo were left in the courtyard.


    ¡°Huihui, you are still a youngdy. From now on, just send someone to tell me about these things. Don¡¯t do it yourself because it¡¯s bad for your reputation.¡± Madam Huo looked at Yuan Hui.


    Yuan Hui wanted to ridicule Madam Huo, but what she really said was, ¡°Yes, thank you for your guidance, mother.¡±


    ¡°Well, you go stay with your grandmother. I¡¯ll take care of these things first, andter I¡¯ll let some people I can trust take care of your grandmother. When the timees, you can decide who you would like to stay with.¡±


    Madam Huo then left too.


    Yuan Hui snorted coldly. ¡°Hypocrite.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t think to argue.


    ¡°Did grandmother drink the medicine?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she has just woken up for a while and is now resting.¡±


    Yuan Hui was a bit regretful. ¡°It¡¯s my fault for making such a big fuss. I think it must have upset my grandmother?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true. The olddy knows everything.¡± Zhao Chuchu shook her head.


    ¡°She does?¡±


    ¡°Well, she said that she could still hear people talk when she was unconscious. She just couldn¡¯t talk back and make any reaction.¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, then grandmother will really get better, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she will.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go in and stay with her for a while. Do you want toe outside and shop or something? I¡¯ll arrange for people toe with you. Chuchu, I¡¯m sorry, I¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay, I can perfectly understand that. Don¡¯t be that hard on yourself.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu smiled and stroked Yuan Hui¡¯s head.


    ¡°We can wait until your grandmother gets well.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. You don¡¯t have to thank me. We¡¯re friends.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu left the olddy¡¯s yard and didn¡¯t go far before she found Madam Huo standing there, seemingly waiting for her toe out.


    Zhao Chuchu raised her eyebrows slightly and wondered why she was standing there.

 Chapter 260 - 260 It’s Not Hard to Guess

    260 It¡¯s Not Hard to Guess


    ¡°Miss Zhao!¡± Madam Huo waited for Zhao Chuchu to approach and directly shouted out.


    When Zhao Chuchu heard this, the smile in her eyes flickered away.


    Yuan Hui was not a match for Madam Huo. She could never outwit a sophisticated woman like Madam Huo.


    ¡°You must be curious as to why I know your identity, right?¡± Madam Huo looked at Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu shook her head. ¡°I am not surprised at all. You will know this sooner orter, but when did you find out about this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not hard to guess. Huihui¡¯s trip was to Yuanjiang County, and you saved Huihuist time, so it all came out straight.¡±


    ¡°So you know everything? Including Hui¡¯s ident?¡±


    ¡°Well, yes, but Huihui does not like me to be nosy. By the way, how is the olddy¡¯s condition now? Do you have a method?¡±


    ¡°Why do you want to know that?¡±


    ¡°When you cured the gue in Yuanjiang County, I nned to ask you to see the olddy, but there were too many things at home, so I kept putting it off. Later, Huihui went to Yuanjiang County, so I knew she was looking for you.¡±


    ¡°That we returned to the capital without a hup must be nned out, I presume.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re smarter than I think. Let¡¯s make things clear here. We will offer you what you deserve if you can cure the olddy. As for other things in my family, I hope you¡¯d stay out of it.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu understood Madam Huo¡¯s meaning.


    Before the Yuan n¡¯s crisis was lifted, she would not tell Yuan Hui the truth to protect Yuan Hui from harm.


    ¡°I understand, Madam. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°You have not disappointed me at all. Then can you tell me about the olddy¡¯s condition so I can also make thorough preparations to cooperate with you? Now you can see what has be of the Yuan n. I must be cautious.¡±


    ¡°The olddy¡¯s condition is not so bad that there is no cure for her. She can always recover by taking the antidote properly. It¡¯s just that her vitality has been greatly injured, and even if she gets better, her body is not as strong as it was before.¡±


    ¡°No matter what, it will not be worse than now. It is always good news. I¡¯m going to need you to take better care of her. If you need anything, just let me know. I only want Huihui to stay out of the family¡¯s business.¡±


    After all, countless pairs of eyes had now coveted the Yuan n. As the person in charge of the family, she was naturally their target.


    It would be safer for Yuan Hui to stay further away from the family.


    In addition, if something happened to her in the future, she would do her best to try to save the Yuan n and clear those obstacles so that Yuan Hui and her son could live their lives without worrying about food or clothing, even without this much wealth.


    If the parents loved their son, they would make ns in advance.


    She could sacrifice her life for her children¡¯s sake, just so they could live in peace, even if they hated her.


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything to Huihui. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Madam Huo shook Zhao Chuchu¡¯s hand. ¡°Miss Zhao, I also hope tI can one day watch Huihui get married.¡±


    ¡°Will do.¡± Zhao Chuchu patted her hand.


    ¡°There are many things I can¡¯t talk to Huihui about, but now that I¡¯m talking to you, Miss Zhao, I feel much better. Although I¡¯m not a good person, I wouldn¡¯t do something like murdering my own husband, and I¡¯ve been tracking down the killer behind the scenes.¡±


    ¡°Any luck on that?¡±


    ¡°Even if the Yuan n is rich, we are only a merchant. We can¡¯t outweigh power after all.¡±


    Madam Huo smiled bitterly.


    Her brief words contained a lot of information.


    Although Zhao Chuchu had seen thising but was still somewhat shocked when she heard Madam Huo say it.


    This world was also in chaos. The ruler was insensible, which was never good for his fellow countrymen.


    When the virus broke out, he would only order people to be killed alive, not taking the people¡¯s lives seriously.


    Although Yuan Hui called Qiao Heting a cousin, after all, they were not really cousins. There was not much the Qiao n could do to help the Yuan n.


    ¡°Madam, rx. You can always get through it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, the Yuan n has gone through so many major problems, and we still make it. I¡¯m sure we will make it again, this time just like you said.¡±


    After Zhao Chuchu and Madam Huo parted, they did not go out but wandered around the Yuan n¡¯s mansion.


    Because of Hua Ying¡¯s execution, the atmosphere of the entire Yuan n became tense.


    They were afraid they would end up like her, so they constantly avoided Zhao Chuchu lest they should get on her nerve.


    Zhao Chuchu was a bit amused.


    She was amused to see people¡¯s attitudes toward her.


    After walking around and getting bored, Zhao Chuchu returned to her room.


    Bored, she asked the Yuan n¡¯s servants to prepare many ingredients, ready to make some medicine to enhance one¡¯s vitality.


    She wandered around the capital these days and found that many people had skin problems, especially e.


    Some girls had to wear a veil to cover their faces tightly.


    Zhao Chuchu thought she would stay in the capital for a while anyway, so it would be good to earn some extra money.


    The maid assigned to serve Zhao Chuchu was trembling. ¡°Miss, the things you want are ready. Where should I put them?¡±


    ¡°Bring them all in and put them there.¡± Zhao Chuchu pointed to the table by the window.


    When everything was ready, Zhao Chuchu asked the maid, ¡°Do you know how to handle herbs?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Miss. But if you need help, I can learn as long as you are willing to teach me.¡±


    ¡°Okay then, just grind this herb for me, just like this.¡± Zhao Chuchu rolled up her sleeves and demonstrated to the maid.


    In fact, it was not difficult. The maid knew it as soon as she saw it and quickly got the hang of it.


    Zhao Chuchu stood on the side for a while, and when she saw that the maid was doing well, she went to work on the other herbs.


    ...


    Probably because the maid found that Zhao Chuchu was not as challenging to get along with as she thought, she gradually became bolder. She began to take the initiative to talk to Zhao Chuchu. ¡°What is the purpose of handling these herbs, Miss?¡±


    ¡°Curing your face. Do you want to try it?¡± Zhao Chuchu lifted her head and smiled.


    ¡°Cure my face?¡±


    ¡°Uh huh, you have so many red bumps on your face. Don¡¯t you want to be cured?¡±


    ¡°Can you really cure it, Miss?¡±


    No woman in the world didn¡¯t want to look beautiful.


    The maid didn¡¯t even dare to lift her head for fear of being ridiculed because she had a face full of pimples.


    Now that she heard Zhao Chuchu say she could cure it, she was so excited that she didn¡¯t know what to do!


    ¡°Of course, but only when I get the medicine ready. I¡¯ll let you be my first customer if you believe me, but I won¡¯t charge you.¡±


    ¡°Is it true what Miss said?¡±


    ¡°You seem to be doubting me all the time.¡±


    ...


    ¡°No, no, I¡¯m just trying to confirm it because it would be a blessing to be your first customer. When I was born, my parents told me my life would be tough in the future. That¡¯s why I epted my bad luck.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t let that nonsense get in your head. You should always look to the positive side of life. Don¡¯t let others take charge of your life.¡±

 Chapter 261 - 261 These People Will Not Be Okay

    261 These People Will Not Be Okay


    ¡°Do you really mean that?¡±


    ¡°Sure. You are your own man, and it should be up to you to say whether you are doing well or not. If you feel bad about yourself, you might be telling yourself in your head that you¡¯re not good. Then things will be going down the hill.¡±


    ¡°But why?¡±


    ¡°Because the implication will make you subconsciously associate everything bad with your miserable life, and you will feel increasingly bitter!¡±


    !!


    ¡°Then is it true that if I feel good about myself, my life will turn out for the better?¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    ¡°Miss, no one has ever told me this. They all tell me to ept my fate. They said I am a servant and will stay being a servant for the rest of my life.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily true. Even if you are a servant, you will get ahead one day. We will learn as we go because we¡¯re humans. It is always good to have more skills. Maybe one day, it wille in handy.¡±


    The maid was a little embarrassed. ¡°I¡¯m a pretty dull person. I can only do some menial work. I can¡¯t learn anything!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu saw that the young maid was not very old and was apletely different person from Hua Ying, so she smiled and said, ¡°Then follow me these days. I will teach you a little bit of skill. Other than that, there is always a way to teach you a little about how to get better skin.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°I never lie to people.¡±


    The maid was so excited that she quickly knelt and kowtowed to Zhao Chuchu. ¡°Thank you, Miss, thank you so much.¡±


    ¡°All right, get up! Don¡¯t kneel at all times. Like you, I was also off to a bad start but fought my way out of it. Now I¡¯m living a good life.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I will definitely keep in mind your words.¡± The maid stood up and worked even harder.


    Zhao Chuchu saw this and smiled. Then she talked to the maid about what the herbs ced in front of them were used for and how to match them better.


    The maid listened attentively and asked questions when she had doubts. She was quite a curious person.


    She was also very smart. Even if Zhao Chuchu only said once, she could remember everything and even repeat them all.


    Zhao Chuchu said with satisfaction, ¡°You should be like this in the future. You should be more confident. It¡¯s not a big problem to have pimples on your face. You¡¯re not inferior to anyone.¡±


    ¡°But they look ugly.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your mentality that matters. A confident girl is the most beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Confidence is the most important?¡±


    The maid murmured the words.


    Although she didn¡¯t quite understand it yet, she felt that what Zhao Chuchu said was right!


    Zhao Chuchu kept herself locked up in her room and even skipped dinner. It was the maid who brought her the food from the kitchen.


    By midnight, she had finally finished making the medicine.


    Zhao Chuchu took a box and put nine pills in it before giving it to the maid. ¡°Take it after each meal. After three days, the red bumps on your face will gradually disappear, then I will give you another ointment to use. Your skin will return to perfection in less than half a month.¡±


    The maid was exhrated. ¡°Thank you so much, Miss.¡±


    ¡°Well, why don¡¯t you go rest now? You need to keep a bnced sleeping schedule for you to heal better.¡±


    ¡°But you haven¡¯t bathed yet. I should bring you some hot water first.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s okay. Be quick then.¡±


    The maid put the box in her pocket and went out cheerfully.


    Zhao Chuchu got up and stretched herself, exercising her muscles and bones.


    She looked at the medicine still simmering on the stove and thought it should be ready by the time she came out of the shower.


    Tomorrow, she¡¯d purchase some other herbs, and in less than three days, she¡¯d be able to get what she wanted.


    Women were invariably thergest squanderers of all time. She thought she¡¯d bear this in mind and do business to please women to make more money in the future.


    No one hated money, and neither did Zhao Chuchu.


    Even if there might be extra money, it was always helpful to have spare cash just in case it should be needed at some point.


    For the next two days, Zhao Chuchu first went to treat Huan¡¯er and then returned to the Yuan n to treat Old Mrs. Yuan.


    For three days in a row, Old Lady Yuan could keep a clear mind for longer.


    And the pills and ointment that Zhao Chuchu had to make were also better.


    The pimples on the young maid¡¯s face began to improve visibly.


    The other maids in Yuan Hui¡¯s courtyard also noticed this.


    ¡°Chunxiang, what¡¯s wrong with the pimples on your face? Is it something you ate?¡±


    Chunxiang touched her face, nodded, and whispered, ¡°Well, the youngdy pitied me, so she gave me medicine to treat my face.¡±


    ¡°Not Huihui?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the guest that returned with her.¡±


    Yuan Hui had never told the servants what Zhao Chuchu¡¯sst name was, so they all just addressed Zhao Chuchu as the youngdy.


    ¡°What have you done to make her give you the privilege?¡±


    ¡°The youngdy is a good person.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I think this little wench must have said something to her. Maybe it¡¯s something bad about us in order to gain her sympathy.¡±


    ¡°Be honest. What exactly did you say?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. If the youngdy mes us, then don¡¯t me us for being rude.¡±


    It was obvious these maids had constantly been giving Chunxiang a hard time in the past.


    ...


    Now when they saw Chunxiang¡¯s face start to change for the better, they first started to feel a little scared, suspecting it was Chunxiang speaking ill of them.


    They circled Chunxiang and demanded an exnation from Chunxiang.


    Chunxiang helplessly looked at them, pleading. ¡°I did not say anything. The youngdy was just being nice. Please, I didn¡¯t lie.¡±


    ¡°You little bitch. I think I¡¯d have to teach you a lesson so you¡¯ll know better.¡±


    ¡°An ugly monster like you deserves to look ugly for the rest of your life.¡±


    ¡°You just think that by healing your face, you will be noticed by your master and be promoted?¡±


    ¡°Please, everyone, I really didn¡¯t. Please let me go.¡±


    Chunxiang didn¡¯t want to start an argument with them.


    But these maids refused to let her go.


    They could never deal with the fact that the original ugliest person now looked the best among them.


    They also hoped to be fancied by the male master of Yuan n. Even if it was as a concubine, it was still more decent than being an ordinary maid.


    ...


    If they could give birth to a son or daughter, they would want nothing for the rest of their lives.


    Chunxiang did not understand, so no matter how she exined, these people would not let her go.


    They were blocking Chunxiang in the corner, thinking that people couldn¡¯t see.


    Unbeknownst to them, their conversation was heard word for word by Zhao Chuchu.


    Just when they wanted to scratch Chunxiang¡¯s face and disfigure herpletely, Zhao Chuchu came down from the sky and threw all the maids out.


    ¡°Chunxiang, how are you feeling?¡± Zhao Chuchu turned back to look at Chunxiang.


    Chunxiang was shivering, with tears hanging in her eyes that were about to fall off. She looked extremely pitiful and vulnerable.


    ¡°Miss, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s good that you¡¯re okay, but these people will not be okay.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu smiled and looked at the six maids.


    ¡°Do I have to get your consent before I decide whose face I would like to treat?¡±

 Chapter 262 - 262 Hopelessly Stupid

    262 Hopelessly Stupid


    The maids grew white as they retreated backward in fear.


    ¡°How many bad things have you done behind your master¡¯s back? How else could you look so nervous if you haven¡¯t done anything wrong? I mean, I just treated Chunxiang¡¯s face.¡± Zhao Chuchu continued, ¡°You¡¯re just taking out your insecurities on the weak. And now you are interfering with my business?¡±


    ¡°Miss, please forgive me. That¡¯s not what I meant. Chunxiang is a dishonest wench and is caught by us every time. We do not want to leave the Yuan n. We¡¯re also worried she¡¯d fool you, so we take her and try to have her confess her sins to you.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, Miss. If you do not believe me, why don¡¯t you ask around? Then you will know the person she really is.¡±


    !!


    ¡°Miss, we¡¯re doing this for your own good. Please don¡¯t let Chunxiang sweet talk you into believing anything. You have to trust us. There¡¯s no way we¡¯d interfere with your business.¡±


    They were so frightened that they hurriedly knelt, kowtowing incessantly.


    Chunxiang was trembling all over. ¡°You are all talking nonsense. I have never done such a thing!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu looked down at them from above. ¡°Do I look like a fool to you? Do you think I will believe whatever you say without referring to my own judgment? You talked behind my back about me taking advantage of the Yuan family. You think I don¡¯t know that?¡±


    The maids suddenly turned pale. They were all kneeling with their foreheads against the ground, not daring to look up at Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°This is the Yuan n¡¯s business. I should not interfere, but you have the folly to interfere with my business. I¡¯m not a good-tempered person and hate being pointed at. Either confess your sins to Yuan Hui, or I will take you there in person.¡±


    ¡°Miss, please forgive us, please. We¡¯ll never do this again. Please show some mercy and let us off the hook.¡±


    This time, it was their turn to beg for mercy.


    However, Zhao Chuchu would not show mercy to them.


    She knew people like them were ungrateful.


    They would take others¡¯ kindness for granted and their blunders seriously.


    She couldn¡¯t believe they were so arrogant when they were nothing but servants of the Yuan n.


    At this time, Yuan Hui came back and froze when she saw this scene.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    The maids saw Yuan Hui and moved over on their knees as if they had seen their savior.


    ¡°Miss Yuan, you have to seek justice for us. We have served you with all our hearts for all these years. Please be thoughtful, and don¡¯t punish us for something an outsider says.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    These people were hopelessly stupid.


    She had been in the Yuan n for many days, yet they still didn¡¯t know what all this was about.


    There was no way they would have Yuan Hui take their side just because they had worked here for a long time.


    The Yuan n had been so kind to its servants that they had forgotten their ces entirely.


    Yuan Hui looked at Zhao Chuchu. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡±


    Zhao Chuchuughed. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, but I couldn¡¯t bear to see Chunxiang¡¯s face being ruined, so I prepared some medicine to treat her face. I just didn¡¯t expect to offend thesedies. They had to ruin Chunxiang¡¯s face before they would stop.¡±


    ¡°How dare you!¡±


    Yuan Hui was furious after hearing this.


    ¡°Who are you? Just because I¡¯m nice to you, it makes you think that you are in charge of this courtyard, right? I thought you¡¯d learned your lessons from Hua Ying. Now you¡¯re trying to follow her old path?¡±


    ¡°Someone, take these people away. Beat them with fifteen strokes each, and send them to the back kitchen to do chores, and don¡¯t let them set foot in my courtyard again!¡±


    When those few people heard this, they were terrified.


    They were at least second-ss maids, and they were leading kind of a leisurely life in the courtyard, but the back kitchen was different. It was a ce where they had to do all the dirty work, and their monthly pay was also low.


    So they all started to kowtow and beg for mercy, howling and crying.


    Yuan Hui, however, ignored them and watched coldly as they were dragged away.


    ¡°Do you see that now? In this courtyard, I¡¯m the only one in charge. If anyone does this again in the future, I swear to God I will sell her instead of just beating her as punishment.¡±


    The rest of the people in the courtyard were silent, not even daring to breathe.


    Yuan Hui walked up to Chunxiang, hooked her chin, and carefully examined her face for a while.


    ¡°It seems like the red bumps on the face are really getting better.¡± Yuan Hui looked at Zhao Chuchu. ¡°What kind of prescription did you use? Come on, let¡¯s have a discussion.¡±


    After that, Yuan Hui dragged Zhao Chuchu into the house while the others were left outside and not allowed toe in.


    ¡°Chuchu, can you really cure the red bumps on Chunxiang¡¯s face? I¡¯ve seen many girls like Chunxiang in the capital, and they can¡¯t even find a husband because of this. If you can cure their faces, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be willing to pay you.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu smiled and deliberately joked, ¡°Huihui, since when did you be so money-oriented?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? Nobody hates money, after all. And this is also a good deed by curing the women¡¯s faces so they can find worthy husbands. Still, I mustn¡¯t force you into this business. It¡¯s up to you whether to do it or not.¡±


    ¡°I do have this idea, but it¡¯s not decided yet. After all, the Xia n is still around right now, and I don¡¯t want the Xia n to know that I¡¯m here. When your grandmother gets well, I¡¯ll have to go back to Yuanjiang County.¡±


    ¡°We have plenty of time. There is no hurry. By the way, Chuchu, I¡¯ve heard a lot about the Xia n. Do you want to hear about it?¡±


    ¡°Do tell.¡±


    Yuan Hui told Zhao Chuchu everything she knew in detail.


    The Xia n began to go downhill, but they were still as arrogant as ever. In fact, they seemed to have be even more arrogant these years so that they¡¯d appear to the outside world they were still in their prime when they actually weren¡¯t.


    It was not the first time the Xia n men harassed youngdies. Each time this went uncontroble, they would pay the victim to appease the matter.


    Some soft-hearted victims would just take a dozen or so silvers to let this go.


    But the Xia n had a connection in the capital. They had a close rtionship with themander of Weisuo in Guangqing Province so they could always avoid being punished by thew.


    The Xia n had practically been seen as amon enemy of the general public, but unfortunately, no one could outweigh their patronage, so people had to put up with it.


    As for the Kang n, they seemed like a decent family.


    But they had been up to no good, just like the Xia n.


    ...


    Now the two families had already developed a difference of opinion. The Kang n had always wanted to take over the Xia n but failed because of thetter¡¯s resilience.


    ¡°Recently, the Xia n also began to inquire about you. The Xia n has known you saved Mr. Deng and his son.¡±


    ¡°What do they want to know about me?¡±


    ¡°Xia Songquan, that old man has spent most of his life having fun with women. He¡¯s probably impotent now. What else could he want from you?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu sneered, ¡°This old bastard, it¡¯d serve him right if he dies in a woman¡¯s arms!¡±

 Chapter 263 - 263 I Miss You

    263 I Miss You


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s harsh words made Yuan Hui a little embarrassed.


    ¡°Bad luck!¡± Zhao Chuchu added in disgust.


    ¡°The Xia n will find you sooner orter, so you can¡¯t hide your identity for long, not to mention that Xia Chengxuan has even met you,¡± Yuan Hui said.


    Zhao Chuchu smiled but did not say anything.


    !!


    At least at the moment, she was not too willing to deal with the Xia n.


    ¡°Well, enough about that. I heard you¡¯ve been dispensing medicine in your room these two days. Is it all for my grandmother?¡±


    Yuan Hui changed the subject.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s for Chunxiang¡¯s face.¡±


    ¡°Why do you make so much?¡±


    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m making the medicine, so might as well. If you have close friends with the same problem as Chunxiang, I can help them.¡±


    Yuan Hui could not help butugh out loud.


    She liked Zhao Chuchu¡¯s honesty the most.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any friends. Families like the Xia and Kang n are unwilling to get along with me, and those who are not as good as the Yuan n are mostly skulkers. Speaking of which, the first friend I have in my life is you, Chuchu.¡±


    ¡°My pleasure.¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, you are such a good doctor, but why did you always stay in Lengshui Vige before? I heard that you had a hard time in the past.¡±


    ¡°I think you know what kind of people my so-called grandfather and his family are. Besides, I didn¡¯t learn my skills in the Zhao n. Maybe I am very talented in learning, but I still need to continue to work hard on my medical skills.¡±


    ¡°Even all those famous doctors in the Wei Dynasty are not as good as you. You can save the people they say they can¡¯t, and that¡¯s the difference.¡±


    ¡°There is no end to learning, and there is always someone to learn from. I am not as good as you say,¡± Zhao Chuchu said modestly.


    In fact, she didn¡¯t want to brag, but there was no doctor in the Wei Dynasty whose medical skills were better than hers.


    Anyway, she came from a country with millennia of medical history, while the medicine of the Wei Dynasty had only just begun to develop.


    They were like a starting and end point and could not bepared.


    Of course, Zhao Chuchu certainly would not talk about these things.


    It was enough to shock Xie Heng alone.


    Speaking of which, Zhao Chuchu hadn¡¯t seen Xie Heng for a few days, so she missed him a bit.


    Unfortunately, there was no instantmunication technology in this era, and she didn¡¯t like to write letters, so she could only miss Xie Heng in her heart.


    ¡°Miss, the doorkeeper has sent your letter.¡± Before Zhao Chuchu could suppress that thought, a maid knocked on the door.


    The Yuan n¡¯s maid called Yuan Hui Miss Yuan, so naturally, this Miss referred to Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°My letter?¡± Zhao Chuchu¡¯s first thought was that it was from Xie Heng, so she rushed forward to open the door.


    The maid was standing outside the door holding a letter, and the handwriting on it made Zhao Chuchu instantly recognize that it was indeed from Xie Heng.


    That unexined sweetness instantly came like a tidal wave.


    And that tacit understanding made Zhao Chuchu¡¯s eyes light up withughter.


    Yuan Hui came over and nced at the words on the envelope. Then she smiled yfully and said, ¡°Oh, somebody got a love letter. That exins the coy smile!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu gently bumped her. ¡°Hui, you wait. One day I¡¯ll be the one teasing you. I am thick-skinned and don¡¯t mind your joke, but I wonder if you can handle it.¡±


    Yuan Hui suddenly felt bad and quickly apologized with a smile. ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s my fault. All right, you go back to your room first. Don¡¯t stand here.¡±


    After saying that, Yuan Hui pushed Zhao Chuchu in the direction of her room.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll go see what he wrote to me.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu waved the letter and went back to her room directly.


    The envelope carried a faint maple fragrance. Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t know how Xie Heng made the fragrance linger, but it smelled very good.


    Zhao Chuchu opened the letter. There were four pieces of paper in total, one of which only had a few words. ¡°I miss you day and night. Wherever I go, whatever I do, you¡¯ll be in my heart.¡±


    ¡°Silly.¡± Zhao Chuchuughed while her heart was filled with the happiness of being missed by someone.


    She didn¡¯t expect Xie Heng to say so bluntly that he missed her.


    She thought that Xie Heng had written this letter the day she arrived here.


    Zhao Chuchu was a loner in the past. Even though there were many suitors, none of them could catch her eye.


    But now her heart was fully upied by a young man named Xie Heng.


    And no one could take his ce.


    Zhao Chuchu repeatedly read those few sentences more than ten times.


    Even if there were a thousand words, they were not as good as these few words that made her heart race.


    After reading enough of Xie Heng¡¯s words, Zhao Chuchu took out the remaining three pieces of paper.


    These three were written to her by Xie Jun, and they were all about family matters, telling Zhao Chuchu how cold the house was without her, how strict his brother was with him, and how he was looking forward to Zhao Chuchu¡¯s return soon.


    Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    She could even imagine the picture Xie Jun was talking about through his description.


    Xie Heng and Xie Jun were originally people from the other world and had nothing to do with her, but fate had ced them together closely.


    Zhao Chuchu murmured, ¡°This silly child has startedining to me!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu read the two brothers¡¯ letters several more times and thought for a long time before taking out a pile of paper to write back to them.


    ...


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s brush writing was not good, so naturally, she used a signature pen to write.


    But the vertical way of writing made Zhao Chuchu very ufortable, so it took her half an hour to write them back.


    She told Xie Jun about the prosperity of the capital and its customs and Xie Heng about the interesting things she had encountered on her way to the capital.


    And nothing rted to the Yuan n and Xia n was mentioned.


    Zhao Chuchu did not give the letter to the Yuan n¡¯s people after writing it. She asked the doorkeeper who delivered the letter.


    The other party left a message, and Zhao Chuchu went out to send the letter.


    But she didn¡¯t expect to meet Xia Chengxuan and her daughter.


    Kang Xiuwan was surprised to see Zhao Chuchu.


    She almost called out to Zhao Chuchu, but Zhao Chuchu made a gesture of silence to stop them.


    Then Zhao Chuchu walked away.


    Seeing this, Kang Xiuwan did not dare to go after her.


    ...


    She also knew that the Xia n was nning to bring Zhao Chuchu back recently.


    Now that Zhao Chuchu appeared in the capital but did not look for the Xia n, she was definitely unwilling to get involved with the Xia n.


    Kang Xiuwan also did not say anything. After she went to the private room of the teahouse with Xia Chengxuan and dismissed the maids, she lowered her voice and said to Xia Chengxuan, ¡°Mother, I just saw Chuchu.¡±


    ¡°Chuchu hase to the capital? Did your grandfather bring her back? Why didn¡¯t I hear about it?¡± Xia Chengxuan was surprised.


    Kang Xiuwan said, ¡°It seems not. She is alone and won¡¯t let me say hello to her. Mother, is grandfather really nning to acknowledge a rtionship with Chuchu again?¡±


    ¡°Yes. You know what the Xia n¡¯s situation is now, and I don¡¯t know how long it willst. If Chuchu can return to the Xia n, it will be a great help to the Xia n. Your grandfather and the others will definitely not let go of this opportunity.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t think Chuchu is that happy about it.¡±


    ¡°Does it matter? As long as your grandfather wants to bring her back, she can¡¯t refuse. Besides, there¡¯s nothing wrong with the Xia n, and it¡¯s better than her suffering in Lengshui Vige.¡±

 Chapter 264 - 264 Push Her into the Fire

    264 Push Her into the Fire


    ¡°Mother, I disagree with you on that. If the Xia n was really good, why did they only go to Chuchu now? I don¡¯t believe that the Xia n didn¡¯t know that Aunt Chenn was still alive at that time. Mother, have you been hiding something from me all along?¡± Kang Xiuwan disagreed with Xia Chengxuan¡¯s words.


    Xia Chengxuan¡¯s expression slightly changed when she heard this, but she quickly returned to her usual self.


    ¡°Wanwan, that¡¯s your grandfather¡¯s family. You can¡¯t say that about the Xia n!¡± Xia Chengxuan solemnly reminded. ¡°No matter what, we both rely on the Xia n to live a better life.¡±


    ¡°A better life? Mother, can you wake up? Not to mention our current situation, where was the Xia n when you were aggrieved in the Kang n? How can you in good conscience say how the Xia n is good?¡±


    ¡°Wanwan.¡±


    ¡°The Xia n is a pit. Whoever jumps into it is unlucky. Chuchu at least has her husband¡¯s love in Lengshui Vige. If she really goes back to the Xia n, won¡¯t the Xia n treat her like a money tree?¡±


    ¡°Kang Xiuwan!¡±


    Xia Chengxuan got angry and raised her voice.


    ¡°Mother, don¡¯t forget that we wouldn¡¯t be here today if it weren¡¯t for Chuchu.¡± Kang Xiuwan, however, was fearless.


    All these years, she had watched coldly how the Xia n had done wrong.


    It was only because of the family¡¯s wealth that they could take money to settle those disgusting matters again and again.


    Now the Xia n and the Kang n werepeting against each other. Even if she also disliked the Kang n, she did not feel that the Xia n was better than the Kang n.


    Moreover, once Zhao Chuchu returned to the Xia n, no one knew how those bastards of the Xia n would force her.


    Kang Xiuwan didn¡¯t believe that the Xia n only took Zhao Chuchu back because they felt sorry for her suffering outside.


    ¡°At least that was your grandparents¡¯ family, and you won¡¯t exist in this world without them.¡±


    How could Xia Chengxuan not know that the Xia n was a pit? But she still hoped the Kang n could not surpass the Xia n.


    Only then would her position in the Kang n be stable, and the Kang n would not dare to do anything to her.


    No one should me her for being selfish. She just wanted to make her life a little better.


    Every man was for himself.


    Kang Xiuwan looked at Xia Chengxuan with some disbelief. ¡°Mother, you were not like this before. Why would you have such a terrible idea? No matter what, Chuchu once saved our lives. How can you¡­¡±


    ¡°She is not your cousin!¡±


    Xia Chengxuan could not help but let out a low shout.


    ¡°She is not my cousin?¡± Kang Xiuwan froze. ¡°Mother, what do you mean by that? If your statement is true, then the Xia n is even less qualified to bring her back.¡±


    Xia Chengxuan felt she had said something she shouldn¡¯t have, so she shifted her gaze and did not dare to look at Kang Xiuwan.


    ¡°I just made a slip of the tongue.¡±


    ¡°No, what you said is true. What¡¯s it all about? Mother, I¡¯ve grown up. You can¡¯t hide everything from me under the banner of being good for me. One day when it¡¯s my turn to face those things, how do you want me to deal with it?¡±


    Xia Chengxuan was very torn.


    How could she dare to tell Kang Xiuwan about such a matter?


    Wouldn¡¯t saying that there was no good person in the Xia n be a denial of her own point of view?


    ¡°Mother, tell me. What are you still hiding from me? You are clear about the rtionship between the Xia n and the Kang n now, so I should start thinking about my own future.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? As long as I am still alive, the Xia n and the Kang n will not do anything. Well, well, we are here for tea today. Let¡¯s not talk about those things.¡±


    ¡°No, I want to know it. If you don¡¯t tell me, I¡¯ll find someone to ask around myself. I can always find out.¡±


    ¡°Wanwan, listen to me.¡±


    ¡°Then you tell me, Mother.¡±


    Seeing that Kang Xiuwan kept asking, Xia Chengxuan was afraid that Kang Xiuwan would really find someone to ask around and cause some trouble by then.


    She was annoyed that she had spoken without thinking and said something she shouldn¡¯t have said.


    But what was said was like spilled water and could not be retrieved.


    ¡°Mother, quickly say it.¡±


    Kang Xiuwan urged.


    Xia Chengxuan was silent for a moment before beckoning Kang Xiuwan to lean over. Then she whispered in Kang Xiuwan¡¯s ear, ¡°Zhao Chuchu is not your Aunt Chenn¡¯s child.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Your Aunt Chenn eloped with someone. Zhao Chuchu¡¯s birth mother is also a member of the Xia n, and once she was a Xia Chenn.¡±


    ¡°Mother, I don¡¯t quite understand what you mean.¡±


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu¡¯s birth mother was your grandfather¡¯s sister, and she is a disgrace that the Xia n cannot mention. That¡¯s why the Xia n never went to her and treated her as if she had died outside.¡±


    Although the Kang n was not as good as the Xia n, it was at least a big family, and the rights and wrongs in that square inch of the house were not less than that of the Xia n.


    Kang Xiuwan knew better than anyone how many nasty things were hidden in such people¡¯s homes.


    Therefore, even though she couldn¡¯t believe what she heard, she subconsciously thought that it was expected that such a thing had happened in the Xia n.


    For a while, Kang Xiuwan didn¡¯t know whether she was angry or shocked.


    Xia Chengxuan said in a heartfelt manner, ¡°Wanwan, this matter ends with you and should never be mentioned again. If word gets out, we will be kicked out of the Kang n. Will there be any ce for you and me to stay?¡±


    It took Kang Xiuwan a while toe back to her senses.


    She looked at Xia Chengxuan and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Mother, do you still want Chuchu to go back to such a Xia n? That¡¯s not even a pit. That¡¯s purgatory! If Chuchu returns to the Xia n, who knows what kind of things the Xia n will do?¡±


    ¡°If she knew that her mother¡¯s origin was like this, how could she ept it? Her husband is still an intellectual, so how much of a blow would that be to them? Mother, we have already suffered so much. Why do we still have to push our life-saver into the fire?¡± Kang Xiuwan continued.


    ¡°I know you¡¯ve always been soft-hearted and easy to pin down. But even if we won¡¯t repay the kindness, at least we can¡¯t return kindness with ingratitude, right? Mother, you taught me to have a conscience. If we watch Chuchu fall into the hands of the Xia n but do nothing, will we be able to live in peace for the rest of our lives?¡± Kang Xiuwan asked again.


    Xia Chengxuan did not answer, nor did she dare to look at Kang Xiuwan.


    ...


    She knew her daughter¡¯s words were correct.


    But she also wanted to make a better life for herself.


    Only if the Xia n did not fall would her position be secure.


    Moreover, if Zhao Chuchu really returned to the Xia n, the Xia n would definitely treat her well in every way.


    ¡°Mother, if you dare to tell the Xia n about Chuchu¡¯s whereabouts, I won¡¯t even admit you as my mother in the future,¡± Kang Xiuwan said fiercely.


    She knew that her mother was not that bad but was just selfish and stupid.


    Kang Xiuwan didn¡¯t want Zhao Chuchu to have anything to do with the Xia n.


    She got up and left after she said this.


    She thought her mother would note to her senses without some particr reminding.


    After all, Kang Xiuwan was her only daughter.


    Kang Xiuwan left the teahouse, but her mood didn¡¯t calm down for a long time.


    ...


    She did not expect Zhao Chuchu¡¯s birth mother to be her aunt!


    The Xia n was really rotten to the roots!


    However, Kang Xiuwan did not rashly go to Zhao Chuchu for fear of making a mistake and letting the Xia n know that Zhao Chuchu hade to the capital.


    Zhao Chuchu was not aware of what the two of them had argued. She found Xie Heng¡¯s people and just handed out the letter before seeing someonee out from inside.

 Chapter 265 - 265 I’ll Take That as a Compliment

    265 I¡¯ll Take That as a Compliment


    Zhao Chuchu froze and forgot to take back her outstretched hand.


    That person reached out with his hand, took the letter over, then held Zhao Chuchu¡¯s hand and led her inside.


    Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t believe it and felt that she was dreaming.


    She looked at the slender and upright figure in front of her. Although that man was still a youth, he exuded a sense of reassuring stability from the inside out.


    !!


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked and couldn¡¯t hide her surprise. ¡°Aren¡¯t you still in Lengshui Vige? When did you arrive? Where is Junjun? Did you leave him home alone? Has Xia Chengxue been looking for trouble?¡±


    Xie Heng stopped walking and turned around to look at Zhao Chuchu with a smile. ¡°You have so many questions at once. Which one should I answer? Chuchu, I saw the sunset in the courtyard yesterday and thought of you, so I came to the capital.¡±


    Xie Heng became more direct after a few days of separation.


    He wouldn¡¯t have said he missed her like this before.


    However, Zhao Chuchu was more direct than him. She quickly went up and hugged him.


    Xie Heng¡¯s whole body was tense. He stood in ce with his heart beating like a drum.


    ¡°I miss you too.¡±


    This sentence bloomed like a flower in Xie Heng¡¯s heart.


    Xie Heng raised his hand and gently embraced Zhao Chuchu. There was never a moment more than this when he wanted to let time stand still.


    ¡°Xia Chengxue didn¡¯te to trouble you, did he?¡±


    ¡°I did not give them this opportunity. Xia Chengxue got into an argument with someone at the brothel in Yuanjiang County and was beaten up. He can¡¯t get out of bed without almost a half month of recovery.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Did you do it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Xie Heng frankly admitted. ¡°The Xia n¡¯s infighting is strong. I just make it worse on the side.¡±


    ¡°Then Xia Chengxue should be even worse off than you said.¡±


    Xie Heng smiled as a tacit acknowledgment.


    ¡°Then what is the Xia n¡¯s reaction?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all the Xia n¡¯s business. It has nothing to do with us.¡±


    Xie Heng never gave people a stick to beat him with whatever he did.


    He knew exactly what the Xia n was nning.


    Since Zhao Chuchu had alreadye to the capital, he had to find something for the Xia n to divert their attention.


    ¡°Where is Junjun?¡±


    ¡°I have sent Junjun to the Gan n but dered to the public that I took him on a long trip. Junjun is not suitable to travel long distances day and night yet, so staying at the Gan n is the best choice, and the Gan n can protect him.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu let go of Xie Heng and looked at him smilingly.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do I have something on my face?¡± Xie Heng¡¯s face blushed at Zhao Chuchu¡¯s look.


    Zhao Chuchu stopped smiling and said thoughtfully, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Xie Heng hurriedly reached out to try to get it off.


    But Zhao Chuchu stopped him. ¡°It¡¯s good-looking.¡±


    A momentter, Xie Heng reacted to what Zhao Chuchu meant and couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    ¡°Chuchu, you are making fun of me again.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m serious. You¡¯re really good-looking.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll take that as apliment.¡±


    In fact, Xie Heng knew very well that he was good-looking. He just never cared about his appearance. But he was sincerely grateful to his parents for giving him such good looks when he heard Zhao Chuchu say he was good-looking.


    No matter how to attract Zhao Chuchu, for Xie Heng, it was an unattainable advantage.


    There were millions of destinies in the world, but this was the only one that belonged to him, so he wanted to cherish it.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t youe to me directly when you came? If I didn¡¯te here myself but had someone from the Yuan n send the letter on my behalf, you wouldn¡¯t be able to see me.¡± After Zhao Chuchu sat down, she nced at Xie Heng. ¡°Then do you n to y hide and seek with me in the capital?¡±


    ¡°No. I would have gone to youter if you hadn¡¯te to me. I had some other things to do, so I dyed. I was pleasantly surprised that you came over in person.¡±


    Usually, Zhao Chuchu would not ask questions about what Xie Heng did not want to say.


    ¡°It proves that we have a good tacit understanding.¡± Zhao Chuchuughed. ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything wrong in the capital, and I was nning to start an exclusive business.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any ideas?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu told Xie Heng about her ns, and Xie Heng thought she could try after hearing that.


    Xie Heng said, ¡°Girls love beauty, and they are most willing to spend money on this. If you decide to do it, I¡¯ll help you keep an eye on the store and find the shopkeeper and staff. When the timees, you just need to prepare the things.¡±


    ¡°Have you thought of everything for me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you with whatever you want to do. Are you hungry? I¡¯ll make something to eat.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu pulled him back. ¡°Wait. It¡¯s been a long time since we met, so just eat something casually. You don¡¯t need to make it particrly.¡±


    With that, Zhao Chuchu took out the shredded chicken and roasted goose from the carry-on space. ¡°Let¡¯s eat this today.¡±


    The dishes were avable, and naturally, the rice was also served by Zhao Chuchu.


    Xie Heng had already gotten used to Zhao Chuchu taking out things from thin air and didn¡¯t react much.


    ¡°It¡¯s a novelty to cook chicken this way. I¡¯ll try it when I get back and see if I can make it taste like this.¡± After Xie Heng ate it, he thought it was pretty tasty.


    ¡°Well, you learned so many cooking skills from me. If you don¡¯t be a government official in the future, you can still open your own restaurant. I¡¯m sure it will also have a lot of customers.¡± Zhao Chuchu joked. ¡°When the timees, I will be responsible for collecting money, and you will be responsible for cooking in the back kitchen.¡±


    ...


    But Xie Heng refused. ¡°I don¡¯t want to use my cooking skills as a means to make a living. I¡¯m only cooking because you like to eat, and that¡¯s all. And we won¡¯tck money even if I don¡¯t be a government official.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    She had forgotten that Xie Heng was not that kind of poor intellectual.


    ¡°My pleasure.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my blessing to meet you.¡±


    Xie Heng¡¯s gaze burned when he said this.


    And even Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t stand it. She shifted her gaze and didn¡¯t dare to look at Xie Heng for fear that she would blush.


    She would not have been like this before, but it seemed she had broken her rule for many things since she met Xie Heng.


    The two of them had a lovely meal.


    ¡°It¡¯s still early. Let¡¯s go for a walk if you have nothing else to do.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu wanted to agree, but then she remembered that she met Xia Chengxuan and her daughter when she came.


    ...


    ¡°I just saw Kang Xiuwan. I¡¯m only afraid that the news of my arrival at Guangqing Province has already spread to the Xia n this time.¡± Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°People in the Xia n are very selfish, and Xia Chengxuan should be no exception.¡±


    ¡°Then do you regret saving her?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t regret my choice at that time, but if she really tells my whereabouts to the Xia n, then there won¡¯t be the next time.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go out after disguising ourselves?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu suddenly had an inspiration and looked at Xie Heng with a yful smile. ¡°How about a gender swap?¡±


    Xie Heng was speechless.


    He quickly refused. ¡°No, no way! I won¡¯t ept!¡±


    Zhao Chuchuughed out loud. ¡°Come on. You must be very beautiful if you dress up as a woman.¡±


    Xie Heng could agree with Zhao Chuchu on everything, but on this matter alone, he was determined not to obey.


    However, he could never win over Zhao Chuchu.


    Finally, Xie Heng gave in to Zhao Chuchu¡¯s threats.

 Chapter 266 - 266 You Scared My Sister

    266 You Scared My Sister


    Chuchu dressed Xie Heng as a girl and found that he looked neat in female clothing, just like an aloof beauty from a ssical painting.


    She looked at him and made a joke. ¡°Da Lang, you¡¯re so beautiful. I would fall in love with you if I were a man.¡±


    ¡°You can fall in love with me even if you are a woman.¡± Xie Heng looked at her. ¡°But Chuchu, can I put on something else? I¡¯m not used to it.¡±


    The once powerful Official Xie had done everything but never dressed up as a girl like right now.


    He felt very awkward and ufortable in any way.


    ¡°No, dress just like this. It looks good.¡± Chuchu disagreed.


    With such a gorgeous beauty, she had to take more looks at him, or else she wouldn¡¯t have a chance next time.


    Xie Heng couldn¡¯t win against Chuchu and was forced to wear them.


    Chuchu dressed up as a man and went out with Xie Heng as if they were a sister and a brother.


    When Xie Heng¡¯s men saw this, they thought they were blinded.


    But a re from Xie Heng left them to not look at him again.


    Xie Heng became natural once he walked out of the room. He was entirely out of the earlier difort.


    Chuchu held back herughter and swaggered through the streets with Xie Heng. She even took the opportunity to buy him jewelry in a silver shop and dressed him up beautifully.


    Xie Heng was speechless.


    The sweet burden was onerous for him.


    But looking at Chuchu¡¯s excited and happy face while shopping, Xie Heng endured everything and cooperated with her.


    Except for her happiness, nothing else mattered in the world.


    Chuchu bought a set of ruby headdresses for Xie Heng.


    After imagining a beautiful scene of Chuchu wearing it, Xie Heng epted it.


    But when they were about to pay the bill, someone cut in line to buy the set of ruby headdresses.


    ¡°Sixth Young Master, I like this headdress too.¡± A voice that was so sweet and could make people panic, suddenly came, followed by a nail polish coated hand that picked up a ruby hairpin.


    The pungent smell of perfume and powder rushed into Chuchu¡¯s nose. She looked sideways and saw a woman with heavy make-up inserting the hairpin into her hair and asking a white-faced schr beside her. ¡°Sixth Young Master, does it look good?¡±


    However, the Sixth Young Master did not answer her but was staring straight at Xie Heng. The expression in his eye was so apparent to anyone who was not blind.


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    What the hell!


    Chuchu pulled Xie Heng behind her, blocking the view of the Sixth Young Master.


    The Sixth Young Master was instantly annoyed.


    ¡°Sixth Young Master, did you hear me talking about the headdress? Does it look good on me?¡± The woman also noticed that Sixth Young Master was not in the right state. She hurriedly held his arm back and forth and pampered him. ¡°I like it so much. Could you please buy it for me?¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright. Buy it if you like it.¡± His gaze remained fixed on Xie Heng. ¡°But I think this headdress doesn¡¯t suit you well. It¡¯s actually more suitable for thatdy.¡±


    Xie Heng¡¯s face was slightly sulking. People who were familiar with him would know that it was a sign of him getting angry.


    Chuchu made a thorough and discreet examination of the Sixth Young Master. Although she had only seen Xia Chengxuan, who didn¡¯t look like the Sixth Young Master, she knew that the person in front of them was probably the Sixth Young Master, Xia Chengrong of the Xia n.


    ¡°Youngdy, do you like this headdress too? I¡¯ll send it to you if you like it.¡± Xia Chengrong shrugged off the woman and stepped forward frivolously, trying to hook Xie Heng¡¯s chin.


    Xie Heng moved his head to dodge. A hint of murder shed in his eyes and disappeared quickly.


    ¡°Sir, we will buy whatever we like. Don¡¯t worry about it. Please leave us alone,¡± Chuchu spoke lightly. ¡°If you keep doing this, that young beauty beside you will be unhappy.¡±


    ¡°Kid, are you trying to meddle in my business? Do you have any idea of who I am?¡± Xia Chengrong snickered. ¡°I am the Sixth Young Master of the Xia n. You have to weigh yourself first before meddling with my business.¡±


    After a pause, Xia Chengrong said to Xie Heng, ¡°Youngdy, would you be my girl? You will have endless wealth in the future.¡±


    Xie Heng did not say anything.


    ¡°The set of ruby headdresses is a gift for you from me. From now on, if you want anything, say it. I will buy it for you.¡±


    Xie Heng remained silent.


    ¡°Youngdy, don¡¯t get on my bad side. I¡¯m talking to you!¡±


    Xia Chengrong¡¯s expression went serious and he reached out to pull Xie Heng.


    Xie Heng quickly hid behind Chuchu.


    Chuchu stopped Xia Chengrong. ¡°Sir, you are scaring my sister.¡±


    ¡°Sister?¡±


    ¡°Or what?¡±


    ¡°So, that¡¯s how it is. I misunderstood. Young brother, you are sensible.¡±


    Chuchu smiled.


    ¡°Someone, wrap up this set of headdresses. Charge it to me.¡± Xia Chengrong immediately changed his expression. ¡°Young brother, do you have anything you like to buy for your beloved girl? Pick it all together. I¡¯ll pay.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Do you think I am joking?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu naturally would not let go of the schmuck that came to her voluntarily.


    It¡¯s not like she forced him to spend money. It was he who held the money for her to pay.


    The woman beside Xia Chengrong waspletely ignored. Her face was ckened to the point that it looked like the bottom of a pot, and she red viciously at Chuchu and Xie Heng.


    But this kind of expression was simply innocuous to them. It could not deal substantial damage.


    ...


    ¡°Wrap up everything that they just looked at!¡± Xia Chengrong spent money generously to win a smile from the beauty.


    Xie Heng¡¯s face was expressionless.


    Zhao Chuchu epted all of them.


    ¡°Many thanks to the Sixth Young Master.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll send you back.¡±


    Xia Chengrong had taken a fancy to Xie Heng in female clothing, so naturally, he wanted to get him by all means.


    Chuchu and Xie Heng got on the carriage that they had rented when they came.


    Xia Chengrong also wanted to follow them to the carriage.


    Chuchu stopped him. ¡°If you are interested in my sister, please respect my sister and don¡¯t tarnish her reputation.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯m being inconsiderate. Don¡¯t be angry, youngdy.¡± Xia Chengrong even made a bow salute.


    Xie Heng nodded slightly in response.


    ...


    Xia Chengrong was overjoyed.


    He was such a typical man. The more aloof people treated him, the more he liked them, but he didn¡¯t care about the enthusiasm that came to him.


    A simple nod from Xie Heng made him happy as if he had found a treasure.


    The jewelry was ced on Chuchu¡¯s carriage.


    After they got on the carriage, Xie Heng stopped pretending and changed his expression. His face was eloquent with unhappiness.


    ¡°Why are you using me?¡± he questioned Chuchu in a low voice.


    Chuchu hurriedly exined, ¡°No, no, it¡¯s just that I don¡¯t quite like the Xia n. Since they are offering us silver, why do you refuse? I know I¡¯ve used you today, but there will never be the next time. Besides, how can I be willing to use you?¡±


    After saying that, she quickly kissed Xie Heng on his face.


    All of Xie Heng¡¯s anger was erased by the feathery kiss.


    His handsome face was slightly red. ¡°There will be no next time.¡±


    Chuchuughed. ¡°Of course, you are the person I want to spend the rest of my life with. How could I be willing to use you, right? We¡¯ll leave in a minute. Even if the Xia n has eyes worldwide, they can¡¯t find us.¡±

 Chapter 267 - 267 The Bisexual Sixth Young Master

    267 The Bisexual Sixth Young Master


    Her makeup skills were good.


    Even if his mother stood before him, she might not recognize him, let alone a dandy who only knew how to enjoy himself all day.


    Chuchu took out the packed jewelry headdresses in front of Xie Heng and put them in the carry-on space.


    Xie Heng whispered a few words in her ear and had the carriage driver stop in front of a small alley.


    !!


    They got off the carriage.


    Seeing this, Xia Chengrong also followed and got down.


    ¡°I live in the third house counted from inside. Thanks a lot for driving us back, Sixth Young Master.¡± Zhao Chchu took the initiative to point inside the alley. ¡°It¡¯s just that my parents don¡¯t know I brought my sister out today, so I can¡¯t invite you in. Otherwise, I would be punished by my parents.¡±


    Xia Chengrong looked at the alley and curled his lips slightly. ¡°Okay, you guys go in first. I must see you arrive home safely until I feel at ease.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu knew what he was thinking.


    After picking up the boxes containing jewelry and headdresses, she naturally walked toward the alley.


    Only when Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng entered the mansion that they just mentioned did Xia Chengrong leave with satisfaction.


    For the beauty, he had plenty of patience.


    What¡¯s more, what he liked most was to conquer stone-cold beauty. One would know how fulfilling the taste of this type of sess was only after experiencing it.


    He did not know that the mansion was not upied at all.


    Once Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng entered, they quietly changed back to their original costumes. They then left from the other direction and appeared on the street without any disguise.


    Xie Heng finally got rid of the awful feeling of being stared at by men.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Let¡¯s go to the silverware shop again and pick out something good.¡±


    Xie Heng pulled Zhao Chuchu and dragged her forward imperatively.


    Zhao Chuchu replied, ¡°Didn¡¯t we buy it just now?¡±


    ¡°Give those things to me. I will handle them. The Xia n has wrecked so many people. These are considered our good deeds for the Xia n,¡± Xie Heng said. ¡°Whatever you want, I will buy them for you.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu burst intoughter.


    Of course, she wouldn¡¯t refuse the man she liked when he wanted to spend money on her.


    Besides, if he didn¡¯t spend the money on her, who would he spend it on? Some other woman?


    She didn¡¯t have tolerance for that.


    But with the trouble just now, Zhao Chuchu dressed up very inly so as to not be liked by any dandies again.


    They went into thergest jeweler¡¯s shop in Guangqing Province, Jewellery Pavilion.


    The jewelry inside the Jewellery Pavilion was much more stylish than those in the silverware shop they had visited before.


    But what Zhao Chuchu liked most was jade, any kind of jade. In fact, she took little interest in hairpins.


    Since they were dressed very casually, they only shopped downstairs.


    However, enemies were likely to meet each other. They did not expect Xia Chengrong toe there with the same woman.


    ¡°Well, which man does not have a few women around? How many capable men have you seen to keep only one woman? If you keepining, don¡¯t follow me in the future!¡± Xia Chengrong came in while reprimanding the woman impatiently. ¡°Be a good girl and pick two things at the Jewellery Pavilion, or you can get out!¡±


    The woman immediately stoppedining and coaxed Xia Chengrong, ¡°Sixth Young Master, I¡¯m just afraid that they would deceive you. I wasn¡¯t stopping you from having other women around. Don¡¯t be angry, okay?¡±


    ¡°Do you think I am a fool?¡±


    ¡°How is it possible? You are the most discerning man in my heart.¡±


    ¡°Good, go ahead. Pick and choose whatever you like.¡±


    Seeing that Xia Chengrong seemed to be in a better mood, the woman breathed a sigh of relief.


    As soon as Xia Chengrong entered, he swept his eyes at the people in the silverware shop to see if there was a suitable target.


    His gaze swept over Zhao Chuchu but it didn¡¯t linger more than half a minute.


    Still, the moment he saw Xie Heng, his eyes instantly lit up.


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    That son of a bitch was bisexual?


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t know whether to pity Xie Heng or gouge out Xia Chengrong¡¯s eyes!


    Xie Heng naturally noticed Xia Chengrong¡¯s gaze fixed on his body.


    He suppressed his intent to kill him and tried to look normal as if he knew nothing.


    Xia Chengrong walked over.


    ¡°You look unfamiliar. Are you from outside of the town?¡± Xia Chengrong spoke directly to Xie Heng. ¡°I see that you are gentle and handsome. If you are from Guangqing Province, I should know you.¡±


    Xie Heng said indifferently, ¡°Indeed, I am not.¡±


    His coldness didn¡¯t make Xia Chengrong stop.


    Xia Chengrong found it intriguing on the contrary. ¡°I wonder what is your honorable name?¡±


    ¡°A nameless nobody. I can¡¯t bear the word honorable,¡± Xie Heng said, then he looked at Zhao Chuchu. ¡°My darling, is there anything you like? If not, let¡¯s have a look somewhere else?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I like this one. Do you think it looks good, dear?¡± Zhao Chuchu held up a jade pendant. ¡°I think it goes well with you.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you picking it out for yourself? Why did you buy it for me again?¡±


    ¡°Everything looks good on you, so I couldn¡¯t resist the desire to buy it for you, my love.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re buying it for you today. No need to help me pick it out.¡± Xie Heng picked up a jade hairpin and inserted it into her hair. ¡°This one fits you well.¡±


    ...


    The two talked as if no one else was around, ignoring Xia Chengrong.


    Xia Chengrong¡¯s gaze was getting serious. ¡°This is your wife?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, sir?¡± Zhao Chuchu looked at Xia Chengrong.


    Only then did Xia Chengrong realize that the woman¡¯s eyes were beautiful even though she was dressed casually.


    His displeasure disappeared. He said with a smile, ¡°At first nce, I thought the youngdy looked simr to an old friend. I was in a trance for a while. Please excuse my rudeness. Looking at you two gave me a feeling of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. How does it sound if I be the host and invite you two to tea?¡±


    ¡°We have other things to do, so I¡¯m sorry. We can¡¯t apany you. But we appreciate your kindness. Thank you.¡± Xie Heng made a fist and palm salute. Then he said, ¡°Dear, let¡¯s go.¡±


    He called for the staff, settled the bill for the jade hairpin, and led Zhao Chuchu out of the Jewellery Pavilion.


    Xia Chengrong smiled, stared at the back of the two leaving, and gestured for someone to follow them.


    Zhao Chuchu held back herughter ufortably.


    Xie Heng was a bit helpless. ¡°Laugh out if you want. Don¡¯t hold it.¡±


    ¡°I am very tolerant. I will not easilyugh unless I can¡¯t help it.¡± Zhao Chuchuughed out loud.


    ...


    At the moment, not only she but also Xie Heng had a sinful rtionship with the Xia n.


    Regardless of being male or female, Xia Chengrong was smitten by him.


    Chuchu wondered if Xia Chengrong¡¯s women were well.


    Fortunately, there was no H-word virus at the current time. Otherwise, the ancestors of the Xia family could jump out of the coffin to kill those unworthy children!


    Xie Heng stroked her head. ¡°Laugh out loud. It¡¯s okay.¡±


    It was not the first time anyway.


    He stopped containing his pride.


    Of course, it was only in front of Zhao Chuchu.


    Xia Chengrong was already marked in his little notebook.


    If Xia Chengrong could live in peace, he would not have been able to walk to the position of Grand Secretary.


    Xia Chengrong had ruined the interest in shopping, plus the time was not early. Since Xie Heng had things to deal with, he sent Zhao Chuchu back to the Yuan n.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go out for a while these days. Just stay at the Yuan n.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re afraid that Xia Chengrong will catch me?¡±

 Chapter 268 - 268 Staying with the Yuan Clan

    268 Staying with the Yuan n


    ¡°No, I just don¡¯t want the Xia n to have a chance to recognize you in advance,¡± Xie Heng exined.


    Zhao Chuchu epted Xie Heng¡¯s reason.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll stay at the Yuan n for a while during this period. Just remember to pass me thetest news, or I¡¯ll be ufortable secluding for a long time.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    !!


    The two quickly got rid of the stalkers.


    Xie Heng sent Chuchu to the vicinity of Yuan¡¯s house and let Zhao Chuchu go back alone first.


    Chuchu hugged him. ¡°Don¡¯t make me wait too long.¡±


    Xie Heng smiled and nodded his head.


    She let go of Xie Heng and walked toward the Yuan n.


    After she went inside, the smile on Xie Heng¡¯s face was immediately gone. It was reced by a heart-stopping coldness as he left with big steps.


    When Yuan Hui saw Zhao Chuchu return, she teased her. ¡°It¡¯s just a delivery of the letter. Why did it take so long? Did you miss your husband? If I had known, I would have invited Mr. Xie toe with me so that someone wouldn¡¯t have to suffer from the pain of missing someone else.¡±


    ¡°Huihui, I¡¯m waiting for you to fall in love. Youugh as much as you want now. I will get back with interest when you fall in love!¡± Zhao Chuchu looked at her with an evil grin.


    Yuan Hui immediately had a serious expression. ¡°I¡¯m just joking. Forget it. By the way, I heard that Xia Chengxue had an ident in Yuanjiang County and got a good beating. Hahaha.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°He seems to be fighting for girls in the brothel with someone but was beaten up. If people did note quickly, he would probably have died. I heard that Xia Chengxue¡¯s right leg is likely to be ruined, and he is being sent back to the capital of Guangqing Province. They should be looking for you soon.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t they kill him? It was too good for him.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was regretful.


    The fact that Xie Heng brushed it off was actually so interesting.


    ¡°I know. Xia Chengxue only knows to sleep with women all day and night. He has harmed many good women. He should have died long ago,¡± Yuan Hui said indignantly. ¡°The heaven is so unjust. How could he live so long?¡±


    ¡°If you think about it, living a long life with illnesses is also very good for him?¡±


    ¡°A hundred years of life and a hundred illnesses? Hahaha! If that¡¯s true, I¡¯ll have to pray to heaven to let him live a little longer. After all, death is a relief. Living with illnesses is the hardest to bear!¡±


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s all wish them a long life!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re even worse than me. Hahaha¡­¡±


    Yuan Hui didn¡¯t know about Xie Heng¡¯s arrival in Guangqing Province.


    After Chuchu asked Yuan Hui, she arranged for someone to take Deng Dalin and his son to be housed in the Yuan n so that Chuchu could conveniently change the dressing for Huan¡¯er.


    Huan¡¯er¡¯s face was recovering better every day, and at the moment, it had started to scab over.


    The newly grown flesh was very itchy, but Huan¡¯er restrained himself from picking at it to avoid leaving scars.


    When the Yuan n saw that Huan¡¯er¡¯s horrible burns could be cured so well, they were all convinced of Zhao Chuchu¡¯s ability.


    So, both the masters of the Yuan n and the servants, as long as they were troubled by skin problems, all plucked up the courage toe to Chuchu, hoping she could help them heal their faces.


    Some even wanted to ask her to make them more beautiful.


    Chuchu was speechless about that.


    She wasn¡¯t a stic surgeon. How could she change a person¡¯s appearance? Did she have to operate with a knife and be a cosmetic surgeon?


    Different people specialized in different fields. She was not enthusiastic to be a dabbler stic surgeon.


    ¡°People are born with their appearance. Even if I am good at medicine, I can¡¯t change it, so don¡¯t give me a hard time. The most I can do is to make your skin condition better than it is now, such as red bumps and spots on your face and so on. That¡¯s all I can do!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu repeated the same phrase for them.


    It was because Xie Heng came to Guangqing Province. Otherwise, she would not have had the patience. She would have already kicked them out after exining once but not being listened to.


    For this reason, Yuan Hui had to step in to restrain them, saying that they would be driven out of the house one by one and sold.


    In this way, they stopped a bit.


    However, there were always shameless people who kept making unreasonable demands with Zhao Chuchu because they were rtives of the Yuan n.


    ¡°Since you are a doctor, you should always have a way to make us look better. Otherwise, how could you be worthy of living in the Yuan family? You are living here for nothing!¡± The one who said it was a distant cousin of the Yuan n and she called Yuan Hui her cousin.


    But Yuan Hui had no impression of her rtive at all.


    To speak bluntly, they were the ones who came to get money and treated themselves as wealthy masters.


    It took all sorts to make a world.


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t even give a damn about her.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m talking to you! Are you deaf?¡± the cousin reprimanded Zhao Chuchu with dissatisfaction. ¡°These are things you should do. Why are you sozy?¡±


    Chuchuzily nced at her and asked, ¡°Am I your ancestor or your mother? Why should I spoil you?¡±


    ¡°You, you¡­ do you know who you¡¯re talking to?¡± The cousin was so angry that her face turned green. ¡°I am the Yuan family¡¯s cousindy!¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m the honored guest invited by thedy of the house. What¡¯s the difference between us?¡±


    ¡°You are just a doctor invited by my cousin. You are supposed to treat the Yuan family¡¯s people. Since you are willing to treat even the servants, how dare you refuse me? Believe it or not, I¡¯ll ask my aunt to expel you from the Yuan n. What will you be without the shelter of the Yuan family?¡±


    She pointed at Chuchu and cursed, just like a shrew.


    The gentle and virtuous woman she pretended to be in front of people was gone.


    Chuchu¡¯s face was expressionless. ¡°If you dare to curse me one more time, I will let you out of this courtyard crying. Do you believe it?¡±


    Perhaps because of her appalling eyes or powerful aura, the cousin was instantly cowed.


    ¡°Wait and see. Aunt will speak for me.¡±


    ...


    ¡°No need. I can make the decision right now!¡±


    Yuan Hui¡¯s voice suddenly came, taking over the cousin¡¯s words.


    Seeing this, the cousin was overjoyed and hurriedly ran to her, saying condescendingly, ¡°My dear cousin Huihui, you¡¯ve finally returned. The doctor you hired was very rude. She pointed at my nose and scolded me. You must teach her a lesson for me today.¡±


    After saying it, she looked at Zhao Chuchu with a smug face, thinking that Chuchu would surely be humiliated.


    Yuan Hui pushed her away and walked up to Chuchu. ¡°What happened?¡±


    Before Zhao Chuchu could say anything, the cousin interrupted her again, ¡°I just asked her to help me to make my face beautiful, and she started humiliating me sarcastically. Cousin, if such a person stays in the house, she will be a curse sooner orter. She should have been expelled long ago.¡±


    Hearing this, Yuan Hui turned back at her. ¡°And who are you?¡±


    At these words, the expression on her face froze. ¡°Cousin, I am¡­¡±


    ¡°Forget it. There are many people I don¡¯t know at home, and I don¡¯t care who you are. But she is an honored guest I invited. No one is allowed to be rude to her. Someone, tell her mother to send this girl back to her home. We don¡¯t raise people who can¡¯t distinguish the good from the bad here.¡±

 Chapter 269 - 269 That’s What You Got?

    269 That¡¯s What You Got?


    Yuan Hui¡¯s cousin screamed. ¡°Yuan Hui! I¡¯m your cousin.¡±


    ¡°You are not the only cousin raised by the Yuan n. It doesn¡¯t matter if you live here and we have to spend some money on you, but if you dare to be arrogant and treat yourself as the master here, then we don¡¯t want you to stay here.¡±


    Yuan Hui did not care about her cousin¡¯s feelings at all.


    The Yuan n was wealthy and powerful. They were able to keep an idler in their house.


    !!


    But Yuan Hui would not let her cousin interfere in her affairs.


    Yuan Hui¡¯s cousin cried bitterly and wanted Yuan Hui to forgive her.


    Yuan Hui didn¡¯t even look at her.


    Then Yuan Hui¡¯s cousin turned to beg Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu waspletely indifferent in front of her.


    Yuan Hui¡¯s cousin never thought she would be kicked out of the house of the Yuan n for putting on airs once.


    She could not help shivering at the thought of endless work after returning home. And there were no more beautiful clothes, jewelry, or money.


    ¡°I admit that it was my fault. Chuchu, please forgive me. I will never dare to do this again. Otherwise, you are just killing me.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless after hearing what Yuan Hui¡¯s cousin said.


    Now Yuan Hui¡¯s cousin was talking nonsense.


    ¡°Miss, I¡¯ve never forced you to scold me, have I? You are older than me, right? Now you don¡¯t know that you are the reason why you are going to be kicked out of the house of the Yuan n. Instead, you start to me me, huh? Can you at least use your brain? Or are you just a dumbass?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu did not want to be respectful to this kind of guy.


    Yuan Hui¡¯s cousin felt angry and ashamed.


    ¡°You tried your best to have a good rtionship with Yuan Hui just because you wanted to benefit from her, right? I¡¯ve seen many people like you who are vicious. Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know what you want to do after you can stay in the Yuan n. Do you want to marry my two cousins?¡±


    ¡°Well, well, well. I think that¡¯s what you were nning, right? Don¡¯t think others are as low as you. Not everyone is like you, Miss. Men cannot always save your ass. Besides, why do you think Ick money?¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°I may have more money than the Yuan n, but it¡¯s impossible for you to see it from your perspective. Forget it. You know nothing about money. I don¡¯t think you can understand what I want to say. You can only be men¡¯s ass kisser.¡±


    Yuan Hui¡¯s cousin was furious at that time.


    She pointed at Zhao Chuchu and didn¡¯t say anything for a long time.


    Zhao Chuchu smiled instead.


    This time, Yuan Hui¡¯s cousin was irritated.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s what you got? How dare you put on airs in front of me?¡± Zhao Chuchu sniffed.


    Yuan Hui then said, ¡°I don¡¯t really like her. She often goes to my two younger brothers. Although I don¡¯t like my mother, my two younger brothers are good-natured. She didn¡¯t get what she wanted.¡±


    ¡°I think all people could see through her. She always pretended to be innocent. However, she had done a lot of bad things. Even if she tried so hard, she still failed. After all, my mother would not ept such a daughter-inw. ¡±


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°She wanted me to make her more beautiful. If she could be nicer, I may teach her one or two ways to improve her appearance. But she came to me in a domineering way. Then that was never going to happen.¡±


    ¡°Forget about her. Didn¡¯t you say you were going to do the business of beauty care? Three dayster, thedies in the county will hold a poetry and literature gathering, which the prestigious families of Guangqing Province attend. Would you like to go?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu had not participated in the ancient girls¡¯ gathering yet. She certainly wanted to see what ancient girls would do when they got together.


    ¡°Okay. Are there any requirements for that poetry and literature gathering? Seriously, I¡¯ve been in the county for a while and haven¡¯t seen any close friends of yours. If you take me there, will there be any trouble?¡±


    ¡°They canugh at me. Even if I don¡¯t go, they will stillugh at me. I¡¯m used to it. But if I take you there this time, they won¡¯t beughing at me anymore.¡±


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go together. But you must tell me who the people are and their tempers.¡±


    Through Yuan Hui¡¯s exnation, Zhao Chuchu knew that this so-called poetry and literature gathering was a stage for those girls in Guangqing Province to show their talents.


    Although it was a poetry and literature gathering, it included music, chess, calligraphy, and painting.


    Zhao Chuchu had not studied ancient poems, and she was not going to use the representative works of those famous poets to pretend to be good at it.


    However, Zhao Chuchu was quite good at music and chess.


    After all, she had learned them.


    Yuan Hui patted Zhao Chuchu on the shoulder and said, ¡°Chuchu, you must show them how powerful you are. I can¡¯t stop them fromughing at me. It¡¯s your show time.¡±


    Zhao Chuchuughed and said, ¡°When you say that, I suddenly feel so stressed. What should I do? I know almost nothing about poetry or painting.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. It will be okay if you have one thing better than them. You could always let them see your medical skills. To tell the truth, Chunxiang is not the only one with skin problems. Especially those daughters of rich families who have blemishes on their faces. They tried their best to make themselves talented.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°For a good marriage.¡±


    Yuan Hui sighed.


    Although those girls oftenughed at Yuan Hui, Yuan Hui knew that they actually envied her.


    After all, she could still decide about her marriage, but they could not. They could only ept the arrangements of their families.


    Only if they had good reputations could they be liked by those respected families.


    Yuan Hui felt sad asionally.


    ¡°What about you? Is there a marriage arrangement?¡±


    ¡°No, my grandmother was going to make arrangements for me, but unexpected things happened. My stepmother would not interfere in my marriage, so it was dyed. However, I am only fifteen this year. It is not sote. Don¡¯t worry. I can stay in the Yuan n if I can¡¯t get married.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu patted her on the shoulder and said, ¡°Your idea is good, but it takes a lot of courage to make such a decision. If you are sure that you can withstand the strong pressure from others, I support you.¡±


    ¡°If you can¡¯t, you¡¯d better start to see whether there is a suitable family now. It¡¯s nothing shameful to take the initiative. Anyway, you will have to live with someone in the future. Don¡¯t be shy. ¡±


    ¡°Is that how you married Xie Heng?¡±


    ...


    ¡°Me? Almost.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s marriage with Xie Heng waspletely unusual and could not be taken as an example.


    She took the initiative.


    If Zhao Chuchu liked Xie Heng, she should take the initiative. If she dared not take the initiative, she should never say that she liked him.


    People could only live for a few decades. No matter what the future holds, they should always seize the moment and make decisions they will not regret in the future.


    And Zhao Chuchu always did so.

 Chapter 270 - 270 Xia Chengrong Died

    270 Xia Chengrong Died


    The next day.


    Xia Chengrong got up early in the morning and impatiently took his people to look for Xie Heng.


    Xia Chengrong couldn¡¯t sleep well all nightst night, and his mind was full of how to press Xie Heng under him. Xia Chengrong wanted to see the changes in Xie Heng¡¯s expression.


    Xia Chengrong really liked to destroy a person like this.


    However, when Xia Chengrong arrived at the alley where Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng took him yesterday, he found that he had been fooled.


    The house did not look like somebody had lived there recently.


    Hisckeys ran to ask people about the situation, and they found that the people who lived here had moved away two years ago.


    ¡°Nobody has lived here for two years?¡±


    ¡°No. Since the people moved, it hasn¡¯t been rented by anyone.¡±


    ¡°Have not a young brother and sister lived here?¡±


    ¡°Sister and brother? No, it used to be a family of four who lived here. It seemed that they were engaged in some business. When they couldn¡¯t keep it going anymore, they went back, and the house was always vacant. Bro, who are you looking for?¡±


    ¡°Why do you ask so many questions? This is none of your business.¡±


    ¡°I am just checking out. Well, I never asked, alright?¡±


    ¡°Get lost.¡±


    The man hurriedly bowed his head, returned to his yard, and closed the door.


    He feared getting into trouble if he provoked Xia Chengrong and his men.


    Theckeys hurriedly told Xia Chengrong what they heard.


    Xia Chengrong was furious and said, ¡°Well, how dare they mess with me? Find them! Even if you must turn over Guangqing Province, you should take the two of them before me.¡±


    When Xia Chengrong caught the two of them, he would definitely teach them a lesson.


    Xia Chengrong had never been fooled like this before!


    He was really irritated by them.


    In Guangqing Province, the Yuan n was the most powerful, and the Xia n was right next to the Yuan n.


    How dare two people from some other ce fool Xia Chengrong in his ce?


    Xia Chengrong did not know that Xie Heng was watching this not far away.


    Xie Heng looked indifferently at Xia Chengrong.


    Beside Xie Heng, the inconspicuous short man in ck asked in a low voice, ¡°Mr. Xie, do I have to do something?¡±


    Xie Heng waved his hand and said, ¡°There is no need to make a move now. You should just keep following him.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The man in ck stepped back and stood silently behind Xie Heng.


    Xia Chengrong could not find Xie Heng, which made him very angry.


    He led people to the most prominent male brothel in Guangqing Province and asked for the top money boy. He was going to torture the top money boy to vent his anger.


    The money boy could not help shivering when he saw Xia Chengrong¡¯s face.


    Xia Chengrong was a regr visitor here. There was no money boy here who Xia Chengrong had not tortured.


    Every money boy that Xia Chengrong asked for was afraid of being tortured to death by Xia Chengrong.


    Xia Chengrong¡¯s methods of torturing people were various. Many money boys had died because of him.


    Xia Chengrong had a powerful background. Even if the money boys died, no one would investigate this. Only the people who were close to the money boys would secretly mourn for them.


    And that was it. There was no justice for them.


    ¡°Why are you wearing a sad face? Ie here for pleasure, not for that!¡± As soon as Xia Chengrong saw the fearful face of the top money boy, he was more turned on. He wanted to whip the money boy and hear his screams.


    The money boy fell on his knees and said, ¡°I am sincerely happy that Sixth Young Master cane here. I am really sorry. Please forgive me for that.¡±


    After saying that, he climbed over to try to please Xia Chengrong, so that Xia Chengrong could be less aggressiveter.


    Although it was cheap to work in such a ce, the money boy still wanted to leave this ce alive. He did not want to be tortured to death by Xia Chengrong.


    Unexpectedly, Xia Chengrong became much more annoyed when he saw the money boy with such a humble attitude. Xia Chengrong kicked the money boy in the chest with all his strength.


    The money boy was not a strong man. How can he take Xia Chengrong¡¯s kick?


    Suddenly the money boy felt great pain in his chest, and there seemed to be blood in his throat. He fell on the ground without being able to get up for a long time.


    Xia Chengrong came to the money boy with a gloomy face, raised his foot, and stomped on him.


    The money boy screamed out.


    ¡°You are just a piece of trash. You are like a ve.¡±


    Xia Chengrong scolded and kicked the money boy.


    The money boy¡¯s screams even scared the people outside the room.


    But nobody dared toe in and persuade Xia Chengrong.


    Otherwise, they would also be tortured by Xia Chengrong.


    The money boy¡¯s cry became weaker and weaker. Xie Heng then gave a pill to the man in ck beside him and said, ¡°Kill Xia Chengrong.¡±


    This pill could make Xia Chengrong go crazy and finally die of exhaustion.


    The man in ck took the pill and retreated.


    ...


    Xie Heng still stood there.


    He could still hear the money boy¡¯s cry for help.


    Not long after the man in ck left, the money boy stopped crying.


    Instead, Xia Chengrong shouted loudly.


    This pill was very effective.


    Xia Chengrong, who had had too much sex, could not bear the pill¡¯s effect.


    And no doctor could find out the cause. The doctors would only think Xia Chengrong got too excited and died of infantile convulsion.


    After all, the people of the whole county knew about Xia Chengrong¡¯s sex addiction.


    The man in ck came back very soon.


    ¡°Mr. Xie, it¡¯s done.¡±


    ¡°You go back first.¡±


    ...


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    The man in ck had few words. He would do anything Xie Heng asked him to do.


    After the man in ck left, Xie Heng entered Xia Chengrong¡¯s room.


    Xia Chengrong had utterly lost his mind because of the pill. He was having sex with some other objects in the room.


    Xie Heng did not look at him but walked to the money boy.


    The money boy was totally beaten up. It seemed that he would die in the next moment.


    Xie Heng was not as skilled as Zhao Chuchu in medicine. However, he still could tell that the money boy did not die so easily.


    He did not give me any medicine but deepened his wound, which would not let him die.


    Only in this way could the money boy escape a disaster.


    Although Xie Heng was not a good person, he would not implicate the innocent because of the money boy¡¯s identity.


    Later, Xie Heng disguised the room.


    The pill took effect, and after two quarters, Xia Chengrong seemed to be dying.


    After that, Xie Heng left there.


    After another quarter, Xia Chengrong fell to the ground without breathing.


    Hisckeys heard nothing inside for a long time, so they gathered their courage to rush in, only to find that Xia Chengrong had already died.


    It actually scared the shit out of them.


    Then they started shaking Xia Chengrong¡¯s body crazily.


    Xia Chengrong could never open his eyes, scold, kick or punch like before.


    Xia Chengrong¡¯s death spread quickly.


    In Guangqing Province, the rumor was that Xia Chengrong died while having sex with this money boy.


    And all the people in Guangqing Province bought it.


    The people of the Xia n were furious and wanted to deal with the money boy.


    However, the money boy also had his background.

 Chapter 271 - 271 Not Surprising at All

    271 Not Surprising at All


    What¡¯s more, many people saw Xia Chengrong¡¯s body at that time and knew how he died.


    If the Xia n really dealt with the money boy for this, the people in Guangqing Province would know the truth. They would know that Xia Chengrong liked guys and had sex with them.


    Even if the rumor were true, the Xia n would not admit it.


    In addition, the Xia n itself was fragmented. And Xia Chengrong¡¯s brothers must be pleased that they did not have topete with Xia Chengrong for the family property.


    !!


    With Xie Heng¡¯s secret carrying forward, the Xia n quickly decided and clear out theckeys who were with Xia Chengrong then. The money boy escaped, and the matter was over.


    The next day, Zhao Chuchu heard that Xia Chengrong had died.


    But when Yuan Hui told her vividly, Zhao Chuchu was still stunned.


    ¡°Die on a man? Oh, this is really¡­¡±


    This was not surprising at all.


    The reason why Zhao Chuchu was stunned was not that Xia Chengrong died on a man but that Xie Heng made his move so quickly.


    She knew Xie Heng very well.


    Xia Chengrong did such a bad thing, and it would only be strange that Xia Chengrong was still alive.


    Xie Heng would not let Xia Chengrong live.


    ¡°Although I know Xia Chengrong is a passionate person, I always thought it was just a rumor that he liked both men and women. Well, now it turned out to be true. The Xia n will be so ashamed.¡±


    Yuan Hui did not hide her pleasure in Xia Chengrong¡¯s misfortune at all.


    ¡°His punishmentes so soon, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu then smiled.


    ¡°This kind of scum should die a long time ago. He has harmed so many girls. Fortunately, he is dead now, and there will be fewer evil people. Well, when can other scums in the Xia n die?¡±


    ¡°They will be made to pay for their rabid evildoings soon.¡±


    So many ns wanted to get rid of the Xia n. At this moment, there was no capable head or sessor in the Xia n. How much longer could they stay in Guangqing Province?


    In any case, Zhao Chuchu was not optimistic about the Xia n. She thought the Xia n would decline soon.


    It was absolutely impossible for the Xia n to take Zhao Chuchu as their cash cow.


    The Xia n could ask for nothing from her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know whether the poetry and literature gathering will still be held.¡± Yuan Hui looked at what Zhao Chuchu was preparing and couldn¡¯t help sighing.


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It will be held as usual.¡±


    Such a shameful thing happened to the Xia n, which was what the other ns wanted to see.


    The more the Xia n was like this, the more the other ns wanted to embarrass the Xia n.


    Anyway, sooner orter, they would fight against each other. It was not harmful to force the Xia n a little.


    As long as the rtionship was kept interesting, it would notst long.


    The Xia n was already in a mess now.


    Xia Chengxue was severely injured, and Xia Chengrong died.


    The Xia n must be in a panic.


    They did not know who would be the next unlucky one.


    Therefore, they would have no time to bother Zhao Chuchu recently.


    Zhao Chuchu was happy to see such a Xia n.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. I have to go to deliver medicine to Old Mrs. Yuan. We should take care of our own business first.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu covered the box she was packing and walked with Yuan Hui to Old Mrs. Yuan¡¯s yard.


    ¡°Chuchu, what did you put in the box just now?¡±


    ¡°Makeups made by myself.¡±


    It was just some cosmetics.


    Zhao Chuchu used to wear makeup, and she was very good at it.


    She couldn¡¯t think of when she bought these cosmetics. She probably bought them when she was hoarding goods and materials. There were a lot of them piled up in the carry-on space.


    Compared with the makeup of this era, hers were absolutely magical.


    Zhao Chuchu did not take these cosmetics for sale. She wanted to see if there were any people worth making friends with.


    Since Zhao Chuchu nned to stay with Xie Heng, she naturally would not be as happy-go-lucky as before.


    Getting a good rtionship by giving out such worthless things would be a good deal.


    People should not underestimate women. They could also make a difference.


    After all, there were a lot of men who would obey their wives¡¯mands.


    Old Mrs. Yuan was getting better day by day.


    Her waking time was also getting longer.


    Yuan Hui was pleased.


    ¡°Grandmother.¡± As soon as Yuan Hui entered the door, she first called Old Mrs. Yuan sweetly.


    Old Mrs. Yuan looked over and waved. ¡°Huihui,e here.¡±


    ...


    Yuan Hui took the medicine and said, ¡°Grandma, take the medicine first.¡±


    But Old Mrs. Yuan pretended to be confused and changed the topic. She said, ¡°You have lost weight recently. Are you too worried about me?¡±


    ¡°Take the medicine, grandma.¡±


    ¡°Huihui, you are still young. Don¡¯t always worry as much as a granny. Girls should smile as much as Chuchu.¡±


    When Old Mrs. Yuan said this, she looked at Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu could not help smiling.


    Old Mrs. Yuan tried her best to avoid taking medicine for the past two days.


    Old Mrs. Yuan just wanted to tease Yuan Hui.


    Every time Yuan Hui got nervous, she saw Old Mrs. Yuan smiling teasingly.


    This was probably the way they got along with each other. Zhao Chuchu felt it was really good.


    Yuan Hui red at Old Mrs. Yuan and said, ¡°Grandmother! If you don¡¯t take it, I won¡¯te tomorrow.¡±


    ...


    Old Mrs. Yuan smiled and said, ¡°Alright, alright. Chuchu, see? Huihui is angry. Do you think she acts like a granny?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°Well, Huihui is worried about you, Old Mrs. Yuan.¡±


    ¡°With you and your medicine around, I feel better day by day.¡±


    ¡°Grandma, stop talking. Take the medicine quickly. Don¡¯t say it¡¯s bitter.¡±


    Old Mrs. Yuan frowned and said, ¡°Huihui, this medicine is so bitter. Can I wait till it¡¯s cooler?¡±


    Yuan Hui immediately said, ¡°Not a chance! Let me feed you.¡±


    Old Mrs. Yuan could not escape, so she had to take the bowl and drink the medicine.


    Then she said to Yuan Hui, ¡°Huihui, this medicine is bitter as hell!¡±


    Yuan Hui took a candied fruit and put it in Old Mrs. Yuan¡¯s mouth, ¡°Try this.¡±


    Old Mrs. Yuan immediately smiled.


    Looking at such a lovely olddy, Zhao Chuchu also smiled.


    Sometimes an oldie could really bring a lot of joy.


    But sometimes, an oldie could really drive people crazy.


    Fortunately, Old Mrs. Yuan was the kind that brought joy.


    Old Mrs. Yuan asked Zhao Chuchu toe over and then pointed to the scroll paintings beside the bed. ¡°Chuchu,e and see if any young man in these scroll paintings is suitable for Huihui. I must help Huihui find a good husband when I am still in high spirits.¡±


    Yuan Hui blushed. ¡°Grandma, stop it!¡±


    ¡°Men and women should get married when they are old enough. If I don¡¯t help you, you might hate the one your mother found for you. Huihui, you should see if there is anyone you like. If so, I will take you to have a look when I am better in a few days. We can¡¯t be careless about your marriage!¡±


    Old Mrs. Yuan was looking at Yuan Hui with a loving face.


    Zhao Chuchu was already looking at those paintings.


    She wondered if Old Mrs. Yuan had asked people to find all the portraits of the young men in Guangqing Province.

 Chapter 272 - 272 Turning Back Only After the Pain

    272 Turning Back Only After the Pain


    All types of young men could be seen in the scrolls, and everyone was handsome with good features.


    Along with their family background, their talent and temperament were marked on the scrolls. So, their conditions were clearly described.


    ¡°There are more over there. Huihui, get them.¡± Old Mrs. Yuan pointed again to a table not far away.


    Yuan Hui was speechless.


    !!


    There were about 30 scrolls added up in total.


    Old Mrs. Yuan smiled and said, ¡°These were prepared a long time ago, but it¡¯s a pity that I got sick before I could let you choose from them. Don¡¯t worry. The married ones have been eliminated and the rest are still good. I think they are okay.¡±


    Old Mrs. Yuan continued, ¡°Of course, it is mainly up to you. If you like someone, don¡¯t be shy and tell me boldly. I will find a matchmaker. You are the one who has to live your life, so your opinion is the most important.¡±


    Yuan Hui asked, ¡°What if I don¡¯t like all of them?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t like them, you can continue to choose from a wider range. You are qualified to do so, Huihui,¡± Old Mrs. Yuan said proudly. ¡°You can always find someone you like.¡±


    She was right. The Yuan n was the wealthiest in Guangqing Province. Although no one in the family was an official in the imperial court, how many families in Guangqing Province couldpare to the Yuan n?


    Yuan Hui could select a husband ording to her will.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if the other party is far away, as long as you like him, Huihui.¡±


    Old Mrs. Yuan¡¯s deep love put a lot of pressure on Yuan Hui.


    However, Yuan Hui did not refuse. She opened the scrolls seriously and looked at them.


    She also discussed the conditions of those young men with Zhao Chuchu.


    Old Mrs. Yuan listened with a smile on her side and interjected from time to time, saying things such as good looks were not the only thing that mattered and character was the most important.


    It was useless to be handsome if one¡¯s character was not good.


    Zhao Chuchu thought so too.


    Yuan Hui finally picked three scrolls out.


    ¡°Grandma, can I meet these three?¡± Yuan Hui asked.


    Zhao Chuchu took a nce. The three young men were the second son of Mr. Ye, the deputy governor of Guangqing Province; the young master of the Luo n, a schrly family; and the third young master of the Hong n, a family of clothing business.


    Zhao Chuchu could not tell the characters of these three people from the paintings.


    After all, these were not the photos shot. The paintings must have been embellished, so one had to meet the man in person to know.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to that poetry and literature gathering the day after tomorrow? You can take a look secretly. If you like one of them, tell me. Okay?¡± Old Mrs. Yuan said smilingly.


    ¡°Yeah, I know.¡± Yuan Hui smiled.


    After getting out of Old Mrs. Yuan¡¯s ce, Yuan Hui asked Zhao Chuchu, ¡°Chuchu, do you think these three men are good?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell. I still need to see them personally to judge, and it¡¯s not necessarily urate. What? You want to listen to me?¡± Zhao Chuchu joked. ¡°This is a big event in your life, and I¡¯m the same age as you. Aren¡¯t you afraid I¡¯ll deceive you?¡±


    ¡°I believe you.¡± Yuan Hui did not hesitate.


    Zhao Chuchu smiled and patted Yuan Hui¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll go and help you make a judgment tomorrow, but the decision is up to you.¡±


    ¡°I know. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Yuan Hui was natural and graceful. She was not a shy person anyway and was influenced by Zhao Chuchu, so she thought it was perfectly normal.


    After Zhao Chuchu separated from Yuan Hui, she left the Yuan n¡¯s house to look for Xie Heng.


    However, Zhao Chuchu failed to meet Xie Heng because he was not there.


    She asked and learned that Xie Heng had gone out early in the morning and had not returned yet.


    Zhao Chuchu had an indefinable loss.


    Perhaps because of the tacit understanding, just as Zhao Chuchu turned around and was about to leave, she bumped into a warm and broad embrace, and her arm was held by someone.


    Zhao Chuchu looked up and met those gentle, burning eyes.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Xie Heng asked softly. ¡°Does it hurt to bump into someone?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. I just wanted to leave, but I didn¡¯t expect you toe back,¡± Zhao Chuchu said with a smile. Her mood suddenly turned bright.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go in first.¡± Xie Heng took Zhao Chuchu¡¯s hands and pulled her inside. He made a gesture to the people behind him, signaling them to do something else first.


    ¡°Where did you go?¡± Only after entering the backyard did Zhao Chuchu ask this.


    ¡°I had something to take care of. I didn¡¯t expect you toe over today, or I would have ger. It¡¯s good that I came back in time and didn¡¯t let you make a trip for nothing.¡±


    After a pause, Xie Heng lowered his voice. ¡°Is it about the Xia n?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu nodded.


    ¡°Those who deserve to die shouldn¡¯t continue to live to cause harm to others,¡± Xie Heng said concisely.


    He frankly admitted that he killed the person himself.


    ¡°Are you not afraid of being targeted by the Xia n if you act so quickly?¡±


    ¡°If the Xia n was so capable, they wouldn¡¯t have ended up in this situation today.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu felt that with Xie Heng around, the Xia n wouldn¡¯t even have a chance to bother her.


    ¡°I want to ask you about three people. Old Mrs. Yuan is nning to find a match for Yuan Hui, and Yuan Hui has picked three people to meet. You give an idea to see which of these three is okay.¡±


    Then, Zhao Chuchu told Xie Heng the identity of those three people.


    Xie Heng frowned slightly after he heard this. ¡°Is Yuan Hui going to prepare a marriage now?¡±


    Zhao Chchu wanted to ask who Yuan Hui¡¯s husband was in her previous life, but then she remembered that Yuan Hui was no longer alive at this time in Xie Heng¡¯s previous life. In that case, it would be impossible for her to have any marriage.


    ¡°Yes. But looking at your reaction, none of these three are good?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, none of them are good people. The one from the Ye n already has a concubine¡¯s son and he likes to make a move on women. The one from the Luo n is a heartless person who abandoned his spouse after bing an advanced schr in his previous life. And as for the third young master of the Hong n, he is not a kind person, either. None of them are suitable for Yuan Hui.¡±


    ...


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°You want to help Yuan Hui?¡±


    ¡°At least she¡¯s my first friend. Isn¡¯t it only natural that I help her? I can¡¯t just stand by and watch my friend jump into the fire without stopping her, right?¡±


    ¡°What if the Yuan n insists?¡±


    ¡°No way. As long as she doesn¡¯t like the man, the Yuan n will not force her.¡±


    ¡°What about other people¡¯s plots? Chuchu, you can¡¯t protect Yuan Hui for the rest of your life. There are some things that she has to learn herself to remember so that she won¡¯t forget the pain after getting well.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu sighed and said, ¡°I know. But how to say¡­ I can¡¯t do everything for her, but it¡¯s always good to remind her. If she has to fall in love like a love-struck person, then when she is in pain, she will know to turn back.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a love-struck person?¡± Xie Heng did not understand and asked.


    ¡°A love-struck person feels love above all else. She thinks that what the person she likes says is always right, she won¡¯t listen to the opinions of others, and she even can do anything for the man she is crazy about.¡±


    Hearing this, Xie Hengughed. ¡°What you said is quite intriguing.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu raised her eyebrows. ¡°There are quite a lot of people like this, but usually, love-struck people are very emotional and especially love-starved. Yuan Hui doesn¡¯t look like a person whocks love, so she shouldn¡¯t fall in love so easily.¡±


    ...


    ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°Me?¡±


    ¡°I expect you to keep your sanity at all times, even in front of me.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to get me mentally prepared in advance that you might hurt me?¡±


    ¡°No. But I¡¯m not God. I can¡¯t control everything. In case there¡¯s an ident?¡±


    It was as if he had lived a new life and seemed to have everything under control, but meeting Zhao Chuchu waspletely beyond his perception.


    No one knew what God would do next.

 Chapter 273 - 273 He Was a Henpecked Husband

    273 He Was a Henpecked Husband


    Xie Heng could only try to keep himself from hurting Zhao Chuchu as much as possible.


    The reason was that he was worried about the matters he could not anticipate when things got out of control.


    ¡°Da Lang, it¡¯s not easy to hurt me.¡± Zhao Chuchu pinched Xie Heng¡¯s face. ¡°I won¡¯t give you that chance either, so don¡¯t worry. Will you be unhappy if I say this?¡±


    Xie Heng shook his head. ¡°No. The Xia n won¡¯t have time to trouble you for a while, and you can have some peace in Guangqing Province.¡±


    !!


    ¡°I thought before that, Xia Chengxuan and her daughter would pass my whereabouts to the Xia n.¡±


    ¡°Xia Chengxuan should have had this idea, but it was rejected by Kang Xiuwan.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was a little surprised.


    ¡°You mean that Kang Xiuwan actually stopped Xia Chengxuan?¡±


    ¡°A bad mother can even give birth to a good daughter. Kang Xiuwan is sensible and not as confused as Xia Chengxuan.¡±


    ¡°It seems that Kang Xiuwan has some conscience, and not all members of the Xia n are so shameless.¡±


    ¡°Kang Xiuwan¡¯s life in the Kang n is not easy. She may be thinking from your point of view and does not want you to suffer so much.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯ll keep this favor in mind.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a big deal, and she wasn¡¯t afraid of the Xia n. Still, it was good that there were fewer annoying flies to harass her, more or less leaving her peace.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to get so close to Kang Xiuwan. She has the Kang n behind her, so there are some things she can¡¯t do even if she wants to.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    She owed Kang Xiuwan a favor, not the Kang n.


    These were two different things.


    Besides, she had a bad impression of the Kang n.


    ¡°Are you hungry? I¡¯ll cook something delicious for you.¡±


    ¡°No need to do that outside, or else your men will see it. You¡¯ll be so embarrassed.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu made a snicker.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing to be embarrassed about. This will let them know who their mistress is. If they are served for you one day, they will not disobey you.¡±


    Xie Heng didn¡¯t care about this at all.


    As a man who had experienced everything, the rare destiny was what he wanted to cherish more.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll order the food.¡± Since Xie Heng had said so, it would be too pretentious if Zhao Chuchu was polite to him.


    Xie Heng smiled and wrote down the dishes Zhao Chuchu wanted to eat. Then, he sent someone out to buy food.


    Xie Heng¡¯s men were stunned.


    They could not believe that Xie Heng could be so easygoing.


    They didn¡¯t know that he was a henpecked husband.


    They kept eximing in their hearts.


    Of course, all these were conveyed by their brief eye contact. They did not dare to say it out loud, let alone tease Xie Heng.


    That was because the young man in front of them was not as harmless as he appeared to be.


    He didn¡¯t even blink when he killed people.


    While the people went out to buy food, Xie Heng went to the back kitchen to cook rice.


    From time to time, the people outside would pretend to be busy and pass by the kitchen to secretly see what Xie Heng was doing.


    At first, they doubted if Xie Heng could really cook.


    But when the smell of dishes wafted out from the kitchen, they suddenly felt hungry and even expected that they could have a meal cooked by Xie Heng today.


    Unfortunately, their expectations were destined to be dashed.


    They didn¡¯t even have a chance to try to taste Xie Heng¡¯s cooking because Xie Heng chased them out.


    He wouldn¡¯t let them stay and be an eyesore.


    The others were speechless.


    They thought, ¡°Well, it¡¯s not easy for Mr. Xie to fall in love with someone and know how to treat his wife well. So, we¡¯d better not dy him.¡±


    After all, such a Mr. Xie was more approachable and no longer as cold as before.


    ¡°Hey, where are those men of yours?¡± Zhao Chuchu came out of the room and found the house empty.


    ¡°They had other things to do and went out,¡± Xie Heng said calmly. ¡°Help me bring a te over. We can have dinner right away.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu did not doubt it. Seeing the colorful and delicious meal, she instantly felt hungry.


    ¡°Da Lang, your cooking skills are getting better and better.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m happy to hear that.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯replimenting me.¡±


    ¡°There are many people whopliment you.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re not like others.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t help butugh again.


    It was easy for Xie Heng to please a person.


    ...


    He was too good at talking.


    Zhao Chuchu was d that she hadn¡¯t met an old-fashioned nerd who could only read by rote.


    Otherwise, she would have run away immediately without looking back.


    Xie Heng knew well how to respect others.


    He helped Zhao Chuchu with the food before he ate. He picked out the bones from the fish for Zhao Chuchu and put the flesh in a clean bowl. Then he handed it to Zhao Chuchu so that Zhao Chuchu could eat without any worries.


    Zhao Chuchu enjoyed Xie Heng¡¯s care like this.


    ¡°Da Lang, I feel like a loser every time I eat with you. But I¡¯m also an excellent food chugger.¡±


    ¡°Food chugger?¡±


    ¡°It refers to someone who can eat a lot.¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, why can you always say so many funny words?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as apliment. Alright, you eat some too. Don¡¯t just serve me food.¡±


    ...


    Zhao Chuchu picked up a pair of clean chopsticks and served dishes to Xie Heng.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    The atmosphere of the two eating was rxed and warm.


    In the end, Zhao Chuchu ate those meals cleanly all by herself, rubbing her round belly and leaning back in the chair without even wanting to move.


    ¡°Da Lang, I¡¯ll be fed fat by you sooner orter.¡±


    ¡°You work so hard, so you won¡¯t get fat, You should eat more to have energy. If you¡¯re really worried, I¡¯ll teach you to fight when we get back, and I guarantee you won¡¯t get fat.¡±


    ¡°Great.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu did not care if she would get fat or not. What was important was that Xie Heng would teach her to fight.


    She would not miss the opportunity to interact with Xie Heng.


    After all, being ambiguous was important in a rtionship.


    Being ambiguous was the most beautiful thing.


    Besides, almost all heartwarming moments were in an ambiguous period.


    ¡°You sit for a while. I¡¯ll clean up the ce first.¡±


    But how could Zhao Chuchu let Xie Heng do everything?


    So, she got up to help. Their hands reached for a te at the same time and touched.


    Zhao Chuchu subconsciously looked at Xie Heng.


    Meanwhile, a hint of joy shed across Xie Heng¡¯s eyes.


    The two withdrew their hands at the same time and reached for another bowl unintentionally, touching each other again.


    Xie Heng quickly grabbed Zhao Chuchu¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯ll do it. You just take a break.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu smiled. ¡°Is this a tacit understanding between us?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡± Xie Heng¡¯s smile intensified. ¡°Go and sit for a while.¡±


    ¡°Well, thank you, Da Lang.¡± Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t insist on helping Xie Heng again.


    Looking at the way Xie Heng worked, Zhao Chuchu felt he looked handsome in whatever he did.


    The scene looked like a painting even though Xie Heng was just cleaning up the dishes.


    Xie Heng noticed that Zhao Chuchu¡¯s gaze was on him and couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    ¡°Da Lang, don¡¯t cook for other girls in the future!¡± Zhao Chuchu admonished, ¡°Remember, you can only cook for me.¡±


    A talented and handsome man with good cooking skills was very popr.


    Although Zhao Chuchu had no interest inpeting with others for men, she would be very cranky if others targeted her man.


    After all, the people who had snatched her things were dead, and she couldn¡¯t guarantee that she would have the sanity to control herself.


    It would not be worth it if something did go wrong, so Xie Heng should be strictly prevented from getting involved with other women outside to eliminate all possibilities.

 Chapter 274 - 274 I Won’t Be the Wrong Man

    274 I Won¡¯t Be the Wrong Man


    ¡°There will be no other women.¡± Xie Heng was serious. ¡°But can I cook for our daughters and granddaughters?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu let out augh. ¡°Hey, that¡¯s a little far-fetched, don¡¯t you think? You¡¯re thinking of bing a grandfather already? Da Lang, you are thinking too far ahead.¡±


    ¡°Not exactly. These are my thoughts on our future. I want to grow old together with you, Chuchu.¡±


    Xie Heng took Zhao Chuchu¡¯s hand and looked at her with a burning gaze.


    When he gazed at her, his eyes were sparkling like the stars. She couldn¡¯t help but get lost in his eyes.


    She didn¡¯t think much about the future, but Xie Heng even had their future nned out, all with her in it.


    ¡°Chuchu, I can¡¯t be a part of your past, but I hope that your present and future will be with me. Although I don¡¯t know what it¡¯s like for men and women to get married in your ce, I will do my best to give you everything you want.¡±


    Xie Heng¡¯s voice was so low that only the two of them could hear it, but the seriousness and determination in his tone were not missing at all.


    Zhao Chuchu reached out and wrapped her arms around Xie Heng¡¯s waist. ¡°Da Lang, in our ce, if a man and a woman like each other, they will be in a rtionship. And if they feel that they are suitable for each other, they will get married.


    ¡°The marriage ceremony is simr to that here and also requires a banquet, but thoseplicated procedures are simplified. However, in our ce, if the husband is not faithful to his wife after the marriage, the wife can ask for a divorce and share the husband¡¯s property equally.


    ¡°Da Lang, if you want to marry me, you have to follow the rules of our ce. If you are unfaithful to me, I can end the rtionship at any time. Moreover, I won¡¯t follow any women¡¯s duties like other girls, let alone just stay at home and take care of you and our children.¡±


    Xie Heng said, ¡°No matter what you do, I¡¯ll be on your side. This is a life that belongs only to you and me, so what others think has nothing to do with us. I only hope that you will feel happy when you are with me. As for being faithful, nothing I say now counts. Time will prove it.¡±


    ¡°Yep. I also believe that time will prove that you are my Mr. Right, Da Lang.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s words made Xie Heng¡¯s mouth curl up in a pleasant arc.


    ¡°Chuchu, I won¡¯t be the wrong man for you.¡±


    The two of them hugged each other for a while, and Zhao Chuchu talked to Xie Heng about the poetry and literature gathering of the next day.


    Xie Heng thought for a while and asked, ¡°How about I go with you?¡±


    ¡°You? No way. It¡¯s too unfair for you to go to that kind of asion. You are too outstanding, and who can be your opponent? Who knows if other men or women will take fancy to you when you make a ssh? Da Lang, I don¡¯t like fighting over you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Nothing like that will happen.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t go.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu insisted.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be fun if you go. How can an old hand bully a green hand?¡±


    ¡°Old hand? Green hand?¡±


    Xie Heng was intrigued as soon as he heard the unfamiliar words.


    ¡°An old hand is a very experienced person and a green hand is a person who doesn¡¯t know a thing. So, it will be a huge strike for them to face you.¡±


    ¡°I see. Is it something like an ant trying to shake a big tree?¡±


    ¡°Yep! You¡¯re so smart, Da Lang.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m an ¡®old hand¡¯, remember? I can¡¯t let you down, Chuchu.¡±


    At first, Zhao Chuchu actually thought that Xie Heng couldn¡¯t ept someone from a different world.


    But after getting along, she found that Xie Heng¡¯s ability to ept new things was far better than she had imagined. Perhaps it was because Xie Heng had returned from reincarnation, so he epted her existence easily.


    When she sometimesmunicated with Xie Heng in the way she did in her previous life, Xie Heng was not quite used to it, but he was still trying to adapt.


    Zhao Chuchu had met people who liked her before.


    But none of them could do what Xie Heng did.


    Xie Heng was a very powerful person himself, but he was willing to lower himself for her, trying to learn her culture and adapt to everything about her.


    Xie Heng never treated her like a weirdo. He even cared more about her well-being than she did and helped her hide her secrets.


    Zhao Chuchu used to be a person who didn¡¯t believe in fate, but now she felt that her encounter with Xie Heng was probably fate.


    Otherwise, how could they meet each other in their repeated lives?


    ¡°Da Lang, falling in love with me is also the best choice you¡¯ve ever made in your life.¡± Zhao Chuchu nestled in Xie Heng¡¯s arms.


    Xie Heng smiled. ¡°Yes. I thank God every day when I wake up for sending you to my side. Chuchu, you are probably thepensation that God gave me.¡±


    ¡°So, I¡¯m the one you got in exchange for a lot of merits?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Maybe good people get good rewards, I guess.¡±


    ¡°But don¡¯t you always say that you are not a good person?¡±


    ¡°To my enemies, I am a ruthless person, but to the people of the Wei Dynasty, I have done my best. Chuchu, you should know better than I do how many lives it will take to bring back peace in the world. Some people don¡¯t have to die for their crimes, but I still killed them.¡±


    ¡°Because they hindered the peace of the world?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Xie Heng admitted frankly.


    Whether it was good or bad, he would not deny the existence of the fact if he did it.


    Xie Heng had always been a man of responsibility.


    He would never run away from his responsibility.


    Zhao Chuchu thought for a moment and told Xie Heng about the history of her country when it was invaded by the great powers and how, during those tragic 100 years, a peaceful and unprecedented era was forged with the blood of countless martyrs.


    Xie Heng listened with awe. ¡°They deserve to live on for thousands of years, and the national courage of your martyrs is really admirable. Chuchu, you are very lucky.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°Yes. We, the descendants, are happy because we live in the peaceful and prosperous world created for us by our martyrs. In fact, when I was alive, there were still battles everywhere in the world, more tragic than the battles now.¡±


    ¡°Although the price of sacrificing a small number of people for the peace of the vast majority of people is heavy, it is still worth it. Chuchu, in fact, people had mixed opinions about me when I died. Those who thought I was right respected me and those who thought I was militaristic and held sole power cursed me every day.¡±


    ¡°Did you kill those who cursed you then?¡±


    ...


    ¡°I never cared about this. No matter how they scolded me, I was the most powerful grand secretary in their eyes, and no one could shake my position. What I cared about was when the emperor would grow up and take power.¡±


    That was because he also did not have much time left at that time.


    He did not want the peace he had tried so hard to establish to be ruined. He wanted the emperor to have the world at heart and create a prosperous world.


    Even if he could not see, he would beforted if he knew in heaven.


    ¡°Chuchu, although I am not a good person in the eyes of others or even a demon-like existence, I have a ruler in my heart. It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t bear others scolding me. Listening to other people¡¯s heartless scolding asionally can make me soberer.¡±

 Chapter 275 - 275 Did You Transplant Her a New Face?

    275 Did You Transnt Her a New Face?


    ¡°Then I am different from you. Who dares to scold me? I will give him a hard time!¡± Zhao Chuchu disagreed on this point. ¡°I don¡¯t ept any insults.¡±


    She didn¡¯t need to think about it to know how those schrs would scold Xie Heng.


    The literati¡¯s pen was the sharpest knife in the world, killing people quietly and discreetly.


    Just have a look at what the Wei Dynasty has be.


    If Xie Heng weren¡¯t there to put things right, they would never have had the opportunity to scold Xie Heng in their writings.


    They were too full and idle to ride the wave of Xie Heng to get fame.


    ¡°Chuchu, I¡¯m different from you. As an official in court, I can¡¯t be as unrestrained and reckless as you are. Of course, I am not saying that you are not good. After all, there are too many considerations in court. I cannot just seek momentary gratification.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s true. We are in different positions, so naturally, we can¡¯t make the same decisions. But, Da Lang, if someone scolds you again in the future, leave it to me. I¡¯ll avenge you.¡±


    ¡°There is no need to stoop down to their level.¡±


    Xie Heng couldn¡¯t bear to leave her being scolded.


    ¡°There is no harm in being scolded, not to mention bringing me any trouble. Responding to them would, however, show them respect.¡±


    Zhao Chuchuughed lightly. ¡°Indeed, show them respect.¡±


    ¡°Anything would be better than that. Do you think so?¡±


    ¡°Right!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu came back after having dinner at Xie Heng¡¯s ce.


    Yuan Hui felt strange. Chuchu had been out for most of the day. She must be hiding something from her.


    She waited for her toe out of the shower.


    ¡°It¡¯s sote. Why aren¡¯t you resting?¡± Chuchu came out, twisting her hair, and was a little surprised to see Yuan Hui.


    Yuan Hui looked at Chuchu, only to see that she was radiant with happiness¡ªas if she had experienced something incredible.


    ¡°Chuchu, you went out the day before yesterday and again today, and you were gone for almost half a day. Did you see someone?¡± Yuan Hui hesitantly asked. ¡°Is Mr. Xie okay in Yuanjiang County?¡±


    Chuchu was happy to hear that. Was Yuan Hui worried that she was cuckolding Xie Heng?


    She deliberately pretended not to understand. ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Xie treats you so well. Don¡¯t be fooled by those dandies in the capital of Guangqing Province. Chuchu, it would be hard for me to exin to Mr. Xie. He is better than the fops in the city, so don¡¯t be blind!¡± Yuan Hui was a little nervous.


    Although she didn¡¯t know Xie Heng very well, her intuition told her that Xie Heng was not someone she could mess with.


    So Yuan Hui didn¡¯t want to be on unfriendly terms with Xie Heng, and even more so since she had invited Zhao Chuchu here, she didn¡¯t want to have a conflict arise between the couple and end up being med by Xie Heng.


    ¡°Chuchu, don¡¯t do anything stupid.¡± Yuan Hui held her hand.


    Zhao Chuchu. ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Huihui, do you think I look like the kind of person who is blind in the eyes and the heart? Of course, I go out for something that makes me happy, but it has nothing to do with being sorry to Xie Heng. So, don¡¯t have all these random thoughts in your little head!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Why would I lie to you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. Otherwise, I¡¯ll feel guilty for causing conflict between you and Mr. Xie.¡±


    Yuan Hui breathed a sigh of relief.


    Chuchu patted her. ¡°Of course not. In my eyes, no one is better than Xie Heng for the time being.¡±


    ¡°Thankfully, you know that. Although it¡¯s not good to talk about your husband in private, Chuchu, I think he is a man worthy of a lifetimemitment. There may not be a man in this world who loves you more than he.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, there is not.¡±


    Because now she had no father and no mother.


    Those rted to the original owner by blood wanted to oppress and exploit her to the extreme. Who would protect her as sincerely as Xie Heng did?


    ¡°In that case, I won¡¯t bother you. It would help if you rested early. We must get up early tomorrow to dress up for thatborious poetry and literature gathering.¡±


    ¡°Good, sleep early too.¡±


    When Yuan Hui left, Chuchu dried her hair and began to sort out the things in the makeup case again.


    Since she wanted to do business in this field, she had to prepare well to win the battle with certainty.


    The next day.


    Before dawn, Chuchu heard movement in Yuan Hui¡¯s room.


    Yuan Hui was up early to get dressed.


    Chuchu originally wanted to snooze in bed, but the noise from Yuan Hui was a bit loud, so she had to get up.


    After all, she had agreed to do Yuan Hui¡¯s makeup today.


    After washing up, she went to Yuan Hui¡¯s room with her makeup case.


    Yuan Hui sat sleepily in front of the dressing table, looking slightly off.


    At the sight of Chuchu, she yawned. ¡°Chuchu, let¡¯s not go there today. I¡¯m so sleepy!¡±


    ¡°You are already up, so don¡¯t say that you¡¯re not going. Or you wouldn¡¯t have woken up so early, right?¡± Chuchuughed.


    She took out the cosmetics, put them on the dressing table, and asked the maid to light a few more candles to make the room better lit.


    ¡°These are the rouges and powders you¡¯ve been working on these past two days?¡± Yuan Hui curiously picked up a box of loose powder.


    The packaging of these things was very ssic, so it wasn¡¯t awkward to take them out.


    Yuan Hui and the maids weren¡¯t suspicious. Instead, they couldn¡¯t take their eyes off the delicate packaging.


    ...


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯ll know when you try itter. It¡¯s even better than the rouge from those old stores.¡±


    ¡°Then you have to hurry up and try it on me.¡±


    Yuan Hui couldn¡¯t wait.


    Every girl loved beauty, and so did Yuan Hui.


    Yuan Hui was young, white as snow, and beautiful. In fact, she did not even need much makeup. Chuchu just needed to fix the minor ws on her face and highlight her features so that her makeup would be light and natural and her face would look more exquisite.


    It only took Chuchu 15 minutes to finish Yuan Hui¡¯s makeup.


    Yuan Hui opened her eyes to see herself in the mirror and was amazed. ¡°Oh my god, is that me?¡±


    Even the maidsplimented and envied the skillful hands of Zhao Chuchu.


    It was a pity that Chuchu could not do the ancient hairstyle.


    Yuan Hui¡¯s hairstyle could only be left to the maid, who specialized inbing her hair.


    The maid was also handy. She put Yuan Hui¡¯s hair into a bun that perfectly matched her makeup, making her more like a little fairying out of a painting.


    ...


    Yuan Hui couldn¡¯t take her eyes off the mirror. ¡°I always thought I looked pretty good, but today I realized I could look even better. Ooh, you¡¯re too good.¡±


    Chuchu smiled. ¡°It is just a small trick. By the way, aren¡¯t you going to take Chunxiang with you? Where is she?¡±


    ¡°Ms. Chuchu, I am here.¡± Chunxiang, who was waiting outside the door, hurried in at the sound of her voice.


    The pimples on her face had almost healed, but the marks hadn¡¯t faded yet, and it still looked like it was affecting her beauty.


    However, under Chuchu¡¯s skillful hands, the pimple marks were covered up so well that they were not visible at all. They were retouched naturally, without the miserably white cast often seen on those noblewomen who put too much powder on their faces.


    ¡°Is this Chunxiang, or did you give her a new face?¡± Yuan Hui was dumbfounded.

 Chapter 276 - 276 The Stench of Silver and Gold

    276 The Stench of Silver and Gold


    ¡°It¡¯s called skill! How about it? Not bad, right?¡± Chuchu asked proudly. ¡°The marks on Chunxiang¡¯s face are only temporarily covered up. It will take some time for them to disappearpletely.¡±


    Yuan Hui went to take a closer look at Chunxiang¡¯s face and sighed.


    She begged Chuchu, ¡°Why don¡¯t you teach me this skill? Then, if I can do it, you can ask for anything, please.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it when I get back.¡± Chuchu did not refuse. Anyway, she did not rely on makeup to make a living. So there was no harm in teaching them some makeup skills.


    !!


    Pretty youngdies¡ªhow eye-catching!


    She also liked it.


    ¡°Hehe, I knew you were the best. But you usually don¡¯t put on any makeup. I didn¡¯t realize you were so dexterous.¡±


    ¡°I have many more skills than you can imagine. You will see them all in the future when you have the chance.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll wait. Well, let¡¯s eat something and leave in a while.¡±


    Several other maids in the room were all looking at Chunxiang with envy on their faces.


    They also wished they could be dressed up beautifully like Chunxiang.


    Seeing this, and that it was still early, Chuchu told Yuan Hui, ¡°Anyway, the leading role of the poetry and literature gathering is someone else. So we are not in a hurry to go there. Let me help the other sisters do their makeup as well.¡±


    ¡°Is it toote?¡± Yuan Hui asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. Can I watch beside you?¡±


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll teach you some basic makeup skills. They¡¯re all effortless.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu gestured for the nearest maid to sit down and exined what she was doing while applying her makeup.


    She was fixing their ws ording to the characteristics of their facial features, making them beautiful while looking natural.


    Every maid who had makeup applied was grateful to her.


    Because they never knew they could be so good-looking.


    ¡°Have you all remembered what I said? You can practice on your ownter. Don¡¯t apply too much powder. The tip of applying makeup is to conceal the ws on your face¡­¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your guidance. We¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡±


    ¡°Well, practice makes perfect. Just practice. Huihui, can we have breakfast now? I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, wait a moment. We will serve it right away.¡±


    Their mood was better when they became beautiful, and they seemed to be able to do their work more efficiently.


    Initially, the maids in Yuan Hui¡¯s courtyard were all afraid of Chuchu, but after what had just happened, their view of Chuchu changed, and they felt that Chuchu was not as scary as they had thought.


    As long as they didn¡¯t do anything to make her angry, she was delightful to talk to.


    After Chuchu and Yuan Hui had breakfast, they took Yuan Hui¡¯s maid and Chunxiang with them and left for Laurel Garden, where the poetry and literature gathering was held.


    Laurel Garden was initially built by a wealthy merchant from the previous dynasty. After the war, it became the property of a lord with a different surname than the emperor of the Wei Dynasty.


    Later, the lord plotted a rebellion and was beheaded. Laurel Garden was confiscated and eventually given to a princess.


    Now, Laurel Garden was owned by the cloth merchants, the Hong n.


    However, the Hong n did not move to Laurel Garden and instead turned it into a ce for the literati and the nobility to have fun.


    Big ns in the city have traditionally held poetry and literary gatherings in turn.


    This year, it was the Hong n¡¯s turn.


    It took nearly an hour from Yuan Hui¡¯s house to Laurel Garden.


    When Chuchu and Yuan Hui arrived, Laurel Garden was already very busy.


    They seemed to be thest ones to arrive.


    As soon as Chuchu stepped into Laurel Garden, Kang Xiuwan, who had arrived early, immediately spotted her.


    She couldn¡¯t help but frown. ¡°Why did shee here? Wasn¡¯t she afraid of being recognized by the Xia n?


    Although Xia Chengrong was dead, he was just a concubine son. Therefore, Xia Songquan could not waste much time crying for him. Instead, he would seize any opportunity to make the other girls of the family social climbers.


    The two girls standing next to Kang Xiuwan today were from the Xia n.


    Kang Xiuwan wanted to give Chuchu a heads-up, but the two girls of the Xia n followed her closely. She had no chance.


    Chuchu also found Kang Xiuwan.


    Naturally, she also saw the two girls beside her.


    She smiled, withdrew her gaze, and followed Yuan Hui as she walked over proudly.


    As a result, someone immediately went forward and began to mock them.


    ¡°Huh, isn¡¯t this Miss Yuan? Why are you justing over now? We¡¯ve been waiting for you for a long time!¡±


    ¡°I wonder what kind of surprise Miss Yuan will bring us this year? I¡¯m sure Miss Yuan will set the world on fire.¡±


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t go too far. Who doesn¡¯t know that Miss Yuan is the best at doing business? If you let her use the abacus, I¡¯m afraid no one in the audience can match her, but if you want her to show her attainments in poetry and literature, won¡¯t it be too difficult for her? You can¡¯t bully people like that.¡±


    ¡°Using the abacus is also a talent. How about Miss Yuan teaching us how to do ounting? We also want to earn more money like Miss Yuan.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you mind the stench of silver and gold? How could any decent girl touch these?¡±


    Although Yuan Hui was still smiling, her smile was cold and forceful.


    Chuchu was left speechless by this.


    The stench of silver and gold? These people clearly had not suffered from hunger and poverty. Do they even hate the stench of money?


    ...


    If they were to starve for three days, would they still be so arrogant?


    ¡°Miss Yuan, they are just straightforward. You have always been generous, so I don¡¯t think you will take it personally, right? By the way, who is this girl beside you? She doesn¡¯t look familiar. Is she a cousin of your family?¡±


    At that moment, a gentle and quiet young girl came forward, sounding like she wanted to smooth things out, but in fact, every word pointed out that what those girls just said was the truth, and it would be Yuan Hui¡¯s fault if she got angry.


    The smile under Chuchu¡¯s eyes flickered away.


    Although the girl was not sophisticated enough, she was a genuine phony.


    While Chuchu was secretly sizing her up, the girl was doing the same to her with unobtrusive contempt.


    ¡°Why, Sister Du, do you still need to ask? She must be the helper that Miss Yuan brought. Didn¡¯t she sayst year that sooner orter, she¡¯d be able to get revenge for her shame?¡± The girl in green beside her covered her mouth andughed lightly.


    Yuan Hui frowned. ¡°I didn¡¯t say such a thing.¡±


    ¡°Miss Yuan, don¡¯t be in a hurry to deny it. We all heard itst year, right?¡± The girl in green turned around and asked the others.


    ¡°Yeah, I heard it anyway.¡±


    ¡°I heard it too.¡±


    ...


    ¡°Miss Yuan, you will not go back on your word, right?¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding me? Does anyone think they can take back what they said?¡±


    Theyughed loudly, not showing any respect to Yuan Hui at all.


    It was because the Yuan n was wealthy. Yuan Hui¡¯s food, clothing, and transport were all above theirs, and what¡¯s more, Yuan Hui was always the first to wear the new jewelry and headdresses from the silverware shop.


    This was enough for them to envy her.


    Materially, they were not a match. Therefore, they could only find a bnce by suppressing Yuan Hui with their talents.

 Chapter 277 - 277 You Are Simply Shameless!

    277 You Are Simply Shameless!


    Yuan Hui¡¯s hands were clenched at her sides.


    Zhao Chuchu chuckled lightly and said, ¡°Of course, you can¡¯t take back what you said, but do you have evidence that Huihui said this? There is no proof of what you say, and if you don¡¯t have evidence, then you are gossiping. I¡¯ve always thought a decent youngdy would be careful with her words, but today I¡¯ve learned a lot.¡±


    ¡°Who are you? What right do you have to talk to us here? This is a poetry and literature gathering, not somewhere you can act crazy because you have good looks!¡± The girl in green stepped forward and stared at Chuchu with contempt.


    Zhao Chuchu replied, ¡°Thank you forplimenting me on my good looks.¡±


    The girl in green. ¡°¡­¡±


    She was so angry that she couldn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°Miss, is this how your parents taught you in the past?¡± she added.


    ¡°My parents died early, but thank you for reminding me. At least I know the evidence speaks for itself. At least I won¡¯t frame someone just because I didn¡¯t have parents to teach me, and I won¡¯t sneer at people for no reason,¡± Chuchu replied.


    ¡°How dare you! Do you know who you¡¯re talking to? Where are the servants of the Hong n? Throw this person of unknown origin out!¡± The girl in green was getting furious.


    They were already a bit annoyed at Zhao Chuchu¡¯s retort.


    Yuan Hui looked at them with great joy.


    She stood in front of Zhao Chuchu, saying, ¡°What? Can¡¯t I bring my friend here? When did the poetry and literature gathering be your one-man show? How dare you kick people out so easily? If I remember correctly, the poetry and literature gathering was organized by all the major ns in the capital of Guangqing Province!¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°What? Are you not convinced? If I remember correctly, your n doesn¡¯t seem qualified to hold a poetry and literature gathering.¡±


    ¡°Yuan Hui!¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. So few families are qualified to host the poetry and literature gathering.¡±


    Several girls went ck in the face because of Yuan Hui¡¯s words.


    That¡¯s why they hated Yuan Hui so much. To them, Yuan Hui was only slightly wealthier than them butcked talent. So how dare she look down on them?


    After all, she was just a vulgar merchant girl without any talent. What qualifications did she have to be superior to them?


    Unfortunately, they only dared to curse in their hearts and not spread it publicly.


    They feared that the Yuan n would deliberately cause trouble for them and that their families would end up in tragedy.


    Miss Du smiled and said, ¡°Miss Yuan, they are young and have no ill intentions. Please forgive them. It will not be worth it if we hurt our friendship over a trivial matter.¡±


    ¡°My sister is younger than the majority of people here. So why don¡¯t you be more tolerant instead of throwing her out? Although everyone has their standard, do you think it¡¯s okay if the standard varies from person to person?¡± Yuan Hui sneered back.


    The smile on Miss Du¡¯s face froze for a moment and quickly returned to normal.


    She looked at Zhao Chuchu. ¡°Then I will make amends to this sister on behalf of all the sisters, and I ask for your forgiveness.¡±


    Yuan Hui spoke for Zhao Chuchu, saying, ¡°Then I refuse your apology on her behalf.¡±


    Miss Du couldn¡¯tugh anymore.


    The girl in green was furious. ¡°Sister Du was kind enough to apologize, but you want to cross everyone. Yuan Hui, don¡¯t think I¡¯m afraid of you just because you¡¯re the eldest daughter of the Yuan n! I tell you, you are the most uneducated and unskilled girl in the entire Guangqing Province.¡±


    ¡°s, what can I do then? The Yuan n is super rich. So even if I don¡¯t have a bit of talent, I can still livefortably for the rest of my life and have more jewelry and beautiful clothes than you.¡±


    ¡°You¡­you are simply shameless!¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t be shameless if you don¡¯t have money.¡±


    The girl in green nearly fell backward at her words.


    ¡°What¡¯s all themotion here about?¡±


    At that moment, a smoky male voice was heard.


    The next thing Zhao Chuchu noticed was that the girl who had been so tough and was sneering a moment ago had suddenly be shy. She quietly looked toward the source of the sound.


    Zhao Chuchu turned around, only to see a handsome man in white waving a fan and walking toward them.


    Everywhere he went, he attracted the adoring eyes of young girls.


    And he also smiled deliberately at them, giving off charismatic vibes.


    Zhao Chuchu. ¡°¡­¡±


    He looked like a decent man, but no matter how much powder he put on, he could not hide his pale face, an overt result of too much sex.


    Zhao Chuchu did not know how many female confidantes he had in private.


    Seeing Zhao Chuchu staring at the man, Yuan Hui frowned slightly and immediately pulled her away. ¡°Although this man has some talents, he is a notorious flirt. He has slept with many good girls, including married women!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu. ¡°¡­¡±


    It was more exciting than she expected.


    ¡°What¡¯s his name?¡±


    ¡°He is the young master of the Hong n, Hong Xulin.¡±


    The Hong n?


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there also a member of the Hong n in the scroll painting you chose before?¡±


    ¡°Well, Third Mr. Hong is different from his big brother and could be considered a decent man.¡±


    Recalling what Xie Heng said, Zhao Chuchu did not say anything more to Yuan Hui.


    Decent or not, they would know it after they tested it.


    ¡°Mr. Hong.¡± Miss Du saw Hong Xuline over, her small face slightly red and her body reaching up to salute.


    ¡°Miss Du.¡± Hong Xulin smiled. ¡°I notice what appears to be an argument over here from a distance. What is going on?¡±


    ¡°It was just some small talk between girls. We were a little excited, but there was no argument. Miss Yuan can also testify. Miss Yuan, right?¡±


    ...


    Hearing this, Hong Xulin nced at Yuan Hui and frowned slightly. ¡°Huihui, you¡¯re having a temper tantrum again?¡±


    The corners of Yuan Hui¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°Which eye of yours saw that I was having a temper tantrum? You¡¯ve only just arrived and heard some words from someone. You¡¯re too much of a fence-sitter, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Hong Xulin froze, seemingly not expecting Yuan Hui to talk to him like this, and could not react for a while.


    Miss Du immediately looked like she had said the wrong thing. ¡°Mr. Hong misunderstood me. That¡¯s not what I mean. Everyone knows that Miss Yuan is frank. So how could I me her for a trifle?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°Miss Du was very eloquent, but don¡¯t speak again next time.¡±


    Miss Du¡¯s expression stiffened.


    Zhao Chuchu continued, ¡°From the moment Huihui and I stepped in here, we have been maliciously humiliated and abused. It was only a couple of retorts, and it turned out that Huihui had a big temper. I want to ask, is Huihui your ancestor? Does she have to spoil you in every way?¡±


    Everyone became silent.


    Zhao Chuchu nced over the crowd and finally gazed at Hong Xulin¡¯s face. She said, ¡°Sir, seeing is believing, but sometimes what you see is not always true. Therefore, learning to distinguish is the most important thing.¡±


    Hong Xulin was about to get angry before he saw Zhao Chuchu¡¯s appearance. Amazed at her beauty, his temper immediately disappeared.


    ¡°Miss, you have taught me a lesson. I was a bit bewildered and misunderstood Huihui.¡± Hong Xulinughed lightly, then bowed toward Yuan Hui. ¡°Huihui, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ...


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m not that mean,¡± Yuan Hui replied lightly.


    Miss Du¡¯s face looked awkward.

 Chapter 278 - 278 She Would Definitely Turn To Hate Yuan Hui

    278 She Would Definitely Turn To Hate Yuan Hui


    Everyone knew that Miss Du was secretly attracted to Hong Xulin romantically.


    However, the Du family wasn¡¯t any less powerful than the Hong family, and Hong Xulin didn¡¯t want to be tangled up with Miss Du.


    If they really did be attached to each other, once the two families were connected by their marriage, he wouldn¡¯t be able to fool around outside anymore.


    Hong Xulin was treating a woman he was meeting for the first time in such an amiable manner. Some might even call it obsequious. Miss Du immediately held a grudge against Zhao Chuchu.


    The reason why Miss Du kept trying to make trouble for Yuan Hui was also that Yuan Hui had always gone against Hong Xulin. Miss Du felt that Yuan Hui was purposely trying to attract Hong Xulin¡¯s attention. This was why whenever Miss Du appeared, Yuan Hui would lose face.


    ¡°Miss Yuan, you haven¡¯t introduced this girl to us yet,¡± Miss Du suppressed her thoughts and said with a smile. ¡°I think this is the first time we¡¯ve seen her at the poetry and literature gathering.¡±


    ¡°Her surname is Lin,¡± Yuan Hui said. This was the fake name that she and Zhao Chuchu had discussed earlier.


    ¡°Miss Lin, I am Hong Xulin. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you. Please don¡¯t hesitate to point out my ws.¡± Hong Xulin kept his folding fan as he greeted Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu smiled.


    ¡°Since you came together with Miss Yuan, I¡¯m sure Miss Lin knows what we do at the poetry and literature gathering, right?¡± the girl dressed in green asked with ill intentions. ¡°Whoeveres to this gathering must be adept in music, fine arts, calligraphy, or something else. I wonder what¡¯s your specialty, Miss Lin?¡±


    ¡°I grew up in a poor family, so I didn¡¯t have the chance to study properly. As a result, there¡¯s not one particr area of the arts that I am adept in.¡±


    She was adept in more than one of them!


    The girl dressed in green smiled and said, ¡°I think I¡¯ve heard this somewhere before. Oh, right, I remember now. I think Miss Yuan said something simr previously as well. Did I remember wrongly?¡±


    Yuan Hui answered, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°No wonder.¡±


    ¡°Not particrly adept at one means she knows all of them. Qiqi, I think you misunderstood Miss Lin.¡±


    Miss Du tried to set Zhao Chuchu up.


    ¡°Calligraphy, drawing, poetry¡ªI don¡¯t know any of them,¡± Zhao Chuchu admitted. ¡°But I think I canpete in horse riding, shooting, and pitch-pot.¡±


    ¡°You know horse riding, shooting, and pitch-pot?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, probably. I herded cattle every day when I was young.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡±


    Everyone couldn¡¯t help butugh out loud. Then, they all started mocking Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°Really? There are people in this world who think that riding cows is the same as riding horses. Throwing rocks is the same as pitch-pot?¡±


    ¡°Sigh, Miss Yuan, where did this peasant rtive of yourse from? I thought you brought in a sister with excellent looks and talent! It turns out she¡¯s just a bumpkin from the farms.¡±


    ¡°Nowadays, people can be really vain. I wonder who gave her the courage toe to the poetry and literature gathering. Is she not afraid of gettingughed at? Miss Yuan, were you afraid that the gathering would be too boring, so you got a clown here to entertain us?¡±


    Their mocking and tauntingnded on Miss Du¡¯s ears, making her feel exceptionally satisfied.


    Miss Du thought that byughing at Zhao Chuchu like that, she would turn to hate Yuan Hui.


    That way, it would be even easier for Yuan Hui to make a fool of herself at the gathering.


    When the other participants were more or less done with their mocking, Miss Du stood up and said pretentiously, ¡°Please don¡¯t say such disrespectful things. She came to our gathering, which means she is a guest. People might think that we¡¯re an exclusive bunch if they see us treating her this way! Regardless of what Miss Lin knows, since she came to the poetry and literature gathering, we should give her a chance to disy her talents.¡±


    She paused for a moment, then said apologetically to Zhao Chuchu, ¡°They were just joking just now. Please don¡¯t take it to heart.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s nothing for me to take to heart. I shouldn¡¯t make a fuss with people who haven¡¯t really seen the world,¡± Zhao Chuchu said calmly. Contrary to what Miss Du imagined, she wasn¡¯t embarrassed or angry.


    But Miss Du thought that Zhao Chuchu was simply pretending to be calm.


    It¡¯s okay. She¡¯s going to make a fool of herself in no time. Miss Du didn¡¯t believe that she would be able to keep up this facade by then; she would surely start hating Yuan Hui.


    Miss Du said, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯m sure Miss Lin¡¯s horse-riding skills are very impressive. Would you like topete with one of us though I think very few girls are adept at horse riding? I think Mr. Hong and the guys are much better at this.¡±


    The girl dressed in green immediately said, ¡°Yeah, Miss Lin, how about you let us witness your horse-riding and shooting skills?¡±


    Hong Xulin was very interested in Zhao Chuchu. He followed up and said, ¡°May I have the honor of sparring with Miss Lin today?¡±


    When he looked at Zhao Chuchu, his eyes were full of affection. In other words, he was flirting with his gaze.


    If he did this to any of the other girls there, they probably wouldn¡¯t be able to stand up straight under his gaze.


    But Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t care.


    Zhao Chuchu was actually disgusted by people who made unnecessary, one-sided disys of affection.


    Xie Heng was a lot morefortable and pleasant to look at.


    Zhao Chuchu missed her Da Lang a little and desperately needed him to grace her eyes.


    Unfortunately, he wasn¡¯t there.


    ¡°Miss Lin? Is that alright?¡± Hong Xulin asked again.


    Zhao Chuchu smiled and nodded. ¡°Of course, but please do your best, and don¡¯t go easy on me.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, in that case, I won¡¯t hold myself back. Miss Lin, after you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Although Miss Du was the one who tried to set Zhao Chuchu up and get Zhao Chuchu to jump into her trap, when she saw Hong Xulin and Zhao Chuchu conversing ¡°happily,¡± she couldn¡¯t help but feel extremely jealous.


    Miss Du was very aware of Hong Xulin¡¯s attempts to evade her.


    Yet she liked Hong Xulin so much that she wanted to marry him.


    The poetry and literature gathering was held in Laurel Garden, which was a ce designed for young men and women. So, naturally, they had a horse-riding field as well.


    Everyone followed Zhao Chuchu and Hong Xulin to the horse-riding field.


    Kang Xiuwan was quite worried. She wanted to remind Zhao Chuchu to stay away from Hong Xulin, but she didn¡¯t get the opportunity to do so. She wished that nothing bad would happen to Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°Sister, what happened? Ever since Yuan Hui appeared, you have looked so unsettled and anxious. Are you worried about Yuan Hui snatching Mr. Hong away as well?¡±


    ...


    ¡°Where did that girl evene from? How could she be so shameless? She¡¯s desperately trying to get close to Mr. Hong and seduce him.¡±


    The two girls from the Xia n were extremely hostile toward Zhao Chuchu.


    Kang Xiuwan frowned and said, ¡°Sisters, I think you have the wrong idea. I was just worried about my mother¡¯s health.¡±


    ¡°So many things happened at the Xia n. Sister, aren¡¯t you going back to the Xia n to take a look?¡±


    ¡°Sister, are you afraid that the Xia n will drag you down? If Grandfather knew about this, he would be very sad.¡±


    ¡°No such thing.¡±


    Kang Xiuwan was quite annoyed by the two girls, so she quickly walked in front.


    She had to think of a way to bring Zhao Chuchu out of the poetry and literature gathering.


    If the people from the Xia n somehow recognized her, things would be really troublesome.


    This was the capital city, after all. Although Zhao Chuchu¡¯s rtionship with Yuan Hui was decent, there was no way that the Yuan n would fall out with the Xia n over Zhao Chuchu.


    After all, Zhao Chuchu belonged to the Xia n. Moreover, she was the granddaughter of her grandfather in name!


    ...


    Someone brought over a few horses. Other than Zhao Chuchu and Hong Xulin, several other young men wanted to participate as well.


    ¡°She¡¯s really throwing her dignity away to get famous.¡±


    ¡°Some people are fond of shaming themselves. What can we do about that?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s tarnishing the reputation of us women. But, seriously, does she think that she has any chance to win against Mr. Hong?¡±


    Miss Du didn¡¯t speak, but the people around her started mocking and criticizing Zhao Chuchu again.


    Yuan Hui said angrily, ¡°Can all of you just shut your smelly mouths? Are you so eager to let those people know that you¡¯re gossiping monkeys? Just watch and see how she will win against all those men!¡±

 Chapter 279 - 279 She’s Still Going To Lose In An Ugly Manner

    279 She¡¯s Still Going To Lose In An Ugly Manner


    ¡°Yuan Hui, you¡­¡± The girls that were scolded immediately got mad. They stepped forward as they tried to shove Yuan Hui.


    Yuan Hui sneered and said, ¡°If you dare to touch me today, I¡¯ll make sure you never get the chance toe to this poetry and literature gathering again!¡±


    Yuan Hui¡¯s threat made them halt their footsteps, and they didn¡¯t dare to move forward anymore.


    Chunxiang stood in front of Yuan Hui to protect her. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare touch Miss Yuan!¡±


    !!


    Yuan Hui pulled Chunxiang to the side and said, ¡°It¡¯s going to start soon. Let¡¯s watch the show.¡±


    Only then did Chunxiang retreat behind Yuan Hui.


    The girls around her red at Yuan Hui, then looked toward the racecourse on the other side.


    They were determined to open their eyes wide and see how that peasant bumpkin would win against Hong Xulin and the others!


    Zhao Chuchu, Hong Xulin, and the other men had already gotten on their horses.


    They were also going topete in archery whilepeting in horse riding. They would be shooting pigeons that would be released while riding their horses.


    They were also allowed to hinder their opponents during thepetition.


    In other words, they were allowed to attack their opponents.


    Of course, they weren¡¯t allowed to hurt other people with the arrow.


    ¡°Miss Lin, I look forward to thepetition with you. Don¡¯t worry. I will take care of you,¡± Hong Xulin said with a smile.


    But Zhao Chuchu wasn¡¯t fond of his goodwill. She said, ¡°I don¡¯t need Mr. Hong to take care of me. But you don¡¯t need to worry; I¡¯ll make sure to win in an indisputable fashion!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, Miss Lin, you¡¯re pretty confident in yourself. Do you really think that horse riding is the same as cow riding and that archery is the same as throwing rocks? Please don¡¯t be so naive.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s good for girls to be sopetitive. Don¡¯te crying when you loseter. We¡¯re not going to pity you like brother Hong here.¡±


    ¡°Brother Hong, did you hear her? Miss Lin is trying her absolute best. I think you should watch it and be careful not to lose to her. Hahaha¡­¡±


    The other men who were participating in thepetition all mocked andughed at Zhao Chuchu.


    They didn¡¯t see Zhao Chuchu as apetitor at all. If it weren¡¯t for Hong Xulin, they wouldn¡¯t be ying such a game with absolutely nopetitive pressure.


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t refute them upon hearing them. Instead, all she did was smile.


    To prevent anyone from getting hurt, the sharp heads of the arrows were removed, and the tips of the arrows were wrapped in pieces of fabric that were dipped in paint. Each person had a different color to differentiate their results.


    Everyone had ten arrows, and the staff would release 50 pigeons for them.


    Other than Yuan Hui, no one had any expectations for Zhao Chuchu.


    Especially those people who were friends with Miss Du. They had all categorized Zhao Chuchu as a slutty, vulgar woman trying to seduce Hong Xulin.


    Zhao Chuchu jumped onto the horse¡¯s back in one smooth motion. In the eyes of the other girls, Zhao Chuchu did it on purpose.


    ¡°I wonder how much she practiced secretly for such a shy, pretentious motion. Sister Du, birds of the same feather flock together, am I right?¡±


    ¡°Oh, my, it would be so unfortunate if she had fallen from the horse. Miss Yuan, you should get a doctor here on standby! What if she broke her arms or legs? Wouldn¡¯t the Yuan n need to provide for her for the rest of her life?¡±


    ¡°What a terrible sight to imagine. But I do admire her spirit. She¡¯s risking her life to attract the attention of Mr. Hong.¡±


    Yuan Hui didn¡¯t get mad listening to what they said. Instead, she cut them off with a casual tone.


    ¡°She¡¯s absolutely right. Daughters anddies of noble families should always watch their speech and behavior. But I find it surprising that some people seem to have lost control of their mouths altogether. They behave like vulgar women gathering on the streets. If you¡¯re jealous of my sister, you can try to learn from her, you know?¡±


    Yuan Hui paused to appreciate their expressions, which instantly turned dark and ugly. Finally, she smiled and said again, ¡°Oh my, I wasn¡¯t talking about you. Please don¡¯t assume things.¡±


    They were livid, yet there was nothing they could do.


    Miss Du said with a straight face, ¡°Enough talking. They¡¯re going to start soon. We¡¯ll know how good she is once we see her do it for real.¡±


    She didn¡¯t believe that a bumpkin from the countryside could win against Hong Xulin.


    Miss Du was waiting for Zhao Chuchu to make a fool of herself and get publicly humiliated.


    The horse-riding and archerypetition started once they were all ready.


    Hong Xulin was the first to dash out on his horse.


    The other men followed closely behind her.


    Zhao Chuchu was behind all of them.


    When the girls saw that, they immediately startedughing.


    They were all waiting to see Zhao Chuchu make a fool of herself.


    But Zhao Chuchu wasn¡¯t in a hurry.


    This was only the beginning. The winner was only decided at the very end.


    ¡°She¡¯s slower than a snail. Did she really think she was riding a cow instead of a horse?¡±


    ¡°This is the first time she¡¯s seen a racehorse. Of course, she would be excited. She doesn¡¯t dare to ride fast because she won¡¯t have another chance to ride a horse once this ends.¡±


    ¡°Miss Yuan, why didn¡¯t you teach Miss Lin how to ride a horse beforeing? Look at her! She¡¯s going to make you aughing stock in Guangqing Province as well.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. Sister Lin had never let me down before. I think you should worry more about Mr. Hong. I¡¯m afraid he willmit suicide out of shame when he loses to the so-called ¡®bumpkin¡¯ that you girls areughing at!¡± Yuan Hui was calm andposed.


    Chunxiang was inexplicably confident in Zhao Chuchu as well.


    She felt that Zhao Chuchu would definitely be able to win.


    In a corner that no one was paying attention to, Xie Heng was looking attentively at Zhao Chuchu on the racecourse.


    For some reason, when he watched Zhao Chuchu ride the horse, the image of Zhao Chuchu riding the vehicle called the motorcycle, which she showed him that night, shed into his mind. She looked supremely handsome, stunning, and stylish.


    Xie Heng¡¯s gaze softened uncontrobly.


    He felt that one day, he would be able to see the image in his mind be a reality.


    ...


    Although Zhao Chuchu had never told him how good she was at horse riding, Xie Heng knew that Zhao Chuchu was talented in almost anything one could imagine. There were very few things that she wasn¡¯t capable of.


    That was why he felt rxed as he waited to watch his wife defeat all those men on the racecourse.


    Xie Heng wasn¡¯t worried that they would rig thepetition either.


    Otherwise, they would be the ones who die!


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s attention was focused entirely on thepetition, so she didn¡¯t notice Xie Heng¡¯s presence.


    She didn¡¯t go all out until the pigeons were released.


    The pigeons were all frightened, and there was absolute chaos when they flew out. There was no pattern in their flight.


    While Mr. Hong looked like he had nothing but looks, he was actually decent. He was the first to hit a pigeon.


    The girls immediately started cheering.


    Zhao Chuchu felt likeughing. Regardless of the era she was in, chasing after celebrities seemed to be part of human nature.


    Unfortunately, Hong Xulin was definitely not a good man by any definition.


    ...


    At the same time, the other men shot their arrows as well. Although none of them hit a target, they at least looked cool.


    The other girls started mocking Zhao Chuchu again.


    ¡°Miss Yuan, do you really think that girl stands a chance?¡±


    ¡°Even if Mr. Hong went easy on her, she wouldn¡¯t be able to win. So she¡¯s still going to lose in an ugly manner.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I always say humans can be fundamentally different. There¡¯s no way to force oneself into another group. Miss Lin is the best example. Something made of dirt and muck can never be golden. Even if she painted herself with gold powder, she would still be garbage.¡±


    Yuan Hui didn¡¯t say anything.


    There was no point in quarreling with these people.


    It¡¯s better just to watch how Zhao Chuchu would make them swallow their words.


    Miss Du started speaking then, ¡°Miss Yuan, are you still not going to admit¡­¡±

 Chapter 280 - 280 Why Would She Be Attracted To Men Who Is Worst Than Her?

    280 Why Would She Be Attracted To Men Who Is Worst Than Her?


    Before Miss Du could evenplete her sentence, she was cut off by the scene in front of her.


    While riding the horse slowly, as though she were strolling, Zhao Chuchu casually shot a single arrow and skewered three pigeons in one shot.


    The entire audience turned silent.


    No one could have imagined that Zhao Chuchu could hit three pigeons with a single arrow.


    !!


    One had to understand that the pigeons weren¡¯t just standing there waiting for someone to hit them. They were flying all over the ce!


    ¡°That must have been luck. Even a marksman wouldn¡¯t be able to do that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I guess she got pretty lucky.¡±


    ¡°I thought the tips of the arrows were wrapped up? How did she manage to prate the pigeon?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a barbarian from the countryside. How cruel. It¡¯s just apetition. Why must she kill the pigeons?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s as strong as an ox despite being a girl. It¡¯s quite shameful, to be honest.¡±


    Yuan Hui felt likeughing.


    They had nothing else to say, so they started attacking how good Zhao Chuchu was at archery.


    How can these women be so vicious toward another woman?


    It was eye-opening to see people like them.


    ¡°Do you guys have to jab at everything that my sister Lin does? Why don¡¯t you try it yourself if you¡¯re so much better than her? We¡¯re all girls. Is it a bad thing for us to win against the men? How can your mouths be so damn disgusting? If you can¡¯t bear the sight of my sister Lin winning against a man, go up there andpete yourself. If you can even be half as good as her, I¡¯ll kneel and call all of you my grandmother!¡±


    The moment she said that, all the other girls didn¡¯t dare make any more snarky remarks.


    Yuan Hui didn¡¯t understand. All of them had received a proper education. So how could they behave in such an appalling manner?


    Even if there were just five or six of them, it made her feel extremely agitated.


    Fortunately, most of the girls didn¡¯t make anyments. Instead, they simply sat there and watched.


    Perhaps it was because of Miss Du¡¯s presence. Even though some of them were very excited when Zhao Chuchu managed to hit three pigeons, they didn¡¯t dare to show it.


    Meanwhile, Zhao Chuchu began to show her true skill on the racecourse.


    None of her arrows missed. Instead, every single arrow left her bow like a shooting star, each hitting at least one pigeon with unmatched ferocity.


    On the other hand, Hong Xulin only managed to hit three pigeons in the beginning. Once the pigeons dispersed, he couldn¡¯t hit anything at all.


    Hong Xulin wasn¡¯t the only one stunned by Zhao Chuchu¡¯s incredible archery skills. The other men even forgot to control their horses. They stopped and watched in amazement as Zhao Chuchu carried on with her solo archery performance.


    The girls weren¡¯t able to believe her eyes either.


    They had never seen such archery prowess before, let alone the fact that it wasing from a girl.


    Yuan Huiughed heartily and said, ¡°Oh my, Mr. Lin must have gone ultra-easy on Sister Lin and allowed her to win so effortlessly. But, let me think, who was thest person to hit all ten arrows? Oh, wait, no one did before her. Wow, a bumpkin girl just set a new historical record.¡±


    Miss Du¡¯s expression was dark, and she clenched her fist tightly.


    Where the hell did this girle from?


    Did shee from a general¡¯s family?


    Miss Du couldn¡¯t think of another type of person who could have such impressive archery skills.


    Miss Du nced at Yuan Hui. She almost felt like tearing her smiling face off. It was really disturbing from Miss Du¡¯s point of view.


    Zhao Chuchu ended thispetition by absolutely crushing all of her opponents.


    Hong Xulin and the others werepletely destroyed by Zhao Chuchu. They no longer appeared as confident and graceful as they had when they first entered the racecourse. Their faces were all as ck as burned logs.


    Zhao Chuchu walked to them and said with a sarcastic smile on her face, ¡°I told you that I don¡¯t need anyone to take care of me. Whatever a man can learn, I can learn too. So in the future, I suggest you guys don¡¯t look down on girls anymore.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a woman, yet you¡¯re sopetitive. Be careful; you might not be able to find someone to marry next time.¡±


    ¡°Miss Lin, no man would like a woman like you.¡±


    ¡°Women should be gentle and easygoing. No one likes barbaric girls.¡±


    Zhao Chuchuughed and responded, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t like men who have nothing but looks. As for my marriage and love life, I don¡¯t need you guys to worry for me. Besides, I must be blind to like men who can¡¯t even beat me.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°Miss Lin, you just got lucky. Is there a need to be so mean?¡±


    ¡°Regardless of a woman¡¯s capability, you still have to rely on a man in the end! Without men, you¡¯re nothing!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s right. Didn¡¯t you guys start saying mean things first? I beat you, and it became my fault? If you¡¯re unsatisfied with the results, let¡¯spete again!¡± Zhao Chuchu stared at them. ¡°However, losers don¡¯t have the right to bark in front of me.¡±


    Although they were taller than Zhao Chuchu, when they stood in front of her, they had an inexplicable feeling that they were lower than her.


    It made them feel very ufortable.


    Just then, the results of thepetition came out.


    ¡°Miss Lin, 22 pigeons; Mr. Hong, three pigeons; everyone else, nothing.¡±


    The person who announced the results spoke really loudly so that everyone could hear him.


    Mr. Hong and the other men¡¯s expressions all turned very ugly.


    The announcement of the results was like a hard p on their faces.


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°I guess I got extremely lucky that the pigeons decided to fly into all ten of my arrows. Sigh, two pigeons per arrow on average. Pigeons love me a lot, I guess. Hahaha¡­¡±


    After saying that, Zhao Chuchu turned and left, leaving Hong Xulin and the rest gritting their teeth on the spot.


    They had always looked down on women. They had never imagined that one day they would be destroyed by a woman in such a humiliating manner. It was absolutely shameful.


    Although Xie Heng stood very far away, they could still hear their conversation, which made his lips curl up uncontrobly. Chuchu¡¯s burns were so good that they couldn¡¯te up with anyebacks.


    ...


    When Zhao Chuchu walked out of the racecourse, Yuan Hui was the first to sprint to her and hug her. She eximed, ¡°You¡¯re amazing! You brought honor to all of us women, and those men wouldn¡¯t dare look down on us in the future!¡±


    Kang Xiuwan heaved a sigh of relief. She subconsciously patted her chest. It was great that Chuchu managed to win.


    She knew that Chuchu was no ordinary person.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think that a bumpkin would have archery skills like hers. She really managed to show off there.¡±


    ¡°No one would like violent women who y with weapons like her. So what if she¡¯s good at archery? Will men marry her so she can beat them up at home? If I were a man, I would definitely not want her!¡± The two girls from the Xia n said in disdain.


    Kang Xiuwan didn¡¯t say anything, but she thought, ¡°If the two of you were men, Chuchu wouldn¡¯t want you! Chuchu has Mr. Xie. You¡¯re nothingpared to him!¡±


    However, Kang Xiuwan felt somewhat regretful. If the Xia n wasn¡¯t in its current state, would she be able to walk over to that side and stand openly behind Zhao Chuchu? Would she be able to boast to everyone about her impressive senior?


    Unfortunately, Zhao Chuchu could not return to the Xia n in its current state.


    There was no way that she would let her mother pass the message back to the Xia n that Zhao Chuchu was in the capital city.


    Because the Xia n wasn¡¯t worthy of a girl like Zhao Chuchu!


    ...

 Chapter 281 - 281 There’s No Way She’ll Win This Time

    281 There¡¯s No Way She¡¯ll Win This Time


    When Miss Du witnessed how good Zhao Chuchu was, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of fear swelling in her heart.


    She truly did not expect that Zhao Chuchu would have such levels of prowess inbat skills.


    Initially, Miss Du had some other thoughts and malicious schemes, but after seeing Zhao Chuchu¡¯s skills, she had to abandon all those thoughts.


    It wouldn¡¯t be worth it if she ended up harming herself instead.


    !!


    Miss Du forgot about those thoughts and walked toward Zhao Chuchu. She pretended to congratte her happily. ¡°Miss Lin, you¡¯re amazing. You¡¯re the first girl to win against guys at the poetry and literature gathering. You are the pride of us women!¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Zhao Chuchu said as she nodded slightly. Although she knew exactly what Miss Du was actually thinking, she didn¡¯t bother to expose her.


    ¡°I wonder what else you are good at besides horse riding and archery.¡±


    ¡°I probably don¡¯t know anything that you people are good at. I grew up on the farms in the countryside, and there weren¡¯t many things that I could learn.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s too humble of you, Miss Lin. I¡¯m sure you have other talents.¡±


    ¡°What are you trying to say, Miss Du?¡± Zhao Chuchu smiled and looked at her. ¡°If you have something to say, you can just say it directly.¡±


    Miss Du said with a gentle expression, ¡°All of the girls who cane to attend a poetry and literature gathering are extremely gifted. At home, I like to y the Guzheng and chess. May I have the pleasure of learning from you?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    This person is reallying to her and asking to be humiliated.


    If they werepeting in poetry or literature, she would definitely lose. But Guzheng and chess¡ªunfortunately, Zhao Chuchu had never lost in those things before.


    ¡°Miss Du, I don¡¯t really like Guzheng or chess.¡± Zhao Chuchu pretended it was too difficult.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a friendly match, not apetition. I just want to learn more about ourmon interests,¡± Miss Du held Zhao Chuchu¡¯s hand passionately and walked toward the garden. She said, ¡°Miss Lin, you don¡¯t know this, but I felt like I just met an old friend when I saw you just now.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Zhao Chuchu appeared rather surprised.


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s real. You can ask Miss Yuan if you don¡¯t believe me.¡±


    Yuan Hui snorted inside when she heard that, but when she saw that Zhao Chuchu was still talking to Miss Du, she didn¡¯t expose her.


    ¡°Yuan Hui, is that true?¡±


    ¡°Probably, there aren¡¯t many people who are good enough for Miss Du¡¯s standards.¡± Yuan Hui took a jab at Miss Du casually.


    Miss Du¡¯s expression changed slightly, but she felt a little better when she thought about how she could win against Zhao Chuchuter and help Hong Xulin and herself regain their pride.


    ¡°Miss Yuan always likes to joke like that, and sometimes I don¡¯t even know how to reply. Don¡¯t mind me, Miss Yuan,¡± Miss Du said with a smile.


    Yuan Hui said, ¡°Why would I mind? Don¡¯t worry about it, Miss Du. I¡¯ve always been quite frank and straightforward. You¡¯ve known this for quite a while, right?¡±


    Miss Du felt like something was stuck in her chest. It made her feel very agitated and rather angry.


    Yet, she didn¡¯t show any of her emotions and continued to keep up her facade as Yuan Hui¡¯s good friend.


    ¡°Miss Du, Miss Lin won against Mr. Hong and the other guys. She¡¯ll probably start looking down on us girls. After all, we don¡¯t know how to y with weapons. All we know are things like calligraphy, poetry, and maybe embroidery. We really can¡¯t do those brutish things.¡±


    ¡°I mean, regardless of how good Miss Lin is at archery, she¡¯s still a girl, right? So she can¡¯t be ying with the men all day. She still has to return to the female group. Miss Lin, am I right?¡±


    ¡°Actually, Guzheng and chess aren¡¯t that difficult. You only need a while to learn them. Perhaps Miss Lin¡¯s talents are all in martial arts andbat sports. She¡¯s really not familiar with elegant stuff like this. Miss Du, how about we just call this off?¡±


    ¡°You people kept saying that Miss Lin was worse than Mr. Hong and the others, and who won in the end? If you don¡¯t know the full extent of other people¡¯s abilities, I suggest you speak less and control your mouth. Otherwise, you¡¯ll be the joke yourself.¡±


    ¡°Miss Lin won against the men. She should be our pride. Yet, certain people just insist on speaking for the opposite gender. I wonder who was the one who couldn¡¯t stop fawning over the men by belittling us, women.¡±


    This time, some people finally started speaking out for Zhao Chuchu and ming the girls who kept making snarky remarks.


    Based on the clothing of the girls who were mocking her, Zhao Chuchu could tell that they weren¡¯t nearly as wealthy as Yuan Hui. They were probably jealous, which was why they kept trying to deride her.


    Zhao Chuchu nced at the girls who spoke out for her and remembered them.


    Zhao Chuchu always remembered the people who tried to do her harm and those who tried to help her. Even if they just helped her once, she would remember it.


    ¡°We were talking amongst ourselves. What¡¯s it got to do with you? Why are you in such a hurry to fawn over a person you don¡¯t know?¡±


    ¡°Are you not afraid of getting scammed and deceived? If you don¡¯t have a brain, you shouldn¡¯te out here and make a fool of yourself.¡±


    ¡°The people from small, insignificant backgrounds are always so foolish. What does her victory against Mr. Hong have to do with you? Do you think you can get Mr. Hong¡¯s attention by saying things like that?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu really didn¡¯t know why these women were so hostile toward her.


    ¡°Who would be so blind to get attracted to men worse than women?¡± Zhao Chuchu said with a sarcastic smile. ¡°Girls, your eyes are so pretty. I¡¯m sure you aren¡¯t blind, right?¡±


    The other girls almost exploded from anger after hearing that.


    But if they tried to rebut Zhao Chuchu, they would be admitting that they were blind.


    If they didn¡¯t rebut her, they would be admitting that they had made the wrong decision to like Hong Xulin.


    Zhao Chuchu felt likeughing when they saw how those girls couldn¡¯t say anything in return.


    These girls were too young and too naive to quarrel with her.


    Miss Du felt somewhat agitated as well. Zhao Chuchu was dominating them in almost every aspect, and this whole event was almost like a joke at that point.


    Fortunately, they had arrived at the garden.


    Miss Du had ordered someone to prepare the Guzheng and chess set in advance.


    ¡°Miss Lin, please,¡± Miss Du said as she sat down and pointed at the Guzheng opposite her.


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°I really don¡¯t like ying the Guzheng. Can we get someone else to do it?¡±


    ¡°Miss Lin, it¡¯s fine. It¡¯s just a friendly jam session, not apetition, so don¡¯t worry about it. However, given your performance on the racecourse just now, you are worthy of participating in the poetry and literature gathering.¡± Miss Du could scarcely hide her pride and arrogance.


    She was confident that no one was better than her at ying the Guzheng or chess. She was convinced that she would be able to embarrass Zhao Chuchu this time.


    Zhao Chuchu looked like she sat down unwillingly because of Miss Du¡¯s insistence.


    A smile shed across Miss Du¡¯s face, but she quickly hid it.


    ...


    ¡°What pieces do you like, Miss Lin?¡±


    ¡°Me? Can I y anything I want?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please do.¡±


    Miss Du thought that regardless of what Zhao Chuchu yed, she would be able to follow up. After practicing the Guzheng for many years, she knew every popr piece in the Wei Dynasty.


    She wasn¡¯t worried that Zhao Chuchu would overwhelm her.


    She was absolutely confident that she would be able to make a fool of Zhao Chuchu.


    ying the Guzheng was different from horse riding or archery. If one didn¡¯t have talent and years of practice, she wouldn¡¯t be able to y anything decent.


    Zhao Chuchu would definitely lose this time!

 Chapter 282 - 282 Picked On and Humiliated

    282 Picked On and Humiliated


    Just as Miss Du indulged in her confidence and thought about how she was going to win effortlessly, Zhao Chuchu raised her arm and plucked the strings on the Guzheng.


    The melody from the Guzheng sounded like the rallying horns of an attacking army. The audience could almost hear the roars and yells of powerful warriors, the clings and ngs of swords and shields. Then, suddenly, the music became even more agitated.


    The hearts of the audience were hung in the air by the music, and they even started to feel the tension in the air.


    The audience felt like they could see two armies engaged in a fierce battle. It was grand, shocking, solemn, and tragic. The heroic sadness was expressed to perfection. It sounded like the roars of soldiers who were ambushed and trapped, fighting the final battle of their lives. Just then, the music stopped.


    !!


    The garden was so quiet that the audience could probably hear a pin drop.


    Everyone was engrossed in the piece that had just ended, its echoes still circling around their ears.


    Miss Du¡¯s hands were hovering on top of her Guzheng. She was still in shock from hearing Zhao Chuchu¡¯s performance.


    Yuan Hui was the first person to react.


    She immediately started pping.


    Her apuse snapped everyone out of their dazed state. They all looked toward Zhao Chuchu and started apuding and cheering for her.


    ¡°Sister Lin, you¡¯re amazing!¡± Yuan Hui eximed as she ran toward Zhao Chuchu. ¡°Howe I¡¯ve never heard you perform this piece before? When did you learn it?¡±


    ¡°I knew it a long time ago. I just didn¡¯t have the chance to y it for you. I¡¯m a little rusty, to be honest. I yed a few wrong notes. I hope it didn¡¯t bother anyone.¡± Zhao Chuchu looked toward Miss Du and said, ¡°Miss Du, it¡¯s your turn!¡±


    Miss Du raised her head and looked toward Zhao Chuchu. The resentment in her eyes was obvious at that point.


    Zhao Chuchu had clearly pretended to be inferior. She was setting a trap for Miss Du!


    Regardless of how good she was at ying the Guzheng, all of the pieces she knew didn¡¯t have any significant meaning or story behind them. She would be beaten by Zhao Chuchu just based on the meaning of the piece alone. She didn¡¯t dare to perform after Chuchu¡¯s stunning performance. That would be humiliating.


    Those girls who mocked andughed at Zhao Chuchu just now didn¡¯t dare speak.


    The ¡°bumpkin¡± that they looked down on not only destroyed the men in horse riding and archery, but she also managed to beat Miss Du, who was the best Guzheng yer among them.


    Zhao Chuchu really didn¡¯te from a well-established, noble family?


    Doubt started to form in everyone¡¯s heart.


    ¡°Miss Du, I¡¯vepleted my performance. It¡¯s your turn now,¡± Zhao Chuchu reminded Miss Du once again.


    Miss Du began trembling a little. Fear started growing in her heart, just like when she saw Zhao Chuchu hit all ten arrows earlier.


    ¡°I, I¡­¡± Miss Du stuttered. She just couldn¡¯t bring herself to say that she didn¡¯t want to y anymore.


    The other people all lowered their heads. They were afraid that Zhao Chuchu would pick on them and humiliate them as well.


    They had never heard the piece that Zhao Chuchu yed just now, but they could feel the solemn, chilling emotions that had easily overwhelmed them.


    ying the Guzheng is all about creating atmosphere and conveying emotions.


    Very few Guzheng yers could do this, not even Miss Du.


    ¡°Miss Du, it¡¯s your turn!¡± Zhao Chuchu said, increasing her volume.


    This woman was the one who tried to provoke her first.


    Now that it was her turn, there was no way Zhao Chuchu would let her off the hook.


    Miss Du¡¯s mind waspletely jumbled up by Zhao Chuchu¡¯s performance. How could she possibly calm down and perform now?


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my hand suddenly started hurting just now. I don¡¯t think I can y the Guzheng for now. Miss Lin, your performance today was absolutely wonderful and impressive. I had no idea that a girl with such incredible talent and beauty existed in Guangqing Province. It¡¯s my pleasure to meet you today.¡±


    Miss Du stood up. A friendly smile appeared on her face as she tried to befriend Zhao Chuchu.


    The only way to wipe away what just happened was to be friends with her.


    That way, she could tell the others that she was allowing her good friend to show off to the crowd. Not only would she be able to save herself from embarrassment, but she would also gain a reputation from the incident.


    Zhao Chuchu could instantly tell what Miss Du was trying to do. She said, ¡°That¡¯s fine. I have a bit of medical knowledge. Maybe I can check it for you? If you injure your hand and don¡¯t receive treatment as soon as possible, it could hinder your ying in the future.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a doctor?¡± Miss Du was shocked again.


    ¡°Mhm, did you see the maid following Yuan Hui around? I heard that people oftenughed at the maids in the Yuan n for being ugly, especially Chunxiang. I think her face, full of red bumps, has been quite infamous among you. Now, look at her.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu pulled Chunxiang out from behind Yuan Hui as she spoke.


    Everyone looked toward Chunxiang; their gazes focused on her face.


    The two girls from the Xia n beside Kang Xiuwan knew the Yuan n best.


    They had mocked the little maid from the Yuan n, who had red bumps all over her face, on numerous asions. So Chunxiang was the best material for them to use to attack the Yuan n verbally.


    ¡°How did Chunxiang¡¯s face recover? Is this one of those magical disguise techniques? So many doctors said that there was no way to save her face. Not only is it much better now, but there is also absolutely no sign of the bumps on her face!¡±


    ¡°Miss Lin, are you a master of disguise? You helped her to put on a disguise and look pretty so you cane here and deceive us?¡±


    The two girls from the Xia n were the first to speak. They immediately started to question Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°If disguise techniques like this really existed, with your family¡¯s wealth and status, shouldn¡¯t you have acquired such techniques a long time ago?¡± Zhao Chuchu said impassively. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can choose someone, and I¡¯ll prove it to you right now.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of injuring your tongue with such big talk? You¡¯ve already made your name today and shown off enough. Are you so desperate to let the entire Guangqing Province know of your existence? I know you want to be famous and morous, but I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a need to try so hard, right? Be careful. You might achieve the opposite effect if you keep this up.¡± Xia Jiahui sneered in disdain.


    Kang Xiuwan tugged on her and said, ¡°Jiahui, keep your voice down. What if Miss Lin really is a doctor? Won¡¯t you be the one who gets embarrassed?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe that she knows everything! If she¡¯s really so amazing, she would¡¯ve been famous across Guangqing Province long ago. There was no need for Yuan Hui to bring her to the poetry and literature gathering to get famous! Some people will go to any length to be famous!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu looked at her and said, ¡°Miss, do you want me to tell everyone about your recent condition and what medicine and supplements you¡¯ve been eating?¡±


    When Xia Jiahui heard that, her expression changed dramatically.


    She had been eating some medication because her menstrual cycle had been abnormal recently.


    But the only person who knew about this was her mother. She was going to start searching for a partner now. If people knew about her condition, they would probably suspect that she was infertile. She wouldn¡¯t be able to find a husband from a good family that way, which was why she had been keeping it a secret.


    But Zhao Chuchu seemed to have guessed everything by just looking at her.


    ¡°That¡¯s absolute nonsense.¡± Xia Jiahui was so embarrassed that she was livid. She said, ¡°You must be an absolutely horrible doctor if you¡¯re using people of having diseases after just looking at them. How have people not beaten you to death yet?¡±


    ...


    ¡°No one dares beat me because they are begging me to treat them. Miss, I don¡¯t think there was any grudge between us, but you are treating me like I¡¯ve killed your father. May I ask what I did to offend you?¡±


    ¡°You, you¡­¡±


    ¡°Jiahui!¡±


    Kang Xiuwan saw that things were about to get out of control, so she hurriedly stopped Xia Jiahui from doing anything impulsive.


    Otherwise, with Xia Jiahui¡¯s personality, she would definitely start to get violent. If Xia Jiahui really tried anything like that, she would be the one who got hurt.

 Chapter 283 - 283 Why Not Have a Try?

    283 Why Not Have a Try?


    ¡°Go away, don¡¯t try to stop me!¡± Xia Jiahui wanted to push Kang Xiuwan away and rushed up to p Zhao Chuchu.


    Kang Xiuwan grabbed Xia Jiahui and whispered, ¡°Are you sure you can beat her? She has the support of the Yuan n. You are definitely no match for her!¡±


    When Xia Jiahui heard this, she remembered that Zhao Chuchu shot down several pigeons with one arrow. Then Xia Jiahui became less arrogant.


    She was really no match for Zhao Chuchu.


    !!


    But Xia Jiahui still pretended that she was not afraid of Zhao Chuchu. She said, ¡°I will let you go this time. I will teach you a lesson if you dare to offend me again.¡±


    ¡°I think you are too weak to beat me.¡± Zhao Chuchu looked at Xia Jiahui arrogantly. What could Xia Jiahui do to her?


    Xia Jiahui stared at Zhao Chuchu as if she were going to tear Zhao Chuchu apart.


    Zhao Chuchu looked right back at Xia Jiahui.


    In the end, Xia Jiahui gritted her teeth and walked away. She didn¡¯t dare to do anything to Zhao Chuchu.


    She was terrified that Zhao Chuchu would tell her illness to others.


    It was such a private matter. If Zhao Chuchu were not powerful, she would never say that to anyone.


    Xia Jiahui did not want to take the risk.


    Xia Jiahui ran away, and Kang Xiuwan took a look at Zhao Chuchu anxiously. And then, she turned to chase Xia Jiahui in case anything happened to Xie Jiahui in Laurel Garden.


    Kang Xiuwan knew Xia Jiahui too well.


    When Xia Jiahui left, the atmosphere in the garden seemed to change again.


    Those who wanted to embarrass Zhao Chuchu did not dare toe forward anymore.


    What they could do was iste Zhao Chuchu together.


    Zhao Chuchu had no chance to show her chess skills now.


    The eldest daughter of the Du n pretended that she hadn¡¯t seen Zhao Chuchu and just went to talk with other girls.


    Yuan Hui sneered, ¡°She just wants to be the center. She can¡¯t tolerate anyone better than her. She seems to have good rtionships with those people, right? You don¡¯t know how she has satirized them privately. Her words are always not matched by her deeds. She doesn¡¯t want anyone to steal her thunder.¡±


    ¡°I can see that. But she should never offend me. I don¡¯t care what she likes to do, but I will definitely teach her a lesson if she dares to mess with me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve just embarrassed her, which means that she may be scolding you secretly! To tell the truth, you were really doing a great job. I don¡¯t think they dare to mess with you again.¡±


    ¡°This poetry and literature gathering should not be over so soon, right? Should we find something else to do?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu did not like such romantic affairs. She had prepared so much but was not doing this to show off.


    The things in her box should be used for business.


    ¡°Do you know the girl over there?¡± Zhao Chuchu pointed to the pavilion. She had noticed the girl over there early in the morning.


    Although she was wearing a veil, she was just lying to herself. The red and swollen pimples on her face were more severe than Chunxiang¡¯s.


    Moreover, the girl kept staying away from the crowd, presumably because of her inferiority, so she did not want to associate with others.


    ¡°That girl? She is the second daughter of the Du n, the younger sister of Miss Du, who just yed the stringed instrument with you. However, this Second Miss Du is treated as a virgin daughter, and that one is just a daughter of a concubine. Because of the mother of Second Miss Du, she was recorded as Mrs. Du¡¯s daughter and became a virgin daughter.¡±


    ¡°But Second Miss Du seldom shows up in front of other people because of her face with such red and swollen pimples. She would note to the poetry and literature gathering in previous years. This year, I don¡¯t know why, but she actually came. Do you think it was her sister who yed tricks? Otherwise, I don¡¯t think she woulde to this poetry and literature gathering at all.¡±


    Yuan Hui told Zhao Chuchu a lot about Second Miss Du. Although Zhao Chuchu did not say anything, she was pretty sure that Second Miss Du woulde to the poetry and literature gathering because of her elder sister.


    Zhao Chuchu walked up to Second Miss Du.


    Miss Du had been watching Zhao Chuchu.


    Miss Du saw that Zhao Chuchu was going to the pavilion, and she could not help frowning. She wondered what Zhao Chuchu was going to do. Miss Du did not think Zhao Chuchu could get any benefit from that ugly woman.


    At this moment, Zhao Chuchu had already reached the pavilion. The servant girl of Second Miss Du, standing outside the pavilion, stopped Zhao Chuchu immediately. She said, ¡°Miss Lin, I¡¯m sorry. Second Miss Du has caught a cold. In case you might also catch one, I suggest you go somewhere else, okay?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu said calmly, ¡°I know a little about medicine. If Second Miss Du really caught a cold, maybe I could heal her.¡±


    ¡°Miss Lin, I¡¯m sorry, you had better¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so rude, Donn.¡± Second Miss Du stopped the servant girl¡¯s words and then got up and walked out of the pavilion. She then said, ¡°My servant girl was being so rude. Please forgive her for her offending words. I will leave with her right now. You can do whatever you want here.¡±


    Yuanhui stopped her and said, ¡°Second Miss Du, wait. Wee for you.¡±


    Second Miss Du seemed to be a little surprised. She said, ¡°Me? I don¡¯t know you guys at all. What do you want from me?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu came straight to the point. ¡°I have seen your face. No matter how hard you tried to cover the red and swollen pimples on your face, people can still see it.¡±


    Donn got furious. She shouted, ¡°What did you just say? How dare you be so rude? I thought the two of you were good people. It turns out I was wrong. I didn¡¯t expect you came to make fun of Second Miss on purpose! You are not going to bully Second Miss when I¡¯m here!¡±


    ¡°You misunderstood me. I didn¡¯t mean to make fun of her.¡±


    ¡°Did you just hear yourself? How dare you say that you did not mean to make fun of Second Miss? Are you treating us as fools? Second Miss, let¡¯s get out of here. We don¡¯t have to talk to people like them.¡±


    Donn said that and dragged Second Miss Du away.


    Zhao Chuchu reached out and stopped her. ¡°I haven¡¯t finished my words. You will regret it if you leave here so soon.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll regret it if we stay here! Miss Lin, we have never offended you before, right? Why do you have to do this to Second Miss?¡±


    ¡°Donn, forget it. Let¡¯s just leave.¡±


    Second Miss Du said that calmly. She seemed to be used to being mocked by others. She didn¡¯t mean to argue and didn¡¯t want Donn to mess with Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°Second Miss¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Donn wanted to say something, but Second Miss Du interrupted her.


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault if you get upset. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Second Miss Du bent a little and wanted to pass Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°Second Miss Du, if I can cure your face, do you still want to get out of here?¡± Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t stop Miss Du but said such a sentence calmly.


    ...


    Second Miss Du paused for a moment and smiled. She then said, ¡°Thank you for your kindness, miss. However, this is what my face is going to be. I don¡¯t want to bother you anymore.¡±


    Yuan Hui raised her eyebrows and said, ¡°Second Miss Du, how do you know what your face will be if you don¡¯t even give it a try?¡±


    Then Yuan Hui pulled Chunxiang over and said, ¡°Have you ever seen my servant girl? Her face was the same as yours, but now Miss Lin had almost cured her. Can you still see the red pimples on her face?¡±


    Donn immediately turned her head to look at Chunxiang.


    Chunxiang felt kind of embarrassed to be stared at. She whispered, ¡°The other servants of the Yuan n can testify about this. Miss Lin really cured my face. In fact, it¡¯s notpletely cured yet. Miss Lin covered my pimples with powder, so people could barely see them.¡±


    ¡°What kind of powder can cover red pimples? Are you kidding me?¡± Donn said.


    However, Second Miss Du just stared at Chunxiang¡¯s face.

 Chapter 284 - 284 Second Miss Du’s Face

    284 Second Miss Du¡¯s Face


    Women wanted to be pretty, and so did Second Miss Du.


    But since she was thirteen years old, red pimples gradually appeared on her face. At first, there were only one or two pimples on her forehead. Later, slowly, the red pimples filled her whole face. It became more and more serious. She had gone to many doctors, but they all failed to cure her face.


    She had taken all kinds of medicine and tried many other methods. However, the red pimples on her face would not go.


    Second Miss Du was so desperate that she finally epted the reality.


    !!


    She had been used to her face being filled with red pimples. She would not be angry or upset about it if she did not look at it.


    Zhao Chuchu retorted, ¡°Why can¡¯t I? Come on. I will show you how I did that.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu took the wooden box held by Chunxiang to the pavilion and asked them toe closer.


    Second Miss Du originally wanted to leave, but Zhao Chuchu¡¯s fantastic performance made her feel kind of hopeful. Now she did not want to go. She wanted to see if Zhao Chuchu was telling the truth.


    Yuan Hui grabbed Second Miss Du¡¯s hand and took her to the pavilion.


    Zhao Chuchu opened the box, took out the things she had prepared, and removed the makeup from Chunxiang¡¯s face in front of Second Miss Du. Then Second Miss Du saw the e scars on Chunxiang¡¯s face.


    Second Miss Du suddenly widened her eyes.


    The red pimples on her face would leave such scars, so Zhao Chuchu was not lying. She could really cure Second Miss Du¡¯s face.


    Second Miss Du¡¯s heart started beating fast. She couldn¡¯t help getting excited.


    Donn asked tremblingly, ¡°Miss Lin, can you really cure Second Miss Du¡¯s face?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu said calmly, ¡°Of course. Miss Yuan could testify for me. The Yuan n is famous and powerful. They don¡¯t have to lie to you, right? What¡¯s more, I don¡¯t want too many girls to lose confidence in themselves because of the pimples on their faces.¡±


    Second Miss Du clenched her fists out of excitement and said, ¡°Miss Lin, am I going to take some medicine or apply some cream? Can you really save my face?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Zhao Chuchu nodded.


    ¡°Why do you want to help me? I have never met you before.¡±


    ¡°Because I want to make money.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu told Second Miss Du her purpose openly.


    ¡°I need to get paid for the treatment of your face. It¡¯s not free. If you believe me, you can give it a try. You can assume this has never happened if you don¡¯t believe me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all for money, huh?¡±


    Donn frowned.


    Zhao Chuchu smiled and said, ¡°Girl, have you ever seen a doctor who will cure diseases for nothing? Even a miracle doctor needs money. Do I still have to be a beggar with such skills? Don¡¯t you understand such a simple truth?¡±


    Donn was embarrassed at the moment.


    If people had spent so much energy on learning medicine, and in the end, they still got nothing from that, then why did they even have to learn medicine?


    ¡°Miss Lin, Donn is frank. She doesn¡¯t mean any harm. Please don¡¯t be angry with her. I¡¯ll apologize to you for her.¡± Second Miss Du bent again to apologize.


    ¡°I will not get angry so easily. I just don¡¯t think Donn¡¯s words are quite right. I can¡¯t help but contradict her words. It¡¯s alright.¡± Second Miss Du and her servant girl differed from Second Miss Du¡¯s elder sister, so Zhao Chuchu would not get angry with them.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how much it would cost if Miss Lin could treat my face?¡± Second Miss Du looked at Chunxiang¡¯s face and trusted Zhao Chuchu almost wholly.


    However, she was still worried because Zhao Chuchu looked too young.


    ¡°Well, we can talk about it after I cure your face.¡± Zhao Chuchu was not worried about the money. The Du n was not small. If Zhao Chuchu cured the face of Second Miss Du, the Du n would give her a fair amount of money.


    ¡°If I fail to cure your face, I won¡¯t take any money from you.¡±


    ¡°How long will it take?¡±


    ¡°About half a month, but the fading of the e scars would be rtively slow, which may take about a month.¡±


    ¡°As long as you can cure Second Miss Du¡¯s face, it won¡¯t matter if the e scars fade slowly. We are not in a hurry.¡±


    Donn hurriedly said that.


    Zhao Chuchu asked Second Miss Du to extend her hand.


    Second Miss Du did so.


    After Zhao Chuchu checked Second Miss Du¡¯s pulse, she found that Second Miss Du was not poisoned. She then asked Second Miss Du about her usual eating habits, which shocked Zhao Chuchu a little.


    ¡°In the future, you should change your eating habits. If you continue to eat like that, your face will bepletely ruined. Even if your face gets better, the scars won¡¯tpletely fade!¡±


    Second Miss Du turned pale with fear. She asked, ¡°Miss Lin, is it really that serious?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°No. As long as you follow my instructions, your face will be as smooth as ever. You should feel lucky to meet me so early. If you keep eating like that for another two years, it will be hopeless to save your face.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu then handed the previously prepared pills to Second Miss Du and said, ¡°Take one pill in the morning, noon and evening, and then go to sleep before midnight. If conditions permit, get up and run slowly in your house every morning. Well, how big is your house?¡±


    After Second Miss Du described how big her house was, Zhao Chuchu told Second Miss Du how manyps to run in the morning.


    Zhao Chuchu then put on a serious face and said, ¡°Keep this a habit so that your face will be better soon. Don¡¯t eat the tonics you were eating unless you don¡¯t want your face to get better!¡±


    Second Miss Du held the bottle of pills and asked Zhao Chuchu, ¡°Will the pimples on my face disappear in half a month?¡±


    ¡°Do as I say. Even if they don¡¯tpletely disappear, most of them will go. However, the most important thing is that you should stay away from your elder sister during this period.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu said thest sentence in a voice only the two could hear.


    Second Miss Du looked shocked.


    Zhao Chuchu smiled instead.


    Second Miss Du took a deep breath.


    Zhao Chuchu helped put on makeup again, which covered the e scars on her face.


    Second Miss Du had never seen such a magic trick before. She got curious. ¡°Miss Lin, why have I never seen the powder you used for Chunxiang?¡±


    ¡°I made it myself. It¡¯s different from the powder in the shops outside. Yuan Hui also never sees this before.¡±


    ...


    ¡°Is this kind of powder for sell?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Really? I want some.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t use it for the time being. I¡¯ll sell it to you when the pimples on your face have all gone. Otherwise, I¡¯m afraid if you can¡¯t wash itpletely off, the pimples on your face will be worse.¡±


    Second Miss Du subconsciously wanted to reach out and touch her face, but Zhao Chuchu hit her hands.


    ¡°Don¡¯t always touch your face from now on. Even if you haven¡¯t touched anything, your hands are dirty for your face with so many pimples. Do you understand?¡± Zhao Chuchu exined.


    Second Miss Du blushed and said, ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know this.¡±


    ¡°Now you know. Be careful from now on.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Second Miss Du finally smiled.


    Not far away, Miss Du, who had been staring at Zhao Chuchu, had a bad feeling.


    ...


    She thought for a moment and walked over.


    As soon as Zhao Chuchu had put away her things, Miss Du reached the pavilion.


    Miss Du first nced at Second Miss Du and then greeted Zhao Chuchu. ¡°Miss Lin, why are you hanging out with my sister?¡±

 Chapter 285 - 285 A Long Story

    285 A Long Story


    Zhao Chuchu looked at Miss Du and said, ¡°We met by chance, so I sat down and talked with her. Why do you ask, Miss Du? Am I not supposed to talk to your sister?¡±


    Miss Du held Second Miss Du¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Oh, I did not mean that. My sister is always shy and not good at dealing with people. I¡¯m afraid she will make you feel ufortable. I hope that you won¡¯t me her for being indifferent.¡±


    ¡°Sis, don¡¯t you always say that you don¡¯t like strangers? Although Miss Lin is powerful, she is a good person and won¡¯t hurt you.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    !!


    She did not know how to exin this.


    Second, Miss Du pulled out her arm quietly and said, ¡°I never felt that Miss Lin was going to hurt me. I thought we could be friends when I met her. We had a good talk. I¡¯m so happy to have such a friend.¡±


    Miss Du¡¯s expression changed slightly at that moment. After a second, she put on her usual face.


    ¡°You seem to be in a good mood today. You should have gone out for a walk like this. Staying at home all day will make you feel bored, right? Miss Lin, thank you for making my sister a little happier.¡±


    ¡°Maybe she became happier because the person who upset her was not around.¡±


    When Zhao Chuchu said this, she smiled at Miss Du.


    Miss Du gradually stopped smiling.


    ¡°Second Miss Du, was I wrong? Why do I think you are not in such a good mood right now?¡±


    ¡°I am sorry, Miss Lin. I don¡¯t feel quite well.¡±


    Second Miss Du bent a little.


    Miss Du surely knew what these words meant.


    ¡°Sis, I don¡¯t think I shoulde to this poetry and literature gathering. I am going to take off now.¡± After Second Miss Du said that, she took Donn and left without giving Miss Du a chance to say anything else.


    Miss Du forced herself to hold her anger back.


    She said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you said to my sister, so she left suddenly. I was being really polite to you, right? Why do you have to make trouble for me?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was surprised and confused.


    ¡°Miss Du, you may have misunderstood this. First, I don¡¯t know you, and I did not make any trouble for you. Second, your sister went home just because she felt unwell. You don¡¯t ask about her health but me me for her leaving. What is wrong with you?¡±


    ¡°If you had said nothing to her, why would she leave like that? Miss Lin, this poetry and literature gathering is for the girls in the capital of Mingan Province. You are not from Mingan Province, but you were showing off like that here. What is wrong with you?¡±


    ¡°So what?¡±


    ¡°So please leave the poetry and literature gathering.¡±


    Miss Du stopped pretending to be polite and stared straight at Zhao Chuchu.


    Yuan Hui, who stood beside Zhao Chuchu, smiled and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think you are making decisions for the poetry and literature gathering. She is my friend. How can you drive her away? The capital doesn¡¯t belong to the Du n, does it?¡±


    Du Yushi looked at Yuan Hui and said, ¡°Miss Yuan, we can discuss our problemster. You brought such an unknown person to the poetry and literature gathering. I am afraid that she might cause some trouble.¡±


    Yuan Hui said, ¡°I think all the normal people here could tell whether my friend has caused any trouble or not. But you, Du Yushi, have bothered us so many times, and I believe everyone here has seen what you did. Du Yushi, don¡¯t treat people like fools, okay?¡±


    ¡°How dare you?¡±


    ¡°Du Yushi, no matter how hard you tried to call white ck, you must admit that your skills are inferior to Miss Lin¡¯s. And you don¡¯t have to worry about where Miss Lines from. She is totally different from you.¡±

 Chapter 286 - 286 Torture Them to Death

    286 Torture Them to Death


    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here.¡± Zhao Chuchu did not want to stay with Du Yushi anymore. She thought talking to Du Yushi was meaningless.


    This woman, Du Yushi, would not give Zhao Chuchu any money. Why would Zhao Chuchu waste her time on Du Yushi?


    Yuan Hui looked at Du Yushi and followed Zhao Chuchu to leave.


    ¡°Huihui, don¡¯t get angry with others so easily in the future. Even if you win, it will not be good for your reputation. Maybe you will be criticized for being a mean and cruel woman. You will also suffer a loss.¡±


    !!


    Zhao Chuchu turned her head aside and said that sincerely to Yuan Hui.


    Yuan Hui thought Zhao Chuchu was right and said, ¡°You¡¯re totally right. I¡¯d better stay away from those people as far as I can in the future to avoid trouble.¡±


    They did not lower their voice, so Du Yushi heard their words clearly. She was so angry that she clenched her fists tightly and gritted her teeth.


    Du Yushi scolded the two of them internally.


    She stared at the two of them, walking away with a furious look.


    ¡°Miss Du¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    Du Yushi severely shouted at the servant girl who wanted to persuade her to calm down.


    When Zhao Chuchu heard Du Yushi¡¯s voice, she smiled for a second and kept walking away from Du Yushi.


    ¡°This poetry and literature gathering is really boring. Why don¡¯t we go back now?¡± After getting back at Du Yushi and meeting with the person they were looking for, Yuan Hui felt that it was meaningless to stay there.


    ¡°What¡¯s the hurry? We still have something to do here!¡± Zhao Chuchu blinked at Yuan Hui.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°The paintings. Have you forgotten about it?¡±


    As soon as Zhao Chuchu mentioned the paintings, Yuan Hui remembered that Old Mrs. Yuan had been looking for a husband for her.


    ¡°What does this have to do with the paintings?¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you noticed that the men in the three paintings you selected haven¡¯t appeared yet?¡±


    Yuan Hui subconsciously looked around and didn¡¯t see the three guys.


    ¡°The poetry and literature gathering is said to let young men and women show their talents. It is a big blind date party. Whether talented or not, they will definitelye to the poetry and literature gathering. But the three of them haven¡¯t appeared yet. What do you think is the reason?¡±


    ¡°Because of me?¡±


    ¡°This may be the reason, but there is some other possibility. I believe that their presence must be dyed by something. What can make the three of themte at the same time? Huihui, do you need me to exin the reason in detail?¡±


    Yuan Hui blushed when she heard the words.


    ¡°You mean that¡­¡±


    ¡°So, shall we look for them?¡±


    The Laurel Garden was sorge that it was suitable for trysts.


    Maybe they were busy with women and forgot all about the poetry and literature gathering.


    Yuan Hui didn¡¯t have any bad impressions of them.


    But now, after hearing what Zhao Chuchu just said about them, Yuan Hui did not think they were some good guys.


    She did not think that men should be dissolute.


    Zhao Chuchu and Yuan Hui tried to stay away from those people, so they quietly left the crowded garden and headed for another ce.


    ¡°The Laurel Garden is so big. How can we find them?¡± Yuan Hui asked in a low voice. For convenience, she didn¡¯t even bring Chunxiang.


    Before Zhao Chuchu entered the garden, she focused on her ears and heard all the noise in the whole garden.


    People were sighing, reciting poems, sleeping, or flirting. She had heard them all.


    However, she did not like to hear people doing all kinds of things. After she probably knew which direction they were in, she stopped listening.


    Now she was going in the direction she had confirmed before with Yuan Hui.


    The reason why she did not want to try to confirm their directions again was that she hated to hear their sex noise.


    She had seen a lot of it.


    However, now she had apletely different task.


    Seeing that the ce they were going to was getting more remote, Yuan Hui couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°It seems that there are few people here. Are you sure we can find someone here?¡±


    ¡°Do you know what can make people more excited? Sneaking around. Don¡¯t you know that men all like this kind of feeling? They will like their concubine more than their wife. They will like a prostitute more than their concubine. And they will feel much more excited to cheat on their wife.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Almost all the men are like what I just said.¡±


    If it were not for the fact that there were too many young people attending the poetry and literature gathering this day, and it would be really embarrassing if they got caught by someone, they might just start having sex in the next garden.


    As they walked deeper and deeper into the garden, Zhao Chuchu gradually heard some sex noise.


    Yuan Hui was just an ordinary woman. Without Zhao Chuchu¡¯s hearing, she could not hear that noise.


    ¡°Let¡¯s move faster. If it is over, we will miss the excitement.¡±


    After Zhao Chuchu said that, she took Yuan Hui¡¯s shoulder and jumped. They walked on the tiles to get to the ce as quickly as possible.


    The sex noise made Yuan Hui blush immediately.


    Zhao Chuchu did not know what to say at that moment.


    Zhao Chuchu was too careless. She did not notice that there were more than two people.


    How exciting it was!


    ...


    Zhao Chuchu focused on her ears and found at least five people inside.


    She came to the window, broke the window paper, and looked inside.


    Zhao Chuchu could not believe what she just saw.


    She really wanted to gouge her own eyes out.


    This was too eye-opening.


    They were not afraid of venereal diseases, right?


    Since Yuan Hui was already here, Zhao Chuchu thought she had to let Yuan Hui see this.


    Yuan Hui was already ufortable listening to the noise. Zhao Chuchu made her get closer to the window and look in.


    Yuan Hui was speechless.


    She almost threw up and closed her eyes at once.


    It was too disgusting.


    ...


    Second Mr. Ye and Third Mr. Hong were right there.


    There were two men and three women in total.


    Yuan Hui only felt that she was going to throw up.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of this ce as soon as possible!¡±


    She covered her mouth and tried to suppress the feeling of vomiting.


    Zhao Chuchu was about to take Yuan Hui away. Unexpectedly, the people inside started speaking and even mentioned Yuan Hui.


    Third Mr. Hong said, ¡°It¡¯s said that Old Mrs. Yuan of the Yuan n has been looking for a husband for Yuan Hui recently. Have you heard about it?¡±


    Second Mr. Ye said, ¡°I¡¯ve heard of it. Why, are you one of them?¡±


    Third Mr. Hong said, ¡°I heard that Old Mrs. Yuan has asked for all the portraits of the young men in the capital of Mingan Province.¡±


    Second Mr. Ye said, ¡°This Yuan Hui looks very good, but she is like a shrew. It might be very pleasing if I could have sex with her. How about we two make a bet to see who can get Yuan Hui first?¡±


    ¡°The Yuan n is really wealthy and powerful. The two younger brothers of Yuan Hui are still very young. If we get Yuan Hui, we will get everything from the Yuan n. I¡¯m afraid Old Mrs. Yuan won¡¯t let her get married so easily!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it will be a problem. As long as we can knock her up, Old Mrs. Yuan has to make her get married.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°I heard that Yuan Hui came to today¡¯s poetry and literature gathering. ording to her habits in previous years, she should still be around. How about we should cooperate?¡±


    ¡°Cooperate how?¡±


    ¡°We cooperate to knock her up!¡±


    ¡°You mean we are going to have sex with her together?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve had sex with so many women. Why not have sex with Yuan Hui? She is the eldest daughter of the Yuan n. She is totally different from those ordinary women. As long as we break her pride, we will make her do whatever we want in the future.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not easy.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget that some other people of the Yuan n havee to the poetry and literature gathering. Those people also want a share of the Yuan n¡¯s wealth, right?¡±


    ¡°It sounds quite fair. What about these women?¡±


    ¡°If they dare to tell anyone else about this, I will torture them to death.¡±


    ¡°Please spare me, young masters. We haven¡¯t heard anything.¡±


    The three women quickly knelt and kowtowed to beg for mercy.


    Second Mr. Ye raised the chin of one girl and said, ¡°Be amb, and we will treat you very well.¡±

 Chapter 287 - 287 Du Yushi’s Rabbit

    287 Du Yushi¡¯s Rabbit


    Yuan Hui trembled with anger and wanted to rush in to beat the two bastards up.


    She never thought there would be men who were so disgusting that they could say such things.


    There were no grudges between her and the two guys. Why did the two of them want to ruin her life in such a dirty way?


    If Yuan Hui had not known Zhao Chuchu or invited her to the capital of Mingan Province, maybe Yuan Hui would have been cheated by the appearance of the two guys and would have been doomed.


    Zhao Chuchu covered Yuan Hui¡¯s mouth and took her away from this ce.


    When they got to a ce where nobody was around, Zhao Chuchu stopped covering Yuan Hui¡¯s mouth.


    Yuan Hui was furious and said, ¡°Why did you stop me from killing those two bastards?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu said calmly, ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, one of them is the second son of the deputy governor, and the other is the young master of the Hong n, the cloth merchant. Do you think the Yuan n can still survive if you really kill them?¡±


    ¡°Others have always targeted the Yuan n. If you kill the two of them, those people will use this to attack the Yuan n. Ordinary people can never beat officials. No matter how rich the Yuan n is, you only do business.¡±


    ¡°You can vent your anger if you want, but you can¡¯t do it that way. It¡¯s easy to make them suffer. You can punish them without getting yourself into some trouble.¡±


    ¡°Then what should I do? I want to kick their fucking asses right now.¡±


    ¡°There is some incense which can turn them on in the room. They are not stopping this for a while. Why don¡¯t we lead people over and let them catch the five of them?¡±


    ¡°But how can we lead people there?¡±


    ¡°I have a way. Doesn¡¯t Du Yushi take a rabbit with her? Although I don¡¯t like her, her poprity is real.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to let the rabbit lead people there?¡±


    ¡°Well, you wait here. I am going to prepare for it.¡±


    ¡°Do I have to stay here?¡±


    ¡°Nobody will find you here.¡±


    ¡°But when I think about what I just saw, I¡¯m afraid I will go to beat them up.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu thought for a moment and then said, ¡°Well, how about this, you go back to that garden with me first.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu also did not know what would happen if she left such an angry person here.


    Although there was nobody around, there might be idents.


    Zhao Chuchu finally brought Yuan Hui back to the poetry and literature gathering.


    When Chunxiang saw them, she quickly walked to them and said, ¡°Where have you been?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu said calmly to Chunxiang, ¡°We went to answer the call of nature.¡±


    On their way back, Yuan Hui was so angry that she wasn¡¯t looking at Zhao Chuchu. Therefore, Zhao Chuchu threw a kind of powder that could attract rabbits.


    Zhao Chuchu also got some on herself. After returning to the garden, she deliberately walked near Du Yushi¡¯s rabbit.


    The rabbit, which was initially quiet, suddenly broke free from the servant girl¡¯s arms crazily and rushed toward Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu was standing at the door to the ce where Second Mr. Ye and other people were having sex.


    When the rabbit was near Zhao Chuchu, she covered her body with another powder to cover the former type of powder.


    So the rabbit ran along the road where she spread the powder.


    When the rabbit ran away from Du Yushi, she was surrounded by many people.


    Du Yushi liked the rabbit very much. When she found the rabbit was missing, she suddenly cried out loud, ¡°Where is my Whitie?¡±


    She quickly got up and ran after her rabbit.


    The people around her also followed her.


    ¡°That rabbit is Miss Du¡¯s favorite. Miss Lin, you have amazing skills. Why don¡¯t youe and help find it?¡±


    Someone remembered Zhao Chuchu and called for her help.


    In fact, Zhao Chuchu wanted to find the rabbit.


    Yuan Hui also said, ¡°Miss Lin, let¡¯s go look for the rabbit. I remember Miss Du likes the rabbit very much. If it is lost, she will be very sad.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go to help her look for the rabbit.¡±


    People who stood far away from here did not know what happened, but when they saw everyone here running away in a hurry, they also came together.


    ¡°Whitie, where are you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s timid. Don¡¯t shout its name. Just be quiet.¡±


    Du Yushi stopped the helpers from shouting the rabbit¡¯s name.


    Zhao Chuchu was smiling at that time.


    The group chased the rabbit like this, and soon they arrived where Second Mr. Ye and others were having sex.


    At that moment, the rabbit was right at the room¡¯s door.


    Du Yushi was overjoyed and ran to the rabbit.


    However, Du Yushi was startled by the sudden noise in the room. She couldn¡¯t stop and knocked the door open.


    ¡°What the heck!¡±


    The scene in the room made Du Yushi scream.


    The people behind rushed to check out what was happening.


    Second Mr. Ye and Third Mr. Hong were in high spirits, but suddenly there were so many people, which made them soft immediately.


    It took a long time for two groups of people inside and outside to react.


    ...


    ¡°Shit!¡±


    The young girls screamed again.


    Second Mr. Ye and Third Mr. Hong were in a hurry and shouted to the woman beside him, ¡°Go and close the door! Now!¡±


    However, it was toote to do anything. It was useless to close the door. The people outside the room had seen everything inside.


    The girls and many young men blushed and did not know what to say at that moment. They just lowered their heads.


    What the heck were those five people doing?


    Zhao Chuchu, standing behind the crowd, changed her voice and shouted, ¡°What? Aren¡¯t they Second Mr. Ye and Third Mr. Hong? Those three girls inside seem to be their servant girls, right?¡±


    Everyone was in an uproar.


    They all looked back to see who was speaking.


    Zhao Chuchu pretended to be innocent. She looked around as if she did not know who was speaking.


    If Yuan Hui had not stood beside Zhao Chuchu, she could not have believed that the male voice came from Zhao Chuchu.


    ...


    All the people who came to the poetry and literature gathering were young men and women. They didn¡¯t know how to deal with such a big scene for a while.


    When Hong Xulin heard the news and rushed over, the courtyard was already full of people watching the excitement.


    Hong Xulin was extremely irritated at that time.


    He kicked the door open and entered. Second Mr. Ye and Third Mr. Hong were already dressed.


    However, the smell which filled the whole room didn¡¯t go away.


    Hong Xulin red at Third Mr. Hong angrily and wanted to p him. However, because there were so many people, he finally decided not to beat Third Mr. Hong.


    ¡°Guys, go back to your own business now.¡± Hong Xulin tried to keep calm and asked the people in the yard to leave.


    Second Mr. Ye had never been ashamed like this. He immediately left with his people.


    At this time, Hong Xulin pped Third Mr. Hong to the ground.


    ¡°You bastard! I don¡¯t care how you fool around on ordinary days, but how dare you do such things at poetry and literature gathering? Are you going to make all the people of the Hong n feel ashamed of you? Do you know what people here will say about you after today? Who dares to marry you from now on?¡±


    ¡°I know I¡¯m wrong. I won¡¯t dare to do this again. Please help me.¡±


    ¡°Help you? Who the hell can help you? If you keep it low, no one will care how much you like to mess with these girls! Now you are going to marry the Yuan n, but you did such a shameful thing. You should go to tell dad about this. I am not able to help you at all.¡±


    ¡°No! You have to help me. I was set up. Otherwise, why could so many peoplee here? Oh, Du Yushi! It must be Du Yushi!¡±

 Chapter 288 - 288 She Almost Took My Breath Away

    288 She Almost Took My Breath Away


    Could it be Du Yushi?


    Hong Xulin thought it could not be her.


    Why would she set up Third Mr. Hong?


    Hong Xulin was very clear that Du Yushi liked him. If Du Yushi wanted to marry him, why would she set up someone from the Hong n like this?


    If he and Du Yushi were caught like this, Hong Xulin might think it was more credible.


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t make a fool of yourself here. Since people have known about this, we can do nothing about it. Let¡¯s talk about how to deal with itter.¡± Hong Xulin kicked Third Mr. Hong away and left.


    Third Mr. Hong was kicked and fell to the ground. Besides that, he had used up his energy on having sex. Therefore, he could not get up at that moment.


    In the end, the servants went to help him up and took him out of Laurel Garden.


    And Zhao Chuchu, who nned all this, joined in the excitement. She was pleased to see the results.


    Such a thing happened here, therefore, the poetry and literature gathering had to stop.


    The young masters of other ns also left Laurel Garden one after another.


    Zhao Chuchu and Yuan Hui naturally followed those people and left.


    Yuan Hui held herughter until she got on the carriage and got away from Laurel Garden.


    Seeing Third Mr. Hong and Second Mr. Ye making such a fool of themselves, she felt much less angry.


    The two of them were disgusting.


    Yuan Hui had no grudge against them. They wanted to destroy her for the Yuan n¡¯s wealth.


    This was absolutely unreasonable.


    Yuan Hui would never let them go easily.


    When Zhao Chuchu saw Yuan Huiughing, even with tears, she handed over the handkerchief to Yuan Hui and said, ¡°Well, be ady. Anyway, you are the daughter of the Yuan n. If people see you like this, there will be peopleughing at you in Guangqing Province tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°A joke is no more noticeable than a scandal. The Ye n and the Hong n can make Guangqing Province lively for a long time. Who will care about me?¡± Yuan Hui seemed fearless.


    ¡°Besides, if it makes me more disreputable, I will be very happy about it. No one will want to marry me anymore!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu frowned and said, ¡°Girl, you are so simple. The more your reputation is corrupted, the more people who want to marry you will get. They will think that they could easily get you since nobody wants you. At that time, they will stille to trouble you.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Some men could be unbelievably over-confident. It¡¯s totally beyond your imagination.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t all men want to marry an honest and innocent girl?¡±


    ¡°But the Yuan n is rich. By contrast, being innocent and honest is nothing. If they can get the Yuan n¡¯s property, will they find some other honest and innocent girls? Huihui, don¡¯t think that those men are simple. Most of the time, most men could not control their lust. Don¡¯t overestimate them!¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°But what? Even if they have better family backgrounds, they won¡¯t hate the wealth the Yuan n has, right? Unless they have apelling background, they can¡¯t care less about you.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu wanted to say that the emperor would also like the property of the Yuan n.


    Yuan Hui was too naive. The people of the Yuan n had protected Yuan Hui too well.


    They had to be extremely careful about Yuan Hui¡¯s marriage. Otherwise, the Yuan n would suffer greatly if Yuan Hui married a man with evil intentions.


    Zhao Chuchu knew Yuan Hui fairly well and regarded Yuan Hui as her friend, so she was also apprehensive about Yuan Hui¡¯s marriage.


    It was a pity that Zhao Chuchu could not stay in the capital forever. Otherwise, she could help Yuan Hui find an honest man.


    The man did not have to be really powerful. He only had to love Yuan Hui and be reasonable.

 Chapter 289 - 289: Who Did He Think He Was?

    Chapter 289: Who Did He Think He Was?


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    While Yuan Hui was staring at the girl, the girl noticed and looked back at Yuan


    Hui.


    Yuan Hui smiled at her in a friendly way. The girl nodded slightly when she saw this. She was greeting Yuan Hui.


    Mr. Luo followed the girl¡¯s eyes and found that the girl was looking at Yuan Hui. He immediately frowned.


    He pulled the girl aside and blocked Yuan Hui¡¯s gaze with his body.


    Yuan Hui was speechless.


    What was this guy doing?


    Why didn¡¯t he let Yuan Hui look at that girl?


    Mr. Luo took the girl straight past Zhao Chuchu and entered the restaurant.


    Yuan Hui looked upset and said, ¡°What¡¯s that Mr. Luo doing? Why didn¡¯t he let me look at that girl? She is not some item of his, right?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu nced at Yuan Hui and said, ¡°You look like you¡¯re going to snatch her. He was being cautious about you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m also a girl!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand men at all.¡±


    It was probably because Mr. Luo knew that he might marry the Yuan n and worried that Yuan Hui would embarrass the girl when Yuan Hui saw her.


    However, Yuan Hui did not know about it. She thought Mr. Luo tried to stop her from staring at that girl because Mr. Luo was afraid that she would snatch that girl.


    This was not strange at all. A n of schrs would always look down on merchants.


    Zhao Chuchu knew at first sight that this man was arrogant. She didn¡¯t know whether Mr. Luo had real talent or not. She could be sure that he really looked down upon Yuan Hui.


    Zhao Chuchu patted Yuan Hui and asked her, ¡°Well, weren¡¯t you treating me to a meal? Why are we still standing here?¡±


    Yuan Hui finally came out of her trance. She thought it was a shame that she could not get to know that beautiful girl.


    ¡°What are you thinking about? Do you also like girls?¡±


    ¡°She is such a beauty. Who wouldn¡¯t like her? I want to stay with her forever if she doesn¡¯t mind.¡±


    Looking at beauty every day could surely keep people in a good mood.


    Zhao Chuchu did not know what to say at that moment.


    Yuan Hui asked the waiter to arrange a private room for them.


    Coincidentally, the room they got was right next to Mr. Luo¡¯s.


    When Zhao Chuchu and Yuan Hui were brought to the door of the private room on the second floor, Mr. Luo just came out of his.


    Mr. Luo saw that Yuan Hui was going into the room next to his. He immediately put on a serious face and asked in a low voice, ¡°What do you mean. Miss Yuan?¡±


    Yuan Hui did not know what was going on there.


    ¡°The rtionship between our ns is just the wishful thinking of the elders. You don¡¯t have to follow me like this. You are a girl, so you should be restrained. Don¡¯t follow me again, please.¡±


    Yuan Hui did not know what to say after hearing what Mr. Luo said.


    What the heck was going on here?


    What was the man in front of her saying?


    When did Yuan Hui ask about his whereabouts or keep following him?


    Who did he think he was?


    Yuan Hui held back her anger and sneered, ¡°I am sorry. Who the hell are you? Why did you suddenly pop out and say such strange things in front of my face? I have never met you before, right? You are not silver. Not everyone is running after you. Don¡¯t overestimate yourself like that, alright?¡±


    ¡°Do you really think you can attract my attention this way?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was totally stunned after she heard Mr. Luo¡¯s answer.


    If it were not for the fact that she was in ancient times, she would have thought that this man must have read too many novels with contrived plots to have said such stupid words.


    The Yuan n was the wealthiest n in Guangqing Province.


    What did the richest n mean?


    The Luo n was just a small n of schrs. How dare he say such words in front of the daughter of the Yuan n?


    A n of schrs sounded quite respectful. However, there was only a schr in the Luo n. There was never a provincial graduate. Why the hell did he treat himself as some big shot?


    ¡°Huihui, it¡¯s all my fault. I shouldn¡¯t let youe here today to treat me to a meal. Otherwise, you won¡¯t meet a man who might have been out of his mind.


    Well, let¡¯s go somewhere else. I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t help beating someone upter!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s voice was cold.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. You¡¯ve wanted to eat the famous dishes here for a long time, haven¡¯t you? We finally got a chance to hang out. The poetry and literature gathering ended early. And we just came here. I don¡¯t know when my grandmother will let me out next time!¡±


    ¡°However, I don¡¯t want to ruin your reputation because I want to have some famous dishes. It is not worth it.


    ¡°Sister Lin, you know, so many men in Guangqing Province want to marry me. I have seen a lot of tricks that these men yed to attract me. It¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t care.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Of course, if he wants to make a scene here and make all the people of Guangqing Province know about this, he will be the one who will be mocked by everyone else. Others knew I just came back from the poetry and literature gathering, right?¡±


    The two of them talked as if there was nobody else around them.


    Even the waiter who was standing beside them couldn¡¯t helpughing.


    At that moment, Mr. Luo realized that Yuan Hui really just happened toe here for a meal.


    However, He blushed and said, ¡°Stop pretending to be innocent. No matter what you say, I will not believe you.¡±


    Yuan Hui sneered and said, ¡°I don¡¯t care if you believe me or not. I don¡¯t know you at all. I am so worried about that girl. She is actually with you, such a stupid man. Come on, Huihui, let¡¯s get in.¡±


    After that, Yuan Hui led Zhao Chuchu into their private room.


    Mr. Luo was furious, but he could only look at the two of them with clenched teeth.


    Then Zhao Chuchu and Yuan Hui closed the door of their private room. Mr. Luo wanted to go in and confront Yuan Hui, but he couldn¡¯t.


    Yuan Hui rolled her eyes and said, ¡°You really helped me a lot. I managed to see through these men clearly. They are all trash! I thought the one from a n of schrs could be better. Now I see. I am too naive.


    Zhao Chuchuughed and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know why you are so unlucky. The men you picked are all scum.¡±


    Yuan Hui spread her hand and said, ¡°If I knew that they were like that, I would stay away from them as soon as possible. When I return to my house, I will tell my grandmother that I don¡¯t want any of those men!¡±


    One looked down on her, and the other two wanted to destroy her.


    What an unlucky girl Yuan Hui was!


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. You are still young and have time to meet the one you will fall in love with. If you find a man¡¯s real personality after getting married, you will be in serious trouble then!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you are right.¡±


    Yuan Hui thought so, and after talking to Zhao Chuchu, she felt less depressed.


    Yuan Hui decided to vent her anger on the food. She wanted to eat a lot.


    Zhao Chuchu saw that Yuan Hui was not so sad now, so she stopped talking about the three guys.


    However, even though the Ye and Hong ns warned people not to talk about what happened today at the poetry and literature gathering, the scandal still spread.


    All the people in Guangqing Province knew that the Ye family¡¯s second son and the Hong family¡¯s third son had sex with three women together and were also caught by many.


    When Zhao Chuchu and Yuan Hui returned to the house of the Yuan n, Old Mrs. Yuan also knew about that.


    Old Mrs. Yuan also specially asked people to guard the door. When Yuan Hui arrived at the door, she was asked to go to her yard.


    Yuan Hui then went to Old Mrs. Yuan¡¯s yard.


    Old Mrs. Yuan looked kind of upset. As soon as she saw Yuan Hui, she said, ¡°Oh, my Huihui. How are you? I didn¡¯t expect the kid of the Ye n to be raised like this, and he did such a shameful thing!¡±


    Yuan Hui smiled and said, ¡°Grandma, I¡¯m fine. I just went to check them out. We don¡¯t have any contracts. We did not lose anything.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you sad?¡±


    ¡°Why do I have to feel sad because of some irrelevant guys?¡±


    Old Mrs. Yuan took a look at Yuan Hui and found that Yuan Hui was not forcing herself to smile, so she was relieved.


    Old Mrs. Yuan asked the waiter to leave.


    When there was nobody else in the room, Old Mrs. Yuan said, ¡°Huihui, tell me what happened. Don¡¯t lie to me..¡±

 Chapter 290 - 290: The Ye Clan Came to Propose

    Chapter 290: The Ye n Came to Propose


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Old Mrs. Yuan poked Yuan Hui¡¯s forehead and said, ¡°I know you very well. You wouldn¡¯t be so calm if you knew the truth after these things happened.¡±


    Yuan Hui said, ¡°Well, you are right, grandma.¡±


    Then, Yuan Hui whispered the whole story to Old Mrs. Yuan.


    Old Mrs. Yuan got extremely irritated. She didn¡¯t expect that those people would treat her granddaughter like that! And they wanted to destroy Yuan Hui.


    ¡°What the hell? I can¡¯t believe it!¡±


    There was no male in the Yuan n, but that did not mean that Yuan Hui, who came from the Yuan n, should be bullied like this.


    How dare they look down upon the Yuan n so much and treat Yuan Hui like that? Did they think they could bully the Yuan n easily?


    Old Mrs. Yuan could not hold back her anger anymore.


    If she did not teach these people, other people would think the Yuan n must be declining now.


    ¡°Grandma, don¡¯t be angry. Chuchu had helped me deal with them. They were totally embarrassed.¡±


    ¡°If Chuchu were not around you at that time, you would have been fooled by them. I will never let these people go easily!¡±


    Huihui was the apple of Old Mrs. Yuan¡¯s eyes. How could Old Mrs. Yuan tolerate those people who treated Yuan Hui like that?


    ¡°Grandma, we don¡¯t have to worry about my marriage right now. Let¡¯s take it slowly. Don¡¯t get so angry. These people are not worth it. Your health is the most important, grandma. We can ignore them.¡±


    Yuan Huiforted Old Mrs. Yuan.


    ¡°And that Mr. Luo is not a good guy. I have never seen such a selfish person. I just wanted to treat Chuchu to a meal and happened to meet him there. However, he said that I followed him on purpose. Besides, there was a beautiful woman beside him at that time, and they seemed to have a romantic rtionship.¡±


    Old Mrs. Yuan got angry again when she heard the story about Mr. Luo.


    Old Mrs. Yuan thought she must be confused as to pick such men for Yuan Hui.


    ¡°How arrogant Mr. Luo is! He thinks the Yuan n is a business n, so we don¡¯t have other choices. The Yuan n can easily find a schr to be your husband. He has overestimated himself too much.¡¯


    ¡°Grandma, Mr. Luo is not a good person, and I¡¯m still young. I can still wait.


    Don¡¯t be so angry. Chuchu said that you should not be so excited.¡±


    ¡°The Yuan n is also a respectable n in Guangqing Province. How dare these people treat us like that? Do they think that since there are no male kids in our n, our n will be declining? I¡¯ll show them how many good men the Yuan n can pick!¡±


    Old Mrs. Yuan was really irritated.


    She could understand if the other party was unwilling to marry a n of business.


    However, Old Mrs. Yuan would never forgive them since they did such a thing to Yuan Hui.


    The Yuan n was wealthy, but not everyone could get a share from the Yuan n.


    Old Mrs. Yuan believed that since Yuan Hui was such a good girl, she would definitely find a good husband.


    Zhao Chuchu has been listening to their conversation. At that moment, she said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be only in Guangqing Province. Let¡¯s erge the scope.


    What about Imperial City? By the way, is Qiao Heting married?¡±


    Hearing the name, Old Mrs. Yuan waved her hand and said, ¡°His n is so famous and powerful. I don¡¯t think they will ept the Yuan n.¡±


    Although the Yuan n and the Qiao n were rted by marriage, it was just a sideline of the Qiao n. Old Mrs. Yuan had never thought that Yuan Hui could get married to the Duke¡¯s n.


    Women should marry well, but they should also deserve it.


    The Duke¡¯s n could not care less about the wealth of the Yuan n.


    They were the first-ss nobility and ministers with close connections with the emperor. Even a princess could be qualified to marry them. Old Mrs. Yuan did not want Yuanhui to marry them and be bullied.


    After all,pared with the Duke¡¯s n, the Yuan n was too low.


    Yuan Hui said, ¡°My cousin and I have only met once in Yuanjiang County. I don¡¯t think I am good enough for such a brilliant young man. Well, Chuchu, you should at least offer a practical candidate!¡±


    Lnaou sama witn a smile, ¡°Sinceey are noD111ty ana rmmscers witn close connections with the emperor, the emperor must be cautious about them.


    It would be better for them to marry a merchant woman than a woman from another noble n. At least it can dispel the suspicion. If Huihui agrees, we should think about it. Maybe he is a great guy.¡±


    Yuan Hui said, ¡°Don¡¯t make fun of me. I¡¯m scared even to talk to my cousin. I have thought about marrying him. I¡¯d better stay away from him.¡±


    Yuan Hui knew her position and did not want to be mocked by others.


    There was always a gap between the merchants and the nobles.


    ¡°Well, I think it makes sense. Huihui, what do you think of him? I can go to check out his personality for you. It will be great if it works out. If it doesn¡¯t work out, nobody will be embarrassed. We can always negotiate about it.¡±


    Old Mrs. Yuan considered Zhao Chuchu¡¯s suggestion. ¡°No. I don¡¯t think so!¡± Yuan Hui immediately refused.


    Anyway, she seemed scared of Qiao Heting.


    Seeing that Yuanhui disagreed, Old Mrs. Yuan did not continue this topic.


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t talk about it anymore.


    After getting out of Old Mrs. Yuan¡¯s room, Yuanhui said to Zhao Chuchu, ¡°Why do you bring up my cousin? I¡¯m almost scared to death.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not good enough for my cousin. I don¡¯t want my cousin to think that I¡¯m insidious. Besides, he has seen my most embarrassed face. I get upset when I think about it. I don¡¯t want to marry him.¡± ¡°Tell me the truth. You don¡¯t like him at all?¡±


    ¡°He is just my cousin.¡±


    ¡°OK, Xie Heng wille to the capital for the Provincial Examination next year, and then I will let him help you keep an eye on those schrs. Maybe your husband is one of them.¡±


    ¡°Well, alright. Anyway, I was so disgusted by those three men that I won¡¯t go to see them again. However, thank you all the same. I wouldn¡¯t know they are such bad people if it weren¡¯t for you.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu smiled and patted Yuan Hui¡¯s head.


    However, another thing about Yuan Hui¡¯s marriage happened.


    Second Mr. Ye did such a thing, but the Ye n actually asked someone toe to the Yuan n to propose marriage the next day. Old Mrs. Yuan was so angry that she wanted to pick up a broom and drive the person out.


    However, the other party was the deputy governor, under the magistrate, and the second manager of Guangqing Province. Old Mrs. Yuan could only hold back her anger and politely decline the Ye n.


    ¡°Some idents happened to Huihui years ago, so she is still recovering. The doctor said that she can¡¯t get married recently.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. They are both young. They can get married first. Old Mrs.


    Yuan, there is no better n than the Ye n in Guangqing Province. Second


    Mr. Ye and Miss Yuan match each other. You don¡¯t want Miss Yuan to miss the chance, right?¡±


    The matchmaker tried very hard to convince Old Mrs. Yuan.


    ¡°Besides, Second Mr. Ye is a gentleman who has read many books. Old Mrs. Yuan, you can¡¯t find such a good man again. I know there are some rumors, but


    I also found out that a brothel girl framed Second Mr. Ye.¡±


    ¡°You also know that the father of Second Mr. Ye is the deputy governor. Many girls want to marry into the Ye n, even if they could only be a concubine. Second Mr. Ye is still too young, which is why others fool him. Now that the Ye n has solved the problem, it will never affect the rtionship between Second Mr. Ye and Miss Yuan..

 Chapter 291 - 291: You Don ‘t Have to Interfere

    Chapter 291: You Don ¡®t Have to Interfere


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Old Mrs. Yuan smiled and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think Huihui should get married when she is ill. I have only one granddaughter, and I want her to stay with me for a few more years. Of course, the Ye n is good, but we should not keep Second Mr. Ye waiting, right?¡±


    ¡°Old Mrs. Yuan, you should not worry about that. The house of the Ye n is just a few blocks from that of the Yuan n. After they get married, Miss Yuan cane back here whenever she wants. This is a good chance, Old Mrs. Yuan. You should never let it go.¡± The matchmaker still didn¡¯t give up.


    If the matchmaker could convince Old Mrs. Yuan, she would be the best matchmaker in the capital from now on.


    And she would get a lot of silver from the Ye n.


    She had to try her best to make this happen.


    Mrs. Yuan, silent all the time, suddenly said, ¡°Well, I also like the Ye n indeed, but I am not Huihui¡¯s biological mother. Otherwise, I can decide for her. Mother, we should ept it. Huihui is getting old, and the Ye n is perfect.¡¯


    ¡°Mrs. Yuan is absolutely right.¡±


    ¡°Mother, why don¡¯t you think about the Ye n? After all, Imperial City is too far away. If you ept the proposal from Imperial City, you will miss her if she goes to Imperial City in the future.¡± ¡°Imperial City?¡±


    The matchmaker was stunned.


    ¡°Well, I prefer the Ye n.¡±


    The Yuan n and the Duke¡¯s n were rted, and the matchmaker knew it.


    This was why the Ye n invited the matchmaker instead of forcing the Yuan n to ept their proposal.


    After all, they did not dare to offend the Duke¡¯s n, so they had to find a way to get the Yuan n to agree to their proposal.


    Now when Mrs. Yuan talked about Imperial City, the matchmaker hesitated.


    If the Qiao n were going to propose to the Yuan n, she would never want to get involved.


    Mrs. Yuan continued to persuade Old Mrs. Yuan, ¡°Mother, you have watched Huihui grow up. If Huihui stays in the capital, you will have many opportunities to see her. But if she goes to Imperial City, it will be difficult for you to see her then.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s so bad with Imperial City? We have to dy Huihui¡¯s marriage a little. About two years or so. I don¡¯t know if I will make it until then. Why are you in such a hurry to let Huihui get married?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant, mother. I also don¡¯t want Huihui to get married and leave us. I think it¡¯s more convenient for us to see each other if she stays in the capital. She is old enough for marriage now. We can¡¯t keep Huihui at home too long.¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡±


    ¡°Mother, the Ye n is really good.¡±


    ¡°Shut up. I told you that Huihui¡¯s marriage is up to me. You don¡¯t have to interfere.


    ¡°It¡¯s all about your partiality.¡± Mrs. Yuan gave a cold grunt. ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. ¡±


    When the matchmaker saw the tense scene in front of her, she immediately did not want to stay there anymore.


    ¡°Since you have disputes over the marriage, why don¡¯t you figure things out first? I¡¯lle back in two days.¡± The matchmaker decided to leave first.


    She had to return to the Ye n to tell them about the marriage proposal to the Yuan n from Imperial City. If she identally offended someone from Imperial City, she would never be able to stay in the capital again.


    After the matchmaker left, Old Mrs. Yuan looked at her daughter-inw and said, ¡°Why did you bring Imperial City up?


    ¡°Mother, there really was a letter from Imperial City. The Qiao n wanted to marry the Yuan n. I wanted to tell you, but the matchmaker came too soon. I didn¡¯t even have a chance.¡±


    With that, Mrs. Yuan handed a letter to Old Mrs. Yuan.


    Mrs. Ding wrote this letter. Although it was not explicitly stated, it vaguely implied that Mrs. Ding wanted to marry the Yuan n and asked about Yuan Hui¡¯s marriage.


    Old Mrs. Yuan was overjoyed.


    With the letter from Imperial City, Old Mrs. Yuan could reject the Ye n directly.


    ¡°Is this for her son?¡± Old Mrs. Yuan asked in a low voice.


    Mrs. Yuan said, ¡°Even if it is not, since Mrs. Ding wrote this letter, it must be a noble young man. He is surely better than those candidates in the capital.¡±


    Old Mrs. Yuan thought so. She then said, ¡°That¡¯s true. This young man must be better than those ungrateful guys. They are just a bunch of b*stards. But don¡¯t reply to Mrs. Ding right now. We¡¯ll talk about it for several days.¡±


    Even if they wanted to get married to the Qiao n, they should disagree immediately. They should let the other party wait so that the other party would not think that Huihui was in a hurry to get married.


    ¡°Mother, since the Ye n hase, the Hong n will alsoe. I am going to deal with them, okay?¡± ¡°What do you think of Huihui¡¯s marriage?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s up to you, mother.¡±


    ¡°You have no other idea?¡±


    ¡°Huihui¡¯s marriage is vital, and I will not interfere.¡±


    Old Mrs. Yuan sighed and said, ¡°I know you have suffered a lot in these years. We are really unlucky. Huihui will know the truth and understand you in the future.¡¯


    ¡°I understand. Since I am married into the Yuan n, I am one of the Yuan n. I also want the Yuan n to prosper. I don¡¯t care if Huihui misunderstood me now. Mother, I don¡¯t feel wronged.¡±


    ¡°Good girl, the Yuan n owes you too much.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a member of the Yuan n. Don¡¯t say that.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Old Mrs. Yuan looked at her daughter-inw and felt mixed feelings for a moment.


    Everyone suspected that her daughter-inw killed her son. In fact, Old Mrs. Yuan knew precisely what had happened to her son.


    Her daughter-inw had been criticized all these years, but Mrs. Yuan had tolerated people¡¯s judgment silently and had never exined for herself.


    Moreover, Yuan Hui had always resented Mrs. Yuan and even med Mrs. Yuan for the ident in Yuanjiang County.


    But Mrs. Yuan could not exin anything to Yuan Hui. She feared that Yuan Hui would be impulsive, allowing the enemy to attack her or the Yuan n.


    After Mrs. Yuan left, Old Mrs. Yuan carefully read the letter from Mrs. Ding and sighed with relief.


    With the Duke¡¯s n as the Yuan n¡¯s backer, those who wanted to stand against the Yuan n had to be cautious.


    Zhao Chuchu only knew that the Ye n hade to talk about the marriage of Yuan Hui, but she didn¡¯t realize that there was a letter from the Duke¡¯s n.


    She felt that the Ye n was incredibly shameless.


    But after all, this was the business of the Yuan n, and Zhao Chuchu should not interfere in it.


    It was thest treatment of the face of Huan¡¯er today.


    When Zhao Chuchu removed the cloth bandaged on Huan¡¯er¡¯s face and washed away the dregs of medicine, the terrible wound was no longer there. It was kind of pink, the color of the new skin.


    Deng Dalin¡¯s lips kept trembling, and he stared at Huan¡¯er¡¯s face for a long time without saying anything.


    He then burst into tears.


    Yuan Hui asked Huan¡¯er to look at himself in the bronze mirror brought by Chunxiang.


    Huan¡¯er felt his intact face, feeling like he was dreaming.


    He was no longer an ugly person. He did not need to worry about scaring others anymore. He could also raise his head and talk to people openly and squarely in the future!


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Huan¡¯er knelt and kowtowed.


    Zhao Chuchu pulled him up and handed him a bottle of cream. She said, ¡°Apply this to your face daily, and your scar will gradually fade away.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Huan¡¯er¡¯s face to be cured so soon.¡± Yuan Hui still remembered how terrible Huan¡¯er¡¯s face was at that time. Now his face had been cured, and he had stayed in the Yuan n for some time. His face became fair, tender, and lovely.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to repay you for your great kindness, doc. To repay you, I would like to be your servant all my life.¡± Deng Dalin wiped his tears and knelt in front of Zhao Chuchu. ¡°Please give me a chance to repay you, doc..¡±

 Chapter 292 - 292: That Was Outrageous

    Chapter 292: That Was Outrageous


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Zhao Chuchu ran to one side and gestured for Deng Dalin to get up. ¡°I am already married. If I go back with you, I¡¯m afraid my husband will not be so happy to see you. It¡¯s not good for my reputation. If you really want to repay me, just live your own life.¡±


    ¡°I can exin to Mr. Xie. I just want to repay your kindness,¡± Deng Dalin said. Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°No need. I didn¡¯t save you for your repayment.¡±


    Yuan Hui chimed in. ¡°Why don¡¯t you stay at the Yuan n, Uncle Deng? You don¡¯t have a ce to go anyway. We are short-handed here because we fired some people a few days ago. Rest assured. This will not be on the contract. You can leave anytime if you have a better ce to go in the future.¡±


    Deng Dalin couldn¡¯t believe what he had just heard.


    ¡°Miss Yuan, is it true what you said?¡±


    ¡°Yes, are you willing to stay in the Yuan n?¡±


    ¡°I do. Of course, I do. Thank you, Miss Yuan.¡±


    Deng Dalin moved to kneel again but was stopped by Yuan Hui.


    ¡°Although I let you stay in my family, I¡¯ll make it clear first. If you fool around here, I will chase you out.¡±


    ¡°I will definitely work hard and will never fail you.¡±


    ¡°Good, because if you don¡¯t, I¡¯m afraid the Xia n will definitelye after you when you go out.¡±


    Speaking of the Xia n, Deng Dalin¡¯s expression changed at once.


    He thought of his poor daughter Xi¡¯er, who was still unounted for.


    ¡°I will never forget your kindness in my life. If I can be of any help to you in the future, just let me know. I¡¯ll do anything you ask, even if it would cost my life.¡± ¡°What do I need your life for? The most important thing is to live well.¡± Zhao Chuchu saw Deng Dalin¡¯s expression and knew what he was thinking.


    The Xia n was really a sinner.


    Now Huan¡¯er¡¯s face was cured, and Old Mrs. Yuan¡¯s body was getting better day by day.


    Zhao Chuchu did the math and thought it was almost time to return to Lengshui Vige.


    After all, she had no intention of confronting the Xia n at present, so she could only hide for now.


    Zhao Chuchu returned to the courtyard where she lived and told Yuan Hui, ¡°Now that your grandmother is cured, I guess it won¡¯t be appropriate for me to stay here in your family. I¡¯ll go back to Yuanjiang County in a few days.¡± ¡°So soon? Why don¡¯t you stay a couple of days longer? I thought Second Miss


    Du¡¯s face is not yet cured.¡±


    ¡°As long as she does what I say, her face will heal soon.¡±


    ¡°You miss Mr. Xie, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu smiled but did not answer.


    Yuan Hui teased her. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. I should have brought Mr. Du over too. Not a day goes by without the thought of him, right? I mean, you¡¯ve not seen him for a long time. You must miss him a lot.¡±


    ¡°Huihui, this is not funny at all. Wait until I find your secret!¡±


    Yuan Huiughed loudly.


    ¡°Probably that day will nevere. Chuchu, you like Mr. Xie so much. How about him?¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°I think so. Otherwise, how would you be lost in lovend?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu thought about it and realized maybe she didn¡¯t like him as much as Xie Heng did her.


    ¡°How could a man like that do so much for me if he didn¡¯t really like me a lot?¡± she thought.


    ¡°Next time youe to the capital, make sure you bring Mr. Xie and Junjun with you. Then you can stay as long as you want.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯lle here for the Provincials Examination next year. We wille to the capital by then.¡±


    ¡°Really? Then let me know in advance so I can make preparations. Don¡¯t turn me down. You have been very kind to us. It¡¯s only reasonable for us to repay your kindness.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    The Ye n did not give up Yuan Hui just because the Imperial City wanted to tie the knot with the Yuan n.


    They once again asked a matchmaker toe to the house who said in a ttering tone, ¡°The men of a hundred families want ady of a family.¡±


    Before Old Mrs. Yuan scolded her, the matchmaker sent by the Hong n also arrived.


    Old Mrs. Yuan almost fainted from anger.


    She didn¡¯t see thising.


    They didn¡¯t treat Huihui as ady from a decent family.


    The Ye n and the Hong n had such a scandal, yet they still wanted to marry Yuan Hui, which pissed her off.


    Because of the letter from the Duke¡¯s wife, Old Mrs. Yuan also became more confident.


    She immediately went to find a broom and chased the two matchmakers out with it. ¡°Go away! Get the fuck out of here. Even if Huihui never marries anyone in her life, she would never marry into your family! Huihui is the treasure of my family. You shameless people are never allowed to ruin her name!¡±


    If youe here again, I will beat you to death, or I will definitely die of anger. Even if the Yuan n has nothing and marries Huihui to a beggar, I will never let her enter such a family like yours!¡±


    The two matchmakers ran away like startled rabbits.


    Old Mrs. Yuan was still angry.


    It didn¡¯t ur to her that two matchmakers woulde to her door at the same time.


    ¡°Do they really want Huihui to marry two men, like the two bastards?¡± she thought.


    Old Mrs. Yuan had always been a man of reason, but this time she was extremely exasperated and unable to keep her sanity.


    She even wanted to hold a knife to confront the Ye and Hong ns.


    Mrs. Yuan gently patted her back and smoothed her hair. ¡°Mother, they are here to piss us off. They will take delight in our misery. I think they are noting to propose marriage but to provoke you to death.¡±


    ¡°Even if I only have one breath left in me, I won¡¯t let them get what they want.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we stop wasting time in the Imperial City and ask the Duke¡¯s wife for her opinion as soon as possible? Now they are just trying to take advantage of us because we don¡¯t have a man in this family.¡±


    Old Mrs. Yuan did not want to reply to the Duke¡¯s wife so soon.


    But now that the Ye and Hong ns were doing something like this, she decided no more time should be wasted.


    But they never expected that something more outrageous was yet toe.


    In the daytime, they beat the matchmakers sent by the Ye n and the Hong n away, and at night Mr. Ye and Mr. Hong bribed the Yuan n¡¯s servants and sneaked into the Yuan n¡¯s backyard, intending to force Yuan Hui to sleep with them.


    Unfortunately, they did not know that Zhao Chuchu, who lived in Yuan Hui¡¯s courtyard, was not a woman to mess with.


    They thought it would be quiet at night, so they would not be discovered.


    As a result, before they got close to Yuan Hui¡¯s courtyard, Zhao Chuchu noticed their presence.


    Zhao Chuchu, who had not yet fallen asleep, quietly left the room and crouched on the tile surface to observe their actions. In a short time, they reached Yuan Hui¡¯s courtyard.


    ¡°This is Yuan Hui¡¯s room.¡±


    ¡°Got everything ready?¡±


    ¡°Well, I promise she will beg us to take her virginity like a whore.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    ¡°These two bastards!¡± she cursed secretly.


    There was no way she would let these two perverts ruin Yuan Hui¡¯s reputation.


    Zhao Chuchu quietly came behind the two and tapped them on the shoulders. ¡°What are you doing here sote at night, gentlemen?¡±


    The two people were so scared that they were about to scream, but Zhao Chuchu moved faster, and before they could make a sound, she pped them unconscious and took them out..

 Chapter 293 - 293: Unusually Strong Mind

    Chapter 293: Unusually Strong Mind


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo StUdiO


    Zhao Chuchu left the two men on the busiest street in Guangqing Province But it waste at night, plus it was under curfew, so the street was empty.


    Zhao Chuchu found the illicit drug on them, sniffed it, and found it was a very potent stimnt.


    If the amount they brought were taken, the effect wouldst until dawn, to the point of exhaustion.


    Since they were in for such a rush, she decided to do them a favor.


    Zhao Chuchu fed the drug to each of them and brought them to this street. Then she positioned them to hug each other.


    After she was done with this, Zhao Chuchu pped her hands and didn¡¯t hurry to leave but waited for a good show toe.


    However, Xie Heng didn¡¯t try to let Zhao Chuchu see this with her own eyes.


    He suddenly appeared and dragged Zhao Chuchu away.


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless again.


    She had not seen the good show.


    ¡°Xi¡¯er is not dead yet.¡± Xie Heng opened up after they were far away from the two men. He¡¯d been meaning to tell her this news.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Zhao Chuchu was surprised.


    ¡°She¡¯s notpletely out of danger, though,¡± Xie Heng said. ¡°Let¡¯s go see her right now.¡±


    ¡°Where did you find Xi¡¯er?¡±


    ¡°In the eastern suburbs, Xi¡¯er was lucky that the Xia n¡¯s people thought she was dead and threw her into a mass grave, but she was found by a hunter that happened to pass by. However, she was too badly injured. The doctor was unable to treat her.¡±


    ¡°Then how did you find her?¡± ¡°By ident.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go over now.¡±


    When Zhao Chuchu saw Xi i er, he realized that Xie Heng had kept the worst part to himself.


    Xi¡¯erl s whole body was covered with wounds and was already oozing with pus, emitting a revolting smell. She was already having difficulty breathing. She looked like she was on the verge of death.


    In the middle of the night, they broke in. The hunter was very nervous but still protected Xi¡¯er. ¡°Who are you? Don¡¯t touch her. Hurry up and leave, or I will be violent to you.¡±


    Xie Heng looked at him indifferently. ¡°If you don¡¯t want her to die, then stand aside and keep silent!¡±


    The hunter was so shocked by Xie Heng¡¯s aura that he didn¡¯t dare to speak for a while.


    Zhao Chuchu walked over to take Xi¡¯er¡¯s pulse and frowned slightly.


    If she werete for a minute, there would be no way she could save her.


    ¡®The injuries on her body¡­


    Zhao Chuchu now hated the Xia n even more.


    ¡°Go out, please. I dont likepany when I¡¯m treating people.¡± Zhao Chuchu looked back at the hunter. ¡°Of course, you can choose to stay here if you feel like lying here with her.¡±


    A chill ran down his spine when he heard this.


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s eyes were so intimidating that he didn¡¯t dare to look straight at them.


    He didn¡¯t know who they were.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Xie Heng was the first to go out. He had to help Zhao Chuchu guard the door so that no one would break in and see the secrets they shouldn¡¯t have.


    He was not in the mood to kill anyone today,


    The hunter had to follow Xie Heng out of the house.


    Zhao Chuchu took off Xi¡¯er¡¯s clothes and was shocked to see her wound-packed body.


    She didn¡¯t know what torture she had suffered before being thrown into the mass grave.


    Zhao Chuchu thought she must have a powerful mind to survive this.


    The hunter seemed to be a kind-hearted and honest person to them.


    He must have guessed what had happened to Xi i er, but he still gave his all to save Xi¡¯er, which meant he was indeed a good man.


    Zhao Chuchu took something out of her space, cleaned Xi¡¯ers wounds first, then applied the medicine.


    Zhao Chuchu used her healing power to save Xi¡¯er, whose life was already on the line.


    One thing Zhao Chuchu could be certain of was that she was saved. As for when she could wake up, it depended on her.


    Zhao Chuchu was busy for an hour, and the day was almost bright when she came out.


    The hunter was walking restlessly back and forth in the small courtyard. The worry on his face was unmistakable.


    Hearing the sound of the door opening, he first rushed up. ¡°How is she?¡±


    ¡°She is saved, but it will take her some time to recuperate. By the way, what are you going to do after she wakes up?¡± Zhao Chuchu looked at the hunter.


    The hunter said, ¡°If her parents are looking for her, I will send her home. If she wants to stay here, I, I¡­¡±


    ¡°How did you bring her here?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked again.


    The hunter looked at Zhao Chuchu suspiciously. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a doctor? M/hy would you ask this? Are you her rtive?¡±


    ¡°I just happened to pass by and found a dying person here. If you don¡¯t tell me the truth, I will report you because I suspect you abducted her and imprisoned her here.¡± didn¡¯t!¡±


    The hunter became anxious at once.


    To prove his innocence, he told them exactly how he had saved Xi¡¯er.


    Zhao Chuchu took a deep breath. His expression remained calm. ¡°Since this is the case, you should take good care of her. Later I will give you a prescription. In less than a month, she should be able to recover.¡±


    ¡°Okay, but can you charge less for the treatment? I¡¯ve almost spent all the money, and I still have to get her medicine. Can I pay some other time?


    ¡°No, I just hope that when this girl¡¯s familyes to look for her in the future, you won¡¯t refuse to give her to her parents.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu intended to prescribe medicine for him and then realized that this hunter was penniless, which meant she wouldn¡¯t have a paper to write on.


    Zhao Chuchu could not easily take out paper and pen from space to write the prescription, so she told him to go to the kitchen to get a piece of charcoal and found a piece of cloth to write the prescription.


    The hunter then carefully put the prescription away properly.


    ¡°What is your name?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked, thinking that the man would probably be Deng Dalin¡¯s son-inw in the future.


    ¡°My name is Tian Qi. Can you tell me where you live so I can bring you the money some other day?¡±


    ¡°No need. I will be leaving Guangqing Province soon.¡±


    Now that she had helped him once, she wouldn¡¯t mind helping him twice.


    Zhao Chuchu was not a cold-hearted person, after all.


    She would save whoever the Xia n wanted to mess up. She would not begrudge him such a small favor.


    Tian Qi thought about it. ¡°Wait a moment, please.¡±


    After saying that, Tian Qi hurriedly went into the house.


    Zhao Chuchu did not know what he was going to do, but she decided to wait because it was alreadyte anyway.


    Not long after, Tian Qi came out with a basket full of dried vegetables, preserved meat, and other things,


    ¡°I can only offer you these things. I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡± Tian Qi handed the basket to them.


    Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng looked at each other.


    Xie Heng took it. ¡°Okay.¡±


    If Xi¡¯er liked him, Xie Heng thought he would make a good husband.


    Zhao Chuchu epted his dried meat and added, ¡°You will encounter many more problems in the days toe. Don¡¯t let her be seen by too many people these days. Just find another ce to live for some time if possible.¡± Tian Qi was stunned.


    Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng had already turned around and walked out.


    When Tian Qi returned to his senses, they had already disappeared into the dark night.


    Tian Qi turned back to the house and found that Xi¡¯er, who was pale earlier, now had a certain vitality to her..

 Chapter 294 - 294: Never a Man of Reason

    Chapter 294: Never a Man of Reason


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo StUdiO


    ¡°Da Lang, do you think it¡¯s a blessing in disguise for Xi¡¯er?¡± Zhao Chuchu remembered Tian Qi¡¯s nervousness about Xi¡¯er and asked Xie Heng.


    Xie Heng chuckled and said, ¡°Things are unpredictable. If Xi¡¯er likes him, they will make a good couple. If not, then the hunter will probably be put in the friend zone by her.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Love can¡¯t be forced, But let¡¯s hope that Xi¡¯er will meet a good man so that Deng Dalin and his son can be relieved.¡±


    ¡°They will be. You are a lucky star. All those who meet you will be blessed with good luck.¡±


    ¡°Like me, Xie Jun, and Yuan Hui¡­¡± he thought.


    ¡°Then I suppose everyone would like to know me, right?¡±


    ¡°Well, because you¡¯re a lucky star, so yeah!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu giggled.


    She naturally tilted her head to lean against Xie Heng¡¯s shoulder and looked up at the starry night sky. She hadn¡¯t felt so rxed for a long time.


    Xie Heng looked sideways at the top of Zhao Chuchu¡¯s head, and his eyes gradually filled with tenderness,


    ¡°Da Lang, can you look at the stars with me?¡± Zhao Chuchu turned her head to look at Xie Heng.


    Xie Heng nodded his head.


    ¡°Okay?¡¯


    The two of them found a grassy slope and sat down.


    Zhao Chuchuy down and put her hands behind her head. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen the stars like this for a long time.¡±


    ¡°Is it because there¡¯s too much going on?


    ¡°Well, I was very busy before the world was in chaos. Then the world took a


    sudden change. I haven¡¯t gotten around to appreciating nature like this. To


    survive, we struggled every day. We had to look out for ourselves because you


    never knew if your friends would betray you.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡­¡±


    ¡°Me? Although I was not on the front line, I saw death every day. Wounded people can be enemies at any time. Da Lang,pared to my world, the Wei Dynasty is much more peaceful.¡±


    Although Zhao Chuchu did not go into details, Xie Heng could hear from those few words what kind of world it was.


    ¡°Da Lang, my homnd was once a country that ten countries like this onebined could not defeat even if they went all in, butter it became a brokennd. Still, it was the country with the most survivors in the whole world.¡±


    ¡°Do you really want to go back?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The feeling of loss immediately rushed to Xie Heng¡¯s heart.


    ¡°But¡­¡± Zhao Chuchu suddenly rolled over and looked at Xie Heng. ¡°Now I don¡¯t, probably because I don¡¯t belong to my homnd anymore.¡± n or how did I not avoid the arrival of doomsday and survive it? Instead, I was transported to this world and met Xie Heng,¡± she thought.


    Xie Heng froze for a moment.


    Zhao Chuchu chuckled. ¡°Everyone has a past. I admit I miss the past, but the future is worth looking forward to because of you.¡±


    Xie Hengs loss dissipated.


    He leaned down and kissed Zhao Chuchu on the forehead. ¡°Chuchu, I will never let you regret your choice.¡±


    He wanted her to stay with him for the rest of his life. ¡°I will do my best to give you everything you want.¡±


    ¡°Okay, time will prove it.¡±


    The tip of Xie Heng¡¯s nose rested against Zhao Chuchu¡¯s forehead, greedily taking in her breath.


    At this moment, Xie Heng¡¯s heart was at peace like never before All those schemes and tricks were far away from him. He only saw Zhao Chuchu in his eyes.


    He once held supreme power, but now when he looked back on the past, it was all just a moment of glitz. Only the present was the most important.


    ¡°Chuchu, when youe of age, let¡¯s get married again, okay?¡± Xie Heng asked in a soft voice.


    The one who got married back then was not Zhao Chuchu.


    Even if Zhao Chuchu was indeed under his wife¡¯s identity now, Xie Heng still wanted to give Zhao Chuchu a rightful ceremony, He wanted to marry her with her own identity.


    She was not a substitute for anyone.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu looked at him with a smile and agreed.


    This was the wedding of Zhao Chuchu, who came from doomsday, and Xie Heng, who was reborn.


    It was not about anything else but their love for each other. Even if no one knew, they wanted to tell the world they were a couple who had held a wedding ceremony.


    ¡°Da Lang, why don¡¯t we go watch the sunrise? It¡¯sing soon anyways!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu suddenly became interested, got up, and pulled Xie Heng to go. With their skills, it would take a blink of an eye before they reached the top of the mountain.


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t wait for Xie Heng to agree. She leaped up with her arm around his waist and rushed straight to the top of the highest mountain nearby.


    The foggy sky was still decorated with stars. They felt extremely proud and refreshed when they looked into the distance from above.


    The dark red ribbon gradually covered¡¯ the sky. The orange sun slowly rose, and the distant fog began to dissipate.


    The haze was so bright that the rolling hills were dyed golden by the morning sun as if they were dressed up in costumes.


    The two stood side by side, bathed in the magnificence of the sunrise, like immortals ready to ride the wind.


    Xie Heng had seen the sunrise and sunset in the border desert, but there was never a scene whose brilliance coulde close to this.


    He quietly looked sideways andmitted the outline of Zhao Chuchu to his heart.


    He would never forget the sunrise he saw with Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡± Zhao Chuchu eximed, ¡°In front of the sunrise, we all look too smalln¡±


    Time was endless, but the sun continuously repeated its track day after day. The only thing that changed was the state of mind and the people around us.


    ¡°If you like, we can see the sunrise all over the world.¡±


    ¡°High mountains, deserts, seaside¡­¡±


    ¡°And the sunset that¡¯s as beautiful as the sunrise.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu turned around and met Xie Hengs dark eyes, ¡°With you, even if it¡¯s just ying in the mud, that¡¯s the most fun game. But Da Lang, I remember your promise today. One day, you have to fulfill what you said today.¡±


    ¡°Sure, I will.¡±


    Xie Heng said, reaching out to pull Zhao Chuchu into his arms. He used to think that love would prevent one from achieving his goals until he met Zhao Chuchu. Now he just wanted to give her his whole world.


    Zhao Chuchu listened to Xie Hengs heartbeat and felt calm all over.


    It was already dawn when Xie Heng sent Zhao Chuchu back to the Yuan n.


    Zhao Chuchu was lying in bed, tossing and turning, but she didn¡¯t feel like sleeping, so she simply got up again.


    For her, she could skip sleep for three or four days.


    Yuan Hui walked out with a yawn, looking very messy.


    ¡°What are you doing here in the early morning?¡± Yuan Hui saw Zhao Chuchu looking radiant and wondered if she had been sleepwalking all nightst night. Otherwise, she didn¡¯t know why she was so sleepy.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep, so I got up.¡± Zhao Chuchuughed. ¡°What, were you robbing someonest night?¡±


    ¡°I wish, then maybe I stand to win something, and I¡¯ll just let a few hours of sleep pass.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you some medicera It¡¯ll help you sleep better, so you don¡¯t have to wake up like this every day.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s brilliant!


    Yuan Hui stretched out and had breakfast brought up.


    Before the two of them could start, a maid hurriedly came to report, ¡°Miss Yuan, Miss Lin, someone from the Xia n is asking to see Miss Lin..¡±

 Chapter 295 - 295: Consider It a Gift From Me

    Chapter 295: Consider It a Gift From Me


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio???? Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯ s eyebrows were slightly raised. She wondered if she had been recognized by the Xia n now that they wanted to see her.


    ¡°Who is asking for me?¡± Yuan Hui put down her chopsticks.


    ¡°Xia Songquan¡¯s second son, Xia Chengzhu.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s him!¡±


    Yuan Hui looked at Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°Or should I tell him to leave?


    Zhao Chuchu shook her head and asked the maid, ¡°Did he say what he came here for?¡±


    ¡°He wanted to ask Miss Lin to go to the Xia n to treat Mr. Chengxue. ll


    ¡°Is that all?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Okay, you can go now.¡±


    The maid wanted to say something but stopped.


    ¡°What else do you want to say?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked.


    The maid looked at Yuan Hui and worked up her courage. ¡°Miss Lin, it seems he is still trying to take you as his concubine.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t helD butugh. ¡°How did vou know that?¡±


    ¡°I heard him tell the people around him that as long as he has money, he can get any woman he wants, including Miss Lin.¡± The maid got on her knees with a thud. ¡°This is what I heard. I¡¯m not talking nonsense.¡±


    ¡°This bastard. I¡¯ll beat him away now. He thinks he¡¯s somebody just because he¡¯s from the Xia n?¡±


    Yuan Hui was immediately angry, got up, and went outside.


    Zhao Chuchu pulled her back. ¡°You don¡¯t have to get into direct conflict with the Xia n. Now the Ye and Hong ns are trying to mess up your family.


    Doing this will only add fuel to the fire, giving your grandmother a hard time.


    Besides, you don¡¯t have to be angry because I¡¯m not even angry yet.¡±


    ¡°But Xia Chengzhu was clearly humiliating you. I can¡¯t stand it.¡±


    ¡°You have to put up with it. I¡¯m not a pushover, either. Just listen to me.¡± ¡°You still want to follow him to the Xia n?¡±


    ¡°Now that he hase to the door, he¡¯ll assume I¡¯m scared if I don¡¯t go. Don¡¯t worry. I can take care of myself.¡±


    After a pause, Zhao Chuchu looked at the maid. ¡°Go out and tell them I¡¯ll be right out.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± The maid ran out.


    Zhao Chuchu gestured to Yuan Hui to calm down, then went back to the house and groomed herself a little Her appearance was unchanged, but she would not make people think of her mother at once when they saw her.


    Yuan Hui was astounded. ¡°You still look the same, but I can scarcely recognize you. How did you do that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s called magic. Well, I¡¯ll go out first.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu patted Yuan Hui¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°How about Ie with you?¡± Yuan Hui asked.


    ¡°No, what if they are trying to hit on you? I¡¯ll be going alone. You¡¯re likely to be a burden if youe with me. Just stay here.¡±


    Speaking of which, Zhao Chuchu remembered what happenedst night. She leaned in and whispered, ¡°There should be something more delightful for you to happenter.¡±


    ¡°Delightful? What is it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when Ie back.¡±


    ¡°Eh, how can you make me curious but not tell me anything? You¡¯re so evil!¡±


    ¡°You will know soon. Consider it a gift from me.¡±


    Now that the Ye n and the Hong n had such a scandal, they would be aughingstock of the whole Guangqing Province if they still had the heart to propose marriage to Yuan Hui.


    They were not so shameless after all. The Ye n, in particr, was the governor of the government. If they dared, they would probably be busted as political opponents.


    Zhao Chuchu left the curious Yuan Hui behind and walked to the front yard.


    Xia Chengzhu was already waiting there.


    It was Mrs. Yuan who greeted him personally.


    Before Zhao Chuchu could get close, he heard Xia Chengzhu say, ¡°Madam, it must not be easy for you to take care of such a big family as yours. Our families have been close to each other for a long time. Feel free to let me know should you need anything from me. We¡¯re supposed to help each other.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu almost threw up.


    She believed the people of the Xia n had let their pen*ses take the better of them.


    Mrs. Yuan was Xia Chengzhu¡¯s elder, but he didn¡¯t treat her like one. In fact, he took the Yuan n for granted, as if the women of the Yuan n were meant to be his belongings.


    If not for the fact that the Yuan n might be med if anything happened to Xia Chengzhu, Zhao Chuchu would have sterilized him so that his mind would not be only on women in the future.


    ¡°Stop joking, sir. We¡¯ve beenpetitors. God knows how many people will be freaked out and stand up against us if we be friends. As I see it, we should leave things the way they were.¡±


    ¡°Madam, l i m being serious with it. How can you turn a blind eye to it? You have been alone all these years. Don¡¯t you feel lonely?¡±


    ¡°Sir, please watch yournguage.¡±


    Even if Mrs. Yuan was a woman of good manners; she couldn¡¯t stand such insulting words. What was more, she was a widow with a rtively bad reputation. If others knew this, it would hugely influence Yuan Hui¡¯s name.


    She was not as shameless as he was because she still had two sons who bore the family¡¯sst name.


    ¡°Madam, take it easy, please. That¡¯ll put more age on you if you get angry. It¡¯s a loss that you don¡¯t want to suffer. Madam, I think you should mind your business as a woman instead of dealing with family businesses. That way, you¡¯ll look younger.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°Are all men like this, or is it just you?


    Zhao Chuchu stepped into the front room and stared at Xia Chengzhu with a smirk. ¡°Are you the one looking for me to treat you? Impotence is not that big of a problem, in fact. Let me get you a prescription. I assure you it will work perfectly for you. You¡¯ll have as much fun as you want, but I¡¯m not sure you will make it.¡±


    Hearing this, his face darkened. ¡°Who are you? How dare you be so impertinent?¡±


    I ¡®Oh, I thought you were looking for me. Did I get the wrong message, or are you just trying to make a scene in front of the Xia n¡¯s door?¡±


    ¡°Are you Miss Lin?¡±


    ¡°Exactly, You are the one who came to look for me at the Xia n, right? Your disease is not difficult to cure. Take medicine properly and stay abstinent for some time. You¡¯ll be as good as new. But if you stick to your old life habits, you¡¯ll be hopeless.


    Zhao Chuchu said with a serious face,


    Xia Chengzhu stared at Zhao Chuchu with a deadly look in his eyes as if he wanted to tear Zhao Chuchu apart alive.


    No man could ept being told in broad daylight that he was impotent.


    However, Zhao Chuchu was telling the truth, so he couldn¡¯t argue. That¡¯s why he was eager to prove himself by looking for more women.


    ¡®I DO you know what you are talking about?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I can tell what is wrong with you by looking at your face. Was I wrong about your symptoms? I Eve never made a mistake.¡± ¡°How arrogant! Someone, take this bitch down.¡±


    ¡°This is the Yuan n, not the Xia n. Don¡¯t you touch her!¡±


    Mrs. Yuan shouted sternly and stood in front of Zhao Chuchu to protect her.


    Zhao Chuchu pulled away from Mrs. Yuan, smiled at her, and then shouted, ¡°Help, please, a man is trying to harass me!¡±


    At the same time, she kicked Xia Chengzhu, sending him flying.


    Xia Chengzhu had already been very weak. He was not able to react to it in time. He immediately flew out..

 Chapter 296 - 296: Shameless

    Chapter 296: Shameless


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio???? Editor: Nyoi-go Studio


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    Xia Chengzhu screamed in pain.


    Zhao Chuchu immediately went over to see him and put her foot on Xia Chengzhu¡¯s chest. ¡°How was it? Did it feel good?¡±


    ¡°You bitch¡­¡±


    Zhao Chuchu bent down and pped him across the face


    ¡°Yeah, go on. Keep talking like that.¡± ¡°Did you just p me? I swear to God I¡¯ll make you regret what you have done!¡±


    ¡°Really? Don¡¯t you want to be treated?¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Xia Chengzhu¡¯s face turned purple in anger.


    ¡°I know my words must be hurtful, but don¡¯t be mad. Do you know why I pped you? I was actually trying to treat you. Don¡¯t you want to be a real man again?


    Zhao Chuchu said so seriously that Xia Chengzhu was confused for a moment.


    ¡°How about it? Do you want my help or not?¡±


    Xia Chengzhu changed from being exasperated to being doubtful.


    ¡°Are, are you serious about that?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s for sure. I can see through your secret at a nce. Don¡¯t you still believe in my medical skills?¡±


    ¡°How do you prove that you can cure me?


    ¡°That¡¯s easy. You will know thatter, but you have to bear with it. You have used too much medicine before. Those can be harmful to your health. The residual in your body has umted to the extent that it might be poisonous. So the first thing I¡¯m doing is get rid of the residual left in your body.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°The most direct way is to beat you up.¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± Xia Chengzhu growled.


    Zhao Chuchuughed. ¡°I already hit you, right? Do you want to be hit for nothing? I know youe from a noble family in Guangqing Province Actually, I don¡¯t mean no harm to your family.¡±


    ¡°Then why did you hit me?


    ¡°The main reason is that I was afraid that if I said something at the beginning, you would make the first move, and then it would be unpleasant for either of us.¡±


    ¡°How is that any different if you hit me now?


    Zhao Chuchu leaned in and whispered to him, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to regain your dignity as a man? You have consumed too much medicine that¡¯s harmful to you. It might cost you your life in the future. By then, your family wealth might very well be taken by others.¡±


    Probably because Zhao Chuchu¡¯s words had convinced him, his mind wavered.


    In fact, to cure this disease, he had tried all kinds of methods and prescriptions, so he decided to give it a shot this time.


    He could see the young girl in front of him looked fair, so he decided to cooperate, considering that she had saved Old Mrs. Yuan, whose life was on the line.


    He decided he would definitely mess her up if she lied.


    Xia Chengzhu convinced himself, then made up his mind. ¡°Okay, I E II let you take a shot. If it doesn¡¯t work immediately, I¡¯ll have you arrested and lock you away.¡±


    ¡°Great!¡± Zhao Chuchu agreed.


    ¡°You can get started.¡± Xia Chengzhu was so stupid that he had taken what Zhao Chuchu said for truth. Hey on the ground and gritted his teeth, waiting for Zhao Chuchu to hit him.


    Even Mrs. Yuan was stunned.


    He never thought someone would want to be insulted like this.


    ¡°You have to bear with it, Mr. Xia If you want to be cured, I will not go easy on


    you.¡±


    ¡°It better work, or I¡¯ll make wish you were dead.¡±


    Xia Chengzhu gave her a warning.


    Zhao Chuchu nodded her head.


    ¡°Get out of the way, all of you. No matter what happenster, don¡¯t do anything unless you¡¯re told to.¡±


    Hearing this, his men¡¯s lips twitched a little.


    Xia Chengzhu was their master, after all. Even if they thought Xia Chengzhu was stupid, they would not say anything.


    Zhao Chuchu recklessly punched and kicked Xia Chengzhu. Soon he was covered in bruises and spat out a few mouthfuls of blood.


    Mrs. Yuan was worried that she might kill him.


    But when she saw that Zhao Chuchu looked confident, she was relieved. Mrs. Yuan felt that Zhao Chuchu was always a woman of reason and wouldn¡¯t kill a person for no reason.


    Xia Chengzhu had been enduring the pain. Just as he was about to fly into a rage, Zhao Chuchu finally stopped. He felt a familiar heat rushing up. This made Xia Chengzhu so happy that he forgot to avenge himself for a moment.


    ¡°Someone, someone, take me away now.¡±


    Xia Chengzhu couldn¡¯t wait to find a woman to see if Zhao Chuchu had really cured his illness.


    He didnt even remembering to ask Zhao Chuchu to go to the Xia n. His mind was only on women at the moment.


    Xia Chengzhu came and left very quickly. Mrs. Yuan was speechless.


    She was at a loss as to what had just happened.


    ¡°He just left like that?¡± Mrs. Yuan looked at Zhao Chuchu. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that he wille after you?


    ¡°No, after all, I cured him of his disease.¡± Zhao Chuchu slightly hooked her lips. ¡°Xia Chengzhu will note to trouble me in a short time. On the contrary, he would worship me.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s outspokenness made her blush slightly. ¡°You are ady, after all. You must watch yournguage in case your husband knows about it.¡±


    ¡°My husband would never be angry with me for such a thing. He knows that in the eyes of a doctor, there is only the patient. There is no difference between men and women. Madam, don¡¯t worry. But you have to be careful of this man.


    He meant no good to you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know. I won¡¯t let him have a chance toe near me.¡±


    ¡°Now that the Yuan n doesn¡¯t have a man, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s already coveted by many people out there.¡±


    Mrs. Yuan smiled bitterly. ¡°If my two sons were older, they wouldn¡¯t dare to be


    so reckless. Nowadays, the outsiders and the Yuan n¡¯s rtives are hostile.


    They¡¯re all having their eyes on Yuan Hui and my sons.¡±


    ¡°Madam, things are not that serious now. Just bear with it. Everything will be fine¡±


    ¡°I think so too. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡±


    ¡°By the way, are you nning to go out?¡±


    ¡°I was going to go to the Xia n, but now it seems I don¡¯t need to for the time being. I think there is more to the purpose of the Xia n¡¯s invitation of me to treat Xia Chengxue.


    ¡°We¡¯re so sorry for putting you in trouble.¡±


    ¡°No, it has nothing to do with you. The Xia n will find me sooner orter, even without the Yuan n.¡±


    Mrs. Yuan smiled and gently patted Zhao Chuchu knowingly.


    After settling Xia Chengzhu for now, Zhao Chuchu went back to have breakfast with Yuan Hui.


    Yuan Hui was still thinking about what Zhao Chuchu had said to her. When she saw Zhao Chuchu, she put down her breakfast, got up, and said, ¡°You¡¯re not going there, right? What is it? Tell me, please.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu poked Yuan Hui¡¯s forehead. ¡°Why are you still thinking about


    ¡°I can¡¯t help it. You made me curious first. I¡¯m not going to calm down if you don¡¯t tell me.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was about to tell her when a maid hurriedly came in. ¡°Miss Yuan,


    Miss Yuan, something happened!¡±


    Yuan Hui looked over, and her heart skipped a beat.. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What happened?¡±

 Chapter 297 - 297: Someone of Power

    Chapter 297: Someone of Power


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°The Ye n¡¯s second son and the Hong n¡¯s third son were spotted in the street!¡± The maid was red in the face and said with embarrassment, ¡°They were seen hugging each other.¡±


    ¡°Second Mr. Ye and Third Mr. Hong hugged each other? What kind of big deal is that? They often hang out with each other.¡± Yuan Hui was a little angry. ¡°Why do you look so shocked? You¡¯ve scared me!¡±


    ¡°No, no.¡± The maid was so anxious that she was about to cry because she was still a child. She really couldn¡¯t tell her what really happened, featuring two men who did it on the street with their bodies entwined.


    As soon as Zhao Chuchu heard it, she knew it was the good show she had been expecting.


    ¡°Take it easy. Tell me in detail. What happened? What else did they do on the street besides hugging each other?¡± Zhao Chuchu tried to rx the maid.


    The maid nodded her head vigorously with a red face.


    Yuan Hui happened to be drinking tea and sprayed the maid¡¯s face with tea in shock.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean it. Let me wipe that for you.¡± Yuan Hui hurriedly took out a handkerchief to clean the maid¡¯s face. ¡°You said they were doing something indecent in the street?¡±


    ¡°Well, the whole capital has known about it. I heard that no one else could separate them when they were found. It was as if they were possessed. No one could stop them.¡±


    Yuan Hui was speechless.


    She wondered if they thought women were less than exciting for them now, so they had to seek fun in men.


    Yuan Hui wanted to ask something else but suddenly remembered what Zhao Chuchu had said before and suddenly realized something.


    She hurriedly said to the maid, ¡°Go out and ask around again. Let me know if you¡¯re onto some big.¡±


    The maid answered in a daze, then she almost cried. ¡°Miss Lin, are you serious?¡±


    She found it too embarrassing for a woman like her to inquire about things like this.


    Yuan Hui came back to her senses and was a little embarrassed. ¡°I didn¡¯t make it clear. I was asking you to get Madam Wang to ask around on the street properly.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± The maid stopped her tears. She would die before she went around inquiring about this in person.


    After the maid went out, Yuan Hui also dismissed the other maids.


    Then she asked Zhao Chuchu, ¡°What is going on here?¡±


    ¡°Last night, these two people bribed your servants, sneaked into the Yuan n, and even entered your courtyard. I happened to be awake and saw they wanted to do something bad to you, so I took care of them. And this is what happened.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu told the story briefly.


    Yuan Hui was furious. ¡°They got into the Yuan n?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± Zhao Chuchu nodded. ¡°Your servants arepletely unloyal. I think you should tell your grandmother about this. It¡¯s time to clean up your family.¡± The more Yuan Hui thought about it, the more scared she felt.


    If Zhao Chuchu was not herest night, she couldn¡¯t imagine the consequences.


    She thought she would probably be harassed by the two men, which cost her reputation. What was worse, she assumed she¡¯d be their tool to be used to threaten her grandmother. She felt she was covered in a cold sweat just at the thought of it.


    It was true that men were the evilest creatures.


    The cruelty of men could be arbitrary.


    That was why she became their target when she had done nothing wrong to them.


    Yuan Hui was angry but as angry as she was, there was little she could do.


    She couldn¡¯t do anything, not even dere war against them.


    The world was simply too harsh on women.


    Nobody would take her side. People would only say she was to me for everything and that they would note to disturb her if she did not think to seduce them.


    ¡°Chuchu, I¡¯m scared.¡± Yuan Hui looked at Zhao Chuchu helplessly. ¡°I could never have imagined that they would go to such lengths to get the Yuan n. If you return to Yuanjiang County, can Ie with you?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu hugged Yuan Hui and gently patted her back, feeling Yuan Hui shivering.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I got your back. I won¡¯t let these people get away with it, so you don¡¯t have to worry. No matter what happens, I will take care of it for you.¡±


    ¡°I would have died long ago without you. Chuchu, you¡¯re my everything. I just can¡¯t imagine my world without you in it. I don¡¯t know how I¡¯m supposed to live without you.¡±


    Yuan Hui, after all, was still a youngdy. She might look calm initially, but her calmness could be swallowed by fear once she returned to her senses. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. Your grandmother and I are here. We will all protect you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯re calling off their n. They¡¯ll definitely do something more to hurt me. Chuchu, what should I do?¡±


    ¡°Then maybe get their mind off the idea for good.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m not as strong as you. The Yuan n can¡¯t hire a person like you, and no one can stay with me 12 hours a day¡­¡±


    ¡°Then find someone of power to protect you.¡±


    ¡°Someone of power?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°For example, Duke Ding.¡±


    ¡°Even if you¡¯re not considering marriage now. They wouldn¡¯t say no to your request to protect a little girl like you.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu knew from Xie Heng¡¯sments about Duke Ding that both he and his wife were good people in the true sense of the word, not to mention the fact that the Yuan n and Duke Ding were somehow rted. Therefore, they shouldn¡¯t dismiss a little girl¡¯s request for help.


    ¡°You go to the capital to find Duke Ding. Only by letting people know Duke Ding is not indifferent to your family can the Ye n and the Hong n be dissuaded from this. Power matters the most in this world.


    Yuan Hui looked up at Zhao Chuchu as if she understood her meaning or as if she understood nothing.


    ¡°I go to the Imperial City?¡±


    ¡°Yes, don¡¯t worry about how people perceive you. Huihui, sometimes people can only save themselves. Although right now I can protect you, I¡¯m not capable of persuading them out of doing anything bad to your family, so the only way is to find someone of power to back you up. Duke Ding is someone we can trust.¡±


    Duke Ding was a man of means and power. That said, the Yuan n still needed to show their sincerity by giving him some benefits. That way Duke Ding would have no problem protecting the Yuan n.


    If it were Zhao Chuchu, she would go out of her way to befriend Duke Ding. Even if her request was turned down, she thought she could stand a chance of negotiating with them in the future when they knew she meant no harm to them.


    She was not too stupid to use such a meaningful connection.


    Yuan Hui hesitated. ¡°But will Duke Ding be willing to help me?¡±


    ¡°Huihui, your family has been in the business world for a long time. I don¡¯t mean to look down on merchants, but the olddy should have taught you how things work in society. So long as you behave yourself in Duke Ding¡¯s residence, they won¡¯t treat you ill.¡±


    ¡°What if people say the purpose of my going there is to try to seduce the Duke¡¯s son?¡±


    ¡°The Duke himself will be there to see your every move. They have their own judgment. You don¡¯t have to worry about anything..¡±

 Chapter 298 - 298: It Was Impossible

    Chapter 298: It Was Impossible


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Yuan Hui was silent for a moment before saying, ¡°Then how about I go and discuss it with my grandmother?¡±


    ¡°There is no hurry. Let¡¯s wait and see the Ye n and the Hong n¡¯s reaction.¡± Zhao Chuchu stopped her. ¡°Don¡¯t tell the olddy aboutst night for now, or she will definitely be mad.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t.¡±


    Yuan Hui was a bit confused. She couldn¡¯t make up her mind, so she could only listen to Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu sighed. ¡°You should have learned some martial arts back then, so you can at least protect yourself.¡±


    ¡°Is it toote for me to learn now?¡±


    ¡°No, but it¡¯s going to be hard. Do you still want to do it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d do anything to get stronger. Chuchu, when you return to Yuanjiang County, why don¡¯t Ie with you to learn martial arts?¡± ¡°I thought we agreed on the Imperial City.¡±


    ¡°If I can choose, I don¡¯t want to go to the Imperial City.¡±


    ¡°Silly girl, you can also learn martial arts in the Imperial City. It is not difficult for you to ask Mrs. Ding to find a teacher for you.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to teach me?¡± Yuan Hui pursed her lips.


    Zhao Chuchu answered, ¡°It¡¯s not like that, but the martial arts I learned are not quite suitable for you.¡±


    What Zhao Chuchu learned was all deadly moves unsuitable for defense.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I believe you.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu chuckled.


    After Yuan Hui became relieved, she asked Zhao Chuchu toe with her to the olddy¡¯s ce.


    The olddy had heard about Second Mr. Ye¡¯s sordid affair with Third Mr. Hong.


    When she saw Yuan Hui and Zhao Chuchu, Old Mrs. Yuan started to scold the two men for being shameless and then criticized their families.


    Zhao Chuchu listened without saying a word, while Yuan Hui asionally said a few words to echo her.


    ¡°Huihui, don¡¯t worry. Even if your grandmother died, she would not let you marry into a family like that. You¡¯re such a good girl. You deserve better.¡± Old Mrs. Yuan was worried that Yuan Hui was upset because of this, so she softlyforted her again.


    Yuan Hui had calmed herself down, and she was joking with Old Mrs. Yuan, ¡°Grandma, what if I don¡¯t marry into a man¡¯s family? How about a live-in son-inw?¡±


    ¡°No way,¡± Old Mrs. Yuan said without even thinking. ¡°Very few men would want to do that, and those who would are trying to get everything in their favor and eventually change the family name to their own.¡±


    ¡°Huihui, you are still young. Men can be very treacherous at times. I¡¯ve heard many stories about how a live-in son-inw messes up her wife¡¯s family. I¡¯d rather spend most of our money preparing dowries for you than have a live-in son-inw. See, if your future husband ill-treats you, you can at least have a home to return to.¡±


    ¡°But if that husband of yours is up to no good, you will probably end up homeless. I can¡¯t look out for you for the rest of your life, after all. Men are unpredictable. Never try to test a man¡¯s integrity because that will more often than not disappoint you.¡±


    Yuan Hui immediately said, ¡°I was joking. Of course, I will not have my future husband live here with us. I have a brother at home, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not being biased, but I have seen way too many tragedies like that. I¡¯d never want anything like that to happen to my Huihui. But don¡¯t worry, I have found a better family for you. There¡¯s no need for you to consider these nasty people in Guangqing Province in the future.¡±


    Originally Old Mrs. Yuan did not intend to tell her this, but after such an incident with the Ye n and the Hong n, she decided to tell Yuan Hui for fear that she would be paranoid.


    She brought the letter from Duke Ding¡¯s wife and read it to Yuan Hui.


    ¡°Huihui, please rest assured during these days. The best is still waiting for you. Duke Ding¡¯s wife knows someone much better than all the men you¡¯ve known before, so you just have to wait,¡± said Old Mrs. Yuan as she smiled.


    Yuan Hui finished reading the letter and handed it to Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu nced at the letter and saw Duke Ding¡¯s wife was indeed trying to find a husband for Yuan Hui.


    However, she did not mention who this person was.


    Zhao Chuchu guessed that it was likely to be Qiao Heting.


    After all, Duke Ding now held military power. He was a man of power and means, which might easily earn him jealousy from the mysterious man. If Qiao Heting married ady from a noble family, the man would probably take action very soon.


    But the case for the Yuan n was different. The men of the Yuan n were businesspeople. As rich as they were, they were not as influential as ady from a noble family.


    However, if Qiao Heting married Yuan Hui, the mysterious man would let his guard down.


    Although the Wei Dynasty did not have aw where merchants were not allowed to join the government, merchants were taken for granted by those high officials and noblemen and were not a menace to them at all.


    The Yuan n mainly dealt in salt, but they still had to work with the imperial court, which meant their actions were subjected to the imperial court.


    If the imperial court stopped their cooperation with the Yuan n, the Yuan n would be put in a very embarrassing situation.


    The mysterious man must be eager to see a nobleman like Qiao Heting marry a woman like Yuan Hui.


    ¡°Grandma, has Mrs. Ding ever mentioned the name of the man?¡± Yuan Hui asked, unable to contain her curiosity.


    Old Mrs. Yuan said, ¡°Since the Duke¡¯s wife came to send us the message in person, I presume it must be a fine young man. I met the Duke¡¯s wife some years ago, and she is quite easy-going and agreeable. She won¡¯t set us up.¡± ¡°What if the Duke¡¯s wife herself is mistaken about the man?¡±


    ¡°How could that be? If she is not sure, how would she give you this offer?


    Although I don¡¯t know much about her, I can see she means no harm to us. Huihui, just put your heart at ease. She will definitely find you a good husband.¡±


    Yuan Hui lowered her head and whispered under her breath, ¡°But grandma, if I really have to marry someone in the Imperial City, we won¡¯t be able to see each other often.¡¯


    ¡°Silly girl, you don¡¯t have to worry about me. As long as you find a worthy husband, distance won¡¯t matter. See, I¡¯d never consent if you marry a dishonest man next door.¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, do you understand what I¡¯m saying?


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was convinced.


    The Ye and Hong ns were very close to them, but all their men were the worst.


    Old Mrs. Yuan would rather want Yuan Hui to stay unmarried for the rest of her life than marry a man like them, in which case she¡¯d lead a miserable life and suffer endless grievances.


    ¡°Huihui, why don¡¯t we wait and see what kind of man Mrs. Ding has found for you.¡± Zhao Chuchu did not advise Yuan Hui to be self-reliant on her own. This era was not friendly to women who were on their own. The rule of society dictated that women should start a family with men and not depend on their own. She did not want Yuan Hui to be an exception, so she wanted her to find a worthy husband.


    Even Yuan Hui herself was unaware of her inner thought. She also wanted the man to be Qiao Heting.


    However, Yuan Hui knew it was impossible.


    She knew she was not worthy of a man like him.


    If Qiao Heting indeed married a businessman¡¯s daughter, he would be theughingstock of the entire Imperial City.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll wait.¡± Nevertheless, Yuan Hui chose topromise as there was no other way for her.


    Zhao Chuchu leaned in and whispered, ¡°Maybe you can get what you wish for.¡±


    Yuan Hui¡¯s face blushed, and she answered, ¡°Well, I hope so, but that¡¯s not very likely..¡±

 Chapter 299 - 299: Dodged a Bullet

    Chapter 299: Dodged a Bullet


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    What Zhao Chuchu said was intended as a joke, but it seemed she had been onto something by ident.


    ¡°Well, no wonder people say women don¡¯t always mean what they say.¡±


    However, Zhao Chuchu did not try to embarrass Yuan Hui.


    After all, girls all had their own little secrets.


    Old Mrs. Yuan still had something private to say to Yuan Hui, so Zhao Chuchu left first.


    She didn¡¯t sleepst night, so she went back to catch up on her sleep.


    This time, she slept untilte afternoon.


    Zhao Chuchu got up refreshed and got some cupcakes from the space to fill her stomach.


    After that, she nned to go to the garden to make a pot of tea and spend the rest of the afternoon away.


    However, before she took out the tea, Xia Chengzhu came.


    He finally got his dignity back. Even if he was bruised and sore all over, it did not stop him from looking for a woman.


    When he was sure that he didn¡¯t need the help of drugs to have fun with women, he spent much time ying in the brothel until he was exhausted.


    Just as he felt a little refreshed, he couldn¡¯t wait toe and look for Zhao Chuchu to see if she could cure him entirely so that he didn¡¯t have to rely on drugs in the future.


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s lips rose slightly into a wicked smile.


    She dressed up a little and went to see Xia Chengzhu.


    Xia Chengzhu was polite to Zhao Chuchu this time instead of being aggressive, like in the morning.


    ¡°Miss Lin, finally.¡± Xia Chengzhu gave her a ttering smile. ¡°You are really a great doctor. That¡¯s really impressive. I had a lot of fun¡­¡±


    Before he finished speaking, Xia Chengzhu stopped andughed dryly. ¡°Sorry, Miss Lin, I¡¯m sorry. By the way, I¡¯m here to ask you to do me a favor. I want you toe to my house and treat my brother. Please doe with me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ste today, and your brother¡¯s condition is not that serious. Why don¡¯t we wait for tomorrow?¡± Zhao Chuchu refused him.


    When Xia Chengzhu heard this, he was not unhappy at all.


    As the eldest son of the Xia n, Xia Chengzhu naturally hoped that no one wouldpete with him for the family fortune.


    For the death of Xia Chengrong, he was not a bit sad. If Xia Chengxue also died, he would even like to give it a celebration.


    With this in mind, Zhao Chuchu had done all this to him.


    If Xia Chengzhu really cared about his brothers, he wouldn¡¯t keep having fun with women when Xia Chengrong just died a few days ago.


    ¡°Since Miss Lin is unavable today, I wille back tomorrow. But Miss Lin, I have one more thing to ask¡­¡± ¡°Do you mean your illness?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll write a prescription for you. You better take it for a while, and if you can, it¡¯s better for you to abstain from sex. It¡¯ll help you recover faster.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can do that.¡± ¡°Sir, if you want to recover sooner, it¡¯s better to follow the doctor¡¯s advice.¡±


    ¡°Then how long will it take?¡±


    ¡°At least half a month.¡¯


    When Xia Chengzhu thought of not being able to have fun with women for half a month, he immediately felt frustrated.


    ¡°And what if I can¡¯t wait that long?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m talking about control. Take control of yourself. It won¡¯t be much of a problem if you keep it in check. If you abandon yourself to it, I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to do it for the rest of your life.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Xia Chengzhu almost jumped up.


    ¡°Then why did you say you could cure me? Is this supposed to be a joke?¡±


    ¡°I said, if you lose control, you will be hopeless. That¡¯s why I wanted you to take better control of yourself.¡±


    ¡°So that I won¡¯t be like that anymore.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Xia Chengzhu was a little relieved.


    Zhao Chuchu wrote a prescription for Xia Chengzhu, telling him how to decoct the medicine and how to take it.


    Xia Chengzhu took it to heart and graciously gave Zhao Chuchu a hundred taels of silver. ¡°If you can cure mepletely, you stand to gain many more benefits.


    ¡°Many thanks, sir.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get going. See you tomorrow.¡±


    Xia Chengzhu took the prescription and left the Yuan n. Before he went to get the medicine, he asked several doctors to see if there were any problems with the prescription. Only after he got a positive answer did Xia Chengzhu feel relieved to get the medicine.


    The thought of being able to do what he did today in the future made Xia Chengzhu walk with high spirits.


    He returned to the Xia n and found his father sitting in the front room, seemingly waiting for him.


    Xia Chengzhu felt something was wrong.


    ¡°Father.¡± He went in obediently. ¡°Why are you still up?¡±


    ¡°Because I can¡¯t fall asleep, you son of a bi*ch. Did you fulfill the task I gave you earlier today? Where is the person I asked for?¡± Xia Songquan raised his hand and tossed the cup over angrily.


    He had long heard that Xia Chengzhu had gone to the Yuan n and got beaten up, then ran to the youth house and stayed there all day before going to the Yuan n again in the evening!


    Xia Songquan knew his sons too well not to know what he was doing in the brothel.


    Xia Chengzhu covered his head and dodged it.


    ¡°Father, I did invite the person you were asking for, but Miss Lin said today is not good and wanted us to wait till tomorrow. You can¡¯t me me. She has the Yuan n backing her up. I can¡¯t do anything to her on the Yuan n¡¯s property, can I? Nobody can treat my brother if she bes angry and leaves Guangqing Province.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Tell me what you did during the day?¡±


    ¡°I, I was just trying to see if that woman¡¯s medical skills were really good, and I didn¡¯t mean to go to the brothel. After all, my brother is still sick. I have to know if she is good enough before I let here to treat him.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense, how did I have such a useless son as you!¡±


    The more Xia Chengzhu said, the more exasperated Xia Songquan became. The part of him that was still sober told him to be calm, or he would have beaten him to death.


    ¡°Useless thing!¡± he cursed in his mind.


    ¡°Father, calm down, please. Tomorrow I¡¯ll bring that little woman here. He¡¯ll cure my brother. Father, that woman is a really good doctor even though she¡¯s young. She could tell my problem at a mere nce. How impressive is that?¡±


    Xia Songquan took a deep breath and told himself to be calm. He had already lost a son. He didn¡¯t want to lose another by killing one himself.


    ¡°She also gave me a prescription and said I¡¯ll be as good as new in half a month at most. I assure you I¡¯ll give you as many grandsons as you want.¡±


    ¡°Get lost!¡±


    Xia Songquan picked up another tealight and threw it over again.


    ¡°Bastard.¡±


    Xia Chengzhu stumbled out of the front room, not forgetting to pat his chest and rejoice that he had finally dodged a bullet.


    Xia Songquan looked rather serious, as if a storm was about toe.


    ¡°Sir, don¡¯t be angry. Don¡¯t take what your son said seriously. You have to take care of yourself. The family can¡¯t be without you.¡± A woman with a good figure and delicate face appeared from the screen and pressed most of her body against Xia Songquan.


    ¡°Anyway, the doctor also said that your son¡¯s condition is not serious anymore. That woman will be here tomorrow. Why don¡¯t we just wait and see? You shouldn¡¯t take things with your son too seriously. It¡¯ll make you sick.¡±


    Xia Songquan grabbed the woman¡¯s hand and pulled her to hisp. ¡°I have to me those little bastards of mine. If they were as thoughtful as you, I wouldn¡¯t have to worry so much..¡±

 Chapter 300 - 300: What a Mess

    Chapter 300: What a Mess


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°What are you talking about, sir? They¡¯re your sons. You are pretty much cursing yourself if you curse them.¡± The woman said softly, ¡°Okay, sir, take it easy again, okay? It¡¯s not worth getting mad about it.¡±


    Xia Songquan pinched her. ¡°How dare you speak up for those bastards, huh?¡±


    ¡°I just don¡¯t want you to be too angry, sir. You will probably be angry again if you realize what I said just now.¡±


    ¡°Oh, aren¡¯t you sweet? You¡¯re really a sweet angel, aren¡¯t you? I just can¡¯t stop loving you.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go back to our room, sir. It¡¯s cold here.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Xia Songquan picked her up and walked toward the backyard with big strides. As they walked past the rooms, they could hear some indescribable sounds from time to time.


    As the head of the family, Xia Songquan had long been used to this and didn¡¯t care about it at all.


    In the courtyard of Xia Chengzhu, when Xia Chengzhu saw his attractive concubine, he couldn¡¯t control himself anymore. Hepletely forgot about Zhao Chuchu¡¯s advice when he held her.


    No one knew that an unexpected guest hade.


    Zhao Chuchu stood at the highest spot of the Xia n¡¯s mansion. She was surprised to notice the vastness of the Xia n¡¯s residence, which was no less impressive than that of the Yuan n.


    There were pavilions, carved fences and painted buildings, rockery, and exotic nts, to name just a few. Anyways, all of them looked extremely fancy and luxurious.


    The Yuan n was the richest family in Guangqing Province, yet they were not as high-profile as the Xia n.


    The state of the mess the Xia n was in was simply beyond description.


    Zhao Chuchu just stood there and heard many sex soundsing from all directions.


    Zhao Chuchu was immediately sickened by this.


    She couldn¡¯t imagine the consequence of entering this ce as a woman.


    Now that the head of the family was like this, his sons might be even worse.


    Zhao Chuchu took a deep breath and swallowed her urge to burn down the Xia n.


    She knew the Xia n¡¯s people deserved to die, but there were also many innocent people. Not all of them were bad people, after all.


    Zhao Chuchu heard a cry for help from those voices and followed that direction to find it.


    When she arrived at the ce, she was furious.


    She saw two middle-aged servants pinning a young maid to the ground, who looked not even 14.


    The maid struggled desperately, but she could not break the grip of two adults.


    Several mammies were living next door.


    The maid¡¯s mouth was covered. There was quite amotion from her struggle, but no one came to save her.


    Zhao Chuchu had not used her aquatic power for a long time.


    This scene in front of her made her angry from the bottom of her heart.


    Now she realized the Xia n was rotten to the roots and that there was no cure except for destruction.


    Zhao Chuchu gently clenched her hand.


    The two men suddenly screamed as they kept rolling on the ground and covered their crotches. Each time they screamed, the cry was more miserable than thest.


    The maid froze in fear, desperately ran toward the corner, and curled up into a ball.


    She also did not know what happened, and when she looked over in the dim candlelight, she found that the two men¡¯s crotches were dripping with blood, and they were lying there motionless.


    The maid screamed out.


    At this point, the mammy in the next room realized something was wrong. They immediately put on their clothes and rushed over. They were almost scared to death when they saw the two men on the floor.


    They turned a blind eye to the two men¡¯s harassment of the maid, and now that something had happened, they med it all on the maid.


    ¡°You bitch, did you just kill them? Someone, take this murderer away!¡± a mammy shouted loudly. She wanted to me everything on the maid.


    The maid was so frightened that she could not hear what the mammy just said, let alone defend herself.


    Zhao Chuchu saw the situation and knew that the maid would be arrested for murder if she just left.


    She picked a few leaves and flung them over.


    The leaves, which were wrapped in a powerful aura, directly knocked out the teeth of the mammy who was shouting.


    They would never learn to be nice to women if they were not taught a lesson.


    The pain shot through their mouth. The mammies all covered their mouths at the same time and screamed. ¡°Ghost! There is a ghost!¡±


    The whole Xia n was rmed.


    Xia Songquan, who was preparing to have fun with his mistress, heard themotion and impatiently shouted outside, ¡°What the f*ck is going on outside in the middle of the night? Get the person who¡¯s making a mess and lock him away. I¡¯ll sell him tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Sir, something happened. People died in the backyard.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Xia Songquan immediately pushed the woman away, hurriedly put on his clothes, and went out.


    It didn¡¯t matter how the people of the Xia n people yed their time away so long as they didn¡¯t kill people. Now that people died here, it would be a serious matter.


    Xia Songquan hurriedly led people to the back room and found the private parts of two of his male servants were crushed by someone. He gasped just by looking at it.


    ¡°They are dead?¡± Xia Songquan asked.


    The housekeeper was examining them with a few men. Hearing this, he hurriedly got up and answered, ¡°Sir, they are still breathing. These women were just making a fuss and disturbed you. I¡¯ll punish themter. Why don¡¯t you go back to your room now, sir?¡± ¡°Wait, what¡¯s going on here? Who did it?¡±


    ¡°They said it was this little girl who did it.¡±


    The butler pointed to the maid shuddering in the corner.


    ¡°Sir, it was her who did it. She has been trying to seduce the two men for a long time. She often fools around with them. Before this happened, I heard them arguing. It seems that these two men were not willing to pay her, so she¡­¡±


    ¡°How dare you? Who do you think you are? This is not a ce for a transaction like that. Someone, take this little bitch away and strip her clothes off. Hang her in the cell and starve her for three days. Then sell her to a brothel,¡± Xia Songquan said sternly.


    He was still angry about his business being interrupted.


    If not for this maid¡¯s unattractive appearance, he would hit her in person.


    ¡°All right, everybody, leave. You take care of this matter. Have the two of them thrown into a mass grave. If I so much as hear a word about this in the street, you know what will follow!¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    The butler answered.


    Xia Songquan brushed his sleeves and left, not wanting to waste time on this at all.


    Zhao Chuchu originally wanted to sterilize Xia Songquan, but she didn¡¯t do it because she didn¡¯t want the maid killed. The blood of the two men on the ground almost made Xia Songquan fall over.


    Xia Songquan fell forward, and Zhao Chuchu took the opportunity to knock out two of his teeth.


    This scene shocked all his men. The butler was the first to rush over and help Xia Songquan up. ¡°How are you, sir?¡±


    ¡°Rubbish, a bunch of useless things. Can¡¯t you even clean the floor? Who is in charge of cleaning?¡± Xia Songquan burst out in anger.


    ¡°Blood, blood, sir, blood¡­¡±


    A mammy suddenly pointed in shock at Xia Songquan¡¯s calf, which was twisted into rope-like blood.


    ¡°It¡¯s moving! Oh, my lord! There¡¯s a ghost!¡±


    Xia Songquan lowered to look and was almost scared to death.


    He thought he must be crazy.


    He rubbed his eyes hard..

 Chapter 301 - 301: The Xia Clan Was Haunted

    Chapter 301: The Xia n Was Haunted


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The blood rope was still there, slowly flowing like water.


    A strong smell of blood spread in the air. Xia Songquan saw arge blood stain on his shirt¡¯s hem, where he had just tripped.


    ¡°The blood on the ground is gone!¡±


    At this time, someone else in the crowd shouted.


    The crowd¡¯s eyes were fixed on the ground. The ground underneath the two men was full of blood, but now it was clean as if there had never been blood.


    But the man¡¯s crotch was still bloody, very shocking.


    So it was not their illusion. It was what happened.


    People could not do this, so the only possibility was that the Xia n was haunted.


    At this moment, the thoughts of these people present were rarely the same, unanimously scared.


    Xia Songquan was standing in ce and did not dare to move, and his aura of superiority was gone, leaving only fear.


    He could not stop trembling slightly. ¡°Can¡­ Can I know who you are? Can youe¡­e out?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu rolled her eyes and controlled the blood rope upwards, gradually winding Xia Songquan¡¯s hand up.


    Xia Songquan shouted with all his might, ¡°Ghost!¡±


    Then, he was so scared that he peed his pants and was about to faint with his eyes rolled over.


    Zhao Chuchu would not let him faint, so she hit a leaf over and cut Xia Songquan¡¯s face.


    The pain brought Xia Songquan to his senses instantly.


    He hoped he was dreaming, but when he opened his eyes, nothing had changed.


    Zhao Chuchu did not make a sound from the beginning to the end, just teasing the people of the Xia n.


    And at this time, most of the Xia n¡¯s people came to the back room and witnessed the haunted scene of the Xia n.


    In the end, Xia Songquan could not bear the fear in his heart andpletely fainted, leaving only the unpleasant smell in the air.


    The Xia n was in a mess.


    If the butler did not calm enough to carry Xia Songquan out of the back room, Xia Songquan would probably have been trampled to death.


    Then Zhao Chuchu used blood to write some words on the door panel of the back room. ¡°The wages of sin is death!¡±


    In this way, it would deter the people of the Xia n from quickly harming those maids.


    Otherwise, if she failed to save people and even caused them to lose their lives, it would be a big mistake.


    After doing this, Zhao Chuchu wandered around the rest ces of the Xia n to make every one of the Xia n know that this ce was haunted. And then cha lpft


    As soon as she thought of the original body owner¡¯s mother¡¯s origin, plus what she saw and heard, she did not want to stay in this ce any longer.


    If not for the original body owner, she did not want to have anything to do with the Xia n.


    But Zhao Chuchu took the original body owner¡¯s life, so she should live naturally with the actual body owner¡¯s identity. She could not let the original body owner lose face, nor would she let the original body owner be a rtive of such a family.


    ¡°Little girl, if you know in heaven, you will definitely approve of my decision, right?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu looked at the starry sky and silently asked in her heart.


    Perhaps the deceased original body owner really heard her words, so the initially calm night sky suddenly crossed a shooting star, as if the original body owner gave Zhao Chuchu a response.


    Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t help but smile and said inwardly, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll get this down and get justice for your mother.¡±


    As she finished speaking, another shooting star swept through the night sky.


    Zhao Chuchu took it as a signal of agreement of the original body owner.


    The Xia n would soon cease to exist.


    Zhao Chuchu returned to the Yuan n¡¯s house, and no one knew she hade out.


    The following day, before Zhao Chuchu got up, Yuan Hui hurriedly came to talk to Zhao Chuchu about what had happened in the Xia n.


    ¡°You know what? Last night, the Xia n was haunted. I heard that two of the Xia n¡¯s servants were punished for misbehaving with one of the maids, and their¡­ you know¡­ were crushed by the ghost! Several people in the Xia n are scared out of their minds and keep shouting that there are ghosts.¡±


    ¡°Really? Do you believe this nonsense?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true! Many people of the Xia n saw the haunted scene. This matter has now spread, and it¡¯s rumored that the ghost also did something to Xia Songquan.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s true, what does the ghost look like?¡±


    ¡°ck face and fangs. Its head only has hair and no face, and its nails are said to be three feet long, very scary.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu, the rumored evil ghost, was very speechless.


    ¡°Since it has no face, how can it still have a ck face and fangs? This rumor is too ridiculous, right? Huihui, we should not believe in rumors or spread rumors!¡±


    ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s what I¡¯ve heard about it. No matter if it has a face or not, I¡¯m delighted as long as the Xia n is unlucky.¡± Yuan Hui did not hide her schadenfreude. ¡°But why didn¡¯t that ghost kill Xia Songquan? Is it also bullying the good and fearing the evil?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu did not know what to say.


    ¡®Yernaps me gnost IS not capame enougn.u, ao you tmnK we can nelP the ghost to grow its power? You have experienced a lot and know many things. There must be a way, so why don¡¯t we try.¡± ¡°What good would it do you if Xia Songquan died?¡±


    ¡°Then the Xia n won¡¯t be able to disgust you anymore.¡±


    ¡°He deserves to die, but it¡¯s not the right time yet, and the evil ghost probably won¡¯t dare to act rashly.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that so? But why can¡¯t this evil-doer die sooner?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu also wanted to know.


    ¡°Maybe a bad thing never dies, I guess.¡±


    ¡°By the way, today Xia Chengzhu is going to invite you to the Xia n, isn¡¯t it? Why don¡¯t you bring me along? You help me disguise myself as a man, so I can go ande along for the ride.¡± Yuan Hui begged Zhao Chuchu repeatedly. She really wanted to see the Xia n¡¯s lousy luck.


    Zhao Chuchu shook her head. ¡°It won¡¯t do you good if you go to the Xia n now. If they recognize you, they will definitely agree that your Yuan n is causing the trouble. Then the Yuan n will get into trouble if they join hands with others.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ ¡± ¡°No way. I¡¯ll tell you everything when I get back.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Yuan Hui had to give up on this idea.


    She did not want to really bring trouble to the Yuan n.


    Although she did not like Mrs. Yuan, she would never do anything that she should not do, even if she could make things difficult for Mrs. Yuan.


    Xia Chengzhu came quickly.


    Zhao Chuchu had just gotten up when the maid came to report that Xia Chengzhu was waiting outside.


    Zhao Chuchu had said she would go to the Xia n yesterday, so she picked up the medicine box and went to the front room.


    Xia Chengzhu did not look good. It was evident that he was in shockst night.


    ¡°Miss Lin, please.¡± Xia Chengzhu didn¡¯t even have the spirit to be polite to Zhao Chuchu. He took Zhao Chuchu away when he saw her.


    Zhao Chuchu followed him to the gate and found only one carriage outside.


    Zhao Chuchu could tell at a nce what he was up to.


    So she turned back to the Yuan n¡¯s people and said, ¡°Please prepare a horse for me.¡¯


    Xia Chengzhu frowned. ¡°Isn¡¯t there a carriage here? What¡¯s the point of preparing a horse? Now the Xia n is waiting for you to go over and save the people. Can you afford to take responsibility if you are dyed?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu asked a question back. ¡°Since you¡¯re here to invite me, don¡¯t you know the etiquette? Although I am a doctor, men and women are not rted to each other except for medical treatment.. If only you and I stay in the same carriage, what will people think of me if word gets out? If you don¡¯t think about yourself, you must think about me!¡±

 Chapter 302 - 302: He Was Poisoned

    Chapter 302: He Was Poisoned


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°Miss Lin, you think too much. The coachman will be there with us. As the saying goes, a clean head wants no washing. The most important thing now is to save people, so can we put everything else aside for now? I won¡¯t do anything to you,¡± Xia Chengzhu said righteously.


    However, he could do anything he wanted after getting on the carriage.


    Did a girl whose reputation was ruined have any other choice but to marry him?


    Xia Chengzhu had this intention for a long time, and he could get many benefits if he could make this Miss Lin marry him.


    And by then, even Old Mr. Xia should beg him.


    After all, a good doctor was not that easy to find.


    Zhao Chuchu looked at Xia Chengzhu with cold eyes. She thought that this kind of unworthy descendant deserved to die.


    Xia Chengzhu was still urging Zhao Chuchu to hurry up and get on the carriage. At that moment, a servant of the Yuan n pulled a snow-white horse over.


    Zhao Chuchu got on her horse and rode off. ¡°It is important to save people, so please move faster, Sir.¡±


    Xia Chengzhu almost fainted.


    He thought, ¡°My bad. How can I forget she¡¯s good at both riding and arrow-shooting?¡±


    Xia Chengzhu was upset and scolded the coachman, ¡°Quickly go after her! Do you want me to drive the carriage by myself? You stupid thing! All you know is eating!¡±


    The coachman didn¡¯t dare to say anything and could only hit the horse to chase Zhao Chuchu.


    Xia Chengzhu initially thought he could take advantage of Zhao Chuchu in the carriage to make people misunderstand their rtionship and force Zhao Chuchu to marry him.


    But his intention was seen through by Zhao Chuchu, so he didn¡¯t get anything.


    Xia Chengzhu was furious. By the time the carriage caught up with Zhao Chuchu, it was already at the gate of the Xia n.


    Xia Chengzhu was very speechless.


    He got down from the carriage with a gloomy face and walked over to Zhao


    Chuchu, sneering. ¡°You are quite fast riding a horse, Miss Lin.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were waiting for me to save people? Howe you¡¯re so slow instead?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked a question back.


    Xia Chengzhu turned his head to look at Zhao Chuchu. ¡°Miss Lin, didn¡¯t your parents ever tell you that being too rigid is not good? Sometimes it¡¯s better to learn to be flexible. Yuan Hui will have to marry someone sooner orter, so she can¡¯t protect you all the time, but I¡¯m different.¡±


    ¡°How are you different?¡±


    ¡°I am the eldest son of the Xia n, so everything of the Xia n will be mine in the future. Do you think this is something Yuan Hui canpare to? Miss Lin, the opportunity for glory and fortune does not alwayse. It will be difficult to meet such an opportunity again if you miss it.¡¯


    Zhao Chuchuughed. Then she abruptly came up to Xia Chengzhu¡¯s ear and whispered, ¡°You are indeed different. Not many men can be impotent like you at a young age.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Xia Chengzhu was instantly enraged and raised his hand to hit Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu looked straight at him. ¡°If you darend this p today, I guarantee you will regret it for the rest of your life. Your hidden illness is still notpletely healed, so it¡¯s not wise to offend me.¡±


    Xia Chengzhu forced himself to suppress his anger.


    Zhao Chuchu lifted the medicine box hanging on her shoulder and took the lead to walk into the Xia n¡¯s house.


    Xia Chengzhu gritted his teeth in anger, but he didn¡¯t dare to move against Zhao Chuchu. In the end, he could only hold back his anger and followed Zhao Chuchu inside.


    Everyone in the Xia n was on edge because of the ¡°ghost¡±st night.


    Zhao Chuchu heard almost everyone in the Xia n talking about what happenedst night.


    And the frightened Xia Songquan did not return to his senses even now. Perhaps he was sick.


    ¡°Lead the way.¡± Zhao Chuchu paused in her steps and looked back at Xia


    Chengzhu.


    ¡°I thought you knew where to go.¡± ¡°This is your house, not mine. Cut the crap.¡±


    ¡°You! You¡¯d better be polite to me.¡±


    ¡°Watch your attitude if you want to be cured of your hidden illness.¡±


    Xia Chengzhu was defeated again. He really didn¡¯t dare to offend Zhao Chuchu now. After all, he still had to beg Zhao Chuchu for a cure.


    For a man, he¡¯d rather die than be impotent.


    So for the sake of a man¡¯s dignity, he had to bear it.


    ¡°Mr. Chengzhu, is this Miss Lin?¡± Xia Chengzhu was about to bring Zhao


    Chuchu to Xia Chengxue when the butler suddenly appeared and blocked their way.


    Xia Chengzhu was unhappy. ¡°Who else could it be if not her?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Chengzhu, Old Mr. Xia asked Miss Lin to go to his ce to take his pulse first.¡± The butler seemed to be respectful, but in reality, he did not treat Xia Chengzhu as his superior.


    Xia Chengzhu knew very well the position of the butler in Xia Songquan¡¯s heart, so he held back his anger even if he was unhappy.


    Otherwise, he would suffer a loss if the butler said something in front of Xia Songquan.


    Zhao Chuchu was also secretly observing this butler.


    She felt the butler had more influence in the Xia n than Xia Chengzhu.


    This was strange.


    Xia Songquan actually treated a subordinate better than his son.


    ¡°Miss Lin, please.¡± While Zhao Chuchu was observing the butler, the butler was also sizing up Zhao Chuchu.


    He always felt as if he had seen Zhao Chuchu somewhere before, but for some reason, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn¡¯t recall it.


    He thought, ¡°Who exactly is she?¡±


    The butler couldn¡¯t remember, so he could only put this thought aside for now.


    Zhao Chuchu was brought to the main courtyard of the Xia n by the butler.


    Seven or eight beautiful women were gathered around the bed, each holding a handkerchief to wipe their tears and pretending to be worried.


    Zhao Chuchu saw Xia Songquan on the bed through the gap.


    Xia Songquan was still spiritedst night, but now he seemed to have aged more than ten years, lying there weakly and looking as if he would die at any moment.


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s eyebrows were slightly raised. Other doctors would think that Xia Songquan was shocked, but it was not true.


    Xia Songquan was poisoned.


    And the time of poisoning should be after he was scared out of consciousness.


    This was probably considered retribution in his lifetime.


    ¡°Miss Lin is here.¡± The butler respectfully said, ¡°Madams, please give way for a moment so that Miss Lin can check Old Mr. Xia¡¯s pulse.¡±


    Those women all turned back when they heard the words.


    They all frowned when they saw that Zhao Chuchu was so young, and a hint of hostility grew under their eyes.


    Zhao Chuchu wanted to roll her eyes.


    Xia Songquan was a treasure in their eyes, but in her eyes, he was a bastard!


    Although she did not want to admit it, in terms of seniority in the Xia n, she was Xia Songquan¡¯s cousin.


    ¡°Butler, who is this woman?¡±


    ¡°She looks young, but she already knows how to climb high!¡±


    ¡°Heh¡­ Young girl, you are quite resourceful. You actually thought of impersonating a doctor to seduce Old Mr. Xia.¡±


    Those women all sounded jealous. They were in fiercepetition before, but now that a younger girl had arrived, they began to ally themselves temporarily and against her unanimously.


    Zhao Chuchu nced at them and said indifferently, ¡°You attract men with your beauty, so you won¡¯t be loved after getting old. I can understand your worries. However, not everyone is going to be like you guys. What you can¡¯t do doesn¡¯t mean others can¡¯t do it.¡±


    ¡°You bitch, what did you say?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s painful not to be able to have children, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°What did you say¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to tell you all your problems one by one in public?¡± Zhao


    Chuchu snickered.. ¡°Don¡¯t regret it then!¡±

 Chapter 303 - 303: This Makes Me Feel Disgusted

    Chapter 303: This Makes Me Feel Disgusted


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°Enough! Miss Lin is here to heal. You can invite a better doctor back if you don¡¯t believe her, or shut up now!¡± Xia Chengzhu said impatiently.


    Those women stopped speaking when they heard the words.


    In addition to Xia Chengzhu¡¯s words, what Zhao Chuchu said was so close to home for one of them.


    Xia Songquan kept staring at Zhao Chuchu.


    Only when they were all quiet did Xia Songquan speak. ¡°Have we met before?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu looked at Xia Songquan. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you before.¡±


    ¡°No, we must have met.¡± Xia Songquan felt Zhao Chuchu looked too familiar, but like the butler, he could never remember where he had seen Zhao Chuchu before.


    However, he was sure of one thing. He had definitely seen Zhao Chuchu before.


    Zhao Chuchu faintly smiled. ¡°Old Mr. Xia, if you say such words again, I¡¯m only afraid I won¡¯t be able to leave hereter. Your concubines are going to tear me up, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Who dares? I can keep whoever I want. You don¡¯t have to care what they think.¡±


    ¡°Are you nning to adopt a granddaughter, Old Mr. Xia?¡±


    Xia Songquan suddenly did not know how to reply.


    If he said he wanted this young girl in front of him to be his granddaughter, it would seem like he was being too ridiculous.


    But he soon dismissed this concern. He could take whoever he wanted as his concubine, and there was no one he couldn¡¯t get. This girl was young but bold and funny, different from his other women.


    Zhao Chuchu saw through Xia Songquan¡¯s mind andughed coldly in her heart.


    She wondered if the men of the Xia n were all like this, only thinking about the affairs between men and women.


    He was almost dead but still thinking about women.


    Perhaps this confirmed that he could not live without women for a day.


    ¡°Miss Lin, you must be joking. I don¡¯t have the fortune to have a granddaughter like you.¡± Naturally, Xia Songquan could not take Zhao Chuchu as his granddaughter.


    He didn¡¯t even want to hide his intentions.


    If the Xia n really had such a woman with unparalleled medical skills, it would definitely do more good than harm to the Xia n.


    Whether for the sake of the Xia n or his personal desires, he had to find a way to keep Miss Lin in the Xia n.


    As for Zhao Chuchu, he would personally go to herter.


    At that time, the Xia n would have two female miracle doctors, so how could they still be afraid of not being able topete with the Yuan n? ¡°Give me your hand.¡± Zhao Chuchu came to the bedside and sat down.


    Xia Songquan was still staring at her.


    Zhao Chuchu pretended not to notice anything and took his pulse.


    ¡°Miss Lin, how is it?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just in shock, and I¡¯ll prescribe some medicine to calm your mind.


    However, I must remind you that you have the precursor of a stroke, Old Mr. Xia. You should pay more attention to your diet.¡±


    As soon as Zhao Chuchu finished speaking, those women got emotional first. ¡°What nonsense! Old Mr. Xia is in good health. How can he have a stroke?¡± ¡°Old Mr. Xia, she is a quack. Don¡¯t trust her.¡±


    ¡°In my opinion, why don¡¯t we just beat her out? Then she won¡¯t be here to confuse the public?¡±


    ¡°The young girls nowadays are so scheming. They will do anything to get Old Mr. Xia¡¯s attention, even things like cursing Old Mr. Xia.¡±


    ¡°Say it. Did the Yuan n send you here? What are you going to do in the Xia n?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu nced at those women and snorted. ¡°If you have a terrible memory, ask Mr. Chengzhu how I came to the Xia n. How did it be that I did it on purpose in your mouths?


    ¡°If you are blind, I don¡¯t mind helping you to cure it. After all, your Xia n is not short of money. Otherwise, it will be embarrassing if others know the Xia n raises a group of blind people. Oh, by the way, you can sew up your mouth if you can¡¯t talk properly. Don¡¯t be embarrassed here!¡±


    ¡°You¡­ You¡­¡±


    ¡°Me? I am very fine. At least I don¡¯t need to please men to get my food and clothing. If you don¡¯t have that ability, don¡¯t think of others as being like you and make others hate you.¡±


    ¡°Shut up! You shut up!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu faintly curled her lips, not bothering to pay attention to these women.


    It was their business if they liked to fight among themselves.


    Zhao Chuchu would never get involved in it.


    ¡°Enough! All of you, get out of here. You can pack your things and leave now if you don¡¯t want to stay in the Xia n. What¡¯s the point of arguing day and night?¡± Xia Songquan scolded angrily.


    Those women silenced and all red at Zhao Chuchu before they turned around and walked out of Xia Songquan¡¯s room.


    ¡°Miss Lin, don¡¯t bother yourself with such women,¡± Xia Songquan said.


    Zhao Chuchu looked at him. ¡°Old Mr. Xia, it¡¯s better to discipline them properly.


    This makes me feel disgusted.¡±


    Xia Songquan was furious when he heard this.


    ¡°Miss Lin, do you know what you are talking about?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t interfere. This is your family matter. Sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not impossible if you want to interfere, Miss Lin.¡±


    ¡°Old Mr. Xia, I can even be your granddaughter.¡±


    ¡°A woman only needs to be attached to a man. No matter how old the man is, he is an object ofpetition for women as long as he is capable.¡±


    ¡°You seem to feel good about yourself. But unfortunately, I¡¯m not short of money. You should tell that to the right girl, Old Mr. Xia.¡±


    ¡°How are you sure that you are not the right girl?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu suddenly looked back at Xia Chengzhu. ¡°What do you think, Mr. Chengzhu? Do you mind having an additional mother younger than you?¡± Xia Chengzhu was as sick as swallowing a fly when he heard this.


    He couldn¡¯t believe that Xia Songquan didn¡¯t know that he was hitting on Miss Lin, and now Xia Songquan was grabbing her from him!


    ¡°Miss Lin, you must be joking.¡± Xia Chengzhu forced a smile.


    ¡°As you heard, Old Mr. Xia, your son does not wish to have such a mother.¡± ¡°Miss Lin, my children have no right to stop me if you are willing to marry me.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m not willing to. I¡¯m young and beautiful and can find a much better young man, so why do I have to marry you, an old man who¡¯s half in the grave? Old Mr. Xia, forgive me for speaking harshly. You are not worthy of me.¡±


    ¡°How dare you!¡±


    ¡°Calm down, Old Mr. Xia. You will likely have a stroke if you get angry like this.


    And then it will be useless even if many beautiful women are around you.¡± Xia Songquan¡¯s face turned gloomy.


    The butler¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Miss Lin, you¡¯ll regret showing no appreciation of favor.¡¯


    ¡°What? Do you also want to threaten me? By the way, haven¡¯t you heard I won even the young master of the Hong n in riding and arrow-shooting at the poetry and literature gathering? It¡¯s ridiculous to think of trapping me even with your Xia n¡¯s ability.¡±


    ¡°I just want to remind you that here is Guangqing Province.¡±


    ¡°So what? Is Guangqing Province the Xia n¡¯s ce? Where do you ce the


    Yuan n?¡±


    ¡°Miss Lin, you are very eloquent, but it will not do you any good to win an argument for a moment. If you are patient in one moment of anger, you will escape a hundred days of trouble.¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯ll get angrier if I put up with it for a while, and the more I think about it, the more I feel I suffer. Don¡¯t expect me to face you with a better attitude if your Xia n doesn¡¯t respect me..¡±

 Chapter 304 - 304: Could She Be Zhao Chuchu?

    Chapter 304: Could She Be Zhao Chuchu?


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Zhao Chuchu left them speechless.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Isn¡¯t there someone else who wants to see a doctor?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked Xia Chengzhu while packing her medicine box.


    Xia Chengzhu was also eager to leave the main courtyard, so he hurriedly said,


    ¡°Yes, I will take you there, Miss Lin.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu packed up her things and left with Xia Chengzhu without even looking at Xia Songquan.


    ¡°Lu Ming, do you think this Miss Lin is very much like a person we met before?¡±


    Xia Songquan asked the butler. ¡°I always feel like I¡¯ve seen her somewhere, but


    I can¡¯t remember no matter what.¡±


    ¡°Old Mr. Xia, could she be Zhao Chuchu?¡± An idea suddenly came to Lu Ming¡¯s mind.


    Xia Songquan thought back very carefully to Xia Chenn¡¯s appearance. Oh no, he should call her Xia Xiaoxiao.


    Strangely enough, Miss Lin and Xia Xiaoxiao did not look alike. Zhao Chuchu was Xia Xiaoxiao¡¯s daughter, so she should have some resemnce to Xia Xiaoxiao.


    ¡°She should not be Zhao Chuchu. How can a woman so good at riding and arrow-shooting be a country girl? Zhao Chuchu also doesn¡¯t have the condition to learn riding and arrow-shooting. Didn¡¯t Xie Heng, her husband, teach her medical skills?¡±


    ¡°But she is the same age as Zhao Chuchu.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget that Xie Heng was blind before, and these two had never left Yuanjiang County before the gue appeared, so how did they learn such skills? Even if they were lucky enough to meet an experienced expert, didn¡¯t they also suffer from bullying at the beginning?¡±


    ¡°Old Mr. Xia, you mean¡­¡±


    ¡°Miss Lin is Miss Lin, and Zhao Chuchu is Zhao Chuchu. Stunning beauties all have one thing inmon, and that is beauty.¡±


    Xia Songquan found himself an excuse first.


    Lu Ming thought about it and felt that it made sense. Miss Lin and Xia Xiaoxiao looked really different.


    ¡°You find someone to check the details of Miss Lin. No matter who she is, find a way to marry her into the Xia n. Now the Xia n is going downhill, but many people will beg us if we can have such a woman.¡±


    ¡°The Kang n has been making some movestely. I¡¯m afraid they can¡¯t hold back much longer, so you should prepare yourself early, Old Mr. Xia. Ms.


    Chengxuan cannot decide anything in the Kang n and lives a hard life.¡±


    ¡°Daughters are useless. They can do nothing to help the family and even add to the family¡¯s problems. If I had known that earlier, I would have married her far away so I wouldn¡¯t have to look at her as an eyesore.¡±


    ¡°Old Mr. Xia, don¡¯t say such angry words. It¡¯s also hard for Ms. Chengxuan to tell her suffering. No matter what, the Xia n wille to an open break in friendship with the Kang n sooner orter, so you don¡¯t need to show any more mercy.¡±


    Xia Songquan nodded. ¡°Well, that¡¯s true. All right, you can leave first. Keep an eye on Miss Lin and see if Chengxue can still be saved.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Old Mr. Xia.¡±


    Lu Ming bowed and retreated.


    A hint of deep meaning in Lu Ming¡¯s eyes flickered away as soon as he closed the door.


    The two did not know that their conversation had been heard by Zhao Chuchu, who had already left.


    Zhao Chuchu sighed and said inwardly, ¡°It¡¯s obvious that the truth is already there, but they are so arrogant to push the truth away. Their expressions must be hrious when they know Miss Lin is Zhao Chuchu!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was quite looking forward to that day.


    Xia Chengxue¡¯s courtyard was on the south side of the Xia n¡¯s house, and it took about half an hour to walk there.


    Xia Chengzhu tried to talk to Zhao Chuchu along the way, attempting to probe Zhao Chuchu¡¯s thoughts.


    But Zhao Chuchu ignored him by saying a few words and even learned a lot from him, but Xia Chengzhu was oblivious to it.


    He was evencent and thought he had a better chance than Xia Songquan.


    Zhao Chuchu could see through hiscency and didn¡¯t even bother to expose him. She didn¡¯t care about what he thought.


    Zhao Chuchu realized that Xie Heng and Yuan Hui had said something euphemistic when she saw Xia Chengxue. Xia Chengxue was not simply beaten up but was almost disabled.


    He was lying weakly in bed, and only his eyes could move, unlike a vegetable.


    But the Xia n¡¯s deep-rooted bad habits caused Xia Chengxue to be visibly excited when he saw Zhao Chuchu, and his eyes rolled like twitching.


    Zhao Chuchu was very speechless.


    She thought, ¡°Sooner orter, the men of the Xia n will all die from women!¡± How disgusting!


    ¡°This is my fifth brother Xia Chengxue. Some time ago, he met with criminals and was beaten into this state. I wonder if Miss Lin has any way to save him. Even if he can¡¯t recover as before, it¡¯ll be better if he doesn¡¯t have to lie in bed like this now.¡±


    Xia Chengzhu deliberately raised his voice when he said, ¡°can¡¯t recover as before.¡± Any average person should know what he meant.


    He wanted Zhao Chuchu to turn Xia Chengxue into apletely useless person.


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s eyebrows were slightly raised.


    She thought these people in the Xia n were all calcting without a trace of affection or humanity.


    Of course, she could cure Xia Chengxue¡¯s injury. However, she would not do this.


    This bastard was not worth her doing like this.


    But she could let Xia Chengxue and Xia Chengzhu fight with each other.


    Although Xia Songquan¡¯s sons were all untalented, it didn¡¯t stop them from being ambitious and wanting to be the heir to the Xia n.


    Xia Chengxue could not move now, but it was impossible not to suspect his brothers in his heart.


    Zhao Chuchu was not interested in taking over the Xia n, but she could make the Xia n be ruined.


    After all, she had to get justice for the original body owner¡¯s mother.


    Zhao Chuchu put on a serious face after taking Xia Chengxue¡¯s pulse. ¡°Mr. Chengxue¡¯s injuries are too serious. He seems to be injured by a martial arts expert. My medical skills are limited, so I can only keep him alive. As for whether he can recover, it depends on his luck.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Miss Lin. Just do your best.¡± Xia Chengzhu thought he understood Zhao Chuchu¡¯s meaning. ¡°So many doctors havee to see him, and they all said that my fifth brother can only live for three months at most. Now with your words, I can be relieved.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu met Xia Chengxue¡¯s eyes and said indifferently, ¡°The person who hit him picked the ces to hit. That person didn¡¯t kill him immediately but made him suffer a lot and feel worse than death. I don¡¯t know why that person is so vicious to devise such a method to deal with people.¡±


    Xia Chengxue looked at Xia Chengzhu as soon as he heard that.


    Xia Chengzhu didn¡¯t catch that Zhao Chuchu was misleading Xia Chengxue and said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that only the murderer knows about the reason. Forgive me for troubling you, but just let my brother live.¡±


    ¡°Okay. But the consultation fee¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss Lin. I will definitely pay you the consultation fee.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. I will do my best to save Mr. Chengxue.¡±


    ¡°Thanks a lot, Miss Lin.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu nodded slightly. Then she put the medicine box down and took out the needle bag inside, as well as some other tools to be used.


    ¡°Take off the clothes on him,¡± Zhao Chuchu said to the maid at the side.


    Xia Chengzhu asked, ¡°What are you going to do, Miss Lin?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do acupuncture first to unblock his meridians.¡±


    ¡°Will that work?¡±


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you treat him, Mr. Chengzhu?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu handed over the silver needles she took out.


    The corner of Xia Chengzhu¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to do this.


    You should do it, Miss Lin.¡±


    ¡°Then keep quiet. Don¡¯t disturb me!¡± Zhao Chuchu said in an indifferent voice..

 Chapter 305 - 305: You Don ‘t Know Enough about Women

    Chapter 305: You Don ¡®t Know Enough about Women


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Xia Chengzhu was about to get angry, but when he saw how fast and urately Zhao Chuchu applied the needles, he swallowed the words that came to his mouth.


    Zhao Chuchu yed a trick when she applied the needles. She would not kill Xia Chengxue but could make him suffer a lot of pain.


    She did not intend to cure Xia Chengxue, but she would make him able to speak and move. But beyond that, he would always be a useless person.


    The unspeakable Xia Chengxue only felt a sharp pain in his soul, but his whole body could not move, so he was the only one who knew the pain.


    Zhao Chuchu pretended not to see his sad and pleading eyes and quickly pushed the silver needles into each acupoint.


    Xia Chengxue was in so much pain that he wanted to die so he wouldn¡¯t suffer this unbearable physical pain.


    ¡°Mr. Chengxue, you have to bear it. It will be excruciating, but your condition will improve only by applying the needles. Otherwise, you will have to lie in bed for the rest of your life and cannot move.¡± Only then did Zhao Chuchu reassure Xia Chengxue. ¡°This kind of pain is nothingpared to being an invalid.¡±


    Xia Chengxue just could not talk. Otherwise, he would have cursed and even had Zhao Chuchu killed.


    Seeing the killing intent under Xia Chengxue¡¯s eyes, Zhao Chuchu smiled. ¡°This is just the beginning. There will be more pain next, and you must bear it.¡± Xia Chengxue cursed viciously at Zhao Chuchu in his heart.


    Xia Chengzhu suddenly had a bad feeling when he saw the cold sweat on Xia


    Chengxue¡¯s forehead.


    He thought, ¡°Can Miss Lin really cure Xia Chengxue?¡±


    He didn¡¯t mind raising Xia Chengxue if Xia Chengxue was crippled, but he definitely didn¡¯t want Xia Chengxue topete with him for the Xia n.


    If Xia Chengxue got well, he was only afraid that his father would give Xia


    Chengxue a lot of benefits to make up for him, and then his fortune would be less.


    Xia Chengzhu looked at Xia Chengxue and came up with an evil intention.


    Xia Chengxue was in so much pain that he was about to lose consciousness, so he couldn¡¯t care less what his second brother was nning.


    Instead, Zhao Chuchu, watching indifferently from the side, took in Xia Chengzhu¡¯s reaction.


    She lowered her head to cover the smile under her eyes. She thought, ¡°The people of the Xia n actually fight among themselves after such a slight provocation. ¡±


    She wondered how long the Xia n would be able to support themselves.


    Even the current head of the family, Xia Songquan, was also that kind of foolish person. Thanks to the Xia n¡¯s ancestors who saved up a lot of money, or else how could they afford to waste it andst until now?


    After 15 minutes, Zhao Chuchu removed the silver needles from Xia Chengxue¡¯s body.


    Xia Chengxue only felt as if his strength had been drained from his body, lying on the bed like a puddle of mud.


    But soon, he felt as if he could move his back.


    After the criminals beat him, he couldn¡¯t move any part of his body except his eyes and mouth and could only feel pain.


    The hatred from the severe pain disappeared, and Xia Chengxue only felt excited and thrilled.


    In that case, he would soon be able to get back on his feet and continue to be the powerful Mr. Chengxue of the Xia n. At that time, he would definitely find the person who had beaten him and pay back the pain he had suffered thousand times over.


    And that included his good second brother!


    Thinking of this, Xia Chengxue gave Xia Chengzhu a vicious look.


    Xia Chengzhu felt Xia Chengxue¡¯s hatred and subconsciously looked over, but Xia Chengxue had already returned to his usual self, so Xia Chengzhu thought it was his illusion.


    Zhao Chuchu put away the silver needles and said to Xia Chengzhu, ¡°Although the chance of a cure is not great, he will soon be able to move and will not have to continue to lie in bed as an invalid. The consultation fee¡­


    Xia Chengzhu smiled. ¡°Miss Lin, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll pay you the consultation fee.¡±


    Then he turned his head and said, ¡°Someone, go to the ountant and withdraw one thousand taels of silver for Miss Lin. Tell them it¡¯s for Mr.


    Chengxue¡¯s medical consultation.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Chengzhu, we need to get Old Mr. Xia¡¯s permission to withdraw such arge amount of money.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? My father can¡¯t even spare the consultation fee for my fifth brother?¡±


    ¡°No, Mr. Chengzhu¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re teaching me how to do things?¡±


    The subordinate immediately silenced his voice.


    Xia Chengzhu gave a cold snort.


    ¡°If my father asks, he won¡¯t me you when he knows what the money is for.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯ll go ask.¡±


    That person hurriedly ran away, afraid that Xia Chengzhu would still make a more outrageous decision.


    The Xia n was still in charge of Xia Songquan. Xia Chengzhu could only withdraw a maximum of five hundred taels of silver from the ountant, and anything beyond that would only be possible with Xia Songquan¡¯s nod.


    Even if it was to pay for Xia Chengxue¡¯s medical treatment, that person did not dare to dy and still ran to Xia Songquan first.


    After hearing this, Xia Songquan waved his hand. ¡°Go and give it to her.¡±


    The Xia n was not short of such a small amount of money. Since they were bent on coaxing Miss Lin into the Xia n, this small amount of money still had to be paid.


    ¡°Wait, ¡± Xia Songquan suddenly shouted at that person again.


    That person came back. ¡°What else do you want, Old Mr. Xia?¡±


    ¡°One thousand taels is not enough. Go and give five thousand taels to Miss Lin.¡±


    Lu Ming, who was serving at the side, frowned slightly. ¡°Old Mr. Xia, is five thousand taels too much? It will be difficult to control her if she bes greedy in the future.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s easier to control her if she is greedy. For Miss Lin, the Xia n is not short of money. Can people who are used to a life of luxury andfort live a hard life again? Lu Ming, you still do not know enough about women!¡± ¡°You are right, Old Mr. Xia. I¡¯m too short-sighted.¡±


    ¡°You just wait to see. Miss Lin will soon take the bait. A woman¡¯s nobility is mostly pretended so that men will think she is different. However, women don¡¯t know that such tricks are useless in men¡¯s eyes. It only depends on whether men want to expose them or not.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense, Old Mr. Xia. I¡¯ve learned a lot.¡±


    ¡°Lu Ming, why don¡¯t you marry a woman to live a happy life after all these years?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m used to being alone. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s hard to adapt if there¡¯s another one on my pillow. Anywvay, I¡¯ve been in such an old age, so it doesn¡¯t matter if I have a wife. I just want my nephew to nourish me in my old age and give me a proper burial after I die.¡¯


    ¡°You indeed have an open mind, but it is better to have your own child. Why don¡¯t you see if there¡¯s a woman you like in my courtyard and go pick one yourself?¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Old Mr. Xia, but I really have no interest in women now. Helping you properly manage the Xia n¡¯s affairs is the most important thing for me.¡±


    ¡°Haha, Lu Ming, you are the oddest man I have ever seen. Some men like women, and some men like men, but you¡¯re the first one who doesn¡¯t like both men and women.¡±


    Lu Ming smiled helplessly. ¡°I want to, but I¡¯m unable to do it.¡±


    ¡°Oh? How about letting Miss Lin take a look at you? Isn¡¯t Chengxue looking for her to cure him? If you can be cured, I¡¯ll let her treat you.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll thank you in advance, Old Mr. Xia.¡±


    ¡°By the way, you have been in our Xia n for decades. We were all young and energetic back then, but I never thought we would all be old in a sh. Time flies!¡±


    ¡°Yes, time flies. Things are still the same, but people are not¡­¡± Lu Ming sighed and said this meaningfully..

 Chapter 306 - 306: Just Once

    Chapter 306: Just Once


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Xia Songquan listened and forgot about it, not taking Lu Ming¡¯s words to heart.


    ¡°Well, keep an eye on the five thousand taels of silver in case someone has the guts to take that,¡± Xia Songquan said to Lu Ming. And this ¡°someone¡± referred to Xia Chengzhu.


    Lu Ming took the order and turned around to leave.


    He went to the ountant, who was in a standoff with the person who came to ask for money because of the sudden expenditure of such arge amount of money.


    That was because the ountant would not easily give out so much money without Xia Songquan¡¯s token.


    Otherwise, if they asked him to take responsibility because of theck of evidence, he could never pay it back, even if he didn¡¯t eat or drink for the rest of his life.


    ¡°This five thousand taels of silver is Old Mr. Xia¡¯s decision. Give it to him. It¡¯s for Mr. Chengxue¡¯s consultation fee,¡± Lu Ming walked over and exined to the ountant.


    The most authoritative person in the Xia n was Xia Songquan, but the most credible one was Lu Ming.


    Lu Ming had been a butler in the Xia n for so many years that he had more right of speech than several of Xia Songquan¡¯s sons.


    The ountant took out five thousand taels of silver only when he saw Lu Minge.


    ¡°I will go over with you,¡± Lu Ming said and walked towards Xia Chengxue¡¯s courtyard.


    Xia Chengzhu didn¡¯t expect Xia Songquan to be so generous and take out five thousand taels of silver directly.


    As Xia Songquan¡¯s son, he could only get five hundred taels at most, but his father was so generous to a woman.


    Xia Chengzhu did not feel good in his heart.


    But what could he do? He was not the head of the Xia n now.


    ¡°Miss Lin, Old Mr. Xia said he¡¯ll pay you more if you can cure Mr. Chengxue. The five thousand taels of silver are just the initial consultation fee. You¡¯ll get moreter.¡± Lu Ming gestured for the subordinates to bring up the silver.


    Zhao Chuchu pretended to look like she had never seen such much money, her eyes shining. ¡°So much silver? Old Mr. Xia is too generous.¡±


    Lu Ming saw this and smiled faintly. ¡°Old Mr. Xia has always been generous. Money is just extraneous things to him.¡±


    ¡°s, you are so wealthy!¡± Zhao Chuchu eximed. Then she did not even bother to pretend to refuse and took it with a smile.


    This was what she deserved.


    Lu Ming asked, ¡°The silver is too much. Should I have someone send it back for you, Miss Lin?¡±


    After counting the amount of silver, Zhao Chuchu turned back and asked, ¡°Butler, I don¡¯t want the silver. Can I exchange it for something else?¡±


    ¡°What do you want to exchange?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too obvious for a girl to bring so much silver. Why don¡¯t you exchange it for bank notes for me? It¡¯s safer.¡±


    Lu Ming did not change his expression and nodded. ¡°Someone, carry these silver back. Exchange them into bank notes and send them here.¡±


    ¡°Thanks a lot.¡±


    ¡°As long as you are satisfied, Miss Lin. May I ask how¡¯s Mr. Chengxue doing?¡±


    ¡°I can save his life, but whether he can still recover as a normal person depends on his luck. This is beyond the reach of human power. Butler, I have said from the beginning that I would try my best, but now there is nothing I can do.¡±


    ¡°The doctor said Mr. Chengxue won¡¯t live long, so you have already saved him if you can keep him alive. As for what will happen after that, it¡¯s up to him to make his fate.¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯m relieved that you are so reasonable. Please go back and tell Old Mr. Xia that


    Mr. Chengxue¡¯s life is not in danger.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Thank you, Miss Lin.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave ande back tomorrow to do acupuncture for Mr.


    Chengxue.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    After Zhao Chuchu got the bank notes, she left the Xia n with her medicine box.


    Xia Chengzhu chased after her. ¡°Miss Lin, my hidden illness¡­¡±


    ¡°Take the medicine as I say, and make sure to control yourself.¡± Zhao Chuchu raised her eyebrows. ¡°Mr. Chengzhu, don¡¯t think I can¡¯t see anything just because I¡¯m a girl. You didn¡¯t have much abstinencest night, right?¡± Xia Chengzhu blushed in shame at being seen through. ¡°Just once¡­¡±


    ¡°Not even half a time. Your recovery time will be a little longer if you indulge once. In the long run, your condition will worsen, and you will have no peace in the future.¡¯


    ¡°Okay, I remember. Next time, I¡¯ll try not to¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s quite good to clear your mind of desire, Mr. Chengzhu.¡±


    Xia Chengzhu did not know why he had no desire for that kind of thing whenever Zhao Chuchu said this, and he did not dare to say anything as if he was a student being lectured by a teacher.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave first. Don¡¯t bother to see me out.¡± Zhao Chuchu carried the medicine box and quickly left.


    Xia Chengzhu lost the urge to go after Zhao Chuchu when he thought of her lecture just now.


    He was most afraid of Zhao Chuchu saying that he was impotent!


    A man could not be impotent.


    Zhao Chuchu left the Xia n¡¯s house and threw the five thousand taels of silver into the carry-on space.


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s murderous intentions were rising at the thought of those bad ones in the Xia n.


    Zhao Chuchu did not go back to the Yuan n¡¯s house but went to Xie Heng.


    But once again, she was in vain. Xie Heng was not there.


    But Xie Heng had someone tell Zhao Chuchu that he would be back in three days and that Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t have to worry because he was just going to take care of something.


    Xie Heng did not say what the matter was, but without any reason, Zhao Chuchu felt that it was rted to Yuan Hui.


    Xie Heng did not care about other people¡¯s affairs, but as long as Zhao Chuchu was involved, he would do his best to help her.


    Sometimes Zhao Chuchu felt that she was a lucky star.


    Otherwise, why did those close to her have Xie Heng¡¯s secret help whenever they got into trouble? Didn¡¯t they just take advantage of her good luck? Xie Heng was not in Guangqing Province, so Zhao Chuchu could only go back to the Yuan n¡¯s house.


    When Zhao Chuchu went to the Xia n, people from the Ye n came to the Yuan n¡¯s door again, still trying to get Yuan Hui to marry Second Mr. Ye.


    Old Mrs. Yuan was so angry that she was confined to bed sick.


    In the end, it was Yuan Hui herself who appeared and chased the Ye n¡¯s people out.


    Zhao Chuchu did not expect the Ye n¡¯s people to do such a thing.


    How could there be a family that was so shameless to such an extent?


    Did they really think that Second Mr. Ye was the unique treasure in the world so that an average family would be willing to marry their daughter to him after he had done so many absurd things?


    ¡°You came back just in time. The Ye n is really too shameless. Second Mr. Ye and Third Mr. Hong did that kind of thing in public, but they were still so shameless that they let me not mind because they just drank too much and made jokes. And they even said that it¡¯s my good fortune to marry into the Ye n!¡±


    Then Yuan Hui continued, ¡°Who wants this fucking fortune? Since this is good fortune, why don¡¯t they let their daughter marry him? Who are they to say that in front of me? Am I really so bad that I have to marry such a bastard? Damn


    When Yuan Hui saw Zhao Chuchu, she didn¡¯t even care about her image and said something foul.


    Zhao Chuchu patted her and said, ¡°Well, well, you are the daughter of the Yuan n. I wonder how others will use you when they know you are like this. The Ye n just wants to keep pestering you this time, so you can¡¯t give them a chance to use you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather kill myself than marry a bastard like Second Mr. Ye.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be angry. Someone will alwayse to teach the Ye n a lesson.¡±


    ¡°I used to think that our Yuan n was very powerful for being rich, but now I know that being an official is the most impressive.. With power, one can trample on everything in the world, even the people!¡±

 Chapter 307 - 307: Dig a Hole for Her to Jump Into

    Chapter 307: Dig a Hole for Her to Jump Into


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°Am I toote to know?¡± Yuan Hui looked at Zhao Chuchu. ¡°If I were a man, I would have tried my best to pass the Imperial Examination so that I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about the Yuan n being mped down by the officials.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s notte at all. You can¡¯t take the Imperial Examination, but you can pay for someone else to take it so that someone else will bear the Yuan n¡¯s favor,


    Zhao Chuchu advised Yuan Hui.


    Yuan Hui seemed to understand. ¡°But it¡¯s toote even if I want to finance others to study.¡±


    ¡°You know. The best time to nt a tree is ten years ago, and then it¡¯s now.¡± ¡°You mean I should do it tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Silly girl, don¡¯t be foolish to go to someone and say that the Yuan n will bear all the expenses needed as long as he studies well. In that case, you will likely raise an ungrateful and vicious person. A man will take it for granted if he is helped too many times. There are many such things, right?¡±


    ¡°So, what should I do?¡±


    ¡°Open a school in the name of the Yuan n. The Yuan n is not short of money. You can invite the best intellectuals of the Wei Dynasty to be teachers. As long as the fame of the school spreads, there will be no worries about theck of talented young men. And when the timees, you can use other assessment methods to select from them for talents worth training.¡±


    ¡°In this way, it won¡¯t make the other party feel that the Yuan n¡¯s purpose is too obvious, and it won¡¯t be difficult for them to ept it, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the intellectuals all care about their dignity, so if you give them money directly, they will see it as a handout and feel insulted. But they won¡¯t think so if they get it with their own efforts, and instead, they will be grateful to the


    Yuan n for giving them such an opportunity.¡±


    Yuan Hui finally understood when she heard the words.


    ¡°I understand. I will discuss it with my grandmotherter. You are so smart. How does your head grow? Why can you think of so many things?¡± Yuan Hui looked envious. ¡°If I were half as smart as you, I wouldn¡¯t have ended up in this situation.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu smiled. ¡°Thinking too much finally leads to unhappiness. People¡¯s nature has long been predetermined, so you don¡¯t need to envy others. Maybe others also envy everything you have in a ce you don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s right. I¡¯m the daughter of the Yuan n and never worried about food or clothing. I¡¯m always the first to have the new ones from the jewelry and clothing stores. For most people, I¡¯m lucky enough, right?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you know it.¡±


    ¡°I was confused for a while, and now I get over it.¡±


    After saying that, the two looked at each other and couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    For the next few days, Zhao Chuchu went to the Xia n¡¯s house to do acupuncture for Xia Chengxue.


    Xia Songquan seemed to have lost interest in her and did not look for her again.


    But Zhao Chuchu knew they were just digging a hole for her to jump into.


    That was because whenever Zhao Chuchu went to the Xia n, Xia Songquan would have Lu Ming prepare all kinds of jewelry and headwear as thank-you gifts for her.


    If it were an ordinary girl, she would have lost herself in this temptation.


    But Zhao Chuchu would not.


    She was wealthy enough. Was there anything good that she hadn¡¯t seen before?


    Indeed, some skills in ancient times were excellent, but they could not bepared with those inter times.


    Not to mention the gold and silver jewels that Xie Heng had previously ced in the underground hidden room, most of which were invaluable. Therefore, things Xia Songquan had Lu Ming prepare were really nothing to Zhao Chuchu. They were so stingy that they wanted to get a capable girl but were unwilling to pay much.


    But Zhao Chuchu still epted all those things without any hesitation.


    It was only fitting that they paid for the treatment.


    Xia Chengxue could now say some monosybles.


    It was good news even if he still couldn¡¯t speak.


    After all, the previous doctor had confirmed that Xia Chengxue would not live long, but now Xia Chengxue was not only not dead but also possibly could recover.


    Xia Songquan had no feelings for these sons and would not have any mood swings for this.


    He only used it as an excuse to trap Zhao Chuchu at most.


    But Xia Chengzhu was different.


    He waited for a long time for Xia Chengrong to die finally. If Xia Chengxue was also about to die, and Xia Chengfu was incapable, then the Xia n would be his.


    But now, everything he imagined failed.


    When Zhao Chuchu finished doing acupuncture on Xia Chengxue and wanted to leave, Xia Chengzhu couldn¡¯t hold back and asked, ¡°Miss Lin, have you forgotten our previous agreement?¡±


    ¡°Agreement? What agreement?¡± Zhao Chuchu pretended to be confused.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say my fifth brother would only be an invalid in the future? Howe he¡¯s starting to get better now?¡±


    ¡°Did you misunderstand something, Mr. Chengzhu? I seemed to have never made any agreement with you. I remember I only said that Mr. Chengxue could be saved, but it was up to him to recover or not. I have done my best, and the rest has nothing to do with me.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to cast me aside when you have served your purpose?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really understand what you mean.¡±


    ¡°Miss Lin, it¡¯s not good to y dumb now, is it? You know what I¡¯m talking about.¡±


    ¡°s, why are you always so conceited, Mr. Chengzhu? Is this the Xia n¡¯s family motto? You¡¯re always so fond of misinterpreting other people¡¯s meanings. It¡¯s only natural for me to take money to save people, and those misunderstandings between you guys really have nothing to do with me.¡±


    ¡°You!¡±


    ¡°If you are dissatisfied, Mr. Chengzhu, you can tell Old Mr. Xia.¡±


    ¡°Miss Lin, don¡¯t try to anger me.¡±


    Zhao Chuchuughed when she heard this. Then she stepped forward and forced Xia Chengzhu closer, releasing an intimidating aura. She stared at Xia Chengzhu and said word by word, ¡°Xia Chengzhu, my patience is limited, so you should not try to provoke me.


    ¡°I have nothing to beg of you, but you are different. You still have something to ask of me. So, figure out your position, and don¡¯t talk to me in such a condescending tone. It won¡¯t do you any good to offend me. Also, don¡¯t involve me in your Xia n¡¯s infighting!¡±


    Xia Chengzhu subconsciously stepped back.


    He was taller than Zhao Chuchu, but at this moment, he suddenly had a feeling of being the short one.


    And this feeling made Xia Chengzhu very unhappy, but Zhao Chuchu¡¯s steely eyes made him unable to say anything.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Xia Chengzhu instinctively asked this question.


    ¡°Who I am has nothing to do with you. I know your Xia n has been investigating me. Xia Chengzhu, you should know that although the Xia n is powerful in Guangqing Province, it is not necessarily so outside of Guangqing Province!¡± Zhao Chuchu snickered.


    Then she continued, ¡°As for my identity, I believe it won¡¯t take long for you to find out. But there is no need to tell you now.¡±


    Xia Chengzhu gritted his teeth. ¡°You also know that this is Guangqing Province? As long as you are still in Guangqing Province, you should understand that a mighty dragon cannot confine a snake in itsir.¡±


    ¡°Why should the mighty dragon confine the snake in itsir? The dragon is much more powerful than the snake and can bite the snake to death without any difficulty. Only a fool would use his shorings topete with the other party¡¯s strengths,¡± Zhao Chuchu said. After a pause, she leaned forward to Xia Chengzhu¡¯s ear. ¡°You think your father doesn¡¯t know what you¡¯re up to?


    ¡°You will still be his son as long as he is alive, and the Xia n will not belong to you. As for whether Xia Chengxue dies or not, it has no meaning for this matter.


    ¡°Xia Chengzhu, I know your nasty thoughts about me.. But I advise you to put it away before it¡¯s toote, or I can make you impotent for the rest of your life!¡±

 Chapter 308 - 308: Have a Taste of This

    Chapter 308: Have a Taste of This


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s tone was calm, but Xia Chengzhu felt fearing in like a tidal wave.


    ¡°Who is she?¡±


    Xia Chengzhu kept asking himself.


    Zhao Chuchu continued, ¡°Do you think the Yuan n would treat me like an honored guest if I were an ordinary person? At least you are from a big family in Guangqing Province, so don¡¯t be so ignorant and make othersugh at you. Xia Chengzhu, if you do it again, I won¡¯t be polite to you.¡±


    Xia Chengzhu took another step back.


    He looked at Zhao Chuchu, and the fear in his heart was even stronger.


    Zhao Chuchu snickered and left without paying any attention to him.


    Xia Chengzhu looked at Zhao Chuchu¡¯s distant back and realized that his back was already wet with cold sweat.


    He took a deep breath to suppress the feeling of fear.


    But as long as he thought of Zhao Chuchu¡¯s words just now, he couldn¡¯t help but break out in a cold sweat.


    He wondered whether Zhao Chuchu could make his life worse than death if he had done something.


    Xia Chengzhu was no longer sure.


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s aura made Xia Chengzhu fear from the bottom of his heart.


    Even Xia Songquan had never given him this feeling.


    However, Zhao Chuchu had just said something that woke up Xia Chengzhu.


    He could only be a son if Xia Songquan didn¡¯t die. Then he couldn¡¯t be the head of the Xia n, and the Xia n could never belong to him.


    He was still the one who could not even decide to withdraw five hundred taels of silver, and he could not evenpare to Lu Ming.


    This made Xia Chengzhu resentful and angry from the bottom of his heart.


    He was the eldest son of the Xia n, but Xia Songquan guarded against him like this and did not give him anything.


    If he could be the head of the Xia n, he would let his father have a taste of this.


    Xia Chengzhu clenched his fist and secretly made up his mind.


    Zhao Chuchu went to the Du n after leaving the Xia n¡¯s house.


    Second Miss Du had instructed the doorkeepers. Even though they didn¡¯t know Zhao Chuchu, when they heard that she was here to look for Second Miss Du, they didn¡¯t make things difficult and directly invited her to the house. Then a maid led Zhao Chuchu to Second Miss Du¡¯s courtyard.


    Second Miss Du was waiting there early, and she was very excited to see Zhao


    Chuchu.


    ¡°Miss Lin, my face is really starting to recover gradually. No new red pimples have grown in the past few days, and the original ones have not turned red and swollen or pus.¡± Second Miss Du held Zhao Chuchu¡¯s hand and spoke more than ever before.


    The maids were all stunned.


    Only Donn was not surprised. She knew Second Miss Du liked Miss Lin the most.


    ¡°Second Miss Du, it¡¯s hard for Miss Lin to be here. I¡¯ve prepared tea and food. Why don¡¯t you go inside and talk?¡± Donn reminded Second Miss Du.


    Second Miss Du was a little embarrassed. ¡°Oh, my bad. Where are my manners? Miss Lin, please don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m morefortable with you like this. I¡¯d feel constrained if you were polite to me everywhere.¡± Zhao Chuchuughed.


    ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s go inside.¡± Second Miss Du dragged Zhao Chuchu into the


    room.


    Donn had prepared many exquisite snacks, some of which Zhao Chuchu had never even seen before.


    ¡°Donn is the most skillful and good at cooking in our family. These are all things she has worked out. Miss Lin, you can try them.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu tasted some, and they were delicious.


    ¡°Yummy.¡±


    ¡°I can have Donn pack some for you to take back if you like it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great.¡±


    Second Miss Du couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    Donn hurriedly left to prepare.


    After drinking the tea and tasting the snacks, Zhao Chuchu stepped into the main topic and gave Second Miss Du a follow-up consultation.


    After using her medicine, Second Miss Du¡¯s face had obviously gotten better.


    She should be almost recovered after some more time.


    But Zhao Chuchu changed the medicine for Second Miss Du.


    ¡°You can stop taking the medicine you were given before. Take this.¡± Zhao Chuchu took out the medicine prepared in advance from the medicine box and gave Second Miss Du another bottle of ointment for the face. ¡°This is to be put on the face before going to sleep. 15 minutes at least. Then you can wash it and go to sleep without using anything.¡±


    Second Miss Du took over and opened it. She sniffed and found that the smell of medicine was very light, but instead, it had an indescribable fragrance of flowers, very refreshing.


    ¡°Thank you, Miss Lin.¡± Second Miss Du handed the medicine to the maid. ¡°I used to think I would have to wear such a face for the rest of my life, but I never thought I could meet you and make my face better. I¡¯m really d I went to the poetry and literature gathering that day.¡±


    ¡°It was probably fate. You didn¡¯t go anywhere that day but went to the pavilion, and then we met. If I had done something else then, we wouldn¡¯t have known each other.¡±


    ¡°Why are you willing to help me, Miss Lin?¡± ¡°Probably because I liked you the first time I saw you.¡±


    Second Miss Du couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    ¡°Miss Du, Second Miss Du is entertaining a guest¡­¡± At the same time, the voice of a maid sounded outside.


    ¡°I have heard it. This guest is also a friend of mine, so there is no problem in meeting her.¡±


    Then Du Yushi came in.


    Her gaze first fell on Zhao Chuchu. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it was really you, Miss Lin.¡±


    ¡°Miss Du.¡± Zhao Chuchu nodded slightly as a greeting.


    Du Yushi couldn¡¯t help but frown. She had the feeling of being treated as a junior by Zhao Chuchu.


    But the fact was that she was the host!


    ¡°Thank you for treating my second sister¡¯s face. Otherwise, I¡¯m afraid that my second sister would only be depressed all the time. In fact, I don¡¯t think outer appearance is important, and the inner part is what should be valued. Don¡¯t you think so, Miss Lin?¡±


    ¡°Outward appearance is also important. After all, it is the face that gives the first impression. Miss Du, you don¡¯t have to put on makeup every day if you think appearance is unimportant. Natural beauty is the real beauty.¡±


    ¡°Miss Lin, you think so?¡± ¡°Or else?¡±


    Du Yushi was speechless.


    She didn¡¯t expect Zhao Chuchu to be so disrespectful.


    Second Miss Du said indifferently, ¡°Sister, I have guests here. I¡¯lle back to youter if you have something to do with me.¡± She wanted to get rid of Du Yushi.


    But Du Yushi pretended not to understand.


    She continued, ¡°Miss Lin, you are an excellent doctor, so you must have a secret recipe for beauty care, right? Can you sell me a copy?¡±


    ¡°Why do you want to buy a secret recipe, Miss Du?¡± Zhao Chuchu had a faint smile.


    Du Yushi said, ¡°I want to give it to my mother, hoping she can stay young forever. Sister, you should think the same way, right?¡±


    After saying that, Du Yushi looked at Second Miss Du.


    The implication was that she would be respectful to her mother, but Second Miss Du, as a biological daughter, had never thought about it.


    If Mrs. Du heard about this matter, she would feel bad even if she would not do anything to her own daughter.


    Zhao Chuchu raised her eyebrows and thought, ¡°So this is her n. She is here for Second Miss Du, not me.


    ¡°Yes, she should think so, and that¡¯s why Second Miss Du wants to buy the secret recipe for skin care from me.¡± Zhao Chuchu answered the question.


    Second Miss Du should not be very good at talking. Sometimes she did not even know how to reply to her sister¡¯s harsh words.


    Zhao Chuchu had a good impression of Second Miss Du, so she did not mind helping her out and embarrassing Du Yushi.


    Du Yushi had made things difficult for her at the poetry and literature gathering.


    Zhao Chuchu did not have many virtues. But she had a lot of ws and especially loved to hold grudges..

 Chapter 309 - 309: You Must Have a Good Relationship

    Chapter 309: You Must Have a Good Rtionship


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Du Yushi¡¯s face changed slightly when she heard the words.


    ¡°Do you still want to buy, Miss Du? I don¡¯t think you need it now. It¡¯s also not good for me to charge twice,¡± Zhao Chuchu said smilingly.


    Du Yushi felt disgusted but kept a smile on her face. ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯ve bought it, sister. Mom will be happy to know that you are so filial, and she will not only praise me in front of you.¡±


    Second Miss Du frowned slightly. ¡°You are so filial that it is only natural for Mom to praise you, but I don¡¯t think Mom is biased because of it. Mom has always been fair and just, so don¡¯t let people misunderstand that Mom is biased towards you, sister.¡±


    Du Yushi somewhat could not believe what she heard.


    She could not believe that her second sister, who usually did not say a word all day, was actually arguing with her.


    ¡°Sister, if you are here for the secret recipe, I have already bought it and will send a copy to youter.¡± Second Miss Du looked at Du Yushi. ¡°Miss Lin still has to treat my face, so I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not very convenient for you to be here.¡± Second Miss Du urged Du Yushi to leave again.


    If Du Yushi stayed here any longer, her purpose would be too obvious.


    So she could only smile. ¡°Well, then I will go back first. If Miss Lin is freeter, bring her to my ce.¡±


    ¡°Okay, got it.¡± Second Miss Du nodded.


    Du Yushi nced at Zhao Chuchu and could only get up and leave.


    Second Miss Du apologized to Zhao Chuchu as soon as Du Yushi left, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Lin. I didn¡¯t know she woulde over. I hope you don¡¯t mind. She has always been like this.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry,¡± Zhao Chchu said. ¡°It looks like your rtionship is also very average, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. She likes to grab everything from me and always desires to excel over others. I¡¯m used to it. But I don¡¯t want to grab anything from her. They¡¯re all worldly possessions, so she can take them all if she wants. I just hope she won¡¯t bother me and let me live my life in peace.¡±


    In fact, she was the real first daughter of the Du n, and Du Yushi was just adopted by her mother and took the title of the first daughter.


    And even if the other people didn¡¯t say so, Du Yushi was still very concerned about it. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have to try to win at everything and work hard to be the talented girl of Guangqing Province.


    ¡°But, Second Miss Du, you should be vignt so as not to be harmed. It¡¯s good for you to keep it in your mind. I¡¯m not in a position to say much.¡±


    ¡°I know, Miss Lin. Don¡¯t worry. By the way, Miss Lin, you should still be in the capital recently, right?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I want to go to a temple to pray outside the city with you. I wonder if you have time?¡±


    ¡°To pray?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I want to redeem my vows. I used to go to the temple and make a wish that my face would get better. Now that I¡¯ve really gotten what I wished for, I have to go and thank the gods.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t have that chance. I am going to leave Guangqing Province.¡±


    ¡°What? Then where are you going?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going home.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you stay a few more days?¡± ¡°I also want to, but my husband wants me to return sooner.¡±


    ¡°Husband? You are already married?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I got married.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ ¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t do a woman¡¯s bun.¡±


    Second Miss Du did not say this sentence out loud.


    But Zhao Chuchu said it for her. ¡°I didn¡¯t do a woman¡¯s bun, right? This is my husband¡¯s intention to make it more convenient for me to do things.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see. Your husband is so lucky to have a wife like you. To be honest with you, I initially wanted to match you. It would be great if you could be my sister-inw.¡± Second Miss Du was a little embarrassed. ¡°Of course, this is my one-sided idea.¡±


    ¡°I originally nned to go to the temple to pray with you and let you take a look at my brother from afar. If you like him, I will talk to you about it. Well, I almost made a mistake. Fortunately, you told me earlier.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Second Miss Du. I didn¡¯t mean to hide it from you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s not toote to tell, right? Besides, I also didn¡¯t tell you what I


    thought, right?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu sighed with relief.


    If she really had gone on a blind date, Xie Heng would be unhappy.


    She knew better than anyone how much Xie Heng cared for her.


    She did not want them to misunderstand each other because of some trivial things.


    A good rtionship should bring positive emotions but not negative energy. She would prevent anything that might create negative energy at the beginning.


    After all, a rtionship should be managed with care.


    It was hard for Zhao Chuchu to get married, so she didn¡¯t want to lose her beloved so quickly. She hadn¡¯t experienced the joys and sorrows of love.


    ¡°You and your husband must have a very good rtionship, right?¡± Second Miss Du asked.


    ¡°Why do you say so?¡±


    ¡°Because your husband supports you to do everything. I have not seen such a man before. If he didn¡¯t like you very much, how could he not object to your exposure to the public? My father wouldn¡¯t allow my mother to be like that. He likes to control my mother in everything. But he has several concubines of his own.¡±


    Second Miss Du sighed.


    She had never met Miss Lin¡¯s husband, nor had she heard about what happened between them, but a woman¡¯s intuition told her that only a man who truly loved Miss Lin could let Miss Lin do whatever she wanted.


    ¡°My husband is indeed very good to me. He is willing to do many things for me and let go of me to do what I want. He only cares about whether I am happy, and as for those rumors, he never cares.


    ¡°That¡¯s great. There shouldn¡¯t be many couples like you in the world. Miss Lin, you are excellent, so you deserve to have such a good man with you. I hope to be like you in the future and meet a man who treats me like this. However, it seems to be unreasonable expectations.¡±


    ¡°Fate is something that no one can tell. Maybe the right man for you is different from my husband, but he will make you feel happy differently. Don¡¯t make too manyparisons between people. Maybe one man¡¯s trash will be another man¡¯s treasure. The right one is the one that suits you.¡±


    Second Miss Du thought about it and finally shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s too difficult. I can¡¯t decide on my marriage. It¡¯s mostly a matter of parents¡¯ orders and matchmakers¡¯ words. Whether it¡¯s a good marriage depends on my fate and luck.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu originally wanted tofort her but thought they had different ideas. Her set of women¡¯s self-improvement and self-reliance theory was not suitable for the women of this era.


    It was too stupid to fight against the whole era with one person¡¯s strength. If Second Miss Du really listened to it, it might be a tragedy for her.


    ¡°Your parents love you and will choose a good husband for you. Even if you don¡¯t have strong feelings for each other, as long as he respects you, life will go on. However, it¡¯s good to hear more about what your parents think. After all, they have experienced more than us, and their vision is sharper than ours.¡± ¡°I thought you would tell me to work hard for my own happiness.¡±


    ¡°I certainly do hope so. But Second Miss Du, my thoughts are not necessarily right for you. However, I sincerely hope that you will be happy in the future.¡±


    ¡°Miss Lin, actually, my parents have already started matching me, and they seem to be satisfied with the Luo n.¡± Second Miss Du hesitated for a moment and told this matter..

 Chapter 310 - 310: The Perfect Man in Your Fantasy

    Chapter 310: The Perfect Man in Your Fantasy


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The Luo n?


    It couldn¡¯t be such a coincidence that he was the man who ttered himself!


    ¡°Which Luo n?¡± Zhao Chuchu tried to push her luck. Maybe it was the same surname Luo?


    ¡°The Luo n of the literary family, Luo Zehua, the young master of the Luo n. ¡±


    Uh, the world was a bit small. It was the same one.


    Thinking of what Mr. Luo said and did, Chuchu couldn¡¯t help but want to break up the affectionate couples.


    Because she found out that the second daughter of the Du n, the second Miss Du seemed to have a crush on Luo Zehua.


    ¡°Then what do you think of Mr. Luo?¡± Chuchu did notin about Luo Zehua¡¯s fault but first pried into the second Miss Du¡¯s genuine attitude toward him.


    The second Miss Du blushed slightly. ¡°I have read his poems and essays. He is very talented, and I heard he would attend the next imperial examination. I¡¯ve also met him, a well-mannered schr. I have a good impression of him.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just that my face is not healed now, and I don¡¯t know what he will think of me. Miss Lin, do you think he will reject this marriage because I have a face full of red pimples?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was a bit helpless. ¡°So, you have already taken a fancy to him, right? You hope to marry him, right?¡±


    ¡°He passed the schr exam at the age of fifteen. His future is promising, and he is a rare good man.¡±


    ¡°But do you know his character? Articles and poems do not represent a person. Some people are morally corrupt, but they can write beautiful articles. Some people have good morality but are not good at reading and writing.¡±


    Don¡¯t be blinded by fancy titles, sister. The halo of the schr title or something like that would be broken to pieces when the marriage life started.


    Forget romance. Real lives consisted of the humdrum activities of everyday existence.


    Girls raised in the boudoir were too naive, and they were brainwashed by the words of the literati, who made the girls believe they were the best to marry.


    As the saying goes, ¡°Righteous are the butchers who kill dogs. But there¡¯re always treacherous bookish sods.¡±


    Although it was not absolute, only literati could climb thedder to power. Once they had seen the dazzling world of fame and wealth, the initial ambition in their heart would be worthless.


    The second Miss Du was silent for a moment. ¡°Miss Lin, is Mr. Luo not good for marriage?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t say it, but will you choose him if the seniors say he is worthy of a lifelongmitment?¡± Chuchu asked.


    The second Miss Du shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I don¡¯t seem to have any room to object. Now they just want to marry me off, fearing that no one will want me when I get old. After all, my face has always been a pain for them.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t your face better now? It will no longer be a reason to bother you or for others to pick on you in the future. Luo Zehua is not a good match. If you can, put down this marriage. Don¡¯t fall for the perfect man in your fantasy. Life is not a dream. He won¡¯t live as you want him to.¡±


    Chuchu¡¯s words were so sharp that the second Miss Du instantly blushed.


    ¡°I have no fantasies¡­


    ¡°I know. I mean, you think he is good. That¡¯s all in your imagination. You never know what the real him is like. You¡¯ll be incredibly disappointed when you get married and find out that he¡¯s not like the man you imagined.¡±


    ¡°Miss Lin, do you know something?¡±


    ¡°Just on the day of the poetry and literature gathering, when Huihui and I came out of the Laurel Garden, we went to the Drunken Fragrance Restaurant for dinner and met Luo Zehua at the entrance. Guess what we saw and what he said to us?¡±


    ¡°Did he also mock Miss Yuan for herck of talent?¡±


    ¡°It would be better in that case. There was a beautiful girl in his carriage, and it looked like they had an unusual rtionship. And he imed that Huihui deliberately followed him and intended to force him to marry her. In short, he made it look like Huihui would not stop harassing him if he did not marry her.¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t¡­ he out on a study tour? How could Miss Yuan know when he would return? Besides, isn¡¯t it just a coincidence that you went to the Drunken Fragrance Restaurant for dinner? From what you said, the Luo n is still nning to make a marriage with the Yuan n?¡±


    ¡°It seems like that. But before the two families officially spread it public, shouldn¡¯t it be done quietly for the sake of the girl¡¯s reputation? He said such things in public. Has he ever respected Huihui?¡±


    Chuchu paused for a while and looked at the second Miss Du. ¡°He clearly looks down on Huihui, yet he wants to take advantage of the Yuan n. If you marry such a man, do you think there will be a happy marriage? The Yuan n is far richer than the Du n, yet he treated Huihui like this. Do you think you can control such a man?¡±


    ¡°The most important thing is the girl in his carriage. Let alone her origin. She was definitely not an ordinary girl. I saw her dressing. She should have the same family background as you. A responsible man will never hide his beloved girl in secret.¡±


    ¡°Miss Lin, you mean that the girl is eloping with him?¡± The second Miss Du was shocked.


    ¡°Ten to one.¡±


    ¡°How could he do that? Properly betrothed makes a wife, while eloping makes a mistress. He is a schr. Doesn¡¯t he know this? How should that girl live for the rest of her life?¡±


    ¡°So this kind of man can¡¯t be trusted for marriage. That girl eloped with him, but he still wanted another marriage in Guangqing Province. That girl has already lostpletely. Do you want to follow in her footsteps?¡±


    Knowing that Chuchu did not need to deceive her, the second Miss Du instantly dispelled all her fantasies about Luo Zehua.


    She didn¡¯t expect that a seemingly decent schr would be so nasty.


    ¡°He¡¯s a hypocrite!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s too elegant of you. You should say he¡¯s a whore, yet he wants to set up a monument for his virginity. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask your parents to make a careful inquiry about him. Don¡¯t be fooled by his so-called title of talent and marry him in a confused hurry. It will be you who will be aggrieved in the future.


    The second Miss Du said after pausing for a moment, ¡°If you didn¡¯t tell me this, I couldn¡¯t have imagined that he would be such a person. My original affection toward him is now gone, Miss Lin. I will not marry him.¡±


    It was unexpected that she woke up so quickly.


    Chuchu felt that she had said everything, all that should and should not be said, so she told the second Miss Du everything she knew.


    She couldn¡¯t bear the thought of such an innocent girl being cheated by scum.


    She had a good memory of the people she had seen. So she told the second Miss Du all over again about the unmarried men of the right age who cannot be entrusted with marriage.


    She had a good eye for good me, so her judgment of these men was basically right.


    The second Miss Du was dumbfounded. ¡°Miss Lin, Why are you so familiar with them?¡±


    ¡°Because I have piercing eyes, I can tell what is good and bad. I won¡¯t go wrong.¡±


    ¡°Then who is worth trusting for marriage?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t guarantee this because a good man is not necessarily a good husband.¡±


    No one could guarantee that a man of good morality would be good to his wife.


    After all, many good people who are widely praised outsidee home and vent all their frustrations on their close families.


    They could be nice to outsiders, but their sharp thorns were always aimed at family members..

 Chapter 311 - 311: Get to the Point

    Chapter 311: Get to the Point


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°The best way is not to marry in a hurry. Checking out the man¡¯s nature and getting along with his parents before deciding. Thetter, in particr,rgely affects how he treats his wife,¡± Chuchu said seriously.


    Second Miss Du listened in awe. No one had ever told her such things.


    The most frequently that her parents said was that women should be meek and docile, respect their parents, teach their husbands and children¡­ and women must have tolerance. It was a woman¡¯s mission to born children for her husband, etc.


    Although Second Miss Du felt it was wrong, she had no courage to refute it.


    And because of her face, she also tried to learn needlework and cooking. Only in such a way could she be recognized as a virtuous wife and mother.


    ¡°Anyway, you are going to marry someone. Why not choose a good husband when you can? Don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    ¡°It seems to make sense. Miss Lin, is this the truth you realized after you married?¡±


    ¡°Sort of.¡±


    Chuchu nodded and didn¡¯t exin too much.


    Second Miss Du was not in a good mood because of Luo Zehua. Chuchu chatted with her for most of the day before she left the Du n.


    Du Yushi was waiting for her right at the door.


    ¡°Miss Lin, are you going to leave without saying goodbye?¡± Du Yushi looked at Chuchu. ¡°Can I invite you to have a chat at my ce?


    ¡°Miss Du, you might as well get to the point. I am swamped.¡± Chuchu spoke bluntly.


    Du Yushi gritted her teeth and changed into a delicate and touching expression. ¡°Miss Lin, do you have any misunderstanding about me? I often notice you are so aggressive whenever you see me. If I have done something wrong, point it out. I will change.¡±


    Chuchu smiled. ¡°The only thing you did wrong was to hang around in front of me now and then. If you reduce the frequency of appearing in front of me, you won¡¯t hear my aggressive words.¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Du Yushi lost her temper at once. ¡°Don¡¯t think that just because you know some medical skills, you could be superior above all in Guangqing Province.¡±


    ¡°I never thought of it that way. I don¡¯t want to smile at people I hate and pretend to like them. How tiring that is. One should live to please oneself, not others.¡±


    ¡°Is it because you are jealous, Miss Lin?¡±


    ¡°Jealous? Jealous of what, having a good family? And Miss Du, how could you be sure I don¡¯t have a strong family background?¡±


    ¡°You think you are a Doctor Miracle because you have learned some medical skills, plus a little luck to heal someone? Miss Lin, no matter how good you are, in the end, you still have to marry, to please an ordinary man. And my life is something you can never get by envy.¡±


    ¡°Miss Du, you finally stopped putting on an act. This is quite good. I feel morefortable too. I¡¯ll answer your question now. I am a Doctor Miracle. There¡¯s no doubt about it! It¡¯s fine that you look down on me, but I hope you won¡¯t beg me in the future.¡±


    ¡°Begging you? Dream on!


    ¡°Whether it¡¯s a dream or not, time will tell. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll leave now. Miss Du, I dislike you very much. If you can, try not to show up in front of me in the future.¡±


    Finishing, Chuchu left without a backward nce.


    Du Yushi was fuming at these words.


    Was she humiliated by a woman of unknown origin?


    What did she mean by dislike and not showing up in front of her?


    She also disliked her as much.


    A country bumpkin would always be a bumpkin. She could not read people¡¯s faces and couldn¡¯t even speak properly either.


    Damn it!


    Du Yushi went back to the courtyard in a rage.


    One day, she would crush all her arrogance and make her beg in front of her like a dog.


    She was the eldest girl of the Du n and would have a good marriage in the future, while Lin would only marry a country pumpkin.


    Chuchu did not know what Du Yushi was making up in her mind.


    She went back to the Yuan n after leaving the Du n.


    Yuan Hui was not in the courtyard.


    Chuchu was nning to nap when someone came to ask her to go to Mrs.


    Yuan.


    She entered the door and saw Mrs. Yuan standing in front of the table. Chuchu couldn¡¯t see what Mrs. Yuan was doing because her body blocked the view. She could only see her hands moving around, probably flipping through something.


    ¡°Mrs. Yuan, Miss Lin is here.¡±


    The maid went to Mrs. Yuan and whispered.


    Only then did Mrs. Yuan put her things down and turn around.


    Chuchu saw what was on the table. It was a handful of tofu skins and two pieces of tofu.


    ¡°Leave us alone. No one shoulde in without my order.¡± Mrs. Yuan looked at her maids. She was very powerful in the Yuan n. Except for Yuan Hui, no one dared to disobey her.


    The room was soon left with the two of them.


    ¡°Miss Lin,e over here and take a look.¡± Mrs. Yuan beckoned her hand.


    Chuchu walked forward and picked up the tofu to look carefully. ¡°Is there something wrong with it, Mrs. Yuan?¡±


    ¡°The tofu skins and tofu were both figured out by you, right?¡± Mrs. Yuan asked.


    ¡°Well, what do you mean, Mrs. Yuan?¡±


    ¡°I want to make a deal with you.¡±


    Chuchu looked at the tofu skins and tofu. ¡°Which one do you fancy?


    ¡°Neither. What I want is something simr to these two.¡±


    ¡°Something else?¡±


    ¡°Well, Miss Lin, do you know what it is?¡±


    ¡°You have to give me a hint first.¡±


    ¡°In addition to soybeans, there is something called cassava in Guangqing Province, Miss Lin. Do you know about it?¡±


    ¡°You are asking if cassava can be processed like soybeans?


    ¡°Yes, you are a smart girl.¡±


    ¡°The Yuan n sells salt. Why do you¡­¡±


    ¡°Salt merchants are too conspicuous. Even if we want to keep a low profile, we will be watched by the imperial court. Once the court revokes our license, we can¡¯t do anything. Miss Lin, flexible men may seed. The Yuan n can¡¯t always rely on one way of living.¡±


    Chuchu looked at Mrs. Yuan. Her expression was solemn. She must have thought about it long before making this decision.


    ¡°Do you want to give up the salt license?¡± Chuchu asked.


    Mrs. Yuan smiled. ¡°I can¡¯t hide it from you. Only by dropping these can the Yuan n be safe.¡±


    ¡°But has it urred to you that even if you n to do so, the rest of the Yuan n will not agree? The Yuan n made their fortune on salt, salt is the foundation of the Yuan n, and now they have to give it up. Would they ept it?¡±


    ¡°Of course, we won¡¯t give it up immediately. First, we have to choose a different path. When the timees, there will be a route of retreat. Miss Lin, you are more discerning than Huihui. You are clear of the final destiny of the Yuan n. Even if it is futile, I still want to try my best.¡±


    Chuchu did not speak for a long time.


    Mrs. Yuan didn¡¯t push for her. She just took the tofu skins and kept looking at them closely.


    As if there was something on the tofu skins attracting her eyes.


    ¡°Instead of thinking about how to process cassava, we should do the soybean business while we still can. You have seen the poprity of tofu skins and tofu. And there are more uses for soybeans other than these two things. Soybeans are like gold..¡±

 Chapter 312 - 312: A Good Daughter-In-Law Candidate

    Chapter 312: A Good Daughter-In-Law Candidate


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Chuchu was reluctant to take out so many things of thetter generations at once.


    Not that she wanted to use them to make money for herself, but it was inappropriate to talk about this with Mrs. Yuan as they only had shallow friendships and small conversations.


    Lest she should be suspected.


    She was not afraid of trouble, but it did not mean she weed them.


    She was willing to give the Yuan n a favor, so she could only show Mrs. Yuan a way based on the existing conditions.


    Sooner orter, soybeans would be as popr as rice and wheat.


    With the strength of the Yuan n, now was the right time to start the business.


    After all, there was no merchant specializing in soybeans. Some rice merchants were selling it but on a small- scale. They would not do any good.


    ¡°Miss Lin, you mean that soybeans are very promising?


    ¡°Yes, the rice market already has reached saturation point, but soybeans have not. You want to earn the Yuan n a route to retreat. Why not try this?¡± Mrs. Yuan pondered.


    After a long time, she looked up at Chuchu. ¡°Miss Lin, the Yuan n will never forget your kindness.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡± Chuchuughed. ¡°Huihui is my friend. I am also ayman. I just said that casually. I hope you won¡¯tugh at me.¡±


    ¡°Who dares tough at you?¡± Mrs. Yuan said, ¡°Miss Lin, you have a kind heart and a brilliant mind. No one canpare with you in the world.¡±


    If Chuchu hadn¡¯t already married, she would have proposed marriage to her two sons.


    Such a girl, whoever married, was a blessing of the ancestors.


    It was a pity that the Yuan n didn¡¯t have such a fortune!


    Mrs. Yuan regretted meeting Chuchu toote, and her two sons were too young.


    Otherwise, she would have tried everything to make her marry one of her sons.


    Chuchu could see from Mrs. Yuan¡¯s eyes that Mrs. Yuan was looking at her imaginary daughter-inw.


    Zhao Chuchu was dumbfounded.


    She never thought she would be a good daughter-inw candidate for someone one day.


    Fortunately, Yuan Hui¡¯s two brothers were still young. Otherwise, Mrs. Yuan would have already made a move. ¡°Mrs. Yuan, I am ttered. It was only my babbling.¡±


    ¡°No, no. You are a good girl.¡±


    ¡°Please stop praising me again. You are making me arrogant.¡±


    Mrs. Yuan couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    This girl had such a good character.


    If only Huihui could learn something from her.


    Thinking about her stepdaughter, Mrs. Yuan couldn¡¯t help but sigh again.


    The Ye n and the Hong n were all focusing on her. Suppose it were not for the letter from the Duke¡¯s wife that gave them the strength, they would have significantly suffered now. It would be the worst decision to confront them before arranging a way out.


    But now, with Duke Dings support, Mrs. Yuan was much more at ease.


    No matter how much Yuan Hui misunderstood her, she would not resent her.


    It was difficult for an orphan or a widow and even more challenging to lead the Yuan n, with enemies eyeing them covetously in and outside the family. It would be best for Yuan Hui to be at odds with her.


    ¡°Originally, I wanted to suggest that you take Huihui to Duke Ding so she could take advantage of his power. Now that Mrs. Ding had the intention of making marriage to the Yuan n, they should send someone from the Imperial City soon once you reply to her letter. And by then, if you settled on Huihui¡¯s marriage, you won¡¯t have to worry so much.¡±


    Chuchu saw what Mrs. Yuan had in mind and reassured her softly.


    Mrs. Yuan looked at her. ¡°It is true that nothing can be hidden from you. Now I only hope that everything will go well in the Imperial City. The Ye and Hong ns are determined to use Huihui to cover their shame.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Yuan, don¡¯t worry. Everything wille up roses. And in the future, Huihui will understand you.¡±


    ¡°I only hope that all the children of the Yuan n will grow up safely. I don¡¯t want anything more.¡±


    ¡°Then, can you tell me what happened to Old Mr. Yuan?¡± Chuchu recalled Yuan Hui¡¯s father.


    Hearing this, the light in Mrs. Yuan¡¯s eyes darkened.


    ¡°No bandits were robbing him but hidden traitors in the n. However, the worst thing is that I do not have any evidence. Even if I know who did it, I can only let him get away with it and still have to smile at him all these years. I don¡¯t want him to find some clues andy a hand on Huihui and her brothers.¡±


    Said Mrs. Yuan through clenched teeth.


    ¡°Is it rted to the Xia n?¡±


    ¡°The Xia n and the Yuan n werepeting against each other. That person should not be stupid enough to invite a wolf into the house.¡±


    ¡°But the one from the Xia n is not smart.¡±


    Suppose the murderer who killed Yuan Hui¡¯s father managed it so neatly. It wouldn¡¯t be hard for him to use Xia Songquan.


    Xia Songquan¡¯s mind was filled with sex and women. He simply knew nothing about business. Otherwise, he would not allow the Xia n toe to the current situation.


    One could know the virtues of the head of the Xia n from their family values.


    ¡°I hope you are right. Miss Lin, I¡¯ve been trying to find out all these years, but I haven¡¯t got any clues. For the sake of Huihui and her brothers, I keep everything to myself. Even if Huihui misunderstood that I killed her father, it does not matter as long as they are safe.¡±


    Even Mrs. Yuan couldn¡¯t get evidence. How powerful the murderer was in the Yuan n!


    Chuchu didn¡¯t know, and Mrs. Yuan wouldn¡¯t tell her either.


    As for Yuan Hui, it was even more impossible to know.


    Old Mrs. Yuan and Mrs. Yuan had tacitly chosen to hide it from the three siblings.


    The situation was probably moreplicated than Chuchu had imagined.


    But Xie Heng didn¡¯t seem interested in getting involved in the Yuan n¡¯s internal affairs. Chuchu could only remind Yuan Hui to the best of her ability.


    After all, there were some paths that Yuan Hui needed to walk alone, and she couldn¡¯t help her for the rest of her life.


    When Chuchu came out of Mrs. Yuan¡¯s ce, she ran into Yuan Hui, who was looking for her.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Yuan Hui pulled her away. ¡°Be careful of the pit she dug for you. She¡¯s very calcting.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s still inside. Aren¡¯t you afraid she would be angry if she heard what you said?¡± Chuchu tilted her head.


    Yuan Hui replied, ¡°I¡¯ve said worse. She dared to do it. Doesn¡¯t she dare admit it?


    I¡¯m not afraid of her.¡±


    Chuchu heaved a sigh.


    ¡°She was protected, too well protected,¡± Chuchu thought.


    That¡¯s why she suffered a lot in Yuanjiang County.


    If it weren¡¯t for Xie Heng¡¯s kindness in letting her save Yuan Hui, Yuan Hui would have died.


    ¡°Why are you reacting like this? Has she bribed you too?¡± Yuan Hui raised her eyebrows, then came up to her ear and said aggrievedly, ¡°Chuchu, you are on my side. You can¡¯t speak for her. If you abandoned me, no one would help me.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu replied, ¡°Come on¡­ don¡¯t y the victim with me. Mrs. Yuan only asked about the tofu skins and tofu. She wanted to have a deal with me.¡± ¡°She would care for such a small business?


    ¡°If you can, why can¡¯t she? It proves that she¡¯s as discerning as you are.¡±


    Yuan Hui rolled her eyes, refusing to continue the topic.


    This was precisely what Chuchu wanted.


    But she didn¡¯t have the heart to chat with Yuan Hui right now. Her mind was upied with another matter.


    Who murdered Yuan Hui¡¯s father?


    Xie Heng must have had other intentions in asking her to save Yuan Hui in the first ce..

 Chapter 313 - 313: But I Would Mind Dirty Money

    Chapter 313: But I Would Mind Dirty Money


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Looking at Yuan Hui, Chuchu felt that Old Mrs. Yuan and Mrs. Yuan really loved her.


    However, they did not know that being overly protective was a kind of cruelty to Yuan Hui.


    One day when they were no longer in the world, how would Yuan Hui be able to face those huge waves that came rushing in?


    In such a n, Yuan Hui should have been iron-handed as the eldest daughter. After all, her two brothers were still young, and no one knew which woulde first, tomorrow or an ident.


    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Yuan Hui waved her hand in front of


    Chuchu.


    Chuchu came to her senses and made up some excuses. ¡°To see why you are so inviting to men.¡±


    Yuan Hui blushed and pushed Chuchu in feigned anger. ¡®You areughing at me, aren¡¯t you?


    ¡°Hahahaha¡­¡± Chuchuughed to change the topic. ¡°Second Miss Du i s face just needs some more medicine. I¡¯m returning to Yuanjiang County. Speaking of which, I¡¯ve been in the capital of Guangqing Province for a month now, and I don¡¯t know how my family is doing.¡±


    ¡°I wish you could stay for more days, but it¡¯s not good to always keep you around. Mr. Xie would hate me and even forbid me to take you away next time. When you leave, I¡¯ll have someone prepare something for you to take back so that he won¡¯t kick me out the next time he sees me.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not such a person. Don¡¯t worry. He won¡¯t hold a grudge against you.¡±


    The people Xie Heng held a grudge against were all evil. He wouldn¡¯t have a grudge against an innocent young girl. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    Yuan Hui dragged Chuchu and left.


    Three days passed in a sh.


    Since that day, after being warned by Zhao Chuchu, Xia Chengzhu didn¡¯t dare to have any wicked thoughts about her.


    But his resentment toward Xia Songquan was growing day by day.


    When requiring a few stores to manage, he was refused and scolded by Xia Songquan, who even warned him not to be so ambitious.


    At that time, Lu Ming and other servants were all around. Xia Chengzhu felt great humiliation.


    But now Xia Songquan was still in charge of the Xia n. He decided everything in the Xia n, so Xia Chengzhu did not dare to make a reckless move.


    Besides, Xia Songquan seemed aware of his thoughts and forbade him to go to Xia Chengxue, probably worrying that he would do no good for Xia Chengxue.


    The strong precautions didn¡¯t dispel Xia Chengzhu¡¯s evil intention. Instead, he let those terrible thoughts expand wildly. He more and more wanted to be the master of the Xia n.


    Of course, Xia Chengzhu was not intelligent or stupid enough to make a move.


    He wanted to bribe Chuchu.


    Chuchu started it all in the first ce. She naturally couldn¡¯t get herself involved in it. So she refused it firmly.


    ¡°I¡¯m just a humble doctor. The open and secret fights in your honored n have nothing to do with me. That¡¯s my decision, whether to you or your father.¡±


    ¡°I can give you a lot of money. You will never want for anything for the rest of your life.¡±


    ¡°Without your money, I can¡¯t live afortable life?¡±


    ¡°Who would mind more money? ¡°But I would mind dirty money.¡±


    Xia Chengzhu.


    This woman knew how to annoy people with the worst words.


    But, he did not even have the room to retort.


    ¡°Mr. Chengzhu, fight openly for what you want. Don¡¯t take the wrong path, or you will regret it for the rest of your life. Finally, it is like drawing water with a sieve. You will get nothing.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t even help me with a small matter. It will not get you involved. I will arrange it.¡±


    ¡°Your promise is not everything. I trust myself more.¡±


    Seeing that Zhao Chuchu could not be convinced, Xia Chengzhu thought that maybe the terms he offered were not attractive enough.


    ¡°How about thirty percent of the Xia n¡¯s profits next year?


    Chuchu gave him a disdainful nce. ¡°How could you say that without thinking?¡±


    Xia Chengzhu was so angry with Chuchu that his face turned ck, but he didn¡¯t dare to lose his temper with her.


    His hidden illness had not fully recovered, and he was worried that Chuchu would refuse to treat him further.


    ¡°Mr. Chengzhu, use your brain, or it will rust. Please don¡¯t drag me into the affairs of your family. I just want to be a doctor and earn what I deserve. I don¡¯t want what I shouldn¡¯t earn. I¡¯m not one of those desperadoes who could sacrifice anything for money.¡±


    Chuchu deliberately mentioned it casually, but in fact, she was reminding him.


    It¡¯s useless to beg her, but he can buy off desperadoes with money.


    The not-so-clever Xia Chengzhu did understand this time.


    He was so engrossed in his thought that he didn¡¯t even notice when Chuchu said goodbye.


    Chuchu hooked her lips slightly into a smile.


    There was no need to break a butterfly on a wheel.


    The Kang n probably didn¡¯t make a move because they didn¡¯t want anyone to get a piece of the pie, but Chuchu was different. She didn¡¯t have half an idea of the money of the Xia n, so she didn¡¯t have to think so much when she did it.


    Any means would do as long as the Xia n could be brought down.


    She didn¡¯t have any interest concerned.


    ¡°Miss Lin, wait a second, please.¡±


    Lu Ming suddenly appeared and stopped Chuchu when she walked to the Xia n¡¯s gate.


    She paused her steps and looked back.


    Lu Ming walked over. ¡°Miss Lin, Old Mr. Xia wants to see you.¡±


    Chuchu looked at him.


    Lu Ming made a please gesture. ¡°Miss Lin, please.¡± ¡°Is it about Mr. Chengxue?¡± Chuchu did not move.


    ¡°No, Miss Lin, you will know when you go there.¡±


    ¡°I have other things to do. I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t have time. You can say it here if there¡¯s anything.¡±


    ¡°Old Mr. Xia is looking for you for something. I am not sure exactly what it is.


    You will know when you go over.¡±


    ¡°Then maybe some another time.¡±


    If Chuchu didn¡¯t know what Xia Songquan wanted, then she wouldn¡¯t be Zhao


    Chuchu.


    The nasty thoughts of Xia Songquan were already shown on his face.


    The old man could die anytime, but he still indulged in sex and took many aphrodisiacs. Wasn¡¯t he afraid to die during the sex?


    ¡°Miss Lin, his patience is limited.¡±


    ¡°What, Mr. Lu, are you threatening me? Don¡¯t forget. I have the Yuan n behind me. No matter how rich and powerful your n is, you are no match for the Yuan n now, right? Or, Mr. Lu, do you want to unterally turn against the Yuan n on behalf of the Xia n?¡±


    ¡°Miss Lin, you tter me. I don¡¯t dare to represent the Xia n. The master has something to discuss with you.¡±


    ¡°My time is more valuable than your master¡¯s. He didn¡¯t say anything when I checked on his illness, and now he¡¯s looking for me. Does he think my time is waiting for him specifically? Both of them think the same way, like father, like son.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Chengzhu also looked for you?


    ¡°Mr.Lu, you have the time to question me. Why can¡¯t you be more sensitive to the news? You are the butler of the Xia n. If you want to know the affairs of the Xia n, find someone to ask. Mr. Lu, I have to do some work. Now excuse me. I¡¯ll leave.¡±


    Chuchu turned around and walked out.


    ¡°Miss Lin, you want to miss a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, even at the expense of offending the Xia n?¡± Lu Ming¡¯s tone was slightly cold. ¡°You must know how many women would like to be favored by the Xia n.¡±


    Chuchu smiled.. ¡°ording to what you said, you should also wish to be favored by the Old Master Xia, right? How about you make a sacrifice of yourself?¡±

 Chapter 314 - 314: You ‘re Threatening Me?

    Chapter 314: You ¡®re Threatening Me?


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Lu Ming darkened his face. He didn¡¯t get angry but said calmly, ¡°Miss Lin, you have received so many things from the Xia n, and now you want to leave without paying any price? Do you think you can take something from us so easily?¡±


    ¡°Oh? It seems that you guys insisted on stuffing them on me, right? I didn¡¯t ask for anything of my own ord except for the consultation fee. Tsk, but now it seems like I¡¯m the one who robbed the Xia n. I didn¡¯t expect the Xia n to be so stingy. Old Master Xia¡¯s life worth nothing?¡±


    ¡°How dare you!¡±


    ¡°You have to look at who you¡¯re baiting. I don¡¯t care if you stink up my reputation with this incident. It¡¯s yet certain who will regret it in the future anyway. Mr. Lu, you must have gone through a lot. You should know that everyone will be sick sometimes. Do I need to exin explicitly what it means to offend a good doctor?¡±


    ¡°Are you threatening me?


    ¡°I¡¯m just telling you the truth.¡±


    ¡°Miss Lin, you are so eloquent. I hope you won¡¯t regret it in the future. The door of the Xia n will only be opened for you once.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily true unless you are gods and never get sick. By the way, Mr. Lu, don¡¯t be so sure, or you will eat your words sooner orter, and it will be humiliating.


    Finishing, Chuchu left without an extra nce.


    Lu Ming looked at her, his gaze fixed on her back.


    This little bitch showed no appreciation of favor!


    Chuchu felt Lu Ming¡¯s sight and raised her middle finger toward him.


    Even if he didn¡¯t know what this international gesture meant, it didn¡¯t stop him from feeling it was a humiliation, so his anger rose even more.


    But he would not tantlyy hands on Chuchu. It would harm the reputation of the Xia n once the news spread.


    He failed to bring Chuchu and could only return to Xia Songquan to report this.


    ¡°Miss Lin disdains the Xia n. She refuses to stay no matter what terms I offer and even speaks insolently against you. She also said that Mr. Chengzhu had approached her and said the same thing!¡¯


    ¡°Chengzhu indeed has the idea of taking over the Xia n. He does not think about what he is capable of. Will the Xia n exist if he¡¯s in charge? He could never be the heir of the Xia n. As for the little bitch Lin, she can¡¯t escape me as long as she is still in the capital of Guangqing Province.¡±


    ¡°What do you intend to do, sir?


    ¡°For a disobedient woman, break her legs and pride, she will never be able to unt it again and can only obediently listen to me. This is not urgent. We have plenty of time to spend with her. Women who have some ability will make themselves conceited.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave and make arrangements?¡±


    ¡°Go on, get it done. I will reward you handsomely.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Lu Ming bowed and left.


    Xia Songquan felt tormented with an evesting itch when he thought of Chuchu¡¯s appearance.


    So many women were in his harem, but none of thempared to her. He liked untamed women the most, and he liked the sense of aplishment after conquering her and doing whatever he wanted to her. It had been long since a woman gave him the impulsion to conquer.


    She was young but had a fatal attraction.


    Xia Songquan closed his eyes, imagining those images. Consuming with filthy thoughts, he immediately asked for a concubine to satisfy his lust.


    Chuchu naturally couldn¡¯t know what Xia Songquan was picturing in his mind.


    She went to look for Xie Heng, who hadn¡¯t returned yet.


    Chuchu asked the people there, ¡°Where exactly did he go?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, madam. If you have any questions, please wait until he returns.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know, or he wouldn¡¯t let you say?¡±


    ¡°I dont know.¡±


    Seeing that he was steadfast, Chuchu felt somewhat helpless.


    ¡°If hees back, let hime to me.¡± ¡°Okay, madam.¡±


    Failing to see Xie Heng, Chuchu had to leave.


    She strolled around the capital of Guangqing Province and bought many things for the close families in the vige.


    After paying off, she asked someone to send the things directly to the Yuan n.


    Thinking of Zhao Men¡¯s engagement with Hu Yiming, Chuchu picked out a set of headdresses as a gift for her in the silverware shop.


    After all, Zhao Men grew up in the vige, so it would be inappropriate to send her gold and silver jewels that Xie Heng had asked her to manage because they were too expensive.


    Wearing them would bring trouble to her, and then it would be a disaster instead.


    Chuchu came out of the silverware shop, thinking about something she needed to buy when she heard the words of a passerby.


    ¡°Have you heard? The Ye and Hong ns brought many people to the Yuan n. They seemed to force the eldest daughter of the Yuan n to pick one of the two ns to marry.¡±


    ¡°No way? Forcing a girl to marry in broad daylight? Did they respect any of thews? Besides, how dare they ask to marry Miss Yuan after their nasty scandals?¡±


    ¡°How can we know what the lords are thinking? Let¡¯s go. Let¡¯s hurry over now. Maybe we are just in time for the drama. I wonder what the Yuan n will do if they don¡¯t choose any of the two ns. Maybe it can¡¯t be settled peacefully today, right?¡±


    Chuchu¡¯s eyebrows were slightly raised.


    The Ye n and the Hong n were so shameless!


    They even forced Yuan Hui to choose one of them to marry.


    Was it because they all got something on the Yuan n? Otherwise, how could they be so bold?


    Chuchu turned the corner into a small alley and rushed back to Yuan¡¯s house as fast as she could.


    The Old Mrs. Yuan and Mrs. Yuan were confronting the Ye and Hong ns.


    Chuchu didn¡¯t know who was there from the Ye and Hong ns, but she knew the second Mr. Ye and the third Mr. Hong.


    The two didn¡¯t seem to have hurt their peace since the incident that day, and they were standing side by side, looking natural, as if nothing had happened.


    ¡°Old Mrs. Yuan, Miss Yuan is at the age of marriage She cannot dy any longer. The Ye n is also a prestigious family in the city, and we will treat her well if she marries our n. You¡¯ve refused marriage again and again. Are you looking down on us?


    The elder of the Ye n raised the teacup and blew on it with an arrogant face as if the marriage with the Yuan family was a handout from them.


    Old Mrs. Yuan¡¯s face was sullen. ¡°l have already said before. There is no result between Huihui and the second Mr. Ye. We will not marry Huihui into the Ye n. As for what your Fourth Old Mr. Ye thinks, that¡¯s his business!¡±


    ¡°The Ye n won¡¯t do. What about the Hong n? Both of us are in business. If we can ally by marriage, we will not dare to be underestimated by our rivals even outside Guangqing Province. Although we are not as powerful and rich as you, it may not be the case outside Guangqing Province.¡± Someone from the Hong family also spoke up.


    ¡°So you are here today to force us to marry off Huihui too?¡± Old Mrs. Yuanughed coldly. ¡°Well, you guys are allying to bully us, aren¡¯t you? You know what? Huihui will not enter any of your doors as long as I am still alive!¡±


    The Fourth Old Mr. Yeughed. ¡°Old Mrs. Yuan, this should be a good thing, but you n to ruin it? Perhaps you need to think about the situation of the Yuan n now. Can you still get the salt license next year?


    ¡°You¡¯re threatening me?¡± Old Mrs. Yuan red..

 Chapter 315 - 315: You Can’t Be Protected Forever

    Chapter 315: You Can¡¯t Be Protected Forever


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°Old Mrs. Yuan, the Yuan and Ye ns have always been on good terms. I don¡¯t have the heart to see your n facing difficulties and cannot save yourselves. I just want to help you now.¡±


    ¡°Bringing so many people to the door is not helping. It¡¯s forcing!¡±


    ¡°It really hurts my feeling if you say so.¡±


    ¡°What you did today also hurt the peace between the two ns! The marriage should make ussting friends, but what you did is make the two ns feud!¡± Old Mrs. Yuan red at the Fourth Old Mr. Ye.


    The Fourth Old Mr. Ye was sure that the Yuan n could not refuse today, so he was not angry no matter what Old Mrs. Yuan said. ¡°Since you said so. Wouldn¡¯t I bear this scolding for nothing if I don¡¯t do it?¡±


    ¡°Old Mrs. Yuan. You have to tell me today. Do you agree with this marriage or not?¡±


    The Fourth Old Mr. Ye tore off his mask and revealed his hideous intention.


    ¡°Even if I die here today, I will not agree with the marriage!¡± Old Mrs. Yuan still insisted.


    She would not back down from throwing her granddaughter to the wolves.


    ¡°Well, in that case, don¡¯t me us for being rude. You insisted on refusing the marriage of my brother¡¯s third son and Miss Yuan. As an uncle, I can¡¯t watch my nephew upset, so I can only use some impolite means to help him.


    ¡°Guards! Surround this ce! By which time Old Mrs. Yuan agreed to the marriage, we will withdraw. Otherwise, not even a fly will be allowed to fly out!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡± Old Mrs. Yuan was so angry that her body trembled. ¡°This is the Yuan n. You are not allowed to run amuck here!¡±


    ¡°Old Mrs. Yuan, it is what it is. It won¡¯t do us any good if we continue to stalemate. It¡¯s also good for the Yuan n to tie the knot with the Ye n, so why don¡¯t you agree?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, anyway, Huihui got a bad reputation. She encountered that kind of incident in Yuanjiang County before. Who knows whether she lost her virginity? Now someone is willing to marry her. It is a huge blessing. I¡¯m afraid no one will marry her if she misses the chance.¡±


    ¡°Is it worth it to sacrifice the whole Yuan n for Huihui? I always believe that girls can¡¯t do great deeds. If you feel sorry for her, prepare more dowry. Do you want so many people to suffer with her? Are you not afraid to shorten her life by over-indulgence?¡±


    The other branches of the Yuan n protested, insisting that Old Mrs. Yuan agree to tie the knot with the Ye n.


    Hearing these words, Old Mrs. Yuan almost fainted.


    These people could be selfish to such an extent.


    They also knew they relied on the Yuan n to have a good life. What rights did they have to force the Yuan n to sacrifice for them? Who did they think they were?


    ¡°You, you ingrates! What you use and eat is all from me. You don¡¯t help to find a way out during a crisis, but you kick the Yuan n when it is down! You know what? No way! If you are so afraid of being involved, get out of the Yuan n!¡± Old Mrs. Yuan pointed at those Yuan n members andshed out.


    Mrs. Yuan also said in a cold voice. ¡°Since you all think so, I will have the ountant count all your food and clothing expenses over the years. And you must pay off all the silver. We Yuan n do not support ingrates.¡±


    ¡°What? How can you do that? At least we are a part of the Yuan n. Isn¡¯t it perfectly justified for you to support us?¡±


    ¡°I know! Now you want to kick us out to monopolize everything of the Yuan n. ¡±


    ¡°It is impossible to pay the silver, but if you are not willing to marry Huihui, divide up the family property. We only take our share, and you can do whatever you want!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, divide the family property. Take all that belongs to us, and we will never mind the Yuan n¡¯s business again.¡±


    ¡°Divide the family property! Divide the family property! ¡±


    Before the Ye n¡¯s people did anything, the Yuan n made an internal conflict first, shouting that they wanted to divide the Yuan n¡¯s family property.


    Seeing this, people trom the Ye and Hong ns couldn¡¯t help butugh out loud.


    They didn¡¯t even need to bother with anything. An internal conflict started in the Yuan n already.


    Only Old Mrs. Yuan and her family were there, a few women and two children. They were no match for these ingrates. Seemingly they would be eaten alive by the rest branches of the Yuan n.


    Old Mrs. Yuan was iparably disappointed, looking at these wicked people.


    She knew these people were unreliable, but she had never expected them to go so far.


    She had made many preparations to guard against these people in the past, and now they all came in handy.


    She was not worried about theming to make trouble. She was only disappointed in them.


    If they could unite to help out at this time, she would not refuse to give them anything.


    But after all, they were too shortsighted to see the future benefits.


    Anyway, it was not bad for the Ye n to force her. At least she saw thoroughly what kind of demons and devils were in the Yuan n.


    Chuchu pulled Yuan Hui hard to stop her from rushing out.


    The Old Mrs. Yuan dared to confront the Ye n and the Hong n like this, so she must have something up her sleeve.


    If Yuan Hui rashly showed up, it might disrupt her n.


    ¡°Huihui, stay here! Don¡¯t go out!¡± Chuchu whispered, ¡°Your grandmother must have other ns. Let¡¯s wait and see first.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t stand it anymore! Look at how these bastards are bullying my grandmother. My grandmother raised them, but what have they done in return? I can¡¯t wait to go out and kill them now!¡±


    Yuan Hui was excited.


    ¡°There¡¯s always a chance, but not now. You have to bear with it first. Take my word for it.


    ¡°Chuchu, I really can¡¯t just watch and stand by!¡±


    ¡°You still have to look to understand the truth more clearly.¡±


    It was knowing who you could trust and who you couldn¡¯t.


    This was a very practical lesson. What Yuan Huicked was knowledge of human nature.


    Hopefully, after today, she will grow up.


    ¡°You saw your grandmother¡¯s plight, and you also need to see how she coped with that plight, and then remember well that no matter what happens in the future, think about what happened today and your grandmother.¡±


    ¡°Huihui, you were born in the Yuan n and are destined to encounter many things that would never happen to ordinary people in your lifetime. But you must remember that you are the eldest daughter of the Yuan n, and it is your responsibility to take up the Yuan n. Even if they protect you, you can¡¯t live under their wings for the rest of your life.¡±


    ¡°If they pass away many yearster and your brothers are useless, will you watch the Yuan n be squandered and finally fall into ruin? People desperate enough tend to grow up quickly. No one is born to hold up everything!¡± Hearing Chuchu¡¯s words, Yuan Hui gradually calmed down.


    She did not mor to go out again and put her hands to her sides.


    It took her a while to speak in a dumb voice. ¡°Chuchu, am I too worthless? I panic when something happens. I thought I had grown up after the incident in Yuanjiang County, but today I realized that I am still so naive..¡±

 Chapter 316 - 316: I Hope You Don’t Regret It!

    Chapter 316: I Hope You Don¡¯t Regret It!


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°You¡¯re doing fine now, don¡¯t feel useless. At least you aren¡¯t muddying the waters at this time. That is a kind of growth. Huihui, look well at what is in front of you, then keep it in your mind and never forget it.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    Yuan Hui clenched her fist.


    People outside were still forcing Old Mrs. Yuan to marry Yuan Hui to the Ye or Hong n.


    However, Mrs. Yuan and Old Mrs. Yuan stared at them without saying anything.


    Seeing that the time was almost right, Fourth Old Mr. Ye said with a smile, ¡°Old Mrs. Yuan. It is what it is now. Do you want to be deserted by your families? I said tying the knot with us was a good thing. My nephew is more than good enough for your Yuan Hui.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so ungrateful! Do you n to be trapped here for the rest of your life?


    The Yuan n is a big family and rich, but someone has to hold up to it. Otherwise, it will only be your sin. When you¡¯re old, it¡¯s time to retire. It¡¯s the young¡¯s world now.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, no matter what you do today, my nephew will marry Yuan Hui. If you are still bent on having your way, then what is left for Yuan Hui will not be the honored title of a wife but a good concubine. After all, the Yuan n is a merchant family, while we are a prestigious noble n.¡±


    Old Mrs. Yuanughed coldly. ¡°No matter how much you talk, I will not relent in epting this marriage. It would only be possible unless I die here or thest one of the Yuan n dies.¡¯


    ¡°You¡¯ve been strong all your life and have made many smart choices. Why are you so confused in your old age instead?¡± Fourth Old Mr. Ye said. ¡°You look


    down on the Hong n and dislike the Ye n. It will be toote when you beg the two families!¡±


    ¡°Someone, invite Miss Yuan out. I will personally ask if she¡¯s willing to marry!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare! Ye Fayun, do you still have any respect for thew?¡±


    ¡°Thew? The Ye n is thew in Guangqing Province!¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Seeing this, Chuchu quickly said to Yuan Hui, ¡°Stand here and don¡¯t move. I¡¯ll go out and check out. Don¡¯t worry! Those rabble-rousers won¡¯t be able to aplish anything with me around!¡±


    ¡°Then be careful.¡± After Yuan Hui calmed down, she didn¡¯t insist on doing anything and listened to Chuchu¡¯s arrangement.


    After Chuchu hid Yuan Hui well, she walked out with good grace while apuding and said, ¡°It¡¯s wonderful! I¡¯ve seen so much today. So many people are bullying two women, and one of them is old¡­ Tsk tsk, do you even feel the slightest bit of shame?¡±


    Seeing Chuchue out, Old Mrs. Yuan showed her disapproval, signaling her to go back and stay out of this matter.


    However, Chuchu walked up and quietly patted her hand, telling her not to worry.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Fourth Old Mr. Ye stared coldly at Chuchu, like a poisonous snake, making people chill.


    However, it did not have any effect on her.


    Chuchu raised her head and met the sight of Fourth Old Mr. Ye, saying proudly, ¡°Me? A heroine who reaches a helping hand to the needy. I can¡¯t stand seeing so many of you bullying orphans and widows.¡±


    ¡°Girl, I advise you not to meddle. It¡¯s not something you can manage.¡±


    ¡°What if I must?¡±


    ¡°Then don¡¯t you regret it!¡±


    Chuchu looked sideways at Old Mrs. Yuan. ¡°Old Mrs. Yuan, who is this person? Why does he keep threatening people with the same words? Is he a parrot? Oh, he looks a bit like that too. Who would dress up in such colorful clothes for a decent man?¡±


    ¡°What did you say? Say it again?¡±


    ¡°I said, are you a parrot? You repeat and repeat just the same words. My ears are suffering too much!¡±


    ¡°How dare you! Someone, tie this woman!¡±


    Although Second Mr. Ye and Third Mr. Hong were at the poetry and literature gathering that day, they weren¡¯t present when Chuchu waspeting with Hong Xulin, so they didn¡¯t know who she was.


    As for the two older men who represented the Ye and Hong ns now, it was even more impossible for them to know.


    Chuchu casually grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds from the table and said while eating them, ¡°I hope you don¡¯t regret it!¡±


    ¡°Take her!¡±


    Fourth Old Mr. Ye had never suffered such humiliation. The opponent was still a young girl.


    The yard guards of the Ye n swarmed up.


    Old Mrs. Yuan was furious. ¡°Ye Fayun, you are in the Yuan n!¡±


    Fourth Old Mr. Ye didn¡¯t respect her a little. He only wanted to catch Chuchu to vent his anger now.


    Chuchu gentlyughed and casually scattered the sunflower seeds out.


    This action might seem unintentional, but the moment the seeds were out of her hand, they suddenly seemed to be attached to the power and shot out in a swift and fierce momentum.


    Before the yard guards narrowed their encirclement, they screamed one after another, all holding their legs.


    The people of the Ye and Hong ns were shocked by this.


    Fourth Old Mr. Ye was furious. ¡°What are you still doing up there? You trash.¡± ¡°My leg hurts.¡± A guard yelled.


    He removed his leg, dripping with blood as if some sharp weapon had pierced it.


    The other guards were the same, all injured on their legs.


    Fourth Old Mr. Ye finally looked at Chuchu squarely.


    Chuchu¡¯s eyebrows arched. ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s going to cost a lot of medicine. Don¡¯t worry. They won¡¯t die, but there¡¯s a chance they¡¯ll beme. If you find a good doctor, there¡¯s still a chance, depending on whether you are generous and merciful!¡±


    ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± Fourth Old Mr. Ye lowered his temper a little and turned less condescending.


    ¡°A heroine who reaches a helping hand to the needy!¡±


    ¡°Miss Heroine, this is a matter between the Ye n and the Yuan n. We can give you whatever you want if you don¡¯t get involved. We will treat you as our guest if you are willing to serve the Ye n.¡±


    ¡°Ha, aren¡¯t you being inconsistent with your words? On the one hand, you ask me to serve you, and on the other hand, you say you will treat me as your guest. Would you treat your ve as a guest of honor? Fourth Old Mr. Ye, right? I know that stupid people are helpless, but this is the first time I¡¯ve seen someone as stupid as you.¡±


    Fourth Old Mr. Ye instantly darkened at her words. ¡°I call you Miss Heroine to show my respect. Otherwise, you are just a roving bandit! Once the imperial court gives an order, you are a wanted criminal. Are you still determined to be in cahoots with the Yuan family?¡± ¡°What if I insist on the side of the Yuan family?¡±


    ¡°Very well, you asked for it.¡±


    Fourth Old Mr. Yeughed coldly and made a killer move.


    He took out an official document and raised it. ¡°The Yuan n have colluded in a heinous crime with a bandit. Now the evidence is irrefutable. Arrest them immediately and seize all of the Yuan n¡¯s assets.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying? Ye Fayun, you liar! I didn¡¯t expect you to fabricate such things to frame the Yuan n and embezzle the Yuan n!¡± Old Mrs. Yuan couldn¡¯t believe what she heard.


    The official document in his hand had the official seal of the government office. They were trying to drive the Yuan n to extinction.


    ¡°Old Mrs. Yuan, this is your n¡¯s fate. Just ept it!¡± Fourth Old Mr. Ye smiled evilly.


    ¡°Since when did the imperial court rely on a mouth to handle cases?¡± At the same time, a male voice full of mockery took over the conversation..

 Chapter 317 - 317: Clean His Clock!

    Chapter 317: Clean His Clock!


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Chuchu followed the sound to look over. The white-clothed Qiao Heting was still in the mboyant nobleman¡¯s posture. He walked in, shaking a gold-drawn paper fan. His handsome face was full of sarcasm.


    The Fourth Old Mr. Ye did not know Qiao Heting. Seeing such a young and elegant man swaggering in, he took several more nces at him.


    Probably because Qiao Heting¡¯s clothes were luxurious and gave off a noble vibe, unlike a child of an ordinary family, he did not dare toe up and be rude to Qiao Heting.


    ¡°Who are you? How dare you stop the official from doing his job?¡± Fourth Old Mr. Ye stared coldly at Qiao Heting.


    ¡°An official on an errand? Why don¡¯t I see any official here? You are faking the court¡¯s order. Do you have any respect for thew of the emperor?¡±


    ¡°Brat, this is Guangqing Province. I guessed from your ent that you are not a local, right? Mind your own business, or it won¡¯t do you any good!¡±


    ¡°Oh, is this a threat? No one in my past years has ever threatened me. You are the first!¡± Qiao Heting forced a half-smile. ¡°But offending me won¡¯t do you any good either!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know how to show some appreciation of favor? Do you know what kind of people are short-lived? Nosy people!¡±


    Qiao Heting put his fan away, hid his mouth behind it, andughed lightly. ¡°How interesting. I didn¡¯t think there were people with such guts in Guangqing Province.¡±


    ¡°Brat, walk away or not?¡± Fourth Old Mr. Ye darkened.


    ¡°Leaving? I came to the Yuan n for an urgent matter today. Before I finish my business, no one will make me leave!¡±


    ¡°What? You also n to tie the knot with the Yuan n?¡±


    Qiao Heting looked surprised. ¡°Huh? How could you know it? You even used the word ¡®also.¡¯ Can¡¯t it be that you are also here to propose marriage? But it doesn¡¯t look like it. You look more like you¡¯re here to start a feud!¡±


    ¡°How dare you! You don¡¯t have the right to speak here.¡±


    Qiao Heting swept a nce at Fourth Old Mr. Ye and then came to Old Mrs.


    Yuan with broad steps and bowed his hands. ¡°You must be Old Mrs. Yuan? I am Qiao Heting of the Qiao n from the Imperial City, and I came here today to propose marriage to the eldest daughter of your n, Miss Yuan.¡± Hearing this, Old Mrs. Yuan and Mrs. Yuan stood up abruptly.


    People of the Ye and Hong ns also froze for a moment.


    Old Mrs. Yuan asked quickly, ¡°Kid, what did you just say?¡±


    ¡°I am Qiao Heting of the Qiao n from the Imperial City, and I came here today to propose marriage to the eldest daughter of your n, Miss Yuan. I hope you can agree to it.¡±


    ¡°The Qiao n of the Imperial City. Is it the Duke Ding¡¯s n?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. ¡±


    Old Mrs. Yuan was overjoyed and was a bit dazed by this unexpected news, and even felt like she was dreaming.


    How else could it not feel real at all?


    The Duke Ding¡¯s son hade to marry her Huihui!


    Old Mrs. Yuan initially thought that Mrs. Ding would be a matchmaker for Yuan Hui, but she never expected that Mrs. Ding would make the match for her son.


    That¡¯s Duke Ding¡¯s n! The most honored nobleman in the Imperial City. The Ye n had heard that there was a family in the Imperial City who wanted to marry the Yuan n, but at that time, they thought it was a deliberate rumor from the Yuan n to scare them off.


    But now, a nobleman from the Imperial City had arrived, and he was the son of the Duke!


    Fourth Old Mr. Ye was a little panicked.


    The capital city of Guangqing Province was the territory of the Ye n. Still, unless his elder brother were going to stay in Guangqing Province as a fellow governor for the rest of his life, he would never be able to avoid dealing with people from the Imperial City.


    ¡°By the way, this is the bride price from the Duke¡¯s n.¡±


    Qiao Heting cut to the chase without any ambiguity. He gently pped his hands.


    Immediately, lifts of gold and silver, silk, antiques, paintings, and exotic treasures were brought in an endless stream from outside the door, and soon the front yard was piled high.


    The Duke¡¯s n was so generous that it embarrassed the Ye and Hong ns. Only then did Qiao Heting look at Fourth Old Mr. Ye. ¡°See? This is called proposing marriage. What you did is making a feud!¡±


    Fourth Old Mr. Ye knew there was no way the man was a fake when he saw Old Mrs. Yuan¡¯s reaction.


    The Yuan n didn¡¯t have the guts to have someone impersonate the Duke¡¯s son.


    Thinking the sure thing was messed up, he got angry.


    He decided once. ¡°Someone, arrest this person who is pretending to be the son of Duke Ding!¡±


    He intended to catch the person, kill him, and push a few scapegoats out.


    The Yuan n belonged to the Ye n, and even the Duke¡¯s n could not get their hands on it.


    Anyway, the Imperial City was far away. It would take at least seven or eight days for the news to be heard in the Imperial City. By then, he would already finish the matter.


    Chuchu apuded. ¡°Wow, isn¡¯t the Ye family the emperor of Guangqing Province? Not only do you fake the government¡¯s orders, but now you don¡¯t even have little respect for the son of Duke Ding, and you dare toy a hand on him. That¡¯s very, very eye-opening.¡±


    The Fourth Old Mr. Ye snorted coldly. ¡°He is just a faker you hired. The Duke n was so honored. How could they tie the knot with the Yuan n? Old Mrs. Yuan, are you daydreaming, or do you treat everyone here as fools?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense with this fake son of Duke. Take him, throw him into jail!¡± In for a penny, as they said. He wanted to finish him off once and for all.


    Anyway, he wouldn¡¯t be held responsible once the fake son of Duke was put into jail and died.


    Chuchu could see what was in his mind and let out a sigh.


    Why were there so many stupid people?


    Was the Duke n someone he could afford to offend?


    Didn¡¯t he know many hidden guards were protecting Qiao Heting in secret?


    He must be tired of living.


    As expected, as soon as the people of the Ye n made their move, Qiao Heting¡¯s hidden guards showed up and beat up these rabble-rousers easily.


    Before Fourth Old Mr. Ye could react, he was pressed to the ground by the hidden guards, his face close to the ground, piercingly chill to the bone.


    Qiao Heting was still in his natural and unrestrained posture. He walked to Fourth Old Mr. Ye while shaking his fan. ¡°My whole life, you are the first person who is so arrogant in front of me! You probably haven¡¯t heard any rumors about me. Although I am literate, I am also merciless!¡±


    Fourth Old Mr. Ye was chilled. ¡°I¡¯m too blind to recognize you. Please forgive me. I¡¯ll kowtow to admit my mistake. Please.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s toote. No one can be forgiven after offending me.¡± Qiao Heting smiled brightly. ¡°Someone, clean his clock!¡±


    The hidden guards heard the words and did it immediately.


    The miserable scream of Fourth Old Mr. Ye resounded over the Yuan¡¯s house.


    His two legs were cut off at the knee.


    The bloody scene frightened the crowd. They all looked fearful.


    Qiao Heting looked at it all without a change of his expression.


    ¡°Help him stop the bleeding. How bad luck if someone dies on such a great day.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The hidden guards took out some medicine and sprinkled it on the wound. They also sealed the acupuncture points around it so that he wouldn¡¯t bleed to death.


    Afterward, Qiao Heting looked at the one from the Hong n.


    He kneeled on the ground immediately. ¡°Sir, Mercy! Please spare my life. I was forced to do so. Otherwise, the Ye n will not let us live in peace. We are just a small cloth merchant.. How could wepete with the Ye n? Please show mercy!¡±

 Chapter 318 - 318: Without Killing Them

    Chapter 318: Without Killing Them


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Qiao Heting ignored the man from the Hong n. His eyes fell on the brothers, Second Mr. Ye and Third Mr. Hong.


    ¡°You are the ones who wished to marry the daughter of the Yuan n, right? In your wildest dreams!¡± Qiao Heting said indifferently.


    Second Mr. Ye and Third Mr. Hong started to feel scared at that time.


    ¡°It¡¯s all arranged by our families. We can¡¯t make the decision.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, we are just following the orders of the family, Mr. Qiao. Please be understanding.¡±


    Qiao Heting nodded. ¡°When I got to Guangqing Province, I heard many people talking about it on the street, saying that you two were caught having sex with a woman and doing something nasty in the street. Is that true?


    What makes you think that you get to defile an innocent girl of the Yuan n? You should really take a good look at yourselves in the mirror. I pity girls the most. Since you can¡¯t get a proper hold of yourselves, it seems that it¡¯s only right for me to do something about it for the sake of other girls.¡±


    ¡°Please spare my life, Mr. Qiao!¡± The two of them knelt straight down and kept kowtowing to him until they broke their foreheads.


    Qiao Heting was unmoved and simply looked at the two men with cold eyes from above them.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t treat girls with due respect, people don¡¯t need to respect you either. I think I should have you castrated lest more girls should fall victim to you. I understand that you¡¯re not the only son in your family, so your parents wouldn¡¯t have to worry about having another one to carry on the family line.¡±


    Second Mr. Ye and Third Mr. Hong could not believe what they heard and looked at Qiao Heting with wide eyes in horror.


    ¡°You disrespected my fianc¨¦e. It is already kind of me to let you live. Why don¡¯t you be grateful?¡± Qiao Heting leaned and patted their pale faces with his fan. ¡°It is still better to be a human than a ghost, right?¡±


    ¡°No, no¡­¡±


    The two men were covered in a cold sweat and were almost scared to death.


    Qiao Heting took a step back and turned back to Old Mrs. Yuan and the others. He said, ¡°I¡¯m going to do something that your eyes might find unpleasant, so please turn around.¡±


    Old Mrs. Yuan and her daughter-inw did not expect Qiao Heting to go this far for Yuan Hui. He would even take the risk of being branded as a brutal man. They were so grateful that they did not try to stop Qiao Heting from doing anything.


    The Ye n and Hong n deserved it!


    If Qiao Heting hadn¡¯t shown up today, the Yuan n would probably end up in a disaster.


    When Qiao Heting waited for the two to turn around, he found Zhao Chuchu still looking at him, so he reminded in a small voice, ¡°Why don¡¯t you turn around too, Miss? People may be looking at you.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu smiled and raised her eyebrows.


    She thought Qiao Heting was probably sent here by Xie Heng.


    Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have said such a thing.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I am a doctor. I can tell you how to torture your enemies without killing them,¡± Zhao Chuchu said with a smile.


    Qiao Heting was speechless.


    He didn¡¯t know why he suddenly got a chill in his crotch.


    But it was not the first time Qiao Heting dealt with Zhao Chuchu, and he knew Zhao Chuchu¡¯s temperament very well.


    The woman had always been ruthless, and he could not underestimate her guts.


    Qiao Heting made a gesture.


    In the next moment, a harsher and more chilling scream sounded again.


    Second Mr. Ye and Third Mr. Hong didn¡¯t have any manhood left in them.


    They passed out from the pain.


    Qiao Heting¡¯s simple and brutal action shocked all the people, including those who forced Old Mrs. Yuan to divide the Yuan n.


    The scene made them understand that the Yuan n would not be finished but would even be better than before.


    This was all because Yuan Hui had a good choice for a husband.


    Duke Ding¡¯s residence was the dreand for countless people!


    If Yuan Hui married into it, no one in Guangqing Province would dare to do anything to the Yuan n anymore.


    Thinking of this, those selfish people immediately switched sides and started pping their hands.


    ¡°Great! The Ye n¡¯s and the Hong n¡¯s people will no longer be able to cause any trouble in the capital.¡±


    ¡°Old Mrs. Yuan, why didn¡¯t you tell us earlier that Huihui has found such a good husband? We were worried that Huihui would be wronged if she married into the Ye n or the Hong n. Now it seems that we were literally worried for nothing.¡±


    ¡°My girl and Huihui have always got along well. If Huihui gets married in


    Imperial City, she can bring my girl with her, so she can havepany.¡±


    ¡°Well, I knew Huihui is a blessed one, and indeed, to be able to marry the heir of a noble family, it¡¯ll bring honor to all her ancestors. Old Mrs. Yuan, the Yuan n will be better and better in the future!¡±


    Old Mrs. Yuan noticed the change in their attitude and looked cold. ¡°The Yuan n¡¯s future has nothing to do with you. Let me make it clear to you again. The ountant will do a proper calction of how much money you¡¯ve spent here over the years.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Old Mrs. Yuan, we are all family members, so don¡¯t take it too seriously. We have invested much of our time keeping youpany and entertained, haven¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we are living a good life in the Yuan n. If you chase us away, you might as well kill us.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t do that, Old Mrs. Yuan. Our ancestors are watching over us. We were just bluffing. We didn¡¯t really do it, right? What¡¯s more, we didn¡¯t know we were going to tie the knot with Duke Ding. Otherwise, why would we have been in such a hurry?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say anything. From now on, the Yuan n has nothing to do with you. See, when the Yuan n is in trouble, instead of trying to fix it, you wanted to add fuel to the fire. The Yuan n doesn¡¯t owe you anything. You¡¯re good to go now.¡±


    She decided that she would do anything to chase those people out today. They could not be trusted, nor could they be forgiven for they could do the same thing the next day.


    They took everything for granted. The Yuan n wasn¡¯t a free bank for them. They didn¡¯t have to give away so much money.


    When those people heard Old Mrs. Yuan say this, they becamepletely flustered. ¡°Old Mrs. Yuan, we also have no choice. We have parents and children. We should look out for them. You can¡¯t just sweep us out of the house so heartlessly¡­


    Old Mrs. Yuan looked at them and interrupted their begging with a coldugh.


    ¡°Either leave by yourself, or I will send someone to throw you out!¡±


    After a pause, Old Mrs. Yuan looked at Qiao Heting. ¡°Mr. Qiao, you havee all the way here and have been standing here for long. Where are my manners? The front yard is a bit messy, so why don¡¯t youe with me to the living room?¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Qiao Heting arched his hand. It was hard for people to associate the current decent man with the ruthless man before.


    Old Mrs. Yuan had someone clean up the front yard and took Qiao Heting to the living room.


    Since she hadpletely fallen out with the Ye n and the Hong n, Old Mrs. Yuan did not care whether they lived or died.


    The people of the Ye n and the Hong n did not have the heart to stay any longer and carried the three seriously injured people and left the Yuan n in a mess.


    Zhao Chuchu brought Yuan Hui out of her hiding ce, only to see that Yuan Hui¡¯s face was red, and she seemed to be shy.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked knowingly, ¡°Is it too stuffy there? Why are you blushing like a beetroot?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, nothing.¡± Yuan Hui did not dare to look at Zhao Chuchu, afraid that Zhao Chuchu would see her secret cheerfulness.


    She didn¡¯t anticipate at all that Qiao Heting would actuallye to propose marriage!

 Chapter 319 - 319: Am I Dreaming? (1)

    Chapter 319: Am I Dreaming? (1)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    This was something she could never dream of.


    She couldn¡¯t believe that such a gentleman woulde to the Yuan n to propose marriage in person!


    Yuan Hui felt that it was a bit surreal.


    She wondered if she would suddenly wake upter and find out that everything that happened was only a figment of her imagination.


    ¡°Huihui, you can stop worrying about the Ye n and the Hong n. With Duke


    Ding behind us, they definitely won¡¯t dare to offend the Yuan n again.¡± Zhao Chuchu was happy for Yuan Hui that she would marry a man that was worth her love as opposed to being forced to marry scums like Second Mr. Ye and Third Mr. Hong.


    Yuan Hui blushed. ¡°Chuchu, please tell me I¡¯m not dreaming.¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not. Qiao Heting personally came to propose marriage to you. He represented Duke Ding¡¯s residence. There must be a hundred families at least out there who want to marry you. You¡¯ve gotta stop thinking too little of yourself.¡± Zhao Chuchu patted Yuan Hui. ¡°See, how can a beautiful youngdy like you be unappealing to a man like Qiao Heting?


    Look at those generous gifts prepared by Duke Ding¡¯s residence. If they so much as think less of you than you expect, would they invest so much time in preparing the gift? Huihui, you are not as bad as you think. Not all men are into shrewd and capable women. Some men just admire women who find a hero in them.¡±


    Yuan Hui whispered under her breath, ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Of course, it is true. Otherwise, what was Qiao Heting doing here? Duke Ding¡¯s residence owes nothing to you. They don¡¯t have to propose marriage to repay your kindness. Just don¡¯t be paranoid. Qiao Heting knows about what happened in Yuanjiang County better than anyone else.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m still worried. I don¡¯t think I would be good enough for him.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be crazy. It¡¯s not up to you to decide whether you are good enough for him or not. So long as he likes you, you would be good enough for him.¡±


    Yuan Hui looked at Zhao Chuchu. Slowly, she showed her smile and said, ¡°Chuchu, it seems that you are the only one who has always been there to answer my question andfort me. You would always tell me what is good and what is not. I must be the luckiest person in the world to have a friend like you.¡±


    ¡°Then, cherish our friendship and never betray me. Huihui, I want you to be happy, always. So don¡¯t doubt yourself, and don¡¯t feel that you don¡¯t deserve Qiao Heting.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Good girl.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu stroked Yuan Hui¡¯s head.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Let¡¯s go over there.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s such a good idea for me to go. Chuchu, can you give me a break?¡±


    Yuan Hui didn¡¯t have the courage to go and see Qiao Heting.


    She just wanted to lock herself in her room and think about everything carefully.


    Because it was too much of a surprise to her.


    Qiao Heting was the prince in the hearts of countless girls. However, he hade all the way from Imperial City to Guangqing Province to propose marriage to her.


    Yuan Hui felt like she was in a dream.


    She needed time to recover from the ups and downs, or she feared she might lose her cool when she saw Qiao Heting.


    She didn¡¯t want that.


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll go check it out.¡± Zhao Chuchu knew that Yuan Hui was shy and didn¡¯t force her.


    She wanted to go and see the fun anyway.


    Qiao Heting had done three things in a row as soon as he came to Guangqing Province. His deeds should have been all over the town by now.


    But the Ye n also needed to be taught a lesson.


    Maybe Qiao Heting came to Guangqing Province not just to propose marriage.


    The secret guards did not look like ordinary people. Perhaps they were sent here by the man behind Qiao Heting.


    Such a benevolent prince sure heard about the mess of Guangqing Province.


    Proposing a marriage would act as a cover for him to carry out his n.


    When Zhao Chuchu arrived at the living room, Old Mrs. Yuan and Qiao Heting were talking happily.


    ¡°Originally, my mother believed that it would be more appropriate for us to send a matchmaker. But I think nothing says about our sincerity better than my own presence here. Forgive me for being so blunt,¡± Qiao Heting said sincerely.


    ¡°I met Miss Yuan twice at my uncle¡¯s in Yuanjiang County and couldn¡¯t get her out of my mind, so I wrote back and begged my mother to help me propose marriage, and that¡¯s how I got that letter from my mother. But I was afraid that the matchmaker would make a mess out of things, so I took it upon myself toe here.¡±


    When Old Mrs. Yuan heard this, she did not think Qiao Heting was rude, but she felt that Qiao Heting was sincere.


    He was the son of Duke Ding, and it was rare for him to go to such a length for


    Yuan Hui.


    With the Ye n and the Hong n¡¯s actions in the first ce, Qiao Heting¡¯s decent actions were brought to a new height.


    He was going to marry Yuan Hui as his official wife. When they married, Yuan Hui would be addressed as the spouse of the heir of a noble family. She would be an important woman with royal orders in the court.


    In terms of their family background, the Yuan n was definitely the inferior one.


    Old Mrs. Yuan had every reason to be nappy about tne marriage..

 Chapter 320 - 320: Am I Dreaming? (2)

    Chapter 320: Am I Dreaming? (2)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°I¡¯m ttered, Mr. Qiao. Now that you¡¯ve made your intentions clear to us, I can finally put my heart at ease. But as you can see, we¡¯re nothing but merchants. Huihui is practically a spoiled girl and no one has ever done her wrong. She doesn¡¯t know anything about the rules and manners of Imperial City. Well¡­¡±


    Old Mrs. Yuan swallowed her joy and did not directly agree to Qiao Heting¡¯s proposal.


    Even if she wanted Yuan Hui to marry into Duke Ding¡¯s residence, she couldn¡¯t make it too obvious.


    Thest thing she wanted was for Qiao Heting to take Yuan Hui for granted after seeing their urgent need to proceed with the marriage between him and


    Yuan Hui.


    ¡°Old Mrs. Yuan, please don¡¯t worry. We don¡¯t have a certain set of rules in our ce. At most, it¡¯s just to discipline the underlings. Everything else will be taken care of by special stewards. I am seeking to marry Miss Yuan. I am seeking consensual affection and not simply looking for a housekeeper.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Qiao¡­¡±


    ¡°I understand your concerns, Old Mrs. Yuan. Upon my word, I will devote all my love to Miss Yuan in the future. If I break my promise, let a bolt of lightning strike me¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, please don¡¯t say that, Mr. Qiao.¡±


    Old Mrs. Yuan hurriedly interrupted Qiao Heting¡¯s words.


    Qiao Heting continued with a sincere face, ¡°I admire Miss Yuan not because she¡¯s the daughter of the Yuan n but because she is the person I¡¯ve been looking for.¡±


    ¡°I know. I must have overreacted. Please don¡¯t take it seriously, Mr. Qiao.¡±


    ¡°I totally understand your concern for your own granddaughter. Given the distance between Guangqing Province and Imperial City, you have every reason to be concerned.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very thoughtful of you, Mr. Qiao. But I think I will have to ask Huihui¡¯s opinion on your marriage. We have the final say in this matter, but her opinion should also be valued.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°You must be worn out from your trip. Why don¡¯t you take a rest for now until you feel morefortable?¡±


    Old Mrs. Yuan did not care whether it was appropriate or not. Now that Qiao Heting did so much for the Yuan n, Yuan Hui was definitely going to marry into Duke Ding¡¯s residence.


    Inviting Qiao Heting to stay was actually a sign of her attitude.


    The Yuan n would tie the knot with Duke Ding House.


    Otherwise, Duke Ding would embarrass himself.


    ¡°Sure, I hope that I won¡¯t put you out.¡± Qiao Heting got up and arched his hand.


    ¡°Not all all¡±


    Mrs. Yuan personally went to arrange Qiao Heting¡¯s ce of residence.


    However, she did not arrange for Qiao Heting to live near Yuan Hui.


    Tying the knot was just a marriage. It was not like selling her daughter.


    Before Qiao Heting left, he gave Zhao Chuchu a wink.


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    It was not like they had some unspeakable secret.


    But Zhao Chuchu knew that it should have something to do with the Third Prince¡¯s health.


    Zhao Chuchu followed.


    Qiao Heting said to Mrs. Yuan very frankly, ¡°I¡¯m confused about some illnesses and I need to consult this with Miss Lin. I wonder if now would be convenient?¡±


    Mrs. Yuan believed in Zhao Chuchu¡¯s character and knew that Qiao Heting was only saying it under the pretext that he had something else to tell Zhao Chuchu that he did not want her to know.


    ¡°Then, make yourself at home, Mr. Qiao. I will be on my way now.¡±


    ¡°Many thanks, madam.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡±


    Mrs. Yuan left the courtyard with the others.


    When only Qiao Heting and Zhao Chuchu were left in the courtyard, Qiao Heting was curious. ¡°How did you manage to be a brand-new person without changing too much of your appearance? Now, it¡¯s hard for people to rte you with the original you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a disguise technique. Does Mr. Qiao want to learn it?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked with a smile.


    ¡°Is this true, Miss Lin? I don¡¯t take this as a joke.¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Well, I won¡¯t talk to you about that, or else your husband will lose his temper.¡± ¡°He went to Imperial City?¡±


    ¡°Even these generous gifts for the marriage proposal were prepared by him first, and I owe him a great favor.¡±


    Qiao Heting did not hide it from Zhao Chuchu. ¡°This husband of yours is unusual. He has a good eye.¡± ¡°Of course, he is not just like other men out there.¡± ¡°Okay, okay, I know. You don¡¯t have to keep praising him.¡±


    ¡°Is this what you wanted to talk to me about?¡± Zhao Chuchu raised her eyebrows. ¡°If so, then I¡¯ll leave first. Other than that, you are now negotiating a marriage with Huihui. What are we doing here?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I apologize to you.¡± Qiao Heting bowed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get down to business, but has that gentleman¡¯s condition worsened?¡±


    ¡°No, your unparalleled skill has made him much better now. It¡¯s just that the medicine has almost run out. I¡¯m here to get some more from you.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t help but think, ¡°The medicine I prescribed at that time was enough to cure him.. Howe it ran out?¡±

 Chapter 321 - 321: Am I Dreaming? (3)

    Chapter 321: Am I Dreaming? (3)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The smile on Qiao Heting¡¯s face vanished. ¡°The medicine was stolen.¡±


    ¡°Stolen?¡±


    ¡°Well, it was exactly half a month ago. Fortunately, his medicine was kept separately, so not all was lost.¡±


    ¡°In that case, isn¡¯t it true that the prince¡¯s illness is already known by someone?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but it doesn¡¯t matter anymore. The man, you¡¯ll-know-who, has already kept it in check. If something happens to him, someone shall be unlucky. That I can be sure, and it¡¯s not a secret that he won¡¯t live long.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t help but marvel at how far the Third Prince could go for


    Junjun.


    However, it would put the Third Prince in more danger.


    ¡°Alright then. Originally, I was going to return to Yuanjiang County within two days. Since you need medicine, I will stay for a few more days and help you to prepare the medicine. But the ingredients and the consultation fee¡­¡± ¡°Mrs. Xie, don¡¯t worry. You won¡¯t be disappointed when ites to that.¡±


    ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, then I¡¯ll be on my way. My husband is probably expecting me. I don¡¯t want to make him unhappy.¡±


    Qiao Heting was speechless.


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, take care.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu left with a smile on her face.


    Prescribing medicine was not a difficult task, and Zhao Chuchu was most fond of patrons who were as generous as Qiao Heting.


    Qiao Heting was a bit helpless.


    Thinking about the Third Prince, he sighed again.


    However, to propose marriage was what his heart was seeking. It wasn¡¯t that he was forced to marry Yuan Hui.


    Moreover, Duke Ding had already be a target of public criticism. If he were to marry a woman from a noble family, his family would be subjected to spection and would not end well.


    He happened to like Yuan Hui, so now he had the best of both worlds.


    Qiao Heting was d that Xie Heng came just in time. Otherwise, Yuan Hui would probably have been forced into something.


    There was a long way between Guangqing Province and Imperial City, and by the time the news reached Imperial City, many things would have been irreversible.


    With this in mind, Qiao Heting did not regret his ruthlessness against the Ye n and the Hong n¡¯s people.


    If he hadn¡¯t been in a hurry, there was more he could have done.


    But it did not matter, he got more chances in the future.


    The viins should answer for their behaviors.


    Before Qiao Heting could take a break, people from the Ye n and the Hong n came to visit him in a hurry.


    The Ye n sent the vice magistrate, the current patriarch of the family.


    Even if Qiao Heting castrated Ye Fayun and Second Mr. Ye and Third Mr. Hong, the two families did not even dare to say a word. Instead, they had to prepare a generous gift toe to the door and make amends.


    Duke Ding was someone they could not afford to offend, nor could theye close to.


    They could not do anything except for admitting defeat and swallowing their anger.


    But they didn¡¯t expect that Qiao Heting would not even see them and directly beat them out.


    A vice magistrate meant nothing to Qiao Heting.


    Although he was the image of a schr in Yuanjiang County, most people in Imperial City had ingrained fear of him.


    When Qiao Heting dealt with Ye Fayun and the others, he was the son of the


    Duke in Imperial City.


    He was known for his ruthlessness.


    Because of his repeated mistakes, the emperor felt Qiao Heting was a bit of a dandy and let his guard down on Duke Ding.


    To him, an extremely outstanding son of Duke Ding was no good news for him.


    The vice magistrate originally wanted to meet Qiao Heting and find a way to turn the page on this matter.


    But Qiao Heting didn¡¯t want to see them!


    This made his heart tremble.


    Unlike the Hong n, he was an official of the court and might be transferred to Imperial City one day, so he knew all the basic information about the powerful people in Imperial City.


    He knew Qiao Heting¡¯s character even better.


    If Qiao Heting was willing to see him, there might be room for negotiation in this matter.


    But now, he couldn¡¯t even meet with him, which meant Qiao Heting was ready to take action against both of them.


    Although Guangqing Province was their territory, Qiao Heting¡¯s presence would be too deadly for them, especially the Ye n.


    One word from Duke Ding could make him, the vice magistrate, never have a chance to get ahead, unless Duke Ding fell from his position.


    The vice magistrate had no choice but to beg Old Mrs. Yuan.


    As arrogant as the Ye n was before, now they were humble like a servant.


    In order to get a chance to live, the vice magistrate had to put everything behind.


    Old Mrs. Yuan met the vice magistrate.


    ¡°Old Mrs. Yuan, I have been so busy with official duties that I didn¡¯t know that people in my family have done something so outrageous. I must apologize to you for their behavior. I¡¯m also counting on you to turn over a new leaf for the sake of our friendly rtionship in the past.¡±


    He spoke as modestly as he could in order to convince Old Mrs. Yuan.


    Old Mrs. Yuan¡¯s expression was calm. ¡°You must not say that, sir. Let¡¯s not focus on that matter anymore.¡±


    His face sank as his ttering expression immediately disappeared.


    It didn¡¯t ur to him that she would still not be convinced when he had shown her so much respect.


    Now that Old Mrs. Yuan tried to be elliptical about the answer, he decided that he wouldn¡¯t give up until she gave him the answer.


    Only if the Yuan n was willing to reconcile could the Ye n be granted a chance to survive in the future..

 Chapter 322 - 322: He Will Be Unhappy

    Chapter 322: He Will Be Unhappy


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°Old Mrs. Yuan, the Yuan n and the Ye n are both in Guangqing Province. We¡¯re supposed to support each other. If we be enemies, we don¡¯t have anybody to turn to in the future when one of us is in trouble.¡± The vice magistrate¡¯s tone was cold, revealing a hint of threat.


    ¡°Sir, you must be joking. We¡¯re nothing but merchants. Even if we are in trouble, how do we have the heart to bother you?¡± Old Mrs. Yuan looked as calm as ever. ¡°Moreover, we have little interaction with each other. If we spend too much time together, I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be good for your career.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re telling me you¡¯re not willing to reconcile, right?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t quite understand what you mean, sir.¡±


    How could Old Mrs. Yuan possibly reconcile with the Ye n?


    She had not forgotten how the Ye n had threatened to force the Yuan n.


    If Qiao Heting had not arrived in time, God knew what would happen to her


    Huihui.


    Now that Duke Ding stepped in, he finally started to get scared and had to deal with this matter in person. He had been watching all of this without doing anything until now.


    As a vice magistrate, he couldn¡¯t have been unaware of such a big thing that happened here.


    Now that Yuan Hui had someone behind her, Old Mrs. Yuan was not afraid to confront the vice magistrate.


    ¡°Old Mrs. Yuan, why are we doing this? Imperial City and Guangqing Province are so far away from each other. It is impossible to keep an eye on Imperial City for the rest of your life, right?¡± The vice magistrate said in a deep voice, ¡°The Ye n has done something wrong. I apologize to you. Why make an enemy when you can make a friend?¡±


    Old Mrs. Yuan felt disgusted when she looked at his smooth-talking face.


    She should be the one to say, ¡°Why make an enemy when you can make a friend¡±, and not the other way around.


    ¡°It is true, but I¡¯m afraid the case is different for us.¡± Old Mrs. Yuan lifted the tea.


    She served tea to send him off.


    She was politely sending the vice magistrate off.


    The vice magistrate probably didn¡¯t expect Old Mrs. Yuan to do so.


    For a moment, he was not able to react.


    When he came back to his senses, he flew into a rage. ¡°Old Mrs. Yuan, since your mind is made up on this, I hope you won¡¯t regret it in the future. You had your chance, yet you blew it yourself.¡±


    After saying that, the vice magistrate brushed his sleeves and left.


    Old Mrs. Yuan did not change her expression.


    She would have had scruples before.


    But now it was different.


    Given that Qiao Heting had castrated the vice magistrate¡¯s third son, the Ye n sure wouldn¡¯t just let this go.


    She didn¡¯t see the need to risk offending Duke Ding.


    In short, the Yuan n and the Ye n couldn¡¯t coexist!


    Old Mrs. Yuan was aware of it.


    ¡°Mother, will the Ye n make a move on us while Mr. Qiao is away?¡± Mrs.


    Yuan was very worried. ¡°Huihui is probably safe, but what about the two kids¡­¡±


    Old Mrs. Yuan said with certainty, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Duke Ding will not give him this opportunity. Since Mr. Qiao has decided to intervene, he sure would see this through.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Enough. Don¡¯t be paranoid. Just think about something at hand.¡±


    ¡°Okay, mother.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu also heard about the vice magistrate¡¯s visit.


    But the vice magistrate¡¯s arrogance indeed shocked Zhao Chuchu.


    Some people were just in over their heads when they got used to bullying the weak. In the end, they had no respect for anybody.


    The vice magistrate was one of this kind of people.


    He always thought that Guangqing Province was his territory and that he was in charge of everything.


    Qiao Heting and the Third Prince should not let the vice magistrate off the hook so easily.


    Zhao Chuchu could picture the ending of the vice magistrate.


    Right now, these things had little to do with Zhao Chuchu as she needed to prepare medicine for the Third Prince.


    Part of the herbs needed would be prepared by Qiao Heting and the rest would be taken from her space.


    She was busy untilte at night.


    When she had finished preparing the medicine and was ready to go to bed, she suddenly heard a slight movement outside the window.


    Zhao Chuchu raised her eyebrows.


    Although the other party¡¯s movement was not too loud, she could still hear who the person was.


    Zhao Chuchu quietly came to the window, and when the other party also reached the window and was ready to knock, she abruptly pushed open the window to scare the person outside the window.


    ¡°What are you doing sneaking around in the middle of the night?¡± Zhao Chuchu coldly snorted in a low voice.


    Xie Heng pulled a wry face.


    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± He took off his hood and looked at Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu pretended to be surprised. ¡°Why are you here? Quick,e in. Don¡¯t let anyone see you. It¡¯ste at night. I can¡¯t let my husband see this.¡±


    Xie Heng was speechless.


    He helplessly stroked Zhao Chuchu¡¯s head.


    ¡°Da Lang, you¡¯re finally back?¡± Zhao Chuchu continued to act. ¡°You freaked me out. I thought it was a thief.¡±


    Xie Heng leaped in through the window and reached out to pull Zhao Chuchu into his arms. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s my fault.¡±


    ¡°Did you go to Imperial City?¡± Zhao Chuchu looked up at him and found that his brows were furrowed, seeming to be full of tiredness, so she could not help but reach out and caress it, ¡°Is it about the Yuan n?¡±


    ¡°It just so happens that Imperial City had something I needed to deal with, so I¡¯m helping the Yuan n out,¡± Xie Heng exined.


    ¡°It¡¯s only a couple of days. Wouldn¡¯t you be rushing day and night?¡±


    ¡°I can take it.¡±


    Even so, Zhao Chuchu felt that Xie Heng looked very tired and haggard.


    She was a little distressed. ¡°Are you hungry? Why don¡¯t you have something and sleep here?¡±


    ¡°Here at¡­?¡± Xie Heng thought he had heard it wrong.


    Zhao Chuchuughed lightly. ¡°It¡¯s not the first time we¡¯ve shared a bed. Even I don¡¯t care about it. Why should you? Do you detest me?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m just worried that I¡¯ll put you out.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu pulled Xie Heng to the table and took out a steaming meal from the space.


    ¡°Eat.


    ¡°Do you want to eat some too?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry. The Yuan n has enough tasty food for me every day.¡±


    Xie Heng smiled, and he stopped being polite to Zhao Chuchu and ate by himself.


    Zhao Chuchu sat on the side, holding her chin and watching Xie Heng¡¯s elegant eating style.


    Xie Heng smiled. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. I just think you look good when you eat.¡±


    Xie Heng then picked up a piece of meat and brought it to her mouth. ¡°Come on. Eat this.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu opened her mouth and bit it. Xie Heng smiled.


    After Xie Heng finished eating, Zhao Chuchu started to talk to Xie Heng about what had happened these days.


    He thought for a while and said, ¡°Ye Zhengshan has been looking for a promotion and needs a lot of silver, and the Yuan n is the prey he has in mind. Yuan Hui¡¯s two brothers are still young, and the Yuan n is headed by a woman, so it is an easier target for them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s really disgusting.¡±


    ¡°Does it matter how you look to others when you can get benefits? What matters is the Yuan n¡¯s money.¡±


    ¡°By the way, Da Lang, is it true that the Third Prince¡¯s medicine was stolen?¡±


    Xie Heng nodded.


    ¡°Who did it?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t heard anything. It should be rted to the Sikou n.¡±


    ¡°The Sikou n again?¡±


    ¡°The Sikou n is in the same boat as the Great Prince. Even if Sikou Qin died in Jianan Province, the Sikou n has to take the pain as opposed to falling out with the Great Prince.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was a little confused. ¡°Then, wouldn¡¯t the Sikou n know that the Third Prince is sick?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Now that the Third Prince¡¯s medicine was stolen, it¡¯s kind of within our control. Rest assured. I won¡¯t put you in danger..¡±

 Chapter 323 - 323: Knock Off

    Chapter 323: Knock Off


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°Then, howe Qiao Heting doesn¡¯t know?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked. Xie Hengughed lightly. ¡°Because I¡¯m better informed than he is.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu thought about it and found that it was true.


    As a man who had be a grand secretary in his previous life and supported the Wei Dynasty with his own strength, it would be strange if he didn¡¯t do anything after his rebirth.


    ¡°I know everything you did at the Xia n, and it was well done.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you sent someone to spy on me.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s keeping an eye on the Xia n since I know what you¡¯re doing there.¡± Xie Heng scratched her nose. ¡°I can perfectly trust you. I don¡¯t need to spy on you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good, or I¡¯ll be really mad.¡± Zhao Chuchu feigned anger, and after a pause, she added, ¡°I want to go back in a couple of days. It¡¯s no fun to stay in this capital.¡¯


    ¡°What about the Xia n? Are you sure you don¡¯t want it in your hand?¡± ¡°What do I need it for? I don¡¯t want my hands stained. Moreover, I really don¡¯t need what they have to offer.¡±


    Considering what the Xia n did to the original owner, if she took everything the Xia n had, she would be too cruel and inhumane.


    What she wanted was for the Xia n to fall. She would knock those people off their high positions and make them feel what it was like to be treated like animals.


    ¡°Do whatever you want to do. I will be there for you. We indeed don¡¯t need anything from the Xia n. If you¡¯ve made up your mind, then I¡¯ll do what I can to cooperate with you.¡± Xie Heng¡¯s eyes were burning as Zhao Chuchu shed in them.


    Zhao Chuchu asked, ¡°Would you think it¡¯s a shame?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Xie Heng shook his head. He had had enough powers and means.


    In his previous life, as long as he wanted, the world could be his oyster. Moreover, the Xia n was no longer what it used to be. They were pretty much counting on the wealth left by their ancestors, which he could care less about.


    But the Yuan n could qualify as a temptation to him.


    However, considering the rtionship between Zhao Chuchu and Yuan Hui and the fact that Qiao Heting was now proposing marriage to Yuan Hui, he naturally wouldn¡¯t do anything to the Yuan n.


    ¡°What if one day I want everything from you?¡± Zhao Chuchu joked.


    Xie Heng looked at her as he said, ¡°Everything I have is yours, and when I go back, I will give you everything I have.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not afraid that I¡¯ll hold you back.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t.¡±


    Xie Heng was certain.


    He believed in Zhao Chuchu as much as he believed in himself.


    ¡°Da Lang, you have so much confidence in me. What if one day I stab you in the back? By then, everything you have done will go down the drain.¡±


    ¡°In that case, I must have done something to hurt you. I probably deserve it.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was not short of anything and she was not an ambitious woman. If he didn¡¯t go out of his way to challenge her bottom line, she wouldn¡¯t have done such things to him.


    And Xie Heng was convinced he wouldn¡¯t do that.


    ¡°Someone once said that the better looking a woman, the more deceitful she is.


    You might want to mark this, Da Lang.¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, are you really okay with me staying on my tiptoes around you? But I can¡¯t. You¡¯re the woman I love. I should always keep you in my heart without letting you feel any uneasiness or suspicion. That¡¯s what I should do as a man.¡± Hearing these words, Zhao Chuchuughed out loud.


    It was rare for a man to be aware of the fact that security was important to a woman.


    ¡°Da Lang, I really wonder if all those women in the past were blind. Why couldn¡¯t they see how good you are as a man?¡±


    The original owner grew up in the vige since childhood, and it made sense for her to be tricked. However, a woman of Sikou Qin¡¯s background shouldn¡¯t be blinded to the truth. Rebirth was not going to fix anything. Not everything could start over.


    Xie Heng was a bit helpless. ¡°Chuchu, you¡¯re overthinking again. No matter what thev think of me, Dersonallv, I like to think it¡¯s all God¡¯s n.¡±


    He suddenly came over and put the tip of his nose against Zhao Chuchu¡¯s. ¡°If it¡¯s not the case, how would I have met you, right? So, let¡¯s not talk about the past. Instead, let¡¯s look forward and think about the future. Okay?¡± His warm breath touched Zhao Chuchu¡¯s face, making her small face burn.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to talk about your past, I¡¯m not going to insist. But if you need a listener, I¡¯ll be there. Chuchu, I want nothing else than to spend the rest of my life with you. You¡¯re the one I want to cherish the most. You¡¯re more important to me than anyone or anything else.¡±


    ¡°What about the world and me?¡±


    ¡°You!¡±


    Xie Heng did not hesitate.


    Except for not being the emperor, he had pretty much owned the world.


    No matter how much power he could get, it appeared less important than the person in front of him.


    At least in Xie Heng¡¯s opinion, this was the case.


    Looking at Zhao Chuchu so closely, her scarlet lips had a great attraction to Xie Heng.


    Xie Heng remembered the warm and soft touch of Zhao Chuchu when she kissed him, and it became so clear that a voice in his heart kept screaming, making him feel the urge to take over.


    He did not let his desire get the better of him.


    But the voice that told him to let go of Zhao Chuchu was getting smaller and smaller.


    In the end, he managed to ovee his impulse.


    Xie Heng closed his eyes and gently pressed his lips against the lips he had missed for so long.


    It was just as mesmerizing as in the memory.


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s mind went nk for a moment. She really didn¡¯t expect Xie Heng to take the initiative to kiss her.


    She still remembered that Xie Heng was shy when she kissed himst time!


    It didn¡¯t ur to her that he had changed after he was back from a trip to Imperial City.


    Xie Heng was indeed new to this. He just pressed his lips against hers without taking any further action.


    Zhao Chuchu was no better. Although she liked to flirt with Xie Heng sometimes, she knew little about the interaction between men and women.


    Their breaths mingled together.


    Zhao Chuchu clearly heard Xie Heng¡¯s drum-like heartbeat.


    He was nervous.


    Thinking of this, Zhao Chuchu almostughed out loud.


    The fact that the former grand secretary was such a rookie in a rtionship made her want tough.


    She thought she might just find a treasure in him.


    The two of them kissed for a while before Xie Heng let go of Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°Sorry, I, I couldn¡¯t help it.¡± Xie Heng was worried that Zhao Chuchu would be angry and immediately exined.


    Zhao Chuchu looked at Xie Heng and smiled.


    Xie Heng felt nervous


    He was worried that Zhao Chuchu was really angry.


    ¡°Chuchu, I¡­¡±


    Zhao Chuchu, however, abruptly wrapped her arms around his neck and interrupted him, ¡°I heard that this should be the way you kiss.¡±


    After saying that, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed Xie Heng, raw and clumsy, imitating the kissing she had seen before. Xie Heng¡¯s eyes widened and his whole body froze.


    But he quickly came to his senses.


    It turned out that kissing could really make people¡¯s legs buckle¡­ That was thest thought that crossed his mind.


    In the end, after both of them were about to lose their breath, Xie Heng let go of Zhao Chuchu.


    Looking at Zhao Chuchu¡¯s red and moist lips, Xie Heng tried very hard to stop himself from kissing her again.


    It seemed that he wanted to carve Zhao Chuchu¡¯s face into his soul as he kept staring at her..

 Chapter 324 - 324: Your Cuteness Makes My Heart Race

    Chapter 324: Your Cuteness Makes My Heart Race


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s face turned red and her heart raced when she saw Xie Heng looking at her with so much affection.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Is there something on my face?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then, can you help me remove it?¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    After saying it, Xie Heng bent down and kissed her on the cheek.


    ¡°Your cuteness makes my heart race.¡± Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    Xie Heng was, in fact, flirting with her!


    She had just realized it when Xie Heng kissed her again on the other cheek.


    ¡°I cannot be biased,¡± he said.


    Zhao Chuchu felt as though her face was about to bleed.


    Frankly speaking, it wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t have any experience with flirting or flirtatious men. Even when the world was about to end, she had many pursuers. She had heard those words so often that she was already immune to them.


    However, when they were uttered by Xie Heng, the meaning waspletely different.


    Her heart beat faster, and she liked it.


    ¡°Da Lang, did you often read books on romance back then?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t. I could write better stuff than what has been published.¡±


    ¡°Then, where did you learn to say such things?¡±


    ¡°When I look at you, these wordse out of my mouth naturally. I don¡¯t need to think them up at all.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°It is because this ce is filled with you.¡±


    Xie Heng grabbed Zhao Chuchu¡¯s small hand and ced it on his chest.


    Zhao Chuchu could feel his fast-beating heart rate.


    ¡°All my wordse from here.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu drew a deep breath. With a serious look, she said, ¡°Da Lang, can you save some of these words for next time? I am afraid I will lose myself shortly.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± asked Xie Heng as he broke into a smile.


    ¡°Because females are not the only ones who are attractive. Men can be attractive too!¡±


    Xie Heng was speechless. He felt that Zhao Chuchu was uniquely outspoken. She was extremely cute.


    ¡°Then, I won¡¯t say anymore,¡± said Xie Heng as he smiled and caressed her head.


    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Why don¡¯t you rest first?¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°I will just watch you sleep.¡±


    ¡°No, let¡¯s rest together.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu generously invited him to join her.


    Setting aside the fact that they were legally husband and wife, even based on the norms of couples from the future, this was absolutelymon practice.


    Zhao Chuchu would not twiddle over such matters.


    It was actually a very natural thing if one thing led to another.


    They were both adults. As long as both of them were happy, Zhao Chuchu did not care about rules and decorum.


    Xie Heng¡¯s face turned red as he said, ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯d better spend a night on the bench.¡±


    ¡°Just get on the bed when I tell you to. Why are you twiddling? I am fine with it.


    Those who are not in the know would think that you are the maiden!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not it. I have been traveling on the road day and night. My clothes are covered with dust, and I am too filthy to get on the bed.¡±


    ¡°How is that a problem? Wait a moment.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu lived here. Yuan Hui did not allow the servants toe to this corner of the residence so as not to disturb her.


    Zhao Chuchu had to leave the room to find a servant of the Yuan n and get them to deliver hot water to her room.


    Soon, the hot water was delivered.


    Zhao Chuchu took out a pair of modern-day pajamas from her carry-on space and passed it to Xie Heng. She instructed, ¡°You can wear this tonight.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± replied Xie Heng. He did not resist.


    Zhao Chuchu left the room to give Xie Heng some space.


    Only when she was a distance away did Xie Heng undress and get into the bath.


    For the past few days, he hadn¡¯t had a nice warm bath or a good night¡¯s sleep. He rushed over as soon as he could so that Zhao Chuchu did not have to wait for him for long.


    Once he arrived in Guangqing Province, he had to find time to deal with matters that he had previously left unsettled. It was only by midnight that he had the time to see Zhao Chuchu.


    Probably because Xie Heng had already met with her, he waspletely rxed. He leaned against the bath and fell asleep unintentionally.


    After a while, since Zhao Chuchu did not hear any sounding from the room, she focused her senses. She heard Xie Heng¡¯s calm and steady breathing and guessed that he had fallen asleep from exhaustion.


    Zhao Chuchu was afraid that the bath water would get too cold and Xie Heng would catch a cold. Hence, she walked up and knocked against the blinds. In a low voice, she asked, ¡°Da Lang, have you fallen asleep?¡±


    When Xie Heng heard her call him, he was immediately awakened.


    ¡°I just shut my eyes for a moment,¡± he said as he sat up straight and wiped his face.


    ¡°Then, wash up quickly. You can rest after you finish.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    This time, Xie Heng did not dare to get too rxed. He finished bathing as fast as possible, then he came out wearing pajamas.


    Zhao Chuchu watched as Xie Heng approached her. There was a glint in her eyes.


    Where did this beautiful mane from?


    It was as though he had emerged straight from a painting.


    Zhao Chuchu was momentarily stunned. Meanwhile, Xie Heng generously allowed her to ogle him. He even felt satisfied that he was able to attract her attention to such an extent.


    She forced herself to suppress her forbidden thoughts and dragged Xie Heng to the bedside. Then, she took another absorbent towel and helped him wipe his hair dry.


    Xie Heng enjoyed the moment as he was groomed by Zhao Chuchu.


    He could not help but want to be greedy. He hoped that time would pass slower.


    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s sleep then,¡± said Zhao Chuchu after she finished. She got on the bed and slept on the inner side.


    Xie Heng was faintly disappointed. However, he felt content that she would be right by his side.


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Xie Heng joined her in the bed.


    Hey there obediently, not daring to overstep his boundaries.


    He was afraid that he would scare Zhao Chuchu.


    Initially, Xie Heng believed that he would not be able to sleep. After all, his sweetheart was next to him.


    However, just moments after hey down, he passed outpletely.


    When Zhao Chuchu saw it, she gently turned over and rested her chin on her hand as she stared at Xie Heng¡¯s peaceful, handsome sleeping face.


    This was probably what a sleeping beauty looked like.


    His facial features were perfect, both individually and as a whole.


    The heavens had truly blessed this man.


    He had been given looks as well as his intellect.


    Zhao Chuchu also felt fortunate that she had met him.


    However, she had to thank the original owner of this body of hers. Without the original owner, there would not be the current her.


    The heavens had arranged everything just right up to this point. She hoped that the original owner of this body could also have a perfect new life with a family who spoiled her and a man that loved and treasured her, like Zhao Chuchu was enjoying now.


    Xie Heng¡¯s fatigue was contagious. Zhao Chuchu also fell asleep after looking at him for a while.


    The next day, when Xie Heng woke up, he was greeted by a hairy head before him.


    He lowered his head slightly. Unbeknownst to him, Zhao Chuchu had snuggled into his embrace. She had even found afortable position and was sleeping soundly.


    Xie Heng originally wanted to get up, but he could not bear to wake her.


    He remained in this position, not daring to move. He was afraid that he would disturb her sleep.


    He had once dreamt of such a beautiful and warm morning. Now that it had be a reality, he would make itst as long as he could.


    This feeling in his embrace was more fulfilling than possessing the whole world.


    Xie Heng gently gazed at Zhao Chuchu. He felt that he could not get enough of her no matter how long he looked.


    He had seen her face for a long time. However, he had never felt like this before. He wished that he could keep looking at her like this for all eternity.


    Chuchu was his alone!


    The sleeping Zhao Chuchu sensed his gaze on her.


    After living so long in a post-apocalyptic world, Zhao Chuchu¡¯s senses were exceptionally sharp. She immediately opened her eyes and locked gazes with a pair of eyes as deep as the sea. They were filled with endless tenderness.


    Zhao Chuchu was instantly drowned in his eyes and could not pull herself out of them until Xie Heng whispered in her ear, asking, ¡°Did I wake you up?


    ¡°No, you didn¡¯t,¡± replied Zhao Chuchu. She suddenly realized what position she was in. Her face turned red uncontrobly. She then flipped over, attempting to escape Xie Heng¡¯s embrace.


    Xie Heng suddenly tightened his embrace. He asked, ¡°Since you are already here, can you please stay?¡±


    These words were so flirtatious that they made Zhao Chuchu¡¯s heart race to its max.. She said, ¡°We shouldn¡¯t do this so early, right?¡±

 Chapter 325 - 325: Get Your Mind Out of the Gutter

    Chapter 325: Get Your Mind Out of the Gutter


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Xie Heng took a while to react. He followed her up by saying, ¡°You were the one who threw yourself into my embrace. If I were to push you away, wouldn¡¯t that be too outrageous?


    Zhao Chuchu was overpowered by lust, but she was not daring. When she heard Xie Heng say that, she immediately became nervous.


    ¡°Can we do it next time? I am not ready yet,¡± said Zhao Chuchu as she clenched her fists and pushed them against Xie Heng¡¯s chest. She was caught off guard by the sudden turn of events. She was overwhelmed.


    Xie Heng was stunned. Then, he finally understood what Zhao Chuchu meant. While he did not know how to respond, his handsome face became hotter.


    ¡°Chuchu, that is not what I meant. I meant to say that since you came into my arms, please don¡¯t go and just let me hug you, alright?¡± Xie Heng exined in a low voice. ¡°I would not vite you suddenly.¡±


    Although he was tempted, he at least had some self-restraint.


    He wouldn¡¯t act so flippantly with Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu misunderstood the situation. She immediately wanted to dig a


    hole and bury herself in it.


    How did she manage to misconstrue that?


    It was embarrassing.


    ¡°Iwant to get up,¡± said Zhao Chuchu. She wanted to escape so badly. She did not want Xie Heng to see her red face.


    Xie Heng tightened his embrace and kept her in his arms.


    ¡°I am still a little drowsy. Won¡¯t you apany me for a while longer? Just another half an hour,¡± said Xie Heng in a slightly coquettish tone. Zhao Chuchu could not bring herself to turn him down.


    When a man who was usually in charge of everything during the day suddenly acted coquettish, who could resist?


    At least Zhao Chuchu could not.


    Moreover, Xie Heng¡¯s looks matched her preference.


    ¡°Yuan Hui might see us,¡± said Zhao Chuchu, trying to turn him down even though she did not have a solid reason.


    ¡°We will wait for her toe then. Chuchu, don¡¯t move. Do not overestimate the degree of self-control a man has toward his sweetheart,¡± Xie Heng said in a somewhat hoarse voice.


    Zhao Chuchu tensed up.


    She felt something that she should not have felt and immediately became obedient.


    Xie Heng buried his head in her neck. He took a deep sniff of her scent, then he contently closed his eyes as he hugged her.


    He only wanted to enjoy such a wonderful time together. He did not want to be disturbed by anything else.


    Zhao Chuchu thought that he was just using sleep as an excuse. To her surprise, Xie Heng¡¯s breathing slowed down after a short while and he actually fell asleep.


    However, she could not sleep. She was enveloped in Xie Heng¡¯s aura. She did not even dare to move. She remained in the same position, leaning against Xie Heng¡¯s chest and listening to his heartbeat.


    She had never been in such close contact with a man before. While she was not used to it, she also felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction.


    It might be because the young man before her was her sweetheart. Hence, as long as she was with him, everything would be alright.


    As Zhao Chuchu was caught up in her wild thoughts, half an hour passed.


    Xie Heng woke up exactly after half an hour.


    He rubbed his face against her hair and hugged her tightly. Forlornly, he said, ¡°Chuchu, I should get up.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± said Zhao Chuchu reluctantly. Yuan Hui did not know that Xie Heng hade to Guangqing Province. It would be awkward if she saw himter.


    Xie Heng did not pester Zhao Chuchu anymore. He quickly let go of her and got out of bed. He put on his clothes and simply washed himself up. He then walked to the bed and leaned over it. He looked at Zhao Chuchu and said, ¡°I need to go first. If you have nothing else to do, why don¡¯t you sleep some more?


    Zhao Chuchu nodded in agreement.


    Xie Heng bent down to kiss her forehead. He lifted a hand and gently traced Zhao Chuchu¡¯s cheek. His eyes were full of hesitation as he said, ¡°I will be off then.¡±


    ¡°Alright, be on your way. Yuan Hui will be here soon,¡± said Zhao Chuchu as she grinned. ¡°Since when have you be so indecisive?


    Xie Heng smiled and replied, ¡°I haven¡¯t. I was just finding an excuse to look at you for a while longer.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu touched his face and said, ¡°When I get back, you can look at me all day.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. Sleep some more,¡± said Xie Heng as he retracted his hand. He pulled the nket over her and kissed her on her forehead. He then turned and left through the window.


    Even Zhao Chuchu was not used to this clingy version of Xie Heng.


    What had caused him to act this way?


    He was not like this before.


    Could he have encountered something in Imperial City?


    Zhao Chuchu could not figure it out. Then, she unknowingly drifted off.


    When Xie Heng woke up, it was just the break of dawn.


    Zhao Chuchu slept till the sun was high in the sky. She only got up when Yuan Hui came to call her.


    The other side of the bed had no trace of the warmth of another person who had slept beside her. Yuan Hui did not suspect a thing.


    ¡°Shall we go out today? Weren¡¯t you preparing to return home? I want to get Junjun and Mr. Xie some gifts. Otherwise, they will be unhappy that I have kept you busy for so long,¡± said Yuan Hui. She looked radiant today,pletely different from her previous dejected look.


    ¡°You seem different. Is it because of the heir of the Qiao n?¡± asked Zhao Chuchu, finally getting the opportunity tounch her counterattack. ¡°Someone is in the spring of love! Are you actually getting my husband and Junjun gifts? Or are you just getting yourself new clothes and hair ornaments while you are at it?¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± said Yuan Hui as she stomped her feet, her face getting red with embarrassment. ¡°Don¡¯t go then.¡±


    She covered her face and ran out.


    Zhao Chuchu smiled. She knew that Yuan Hui would be back.


    After all, Yuan Hui liked Qiao Heting. Anyone who wasn¡¯t blind could tell.


    It was just that Yuan Hui did not dare to think about it, so she kept her feelings inside.


    But right now, Qiao Heting had personallye to her house to ask for her hand in marriage. How could Yuan Hui possibly restrain herself anymore? Maidens experiencing their first love were the most daring!


    Zhao Chuchu slowly washed up. Once she finished eating her breakfast, as


    expected, Yuan Hui returned.


    ¡°Are you done? Can you apany me?¡± asked Yuan Hui as she dawdled toward Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t give me an answer,¡± said Zhao Chuchu, teasing her again.


    Yuan Hui was fuming. After a while, she said with a red face, ¡°Alright, alright. I admit that it is as you said. Satisfied? Good sister, won¡¯t you help me? I am really nervous about it!¡±


    ¡°Alright, you can count on me,¡± reassured Zhao Chuchu as she patted her. ¡°I will teach you how to do makeup that will take down a man when we get back.¡±


    ¡°Take down a man? Are we killing people?¡± asked Yuan Hui in shock.


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    ¡°It¡¯s makeup that is specially designed to enve men. They will be enthralled by you. What do you mean kill? I don¡¯t even dare to step on an ant. How could I


    possibly kill someone?


    ¡°If it were anyone else, they might believe you, but I don¡¯t believe a single word. However, I trust in your technique.¡±


    Yuan Hui had seen Zhao Chuchu¡¯s makeup skills firsthand. She truly admired her technique.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu dragged Yuan Hui and left.


    In fact, Yuan Hui also had a good eye. However, when every maiden fell in love, they would easily worry about things and lose their self-confidence. Yuan Hui was facing such an issue. Moreover, her sweetheart was the son of Duke Ding!


    While they were out, she could not decide for herself. Everything she bought was chosen by Zhao Chuchu. Whatever thetter chose, she bought without the slightest hint of hesitation. After all, the Yuan n was filthy rich!

 Chapter 326 - 326: He Even Beat Me

    Chapter 326: He Even Beat Me


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Zhao Chuchu and Yuan Hui visited thergest textile shop in Guangqing Province. There, they came across Kang Xiuwan.


    Kang Xiuwan was wearing a bamboo hat, and her entire body was covered by her clothing.


    From the way she walked, Zhao Chuchu could tell that she was injured and that her injuries were not light.


    Kang Xiuwan also saw her, and subconsciously, she tried to avoid Zhao


    Chuchu.


    The moment they passed by each other, Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°With such serious injuries, if you don¡¯t see a doctor, your leg will haveplications in the future.¡±


    Kang Xiuwan stopped in her tracks. She looked sideways at Zhao Chuchu in disbelief.


    Zhao Chuchu locked eyes with her and asked, ¡°Do you want me to take a look?¡±


    She had a rather good impression of Kang Xiuwan. At least this young maiden knew how to be grateful. Zhao Chuchu¡¯s resentment toward the Xia n did not stop her from helping Kang Xiuwan.


    Yuan Hui also heard this and recognized Kang Xiuwan.


    ¡°Both of you can head inside. I can choose the textiles on my own,¡± she said knowingly. She then called a servant and said, ¡°My friends are tired. Bring them inside to rest first.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Miss Yuan.¡±


    Yuan Hui told Kang Xiuwan softly, ¡°Go inside with her.¡±


    Kang Xiuwan shook her head and said, ¡°I am grateful for your concern, but it won¡¯t be necessary.¡±


    ¡°What isn¡¯t necessary?¡± Just then, the voice of a woman that made people¡¯s skin crawl suddenly interrupted them. A woman dressed in fancy clothes came over and pulled Kang Xiuwan behind her. ¡°Who are you people? How dare you kidnap a maiden from my n in public.¡±


    ¡°Aunt Liu, this is Miss Yuan. She just came over to greet me,¡± Kang Xiuwan said in a low voice from behind.


    ¡°Miss Yuan?¡± When the woman heard who Yuan Hui was, her facial expression immediately changed. She said, ¡°Aiya, look at me. I did not recognize you, Miss. Please forgive me for my impudence.¡±


    The Kang n dared to wrestle with the Xia n, but they definitely did not dare to go against the Yuan n.


    Even the Yuan n¡¯s servants were well respected by the members of the Kang n, let alone the young mistress of the Yuan n.


    ¡°Miss Yuan, are you friends with our Wanwan?¡± asked Aunt Liu with a ttering look on her face. ¡°Wanwan, why didn¡¯t you mention this before? I nearly had a misunderstanding with Miss Yuan.¡±


    ¡°I did not have the chance to speak,¡± said Kang Xiuwan calmly as she pushed down the disgust she felt.


    Aunt Liu coldly snorted, ¡°I don¡¯t go out very often. How could I recognize her? Moreover, your father instructed me to keep an eye out for you before we left the house. I had to follow his instructions. If anything happens to you, I would not be able to bear the consequences.¡±


    Kang Xiuwan did not want to deal with Aunt Liu.


    She was forced toe out with her today.


    Yuan Hui said, ¡°Sister Wan and I became fast friends after the poetry and literature gathering. We agreed that she woulde and visit me some other day. However, my n has been busy recently, so we had to put it off till now. Since we happened to meet each other here, why don¡¯t youe over today?


    What do you think, Aunt Liu?¡±


    Yuan Hui knew that Zhao Chuchu nned to help Kang Xiuwan, so she simply made up an excuse for her.


    If it were any other day, Aunt Liu would have wanted nothing more than to agree. She would even shamelessly follow along.


    However, today, she didn¡¯t dare to do so.


    Aunt Liu said with hesitation, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Her father instructed us to be back home soon. If we arete, I fear that he will get angry. Miss Yuan, can Wanwan visit some other day?¡±


    ¡°You are already out now. I just want to have some tea and chat a bit with Sister Wan. Aunt Liu, can¡¯t we do that?¡± asked Yuan Hui, emphasizing Aunt Liu¡¯s title.


    In arge n, a person with the title of an aunt was nothing but a servant with honor. In reality, she was even lesser than a ve. The sale of ves was regted by the government. Giving away an aunt only required the approval of the master.


    Could such an aunt be in charge of the daughter of the first wife?


    What a joke!


    Even a stepmother had the title of mother. What did an aunt have to win the respect of the daughter of the first wife?


    Zhao Chuchu red at Aunt Liu with a cold stare. She could roughly guess what had happened to Kang Xiuwan.


    Having a father who favored a concubine over his wife was no ordinary sadness.


    Kang Xiuwan was the granddaughter of Xia Songquan. The Kang npletely ignored this. It was apparent what Xia Chengxuan¡¯s life in the Kang n was like.


    ¡°Sister Wan, I will be leaving Guangqing Province in a few days. M/ho knows when we will be able to see each other again,¡± said Yuan Hui as she looked at


    Kang Xiuwan. ¡°I have some leads on what you asked me to check outst time. I might just send someone to inform the Kang n.¡±


    ¡°What matter is this?¡± asked Aunt Liu, her ears perking up. ¡®Can¡¯t you talk about it here?¡±


    ¡°We can, but if others hear us, they will spread rumors about the Kang n!


    Aunt Liu, are you sure you want us to talk about it here?¡±


    ¡°Then, why don¡¯t we go inside?¡±


    Aunt Liu really wanted to know what Yuan Hui wanted to talk with Kang Xiuwan about.


    If it was truly a secret of the Kang n, she might be able to use it as ckmail!


    Yuan Hui read the mood and walked into a resting room that the textile house specially arranged for their guests.


    Before Aunt Liu could inquire further, her attention was drawn toward Yuan


    Hui who eximed, ¡°The pattern of this cloth is lovely.¡±


    Yuan Hui was D0intinz at a design that Aunt Liu had seen just now.


    ¡°Miss Yuan, you also think that this is beautiful?¡±


    ¡°It is very beautiful. Let me go over and take a look.¡±


    Yuan Hui got up and walked out of the room.


    Aunt Liu was not an intelligent woman. When she saw Yuan Hui walk out of the room, she followed suit.


    Zhao Chuchu closed the door behind her and walked up to Kang Xiuwan.


    Kang Xiuwan took off her bamboo hat.


    The veins on Zhao Chuchu¡¯s head pulsated. She asked, ¡°What happened? You were fine before this. Don¡¯t tell me that you fell down on your own. Such injuries are not something that can result from a mere fall.¡±


    Kang Xiuwan¡¯s eyes instantly reddened.


    Something seemed to be stuck in her throat, preventing her from speaking.


    Zhao Chuchu frowned slightly. She knelt before Kang Xiuwan and lifted her dress. The wounds on her legs were even more shocking.


    ¡°Did your father hit you?¡± she asked as she looked at Kang Xiuwan.


    Tears flowed down Kang Xiuwan¡¯s cheeks uncontrobly.


    ¡°I just wanted to save my mother. I didn¡¯t think that he would beat me¡­¡± Her body was trembling as she recalled the incident yesterday. The scenes were still fresh in her mind. She was filled with terror and despair. She said, ¡°This morning, he forced me to leave the house with Aunt Liu. I¡­¡±


    Kang Xiuwan could not continue. ¡°Then, what about your mother?¡±


    ¡°She is bedridden now.¡±


    ¡°Why did he beat your mother?¡±


    ¡°He was drunk and was coerced by my aunt.¡±


    Kang Xiuwan forced herself to say, ¡°Chuchu, I am alright. The doctor has already applied medicine for me. Don¡¯t interfere with matters of the Kang n.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu raised her eyebrows and asked, ¡°Are you certain that the doctor they found for you can treat you? Doesn¡¯t your leg hurt? Why are you still walking around? Our fates are intertwined. Just take it as me not being able to stand watching you and forcing you into it.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°No buts. Be obedient. Let me check you thoroughly. I will have medicine sent over to your houseter.¡±


    ¡°There is no need to do so.¡±


    Kang Xiuwan rejected her without any hesitation.


    ¡°If they find out that you have treated me, I will cause trouble for you. Name a ce and I will arrange for someone to collect the medicine..¡±

 Chapter 327 - 327: Bite the Hand That Feeds Me for My Own Interest?

    Chapter 327: Bite the Hand That Feeds Me for My Own Interest?


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°Are you that afraid of the members of the Kang n?¡± asked Zhao Chuchu as she raised her eyebrows. ¡°To the point that you dont even dare to receive treatment?¡±


    In a low voice, Kang Xiuwan said, ¡°The Kang n knows that you saved me in Yuanjiang County. If you treat me, I am afraid that they will figure out your identity. The Xia n is not the only n that means to harm you. The Kang n have simr ns as well.¡±


    She didn¡¯t tell Zhao Chuchu that her father had beaten her mother up while he was drunk because her mother didn¡¯t want to invite Zhao Chuchu to Guangqing Province in the name of gratitude.


    They had already been beaten up. She did not wish for her mother and herself to have suffered in vain. She would not let the members of the Kang n know that Zhao Chuchu was in Guangqing Province.


    Otherwise, she might cause Zhao Chuchu a great deal of trouble.


    It was troublesome enough for Zhao Chuchu to deal with the Xia n. Now, the Kang n had also joined the fray!


    Although Kang Xiuwan did not say anything, Zhao Chuchu figured out something from the former¡¯s expression.


    ¡°If that is the case, I wille and find youter. You stay alone in a courtyard in the Kang n¡¯s residence, correct?¡± asked Zhao Chuchu. She did not pry any further. Kang Xiuwan was turning her down out of kindness. Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t bring herself to trod on thetter¡¯s good intentions.


    ¡°The Kang n has many yard guards¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you write me a prescription? I¡¯ll arrange for someone else to find me the right herbs.¡±


    ¡°Sigh!¡± Zhao Chuchu let out a deep sigh. ¡°Why don¡¯t you trust me? Alright, that will be all. Your aunt should be back.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu tidied up Kang Xiuwan¡¯s attire as quickly as possible and helped her put on her bamboo hat. The moment she sat down, Aunt Liu came in.


    In an instant, Aunt Liu¡¯s eyes were on Kang Xiuwan. Seeing that thetter appeared to not have moved, she breathed easy.


    ¡°Miss Yuan, thank you,¡± Aunt Liu thanked Yuan Hui as she smiled. She was carrying the cloth that had caught her eye.


    Yuan Hui smiled and replied, ¡°As long as you like it, Aunt Liu. Sister Wan and I are close. Since Aunt Liu treats Sister Wan so well, I will naturally treat you


    ¡°It is only right that I treat Wanwan well. I am happy that she has a friend who looks out for her,¡± said Aunt Liu. ¡°However, we need to get back to the Kang n¡¯s residence. I am afraid that Wanwan cannot spend time with you today.¡± ¡°No worries. I am already delighted that I could meet Sister Wan today.¡±


    Yuan Hui walked up to Kang Xiuwan and hugged thetter¡¯s arm. Kang Xiuwan felt a sharp pain and drew a cold breath. She subconsciously pulled back her arm and said, ¡°Huihui, I need to get back home.¡±


    Yuan Hui heard Kang Xiuwan¡¯s cry of pain. She quickly replied, ¡°Okay, Sister Wan.¡±


    Kang Xiuwan endured the pain as she bowed toward Zhao Chuchu. Then, she turned and left.


    ¡°Miss Yuan, I will be off,¡± said Aunt Liu as she quickly followed behind.


    Yuan Hui looked at Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu nodded her head and said in a low voice, ¡°Her injuries aren¡¯t minor.¡±


    ¡°She is the daughter of the first wife. Who would dare to do such a thing?¡± asked Yuan Hui in disbelief.


    ¡°Only the members of the Kang n will know,¡± mumbled Zhao Chuchu as she looked toward the entrance.


    Yuan Hui scowled.


    Once Kang Xiuwan and Aunt Liu left and got inside the carriage, Aunt Liu nervously inquired, ¡°Wanwan, what did you say to that woman? You know your father¡¯s temper very well. Don¡¯t go about sharing our secrets with strangers. If that happens, even Miss Yuan cannot vouch for you.¡±


    ¡°I said nothing,¡± said Kang Xiuwan as she sat still.


    ¡°Then, that¡¯s fine. Wanwan, you should know whose word isw in the Kang n¡¯s residence. Although your mother is a member of the Xia n and is the first wife, she is not the favored one now. You must understand the situation you are in. The Xia n doesn¡¯t seem to care much about your mother and


    ¡°I know. Thank you for the reminder, Aunt Liu.¡±


    ¡°Aye, no need to thank me. After all, I saw that you and your mother are pitiful like me. Sigh. Life for women is hard. I don¡¯t wish to make things hard for you, but you better not cause trouble for me too.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°Wanwan, both of you actually still have a way out. As long as you are willing to take a risk, your mother¡¯s life in this n can be improved.¡±


    Kang Xiuwan looked at Aunt Liu and asked, ¡°What are you implying?


    Aunt Liu smiled as she sat closer to Kang Xiuwan. She said, ¡°Although my background is nothing to be proud of, if Wanwan wants to learn how to serve a man, I can give you a few pointers. Now, now, don¡¯t get angry so quickly. Only by controlling a man in the palm of your hand can you get what you want.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± said Kang Xiuwan. She was furious. Although the Kang n was merely a merchant family. she was still the daughter of a nobleman. How could she possibly learn such disgraceful things?


    Aunt Liu said frankly, ¡°I don¡¯t mean to defile you. I just wanted to tell you that after you get married, if you wish to establish your standing in the family, then how your man treats you will be especially important. Don¡¯t act too high and mighty. Isn¡¯t pleasure in bed what men want the most?¡±


    ¡°Aunt Liu, please stop talking.¡±


    ¡°When I tell you these things, you feel as though I have sullied your ears.


    Alright, forget that I brought it up.¡±


    Aunt Liu stopped talking, losing interest in the topic.


    She instead admired the polish on her own fingernails.


    She did not want to lose such a carefree life.


    If she couldn¡¯t live, what use was a clean reputation?


    This young maiden had never faced any hardships. She could notprehend how far one could be pushed when forced to choose between life and death.


    Xia Chengxuan was too soft-tempered. She was the first wife and was from the Xia n, but she did not have any schemes and had never mistreated Aunt Liu.


    Aunt Liu did not hate this mother and daughter. Compared to others, she hoped that Xia Chengxuan could continue being the first wife.


    Unfortunately, her n to use Kang Xiuwan so she could help Xia Chengxuan failed.


    When she realized that another more capable woman might be the new first wife above her, Aunt Liu felt that her good days were numbered.


    Although she was not intelligent, she knew her ce. The position of the first wife would nevere to her.


    Due to Aunt Liu¡¯s words, Kang Xiuwan was in a rage. She did not speak to Aunt Liu for the rest of their journey.


    When they arrived at the entrance to the Kang n¡¯s residence, Aunt Liu looked at Kang Xiuwan and said, ¡°Wanwan, sometimes we should not dwell too much on principles. You will not necessarily be rewarded for doing good. It is better to be more flexible as a person.¡±


    ¡°So, should I bite the hand that feeds me for my own interest?¡± retorted Kang Xiuwan.


    ¡°Bite the hand that feeds me? Why are you so pessimistic? Perhaps other people might also be waiting for such an opportunity. You dont need to turn them down straight away. Couldn¡¯t you have written a letter to them in private to talk further about those matters? If the other party was actually waiting for this opportunity, wouldn¡¯t you have burnt bridges?¡±


    ¡°Aunt Liu, are you acting as a lobbyist?¡±


    ¡°No, I only wish to make my life in the Kang n better. Whatever Wanwan chooses to do, that is your prerogative. As an aunt, it is not right for me to intervene too much in your affairs. I am merely offering suggestions,¡± Aunt Liu smiled as she said this.


    She then gave Kang Xiuwan a deep look and said, ¡°Some matters do not need to be settled in such a straightforward manner.. You need to know how to take detours!¡±

 Chapter 328 - 328: Not Daughter, Enemy

    Chapter 328: Not Daughter, Enemy


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Without waiting for Kang Xiuwan to respond, Aunt Liu got off the carriage first.


    For a moment, Kang Xiuwan could notprehend why Aunt Liu had said these things.


    M/hen she wanted to ask Aunt Liu what she meant, thetter had already walked into the residence. The servant driving the carriage was also rushing Kang Xiuwan to get off.


    Due to Xia Chengxuan being beaten to the point that she was bedridden, even the servants looked down on Kang Xiuwan.


    Kang Xiuwan silently endured all of those disrespectful treatments.


    She then discovered that the small stool that was ced to help them get off the carriage more conveniently had already been removed.


    Kang Xiuwan was furious.


    However, the maids and nannies just stood still and looked on. None of them went to take a stool, nor did they help Kang Xiuwan down.


    Everyone hits a person who is down.


    It did not matter that she was the daughter of the first wife.


    Merchant ns did not prioritize their images as much as the aristocrats. Once one lost favor, they would be nothing. Even the servants would bully them.


    ¡°Bring me the stool!¡± Kang Xiuwan said in a cold tone as she suppressed her rage.


    The nanny closest to her said condescendingly, ¡°Apologies, Third Young


    Mistress. Sixth Young Mistress needs it. Please get down on your own.¡±


    ¡°You!¡± said Kang Xiuwan as she gave the nanny a death stare. The nanny was unperturbed. She was clearly ignoring Kang Xiuwan.


    Kang Xiuwan was already injured. The carriage was not very high from the ground, but for a boudoir daughter like her who had no martial arts training, getting off would not be easy.


    The servants did not pay hermand any heed. Nothing she said would convince them otherwise. When the Sixth Young Mistress of the Kang n, Kang Lijun, saw this, she pretended to cry out in surprise. She said, ¡°Third Elder Sister, why haven¡¯t you gotten off the carriage yet? Are you actually waiting for someone to carry you down? Father just scolded you yesterday for acting so arrogant. In the blink of an eye, you are back to your old ways. Aren¡¯t you afraid that he will get angry?¡±


    Kang Xiuwan nced at Kang Lijun. She knew that thetter had intentionally asked the servants to act this way.


    Kang Lijun was merely the daughter of a concubine. However, her birth mother, Aunt Lan, was favored and had more authority in the Kang n than even Xia Chengxuan. Hence, the servants of the Kang n came flocking over to please the mother and daughter, making life difficult for Kang Xiuwan at every opportunity.


    By now, they were just repeating their old tricks.


    Kang Xiuwan looked around her. The servants were all waiting to see her embarrass herself.


    She knew that it would be difficult for her to avoid embarrassment today.


    After all, both she and her mother had just been beaten by her fatherst night. The entire Kang n was waiting for the day when both women would be cast out of the n. They would never go against Kang Lijun and help her now.


    ¡°Third Elder Sister, do you need help? However, the clothes I am wearing now are brand new. If I get them dirty, I won¡¯t be able to wear them again. I spent nearly 100 taels of silver on them! They are very expensive!¡± said Kang Lijun to the side. She pretended to be helpful as she put on a show.


    Kang Xiuwan ignored her. She gritted her teeth and jumped down from the carriage.


    She had mentally prepared herself, but the sharp pain in her legs still caused her to fall to the ground.


    ¡°Hahaha, Third Elder Sister, you do not need to be so polite and bow at the sight of me. Oh my, look at your clothes, they are all dirty. You look pathetic.


    Why are all of you standing there? Quickly help Third Elder Sister up. Otherwise, I will settle the score with all of you!¡¯


    Kang Xiuwan was in such pain that she could not get up. Her legs had gone numb from the pain, and she could not move at all.


    The nannies and maids only moved to help Kang Xiuwan up after hearing Kang Lijun¡¯smand.


    They never imagined that Kang Xiuwan would suddenly shout, ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡±


    She raised her head and stared coldly at Kang Lijun. She asked, ¡°All this is your doing, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Third Elder Sister, what are you saying? How can you make such an usation? I just happened to pass by here. How can you nder me in such a fashion?¡± said Kang Lijun with an innocent look on her face. ¡°If you continue to act this way, I will tell Father right now.¡±


    ¡°Aside from telling on others, what else are you good for? How old are you to still be so attached to Father? Kang Lijun, I have never done anything to you. Why have you schemed against me again and again?


    ¡°Why? Of course, it is because you and your mother are useless and yet still upy positions that shouldn¡¯t be yours. As members of the Xia n, has the Xia n ever done anything for you? They haven¡¯t. They instead went against the Kang n. Tell me. Are people like you qualitied to remain in the Kang n?¡±


    ¡°Is that so? I will remember what you said!¡±


    Right now, Kang Xiuwan hade around and was standing up with all her strength.


    She locked eyes with Kang Lijun and slowly uttered, ¡°Kang Lijun, I hope you get what you wish¡±


    At the same time, Kang Lijun suddenly grabbed Kang Xiuwan¡¯s hand and begged, ¡°Third Elder Sister, I know I am wrong. I won¡¯t dare to do it again.


    Please forgive me¡­ ah!¡±


    As she said this, she released Kang Xiuwan¡¯s hand and fell to the ground.


    Kang Lijun did all this in one go. Before Kang Xiuwan could react and figure out what had happened, she was furiously spun around and pped.


    ¡°Was yesterday¡¯s lesson insufficient? You, immature, white-eyed wolf! You dare treat your sister like this?¡± The person who had pped Kang Xiuwan was none other than her own father, Kang Liang. He was ring savagely at Kang Xiuwan, as though she was not his own daughter but his enemy.


    Kang Xiuwan touched her stinging cheek. She immediately understood what had happened.


    Kang Lijun pitifully told Kang Liang, ¡°Third Elder Sister is innocent. Father, don¡¯t hit her anymore. I am the one at fault. I am the one to me¡­¡±


    Kang Liang personally helped Kang Lijun up. He said, ¡°Do not speak for this beast. She is unworthy. She has been targeting you all these years. Why are you still defending her? You will suffer in the future if you act so kind!¡±


    ¡°I am fine, Father. I don¡¯t wish to see you having disputes with Third Elder


    Sister. Please don¡¯t hit her anymore, alright?¡± Kang Lijun begged Kang Liang.


    Kang Liang conceded. He shot a re at Kang Xiuwan and said, ¡°Today, I will let things slide since Lijun spoke up for you. If there is a next time, I will cast you and your bitch of a mother out of the Kang n.¡±


    Then, Kang Liangs expression softened as he said to Kang Lijun, ¡°Lijun, let¡¯s leave.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± replied Kang Lijun as she looked up at Kang Xiuwan. She did not hide the look of satisfaction on her face at all.


    Kang Xiuwan watched as the father-daughter pair left. From start to finish, her so-called father did not listen to her exnation at all. ¡°Humph¡­ what a joke!¡± Kang Xiuwan said in her mind.


    Kang Xiuwan limped back to her own courtyard.


    She did not dare to meet Xia Chengxuan. She feared that thetter would see the handprint on her face and feel sad.


    Kang Xiuwan touched her swollen cheek. Her heart was full of hatred.


    She hated the shamelessness of the Xia n and the cruelty of the Kang n.


    These two ns were supposed to be her family. Now, it was as though she owed both of them money. It was fine if the ns ignored them, but they did not even have the most fundamental form of respect!


    Kang Xiuwan closed her eyes and tears started to flow down her cheeks.


    Only now did she know that everything that she wanted before was even more ethereal and unobtainable than the reflection of the moon in the water!


    Kang Xiuwan sat at her dresser in a trance. She sat there tillte at night. No one came to ask whether she was hungry or needed food. It was as though she did not exist.


    When Zhao Chuchu secretly appeared in her room bringing food, Kang Xiuwan once again broke down. Her tears poured down her face like rain..

 Chapter 329 - 329: Keep an Eye Out for Yourself

    Chapter 329: Keep an Eye Out for Yourself


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Zhao Chuchu apanied Kang Xiuwan quietly. Once thetter had cried enough, Zhao Chuchu passed a handkerchief to her and said, ¡°Wipe away your tears. Come, have some food.¡¯


    Kang Xiuwan looked at her with teary eyes. She asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask what happened?¡±


    ¡°You will tell me if you want to. If you don¡¯t, I won¡¯t ask any questions to remind you of your pain. Everything will be okay. What matters is that you live on,¡± said Zhao Chuchu as she took out the food from the lunchbox she had brought and put them on the table. ¡°Come, let¡¯s eat.¡±


    Kang Xiuwan wiped off her tears, came to the table, and sat down.


    The dishes were still hot. Although they were all very ordinary, Kang Xiuwan felt warm inside.


    Zhao Chuchu braved the danger of being discovered and delivered this food to her in secret. As for the members of the Kang n, aside from ridiculing her, they hadpletely forgotten about her existence. They did not care whether she lived or died.


    As Kang Xiuwan ate, she felt as though her throat was blocked. She found it hard to swallow the food.


    Her tears began to flow again.


    Zhao Chuchu sighed and said, ¡°Are you made of water? How is it that you haven¡¯t run out of tears yet?¡±


    ¡°I am sorry. I am sorry¡­¡± said Kang Xiuwan as she sobbed. ¡°It is just that I¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright. I am here. Don¡¯t be afraid. I will check up on your motherter. I will remember everything that you did for me,¡± said Zhao Chuchu as she patted Kang Xiuwan¡¯s head.


    Kang Xiuwan suddenly looked up and asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I know that you and your mother were beaten up by your father because you didn¡¯t want to trick me and make mee to Guangqing Province. I heard about everything on my way here. You also didn¡¯t tell the Xia n that I was in the province. I will remember what you did for me.¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, I¡­ I just think that the members of the Xia n are horrible. I merely didn¡¯t wish for you to be in trouble. I didn¡¯t do anything.¡±


    ¡°Regardless, you have helped me.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was a grateful person. Although it would not affect Chuchu much even if Kang Xiuwan told the Xia n that she was in Guangqing Province, thetter had chosen to keep this fact hidden. She had helped Chuchu.


    This young maiden was a good person who was hard toe by. Zhao Chuchu was naturally willing to aid her.


    The only problem was the Kang n.


    Zhao Chuchu was not in a position to advise Xia Chengxuan to get a divorce.


    After all, the women of this era were different from those of the future. They married for life and could only endure any injustice they faced.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Kang Xiuwan. ¡°Actually, I didn¡¯t do anything, yet from your perspective, I¡¯ve helped you. No matter how much I contribute to the Kang n, they will not see it as such. How can there be such a difference between people?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t expect much from them. Eat first. It is gettingte. Your mother¡¯s injuries should be more severe than yours. We should not dawdle.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we shouldn¡¯t.¡±


    Kang Xiuwan¡¯s stressed emotions were eased greatly by Zhao Chuchu¡¯s guidance. Her appetite gradually improved.


    Zhao Chuchu waited for her to finish before she began her examination properly.


    ¡°How did your leg injury worsenpared to earlier today? Did your father beat you again?¡± asked Zhao Chuchu as she frowned. She had not seen the handprint on Kang Xiuwan¡¯s cheek during the day. Thetter must have been hit after returning to the Kang n¡¯s residence!


    ¡°No,¡± Kang Xiuwan replied as she lowered her head and recounted the events at the gate earlier to Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    This brute Kang Liang was actually so biased toward the daughter of a concubine.


    These major ns of the Guangqing Province. Did they treat others like trash because they were too rich?


    ¡°It is dislocated. You¡¯re gonna have to bear with the pain. Try not to cry out,¡± Zhao Chuchu instructed Kang Xiuwan. She pondered for a moment and folded the handkerchief that Kang Xiuwan had used to wipe her tears. She then passed it to thetter to bite on.


    Zhao Chuchu advised, ¡°If your father would find fault with you over the daughter of a concubine, then he might sell you off for his son. Keep an eye out for yourself for as long as you remain in the Kang n. Don¡¯t end up trusting the wrong people and getting yourself hurt. When that happens and no onees to your aid, then all will be over for you.¡±


    Although Zhao Chuchu was working on Kang Xiuwan¡¯s dislocated foot, she kept discussing the matters of the Kang n with her.


    Kang Xiuwan listened. She felt wronged and hopeless. For a moment, she forgot the pain in her legs.


    Zhao Chuchu took the opportunity to relocate her foot with a loud crack.


    Kang Xiuwan¡¯s aching leg was instantly better, and she didn¡¯t feel any pain at all.


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± She did not dare believe that it was over so quickly.


    ¡°It is just a minor injury. However, do be careful for the next few days. Don¡¯t make any big movements. Otherwise, it will easily dislocate again,¡± said Zhao Chuchu. ¡°I have seen the rest of your injuries earlier during the day. I have already prepared your medicine beforeing over.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu passed Kang Xiuwan the medicine she had prepared and said, ¡°Apply it once every two hours. Your injuries will bepletely healed in less than three days. Be smart and don¡¯t go against the members of the Kang n if you can. There is no harm in staying out of their sight.¡±


    She continued, ¡°Don¡¯t just foolishly sh with them. When you get injured, your mother will worry. Now, both of you don¡¯t have any standing in the Kang n. The Xia n won¡¯t also stand up for you. You need to learn to protect yourself. Besides, giving in isn¡¯t bad. Being mocked by others is better than throwing your life away. Only by living can there be endless possibilities. As long as you¡¯re alive, there is hope. Now that your father won¡¯t do anything to you, this is also an opportunity.¡±


    Kang Xiuwan fell silent for a moment. She then asked, ¡°Then, what do I do if they cause trouble for me?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu exined, ¡°Face their rudeness with a ttering smile. They just want to see you resist and then use the opportunity to bully and put you down. Since that is the case, if you y along, act soft-spoken and subservient, they will grow tired of it and will naturally not be interested in causing trouble for you.¡±


    How was it that Kang Xiuwan had no way of retaliating against those people¡¯s schemes even after growing up in this n?


    If Zhao Chuchu were her, even without her current abilities, she had ways to make them fall in line.


    However, Kang Xiuwan didn¡¯t have her scheming mind and means. Even if Zhao Chuchu taught her to do so, she would not necessarily be able to achieve anvthing.


    Hence, Zhao Chuchu could only teach Kang Xiuwan to protect herself for now.


    As for her future, if the Xia n was gone, the Kang n would not end up in a good ce either.


    After recent events, Zhao Chuchu did not believe that Old Mrs. Yuan could continue her current lifestyle.


    These ns would most likely be swallowed up.


    ¡°I will try to endure.¡±


    ¡°There is no such thing as trying. You must endure. Think about the situation you and your mother are in!¡±


    Kang Xiuwan fell silent for a while.


    Zhao Chuchu did not know what else to do. She gestured for Kang Xiuwan to remove her clothes so that she could apply medicine to her.


    When she saw the shocking bruises on Kang Xiuwan¡¯s fair skin, Zhao Chuchu could not help but silently curse the brute, Kang Liang.


    Kang Xiuwan was his daughter. How could he treat her so cruelly?


    No matter how cruel a person was, he wouldn¡¯t hurt his own child!


    When Zhao Chuchu applied just the slightest pressure, Kang Xiuwan subconsciously trembled. She even drew in cold breaths.


    ¡°Does it hurt a lot?¡± asked Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°Hmm. It was so painful that I couldn¡¯t sleepst night,¡± said Kang Xiuwan as she nodded her head.


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be gentler.¡±


    After applying the medicine, Zhao Chuchu secretly used her healing power so Kang Xiuwan could sleep without pain at night.


    Kang Xiuwan suspected nothing. She believed that Zhao Chuchu¡¯s medicine was so incredible that her pain vanished..

 Chapter 330 - 330: Since It Would End the Same, I Decided to Sin Less

    Chapter 330: Since It Would End the Same, I Decided to Sin Less


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°Chuchu, you are incredible,¡± praised Kang Xiuwan as she got dressed. ¡°I don¡¯t feel that much pain anymore.¡±


    ¡°The medicine contains painkilling medicinal herbs. It is normal to not feel pain. As long as you apply the medicine every day like I instructed, you will be better in no time,¡± exined Zhao Chuchu as she put her things away. ¡°I am going to check on your mother- Where is her courtyard?¡±


    ¡°Let me take you there!¡±


    ¡°No. We will alert the other members of the Kang n if we do so. I don¡¯t wish for anyone to know that I am here. Just tell me which direction it is in.¡± Kang Xiuwan knew Zhao Chuchu was right. Currently, her status in the Kang n was even lower than that of a servant.


    If she went to see her mother in the middle of the night, people who had yet to go to sleep would find fault with her.


    ¡°Chuchu, could youe backter and tell me how my mother is doing?¡±


    ¡°Alright. You¡¯d better rest first. Close the doors and windows properly. When I return, I will knock on the window six times. I will give light and heavy knocks alternatively.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    After Zhao Chuchu finished with her instructions, she left, holding her small medicine box.


    Xia Chengxuan¡¯s courtyard was actually close to Kang Xiuwan¡¯s own. They were both located in a secluded corner of the Kang n residence.


    Xia Chengxuan¡¯s house was even more dpidated than Kang Xiuwan¡¯s. It was most likely worse than the servant¡¯s quarters.


    There was only a night shift nanny in the courtyard.


    The nanny was already asleep,pletely ignoring Xia Chengxuan who was constantly moaning in pain in the house.


    Zhao Chuchu made the night shift nanny sleep even more soundly. Even thunder would not wake her at that moment.


    Xia Chengxuan¡¯s room smelled awful.


    It seemed that her room was also her toilet, and the servants had been cking. They did not clean the house at all.


    Zhao Chuchu frowned. She endured the smell and approached the bed.


    Xia Chengxuan was sweating profusely. Her face was pale, and she was unconscious. However, she kept moaning in pain. One could imagine how she was severely injured.


    Once Zhao Chuchu touched her forehead, she discovered Xia Chengxuan was having a high fever.


    If Zhao Chuchu did not treat her in time, she would die soon.


    Although Zhao Chuchu had said before that she would not save Xia Chengxuan again, thetter had never done anything that disgusted her. At least Xia Chengxuan did not sell her out to the Xia n or the Kang n to secure her position.


    Whatever drove her to make this choice, Zhao Chuchu appreciated it.


    She would consider saving Xia Chengxuan¡¯s life as helping Kang Xiuwan.


    Zhao Chuchu found some clean clothes from the wardrobe and helped Xia Chengxuan change into them. She carefully inspected thetter¡¯s body and injected some antipyretics ording to her condition.


    She had no choice but to do so. Xia Chengxuan¡¯s fever was too severe.


    If her fever was not brought down, it would bring about irreversible damage.


    By then, aside from her broken ribs, even her brain would be damaged.


    She was lucky enough to havested a whole day and night.


    Zhao Chuchu once again activated her power and reconnected Xia Chengxuan¡¯s ribs. She applied medicine to thetter¡¯s remaining external injuries.


    After she finished applying the medicine, Xia Chengxuan gradually regained consciousness.


    When she saw Zhao Chuchu, Xia Chengxuan thought that she was already dead. Otherwise, how could she possibly be seeing her?


    ¡°Thank you foring,¡± mumbled Xia Chengxuan. Her lips were cracked from the fever, so her voice was very weak. She continued, ¡°I am d that I could see you after I died. When I go to hell, I can at least meet your mother with my head held high.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s hearing was good, so she managed to hear what Xia Chengxuan said.


    ¡°You are not dead yet,¡± said Zhao Chuchu in a low voice. She poured a ss of cold water for Xia Chengxuan to drink. ¡°Your daughter begged me toe and save you.¡±


    Xia Chengxuan drank the water. When she regained her strength, she could not help but smile and say, ¡°She can barely take care of herself. How did she beg you toe?¡±


    ¡°If you turned me in, you would not have suffered like this. Why didn¡¯t you?¡± asked Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°I did not know it was useless before, but Iter realized it. Be it the Xia n or the Kang n, both only sought to use me. Even if I turned you in, they would have dealt with me with simr methods eventually. Since it would end the same, I decided to sin less. I don¡¯t wish for Wanwan to disown me.


    No matter how soft and selfish Xia Chengxuan was, she loved her own daughter the most. She was willing to do anything for her.


    Although she was foolish, she was not aplete fool yet.


    Just based on this, Zhao Chuchu was willing to save her again.


    ¡°Chuchu, stay away from both the Xia n and the Kang n. They will only seek to use you!¡± said Xia Chengxuan as she grabbed Zhao Chuchu¡¯s hand. ¡°If you can, help Wanwan leave the Kang n. It is all my fault!¡±


    After seeing her husband beat Kang Xiuwan up so cruelly, Xia Chengxuan finally realized that she could not protect her daughter even if she used the power as Kang Liang¡¯s head wife.


    In the Kang n, Kang Liang¡¯s word wasw.


    If Kang Liang treated her and her daughter as people, they were people. If he didn¡¯t, they were beneath a servant!


    Xia Chengxuan could endure anything. The only thing that she could not endure was seeing her daughter being treated in such a manner by thetter¡¯s own father!


    If she actually died one day, she did not dare to imagine how her daughter would end up!


    ¡°Why do you im that you are at fault?¡±


    ¡°Back then, I should have listened to your mother and not married into the


    Kang n, but I¡­¡±


    ¡°My mother?¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, Xia Chenn is actually not your mother. That was just the name that your mother used for a long time. Xia Chenn is another person.¡±


    Xia Chengxuan must have believed that she was dead, so she was rambling about the past affairs of the Xia n with Zhao Chuchu.


    It was almost the same as what Xie Heng had told her, but there were more details.


    Xia Chenn eloped many years ago and never returned.


    However, Xia Songquan did not forsake her and even secretly sent her money.


    The mother of the original owner of this body was Xia Xiaoxiao. She was actually the sister of Xia Songquan and Xia Chengxuan¡¯s paternal aunt!


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know about these affairs. After I returned from Yuanjiang County and made a trip to the Xia n, I unintentionally overheard my father and butler talking about this. Only then did I find out about your mother¡¯s past.¡± As she spoke, tears began to flow down Xia Chengxuan¡¯s face.


    Zhao Chuchu did not say anything for a while.


    The mother of the original owner of this body had already passed away many years ago.


    Her birth was not something she had control over. During her earlier life, she was held in the palm of her family¡¯s hands. Later on, she fell from grace. Even after she encountered the father of the original owner of this body, she felt that the stain of her past could not be erased for the rest of her life.


    Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have kept using the name Xia Chenn and died of depression at a young age.


    The Xia n had treated her too cruelly, surpassing what a woman of this era could handle.


    The dead could not be brought back to life. Zhao Chuchu wondered if anyone regretted treating Xia Xiaoxiao in such a fashion.


    Xia Xiaoxiao might have wished for herself to never have been born.


    ¡°Chuchu, your mother was a good person. I have never told anyone about this, but I believe that you and your mother did nothing wrong. Even if you have to face the Xia n in the end, you are justified in turning them down. The Xia n is not worthy of having such a good woman like you.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°I am too tired. Tell Wanwan that I cannot see her get married¡­.¡±

 Chapter 331 - 331: They All Want to Use You

    Chapter 331: They All Want to Use You


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Zhao Chuchu smiled gently and interrupted her, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The opportunity wille. You¡¯re still alive. You will definitely be able to see her wedding.¡±


    Xia Chengxuan did not believe herforting words. She said, ¡°You¡¯re such a good kid. Even in death, you still care andfort me. I was blinded before and almost caused you harm. Wanwan is right. The Xia n is a fire pit. I have done the right thing by not pushing you in. Chuchu, please don¡¯t me me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t me you. You should ease your mind and focus on recovering your strength. Don¡¯t let Wanwan worry about you,¡± Zhao Chuchu said in a soft voice. Then, she leaned towards Xia Chengxuan and whispered in her ear, ¡°By right, I should call you Cousin Sister. Hang in there. You will have endless possibilities if you stay alive. If you die, there will be nothing left for you.¡±


    She continued, ¡°When you die, Wanwan will be mistreated by the rest of the n. She might even be married off to some random dude that will not protect her. You are her mother. Wouldn¡¯t you feel sad because of that? Kang Liang is a brute. Could it be that you are willing to allow him to trample over your dead body and get married to another woman?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu kept saying, ¡°Don¡¯t be so foolish. You are the rightful head wife. As long as the Xia n exists, Kang Liang will not dare to divorce you. Even if the Xia n does not stand up for you, you should know that the Xia n and the Kang n are already against each other. Will the Xia n suspect anything you say?


    ¡°Women are inherently weak. Don¡¯t force yourself to be strong. Be weak when you should be weak. When it¡¯s time to admit cowardice, you must not hesitate. In life, the only person you can trust is yourself. Live well, take advantage of your own strengths, and make aeback.


    ¡°No woman is born a dodder flower that can only survive by depending on others. Consider carefully what weakness the Kang n has. Time your chance and kill with one blow. Do not be soft-hearted. Your soft-heartedness is cruelty towards you and your daughter! Recall how the Kang n has mistreated you.¡±


    After listening to Zhao Chuchu¡¯s speech, Xia Chengxuan was stunned.


    She stared at Zhao Chuchu with a look of befuddlement. For a moment, she was unsure whether she had passed away or was in a dream.


    Why would Zhao Chuchu suddenly tell her so many things? She even taught her how to deal with the Kang n!


    Zhao Chuchu waved at Xia Chengxuan and said the final words, ¡°When necessary, the Xia n can also be used to your advantage.¡±


    Xia Chengxuan slowly collected her thoughts and said, ¡°I am not dead. I am not dreaming, either, right?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still alive. Wanwan personally begged me to save you,¡± Zhao Chuchu replied slowly, making sure that Xia Chengxuan received her message. ¡°Her wounds have been attended to. However, she is extremely worried about you, so you must live!¡±


    Xia Chengxuan panicked and said, ¡°This is the Kang n residence. How did you get in? Leave immediately. Don¡¯t stay here. The Kang n is no different from the Xia n. They all want to use you!¡±


    Unfortunately, after being severely injured and starved for a whole day, Xia Chengxuan did not have any energy at all. She failed to push Zhao Chuchu away.


    Zhao Chuchu suppressed her movement and warned, ¡°Stay put. I have gone through much trouble to treat your fractures. Do you want to live in agony again?¡±


    Only after Xia Chengxuan heard this did she notice that the intense pain within her body had actually been reduced greatly.


    Xia Chengxuan could not believe it.


    She vividly remembered that even when she was unconscious, she would wake up due to the intense pain. Then, tormented by unbearable pain, she would fall unconscious again. She was very concerned about her daughter, so she fought to stay alive. If it weren¡¯t for her daughter, she would have given up and died.


    Right now, she barely felt any pain. This was practically a miracle!


    She eximed, ¡°I¡­ I am not in pain anymore!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu replied, ¡°Of course. I applied the best medicine on you. When the timees, I will ask for a handsome payment in return. The herbs I used to make the ointment are all very precious ones. If they didn¡¯t serve their purpose, wouldn¡¯t I have spent a lot of money in vain?¡±


    ¡°I will pay you. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°There is no need to thank me. After all, I was paid to treat you.¡±


    ¡°Regarding what I said just now¡­¡±


    ¡°I heard you.¡±


    Xia Chengxuan¡¯s pale face turned even paler.


    She suddenly recalled that she had told Zhao Chuchu everything, including the origin of thetter¡¯s mother.


    Xia Chengxuan avoided eye contact with Zhao Chuchu. She was concerned that the truth would bring trauma to thetter.


    Xia Chengxuan attempted to fix her mistake, saying, ¡°I¡­ I was just spouting gibberish. You should not take my words to heart. I¡­¡±


    Zhao Chuchu interrupted her, ¡°I heard you. Anyhow, thank you for telling me the truth.¡±


    ¡°You are not angry?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I am angry. It is just that I should not be angry at you. After all, you were not the perpetrator. Why should I me an innocent person?¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, I¡­¡±


    ¡°Say no more. Just pretend you don¡¯t know anything.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡¯


    ¡°No buts. I am not as weak as you imagine me to be. Although this is indeed hard to ept, most of what happened to my mother actually happened. Every injustice has its perpetrator and every debt has its debtor. You are just an unfortunate soul that was dragged into all this.¡±


    Xia Chengxuan looked at Zhao Chuchu, and she was stunned. She had never imagined to hear these words from thetter¡¯s mouth.


    Just now, she was worried that these words would upset Zhao Chuchu and cause her to go crazy overnight.


    After all, it was very difficult for ordinary people to ept such things!


    ¡°But Chuchu, once this matter gets out, it willpletely ruin your reputation!¡±


    ¡°Reputation is useless. I won¡¯t lose a piece of me just because someone gossiped a word or two about me. If the perpetrator doesn¡¯t show remorse and repentance, why should the victim feel guilty?¡± retorted Zhao Chuchu.


    After a short while, Xia Chengxuan mumbled, ¡°That¡¯s right. The victim is meless. Why is it that when something like this happens, the first person to try to cover it up is the victim?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu sighed as she said, ¡°Forget about it. You don¡¯t need to worry about these matters. Since I know about it, I have the means to deal with it. I won¡¯t let the Xia n and the Kang n take advantage of me. Both you and your daughter might as well lie low in the Kang n and get out of their way. Once they are bored, they will not cause you trouble.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I will keep this in mind.¡±


    ¡°Ok. It is gettingte. I am tired from having worked all night. You¡¯d better rest up as well and regain your strength. These medicines are for external use, and these are for consumption. The external medicine needs to be applied three times a day. The other needs to be consumed every four hours.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu took out the medicine as she instructed Xia Chengxuan.


    Xia Chengxuan epted the medicine and kept thanking her nonstop.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let anyone see these medicines. If theye looking for trouble, just admit your cowardice. In this ce where others will eat you alive, you need to learn to take care of yourself. Don¡¯t just stubbornly sh with others. Your husband can¡¯t wait for you to die so that he can pass your position of head wife to someone else.¡±


    ¡°I know. Thank you, Chuchu.¡±


    Xia Chengxuan was grateful for her daughter¡¯s persistence back then. She had not allowed Xia Chengxuan to sell out Zhao Chuchu to protect herself. Otherwise, Xia Chengxuan might have be a cold corpse by now.


    Kang Liang¡¯s cruelty was already beyond her imagination.


    Xia Chengxuan never knew that a man could actually be so cruel as to beat up his own daughter. If their surname weren¡¯t Xia, they would have been beaten to death..

 Chapter 332 - 332: Definitely Kill

    Chapter 332: Definitely Kill


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    For Kang Xiuwan¡¯s sake, Zhao Chuchu instructed Xia Chengxuan to do many things. Many of her instructions intended to provoke Xia Chengxuan against the Xia n.


    Although it was somewhat despicable, Xia Chengxuan was just a pawn that had been yed by the Xia n.


    It was normal for pawns to asionally be disobedient.


    The more insignificant the pawn appeared to be, the more likely its existence would turn the tables in the endgame.


    Xia Chengxuan remembered everything that she said, not daring to omit a single word.


    As a mother, she was forever forced to be the most resilient existence. It was because she had overbearingpassion for any suffering her child endured.


    Zhao Chuchu quietly left Xia Chengxuan¡¯s courtyard.


    Kang Xiuwan had not slept yet, pacing back and forth while waiting for Zhao Chuchu to return.


    Once she heard the six knocks on the window, three light and three heavy, Kang Xiuwan hastily opened the window.


    Zhao Chuchu leaped into the room.


    ¡°How is my mother?¡± asked Kang Xiuwan anxiously as she grabbed Zhao Chuchu¡¯s hand. ¡°Is she alright?¡±


    ¡°She wasn¡¯t fine when I first went there. However, after I treated her, she got better. Don¡¯t worry. Your mother¡¯s life is not in danger,¡± Zhao Chuchuforted her. ¡°From tomorrow onwards, you also need to learn to be a quail. The only people in the Kang n who can save you and your mother are yourselves.¡±


    ¡°I understand. Can you please tell me about my mother¡¯s condition?¡±


    Seeing her anxious look, Zhao Chuchu concisely exined Xia Chengxuan¡¯s condition.


    The heavy burden that weighed on Kang Xiuwan¡¯s heart was finally lifted. She said, ¡°That means that my mother¡¯s life is no longer in danger, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Take it easy. Don¡¯t let the others see through you,¡± said Zhao Chuchu as she patted her hand. ¡°Also, your father already considers you an eyesore. If you can stay away from him, do so to avoid trouble.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°When you really need to, you can actually seek help from the Xia n.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu offered Kang Xiuwan another possibility after pondering for a while.


    ¡°You can especially ask your second uncle.¡±


    ¡°Him?¡±


    Kang Xiuwan frowned.


    She knew Xia Chengzhu¡¯s personality better than anyone else.


    What could a yboy who only knew how to eat, drink, and party, achieve? He might even cause trouble for them.


    Zhao Chuchu saw through Kang Xiuwan¡¯s suspicion. She added, ¡°He might have been like that before. However, after he found his ambition, his mindset changed. Asking the Xia n for help is not the same as asking them to stand up for you. You only need to show the Kang n that the Xia n will not abandon you and your mother. That will suffice.¡±


    She continued, ¡°That way, the Kang n will have reservations. Although the Xia n and the Kang n are not too different in size, the Xia n has deeper pockets. It is not something the Kang n canpare with. When you go seek Xia Chengzhu, don¡¯t go using the Kang n. Just let Xia Chengzhu know that you and your mother have been terribly bullied by them.¡±


    For a while, Kang Xiuwan could not understand the logic behind this.


    Zhao Chuchu could only exin, saying, ¡°You must appear pathetic in front of him. With Xia Chengzhu¡¯s personality, he will definitely feel ashamed. When that happens, mislead him. The further you can mislead him, the better. It would be best if you can make him believe that the Kang n is preparing to take action against the Xia n.¡±


    ¡°Will this work?¡±


    ¡°Unless you try, how would you know?¡±


    Due to Xia Songquan being guarded against him, Xia Chengzhu was eyeing the Xia n like a tiger. He would not let anyone snatch it from him.


    If such a person was suppressed for too long, once they rebelled, they would act without considering the consequences at all.


    Xia Songquan most likely could never guess what Xia Chengzhu was nning behind the scenes!


    Xia Chengzhu was actually forming alliances with everyone he could to take down Xia Songquan.


    Only by iming authority over the Xia n could he be the person who called the shots. This was Xia Chengzhu¡¯s current greatest goal.


    Imagine if he found out that his niece was being bullied and the other party wanted to seize the Xia n.


    What would he do?


    He would definitely kill them!


    If the Xia n and the Kang n shed all pretenses of cordiality, the number of people who would cause trouble for the Xia n would increase.


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t need to do anything. She could just sit back and watch as the Xia n gradually copsed.


    This was the debt the Xia n owed to Xia Xiaoxiao!


    Would Zhao Chuchu feel guilty towards Kang Xiuwan?


    She would not.


    She was also helping her.


    Be it in the Xia n or the Kang n, Xia Chengxuan and Kang Xiuwan were not respected by anyone. They were treated as bargaining chips that could be exchanged for benefits. Wouldn¡¯t this be saving them too?


    ¡°Alright. I will try,¡± answered Kang Xiuwan. She also understood that if she did not save herself, incidents like her being beaten up would recur.


    She wanted to live a good life with dignity and not live like a dog that came and went at another¡¯s beckoning!


    ¡°If you really run out of options, you can seek help from the Yuan n. I have a good rtionship with Huihui. She will help you.¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, thank you. We have done nothing, and yet, you have done so much for us. You even dared to offend the Kang n for our sake.¡±


    ¡°Whoever has done good to me, I will repay the favor several times over. It is nothing but a trifling matter. Don¡¯t take it to heart. If you truly wish to thank me, live on properly. Who knows? I might end up needing your help one day!¡±


    ¡°If such a day trulyes, I will offer up even my life to help you. You have technically saved us twice.¡±


    ¡°For the Kang n to be able to nurture such a kindhearted person like you in their state, it is truly a miracle!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu smiled as she patted Kang Xiuwan¡¯s head.


    She liked this young maiden. It was not a problem for her to help thetter within her means of doing so.


    If she were an ungrateful person, it would not matter how beautiful she looked. Zhao Chuchu would never have aided her!


    ¡°I merely don¡¯t wish to betray my good conscience and live an uneasy life of regret,¡± said Kang Xiuwan in a low voice. ¡°I don¡¯t ask to stand out in the world. I just wish to live unashamed as a human.¡±


    ¡°That is good. However, you must be careful to whom you direct your kindness. Remember, don¡¯t show mercy towards your enemy. That is cruelty towards yourself!¡± said Zhao Chuchu in a serious tone. ¡°If a person wishes to live, they have to be tough on themselves and others!¡±


    This was Kang Xiuwan¡¯s first time being exposed to such an ideology. With a look of astonishment, she raised her head to look at Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu concluded, ¡°This is my way of survival. I hope you will remember it too. Alright. It¡¯s gettingte. I should head back. As long as the two of you protect yourselves, you will not face any life-threatening danger. Remember, survival should be your top priority. Everything else is secondary.¡±


    Kang Xiuwan nodded her head in all seriousness.


    Zhao Chuchu then left the Kang n residence.


    Kang Xiuwan stared at Zhao Chuchu as thetter swiftly disappeared from her sight. She was left in a daze as she stood at the entrance.


    Everything Zhao Chuchu told her that night was shocking.


    Nobody had ever taught her this before!


    Prior to this, the harshest advice she had heard was that it¡¯s every man for himself.


    Now, Zhao Chuchu taught her that in order to survive, they had to be ruthless towards both their enemies and themselves.


    Could she do that?


    Kang Xiuwan questioned herself sincerely.


    In reality, she had no idea whether or not she could be ruthless. However, she would work hard so that she would no longer be amb waiting to be ughtered!


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t return to the Yuan n residence after she left the Kang n residence. Instead, she went to Xie Heng¡¯s ce.


    She also wanted to get a taste of sneaking into Xie Heng¡¯s bed.


    Zhao Chuchu missed the time the two of them shared a nket in bed. Those were good times.


    Xie Heng had fallen asleep, so he was surprised by Zhao Chuchu¡¯s sudden visit. However, he mostly rejoiced.


    ¡°Are you just allowing any random person toe into your bedroom? What if a female rapistes in?¡± Zhao Chuchu was secretly happy with his response, but she pretended to be upset about him allowing her in.


    Xie Hengughed softly and said, ¡°I know it¡¯s you.¡±


    ¡°How did you know? I didn¡¯t make a sound just now. You¡¯re lying!¡± Zhao Chuchu said as she gave him a side nce..

 Chapter 333 - 333: She Can No Longer Blame Other People

    Chapter 333: She Can No Longer me Other People


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Xie Heng walked toward Zhao Chuchu, reached his hand out, and tapped on her forehead. He said, ¡°Because you¡¯re different from everyone else.¡±


    Actually, it¡¯s because Xie Heng felt that there was a faint, unique fragrance on Zhao Chuchu¡¯s body. He could smell it immediately when she walked in. He could identify her without even turning to look.


    Zhao Chuchu put her arm around his neck and said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m not very satisfied with that answer.


    ¡°But it¡¯s the truth.¡± Xie Heng touched his nose with hers and said, ¡°No one canpare to Chuchu in my heart.¡±


    He remembered everything about her.


    ¡°Da Lang, you¡¯re getting better and better at talking. I¡¯m starting to think you might have been possessed by a roaming soul!¡± Zhao Chuchuughed and touched his face gently. She felt an inexplicable sense of satisfaction.


    Xie Heng¡¯s eyes could see her only, while his heart rate started to beat uncontrobly. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Why aren¡¯t you resting?¡±


    ¡°Because I miss you!¡± Zhao Chuchu said slowly.


    It was just a few words, but it almost made Xie Heng toss out all of his self-control and rational mind.


    Fortunately, he still remembered where they were, which enabled him to control himself, albeit just barely.


    Xie Heng hugged Zhao Chuchu tightly and took a few deep breaths to calm down his heartbeat.


    Zhao Chuchu could feel Xie Heng¡¯s heart palpitating, as well as his breaths which were getting shorter and faster. She couldn¡¯t help but blush a little. She didn¡¯t think that a sentence like that could make Xie Heng lose control.


    Since when was she so attractive to Xie Heng?


    Zhao Chuchu remembered what happened when she first met Xie Heng. He was so cold and impassive. She thought that he might not have any interest in human interaction at all. Who could imagine that Xie Heng would be so intimate with someone someday?


    Zhao Chuchu definitely didn¡¯t expect this to happen.


    After a long while, Xie Heng managed to calm himself down. He pulled Zhao Chuchu over to the table and sat down with her.


    ¡°Are you hungry?¡± Xie Heng asked, ¡°Do you want me to make supper for you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s quitete. Let¡¯s not do all that. People might think that you¡¯re doing something strange if they saw you! What do you want to eat? I have it all here,¡± Zhao Chuchu said with augh. She took out two bottles of milk and passed one to him. ¡°My treat.¡±


    Xie Hengughed and took the bottle from her.


    ¡°I actually came back from the Kang n, but I did miss you, which is why I came over to visit.¡¯


    ¡°What happened to the Kang n?¡±


    ¡°Xia Chengxuan and Kang Xiuwan almost got beaten to death by Kang Liang. I went to save their lives. Although I don¡¯t like Xia Chengxuan, at least she listened to Kang Xiuwan and didn¡¯t try to cause me any trouble. Because of that, I decided to do Kang Xiuwan a favor and save her life.¡±


    ¡°As long as you don¡¯t feel guilty about it, you¡¯re doing the right thing. Anything that anyone else says has nothing to do with you. Chuchu, regardless of the circumstances, I will be on your side unconditionally.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t be considered a good person. I simply do what I want to do. One moment, I can watch someone die without doing anything, but the next moment, I might just change my mind and be apassionate person for once.¡±


    ¡°Xia Chenguan wasn¡¯t a hopeless person. She was still capable to think a little bit. If you feel that it won¡¯t create trouble for you, it¡¯s fine to save her. If she dares to create trouble for you in the future, I will deal with her.¡±


    ¡°She probably won¡¯t. I just wonder how much of her potential can be released after being triggered by Kang Liang this time. If she survived this near-death experience and still doesn¡¯t learn to protect herself, then she can¡¯t me other people anymore. I can save her once, but I can¡¯t keep saving her forever.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu told Xie Heng about the situation in the Kang n in detail.


    Xie Heng sneered and said, ¡°The Kang n has always been creating an image of kindness andpassion to other people, but that¡¯s just a facade. They always get back the money that they spent to help the poor from somewhere else. Compared to those bullies who do bad things outright, the Kang n is actually more despicable and revolting.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, if they really are good people, how could that family behave in such a manner? Kang Liang has so many wives. Just the conflict between those women can already make the household extremely ¡®lively¡¯. Oh, right. Da Lang, Xia Chengxuan told me about the familial background of Chuchu¡¯s mother.¡±


    ¡°At this point, we can¡¯t hide it from other people. Don¡¯t worry about the rumors spreading. I¡¯ve made the necessary arrangements. If the Xia n really decided to tell the world about your identity, it¡¯s actually a good thing for you.¡±


    ¡°Are you not afraid that they might take the moral high ground and try to coerce me into doing what they want?¡±


    ¡°Chuchu¡¯s parents have already passed away. As long as you don¡¯t admit it, there¡¯s nothing they can do to you. If they get real Xia Chenn toe and look for you, it¡¯s possible, but the Xia n would lose all of their dignity and respect that way.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s something that Xia Songquan would actually do.¡±


    ¡°So what? You still have me.


    Zhao Chuchu turned to look at Xie Heng. His eyes were filled with gentle but firm determination under the dim lights in the room.


    Zhao Chuchu nodded and said, ¡°I know you¡¯re here with me, but I¡¯m not a softie that they can bully all they like. I won¡¯t let them have their way.¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡± Xie Heng rubbed her head and said, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Shall we sleep? We can talk about this tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu came over to meet Xie Heng so they could sleep together, in the literal sense.


    Xie Heng¡¯s bed was still warm from the heat of his body. The night was starting to get cold.


    Zhao Chuchu climbed under the nket and felt as if she didn¡¯t want to move anymore.


    Initially, she intended to talk to Xie Heng for a while more, but the strong sense of safety and security quickly made her feel sleepy. She fell asleep after a short while.


    Xie Heng couldn¡¯t fall asleep. Hey sideways and propped his head in his hands, so he could look at Zhao Chuchu¡¯s sleeping face.


    He could never get enough of looking at her in this state.


    He saw the face very frequently, yet it wasn¡¯t nearly as attractive as it was right now.


    Xie Heng had seen the real Zhao Chuchu countless times in his dreams, but there was never a time when he could see her face clearly.


    Sometimes, Xie Heng felt really curious about what Zhao Chuchu really looked like.


    It wasn¡¯t for any other purposes. He simply wanted to know everything about her.


    Xie Heng thought that he would be able to look at Zao Chuchu like this for the entire night. But in the end, he fell asleep as well.


    Zhao Chuchu was like the world¡¯s best tranquilizer. Xie Heng had a good night¡¯s sleep, which was rare for him.


    The next day.


    When Zhao Chuchu woke up, the sun was already high in the sky.


    Xie Heng did the same thing asst time. He didn¡¯t get out of bed despite having woken up. He simply stared at Zhao Chuchu, which made her feel a little shy.


    ¡°Da Lang, how long have you been awake?¡± Zhao Chuchu tried to start a conversation to lessen the awkwardness in the air.


    ¡°I just woke up.¡± Xie Heng told a lie. He had been looking at Zhao Chuchu for almost half an hour now.


    Every time he woke up, he couldn¡¯t bare to move his eyes away from Zhao


    Chuchu¡¯s face.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get up.¡±


    ¡°Stay in bed with me for a while more.¡±


    Xie Heng reached his arm out and stopped Zhao Chuchu from getting up.


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    She didn¡¯t know that Xie Heng had the habit of sleeping in.


    ¡°I just want to stay with you for a while more. After you leave here, I¡¯ll have to wait for eight to 10 hours before seeing you again.¡±


    ¡°Eight to 10 hours isn¡¯t that long!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very long for me.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu felt quite helpless as shey back down.


    Xie Heng turned his head slightly to envelope Zhao Chuchu in his gentle gaze.


    He started to look forward to the day when the two of them got married for real.


    Those things that he didn¡¯t care about back then suddenly became so attractive that he couldn¡¯t wait to have them.


    People changed all the time!


    Xie Heng hadn¡¯t expected that he would be like that one day..

 Chapter 334 - 334: I Don’t Want You to Go

    Chapter 334: I Don¡¯t Want You to Go


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    By the time Zhao Chuchu came back from Xie Heng¡¯s ce, it was almost noon.


    Xie Heng made her stay andy in bed with him for almost the entire morning. They didn¡¯t do anything except for lying under the nket and chat.


    Xie Heng was very knowledgeable about a lot of things. He could carry the conversation regardless of what Zhao Chuchu spoke about. The conversation was so easy that Zhao Chuchu lost track of time.


    Yuan Hui had been waiting in Zhao Chuchu¡¯s room for her to return.


    ¡°Was the injury very severe? You needed an entire night and the morning?¡±


    Yuan Hui walked forward hurriedly when she saw Zhao Chuchu. She asked, ¡°Are you exhausted now? Do you need me to get people to prepare some hot water for your so you can shower? How about a massage?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine; I was just really tiredst time. I didn¡¯t want toe backte at night and disturb you guys, so I stayed the night at an inn outside. The mother and daughter of the Kang n are both not in any mortal danger anymore. They just need to learn to protect themselves.¡± Zhao Chuchu found an excuse for herself and exined.


    Yuan Hui believed her. She said, ¡°That¡¯s great. Yesterday, Kang Xiuwan¡¯s injury seemed quite severe. She is the daughter of the Kang n¡¯s firstdy. How could they treat her like that?¡±


    ¡°Not every family is like the Yuan n, and not every man is responsible like your father. There are no test or license requirements for parents, which is why there are all sorts of parents out there. Kang Xiuwan was simply too unlucky! ¡±


    ¡°Sigh, I hope she¡¯ll be fine. Kang Xiuwan is one of the few girls in Guangqing Province that I like. I hope nothing bad happens to her and everything goes well. Chuchu, did you tell her that she cane to look for me if she needs help? Although I don¡¯t have that much power, I can still help her with certain things. ¡±


    Zhao Chuchuughed and said, ¡°We really do think alike. I told her that she could ask you for help if she needed it. She told me that she will. But Huihui, you need to be careful during this period as well. I¡¯m nning to return to Yuanjiang County tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°So sudden?¡±


    ¡°Yup, I¡¯ve been out for more than a month now. I really miss Da Lang and Junjun. There are also some crops on our farm that need to be tended to. You¡¯re still finalizing your engagement, so you should stay in Guangqing Province. With Duke Ding¡¯s men here, no one would dare to hurt you.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t want you to go.¡±


    Atter a month together with Zhao Chuchu, Yuan Hui thought ot Zhao Chuchu as her sister.


    She learned a lot of things from Zhao CHuchu that no one else had taught her before. She also found out about many new, novel ideas and concepts from Zhao Chuchu.


    Yuan Hui really didn¡¯t want Zhao Chuchu to go back. She even thought about getting Xie Heng and Xie Jun toe to Guangqing Province as well. That way, she would be able to meet Zhao Chuchu often.


    Yuan Hui had never tried to rely on a girl that was younger than her, but Zhao Chuchu had be an exception.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯re going to meet again soon. When you get married and move to the Imperial City, Da Lang might just be a Number One Schr and move to the Imperial City as a new government official! We¡¯re all be at Imperial City when that happens, isn¡¯t it?¡± Zhao Chuchu consoled Yuan Hui, ¡°We¡¯re separating now so we can have a better reunion in the future.¡±


    ¡°Can I go to Yuanjiang County together with you? If I tell my grandmother, she¡¯ll definitely agree.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait for half a year. Ignoring the other things, since you really like the heir, you should finalize the engagement first. Everything else can be arranged after that.


    ¡°But going to Yuanjiang County wouldn¡¯t affect the engagement.¡±


    ¡°That would be disrespectful toward the heir. He is the son of Duke Ding. Even if he doesn¡¯t mind it, if the news gets back to the Imperial City somehow, I don¡¯t know what implications that might have. Huihui, you need to be more generous and daring toward the man whom you love, don¡¯t create misunderstandings just because you want to appear reserved.¡±


    Yuan Hui blushed and mumbled softly, ¡°I didn¡¯t create misunderstandings¡­¡±


    Zhao Chuchu asked, ¡°You¡¯re discussing engagement with him, yet you want to go to another county suddenly? What do you think other people will think about it? They¡¯ll think that you don¡¯t like this engagement and run away on purpose to hide from it. The real meaning of information and news changes when people pass it around. Don¡¯t ruin your rtionship because of an unintentional decision.¡±


    Yuan Hui had never thought about that.


    Now that Zhao Chuchu exined it to her, she also felt that her actions might be inappropriate.


    ¡°Okay, I got it. Thank you for the reminder. Otherwise, I might have done things that people will misunderstand.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we can meet any time, right? The person you like is the heir of a noble family. If you lose the engagement because of something like this, aren¡¯t you going to regret it? Huihui, the most important thing in this world is to make yourself happy when you have the choice.¡±


    Yuan Hui nodded earnestly.


    Zhao Chuchu continued, ¡°Before I live, I¡¯ll craft some small trinkets to protect you. Bring them with you when you go out. Even though you¡¯re discussing engagement with Heir Qiao right now, you shouldn¡¯t let down your guard.¡± Women are held to unreasonable standards in this era.


    Even if the woman is the victim, she would still be med for it, and people would still think she deserved punishment.


    Even if a woman got raped, her family would force her to marry the man who hurt her for the sake of their reputation.


    The Yuan n is a juicy b of meat in the eyes of many people, and Yuan Hui is the most tender part of that meat.


    Qiao Heting came to propose to her in such a high-profile manner, but that would only be able to scare away some people. There would still be some who are willing to use detestable methods to get what they want. ¡°I think no one will dare to touch me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong. Only some people won¡¯t dare to touch you.¡±


    Some men dare toy their hands on the country¡¯s princess to get what they want. The daughter of the Yuan n was nothing inparison.


    When there was a chance of obtaining millions of dors worth of wealth, many men would be willing to take the gamble.


    After all, who wouldn¡¯t want to own fertilend, luxurious mansions, and countless gorgeous wives?


    Yuan Hui was shocked. She asked, ¡°Are they going to go against Duke Ding?¡±


    ¡°Huihui, money is the root of all evil. People can throw away all of their morals and principles for money. Don¡¯t think that you¡¯re safe now. You must remain vignt!¡±


    ¡°Okay, I got it. Chuchu, you¡¯ve been busy the whole night. Do you want to take a break first?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just wanted to make some protective trinkets for you. But the process of making these things might be a little dangerous. It could hurt other people¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay, I understand,¡± Yuan Hui said before ZHao Chuchu even finished her sentence, ¡°I¡¯m going to visit my grandmother. I¡¯ll leave for a while. Take care.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu nodded.


    Yuan Hui left afterward.


    Zhao Chuchu described it as a ¡°small protective trinket.¡±


    But it¡¯s actually a mechanism that contained knockout drugs. Once it¡¯s triggered, even a fully grown bull wouldn¡¯t be able to stay conscious.


    Other than that, Zhao Chuchu also had pepper sprays and electric batons, but these things were too technologically advanced and would attract too much attention. Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t want to give them to Yuan Hui, lest it might cause unnecessary trouble for her.


    That said, Zhao Chuchu wanted to make some poisons for Yuan Hui that could save her life at crucial moments.


    Zhao Chuchu spent the afternoon making those things, and Yuan Hui didn¡¯te to disturb her.


    She packed up the items and prepared to deliver them to Yuan Hui when it was time for dinner.


    After that, she kept the previously bought things in her carry-on space so she could travel light on the way home..

 Chapter 335 - 335: At Your Service

    Chapter 335: At Your Service


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Zhao Chuchu walked out of the room when it was evening.


    Yuan Hui was ying on the swing in the courtyard. When she saw Zhao CHuchu walk out, she immediately got down from the swing.


    Zhao Chuchu passed the chest of items to Yuan Hui. ¡°Some small gifts for you, take it!¡±


    Yuan Hui was ted. She said, ¡°Thank you, Sister Lin!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee. Do you want me to teach you how to use them or go back and read them yourself? I wrote the instructions for each of them on the paper.¡±


    ¡°You teach me.¡±


    Yuan Hui was eager to spend more time with Zhao Chuchu. Naturally, she wanted Zhao Chuchu to teach her step-by-step.


    Zhao Chuchu could tell what the girl was thinking.


    But, regardless of whether it was a man or a woman, it was always a pleasing feeling to be liked.


    Zhao Chuchu was no exception to this feeling.


    After dinner, she took out all of the trinkets and taught Yuan Hui how to use each of them.


    Yuan Hui was a smart person. While she quickly learned how to use the items, she was also astonished by how well-crafted they were.


    ¡°All of these just look like decorative ornaments. I didn¡¯t think that they would be so powerful. Even the skilled carpenters my dad hiredst time might not be able to make these. Chuchu, what do you not know how to do? Seriously,pared to you, I feel like I¡¯m just a useless, good-for-nothing!¡±


    ¡°I was backed into a corner and had no choice but to keep learning and make myself stronger. If I had the choice, I would rather live a carefree life like Huihui without worrying about stuff. All the impressive skills you see right now result from countless hours of hard work.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Chuchu. I didn¡¯t mean that you didn¡¯t spend time on these skills. I¡¯m just admiring your ability to do so much. Unlike me, all I can do is sit and wait to die when something happens. I can¡¯t do anything. Sigh¡­ I would have been dead long ago if I weren¡¯t so lucky.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu rubbed her head and said, ¡°Luck is a type of strength as well. But since you now know that you¡¯re in danger, why don¡¯t you make some time to learn some self-defense skills? The best time to nt a tree was ten years ago. The next best time is right now.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I should try to learn some skills. Chuchu, are you willing to take students? Can I go to Yuanjiang County to learn from you after the new year?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t teach you a lot, but I can find people to rmend a teacher for you.


    How about that?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu had thought about teaching Yuan Hui some skills.


    But now that Yuan Hui is discussing the engagement between her and Qiao Heting, naturally, she would be standing on Duke Ding¡¯s side.


    Zhao Chuchu wanted to keep a distance from Yuan Hui before confirming that Duke Ding wouldn¡¯t hurt Xie Jun. If they fell out of Duke Ding in the future, Yuan Hui would be caught between a rock and a hard ce. Zhao Chuchu would stand on Xie Heng¡¯s side unconditionally.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll listen to you.¡±


    Yuan Hui wasn¡¯t aware of all the tricky reasoning behind the scene. She was pretty satisfied with Zhao Chuchu¡¯s arrangement.


    After Yuan Hui learned to use all the trinkets, Zhao Chuchu returned to her room.


    Zhao Chuchu was going back tomorrow. She felt a little regretful that she wouldn¡¯t be able to see the show between the Xia n and the Kang n.


    But that¡¯s okay. Xie Heng would tell her about it. She didn¡¯t mind knowing the details a littleter than the others.


    Perhaps it was because it had been too long since she hadst returned to Yuanjiang County, but Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t really sleep that night.


    When she was finally going to fall asleep, the sky turned bright.


    Under such circumstances, Zhao Chuchu¡¯s senses were exceptionally sharp. She could hear almost every action of the people in the Yuan n, which made her even less sleepy. She decided to get up.


    She went to bid farewell to Old Mrs. Yuan and politely declined her offer for her to stay a few more nights as well as to arrange for a carriage to send her back.


    ¡°This is my first time traveling far. I came here in a rush and couldn¡¯t admire the scenery on my way here. No need to arrange a carriage. I just need a single horse.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a little girl. How can you travel such a long distance alone? You need someone to take care of you, right?¡±


    ¡°None of the best young men of Guanqing Province could defeat me. Don¡¯t worry, Mrs. Yuan, I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Old Mrs. Yuan was convinced. Although she wasn¡¯t at the poetry and literature gathering to witness Zhao Chuchu¡¯s riding and arrow-shooting skills, she still heard from many of the girls in the n about her legendary performance that day.


    Zhao Chuchu clearly could protect herself. Old Mrs. Chen realized that she was worrying too much. Perhaps it was because of her age.


    ¡°l guess I¡¯m worrymg too m. But still, you snould be caretul on your way back, don¡¯t let your guard down. I know you¡¯re strong, but what if you run into someone even stronger than you, right? Nothing is more important than your life. People can only have hope if they¡¯re alive. That¡¯s what you often said.¡±


    Zhao Chuchuughed. She didn¡¯t expect Old Mrs. Yuan to lecture her with her own words.


    ¡°I got it. When I reach Guangging Province, I¡¯ll get someone to send a message back to let you know that I¡¯m safe. Mrs. Yuan, your body is pretty much fine now, but you should still take note of the reminders that I gave you.¡±


    ¡°Yup. Got it,¡± Old Mrs. Yuan said lovingly. She gestured at her maid.


    The maid understood her signal. She returned to the room and brought out a box momentster.


    ¡°There are some items inside that I would like you to have. You saved my life, but I don¡¯t know how to repay you. I¡¯m sorry that I could only think of material possessions. I hope you don¡¯t mind,¡± Old Mrs. Yuan took the box from the maid and passed it to Zhao Chuchu. ¡°If you need help with anything in the future, just let me know. The Yuan n will be at your service.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do that much, Mrs. Yuan.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t reject these. Otherwise, I will feel guilty. I owe you a favor, but this is just a small gift to show my appreciation.¡±


    Old Mrs. Yuan didn¡¯t let Zhao CHuchu reject her gift. She stuffed the box into


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s hand.


    The box wasn¡¯t very heavy, but Zhao Chuchu knew that the items inside were extremely valuable.


    As for what it was, she could only find out when she had gotten back.


    Old Mrs. Yuan kept asking her to stay for a few more days, but Zhao Chuchu still declined her offer.


    Old Mrs. Yuan had no choice but to get people to prepare a horse for her before walking her out of the room.


    Yuan Hui asked, ¡°Would youe back to Guangqingter this year?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see. Maybe I¡¯ll get the chance toe again.¡± Zhao Chuchu flipped onto the horse. There were several bags on horseback filled with useful items. These were all gifted by Mrs. Yuan as well. ¡°Thank you very much. I¡¯ll be leaving now.


    See you in the future!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu waved and rode away on the horse.


    Yuan Hui stood at the door and looked at Zhao Chuchu¡¯s figure until she disappeared from the street corner.


    Yuan Hui felt a strong sense of sadness in her heart. If only Zhao Chuchu lived in the capital of the Guangqing province too. She would have a close friend whom she could talk to often and discuss the novel things happening in the city.


    Sigh¡­


    Of course, Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t know about Yuan Hui¡¯s emotions.


    Xie Heng was already outside the city at this point. All she could think of was leaving the city soon and returning home with Xie Heng.


    To her, traveling was only fun with the people whom she loved!


    Zhao Chuchu thought about this as she rode on the horse. Then, she got stopped at the city gates..

 Chapter 336 - 336: Do You Not Trust Me?

    Chapter 336: Do You Not Trust Me?


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    This person was a servant working for Second Mr. Ye. Zhao Chuchu had seen him once at the Yuan n.


    ¡°Ms. Lin, Old Mr. Xia would like to meet you.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu stopped the horse. A person walked from behind the servant and looked at Zhao Chuchu. His tone of voice wasn¡¯t bad, but it was definitely not respectful.


    Zhao Chuchu looked at the person from atop the horse.


    She looked at him from an angle above, instantly making him feel a little infuriated.


    ¡°Miss Lin, Old Mr. Xia would like to meet you.¡± He repeated.


    Zhao Chuchuughed.


    Ye n?


    These people didn¡¯t even have much time left in Guangqing Province. Zhao Chuchu wondered how they had the cheek toe remind her of their presence.


    ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t know who that is,¡± Zhao Chuchu rejected him immediately.¡±


    ¡°Miss Lin, you should know we¡¯re asking you nicely right now. Old Mr. Xia wants to see you. That¡¯s giving you respect, don¡¯t be ignorant.¡±


    ¡°Mhm, but good dogs don¡¯t stand in other people¡¯s way, now get out of my way.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ Do you know who Old Mr. Xia is?¡±


    ¡°What does he have to do with me? I still have matters to tend to, move.


    Zhao Chuchu wanted to see Xie Heng. She did not have the patience to argue with them right now. She spurred the horse and dashed out of the city gates right after saying that.


    The person yelled anxiously, ¡°Stop her! Don¡¯t let her exit the city! If the deputy governor knows about this, every one of you will be punished!¡±


    However, there was no way that these soldiers guarding the city gates could match Zhao Chuchu¡¯s speed.


    Before they even realized what was happening, Zhao Chuchu had already dashed out of the city on her horse.


    She pulled the reins back to stop the horse for a moment and smiled at them provocatively, then rode away again. Soon, she disappeared from their field of view.


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    The people of the Ye n tried to chase after her. They jumped and stomped in anger as they looked at Zhao Chuchu¡¯s figure, moving further and further away.


    But what could they do? There was no way they could catch up to Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu was the only person who could save the two individuals in the Ye n, yet she just ran away. The servant started to panic.


    He failed the mission that the vice magistrate had assigned to him. He knew that there would be severe consequences when he returned.


    Yet, in the end, they had no choice but to go back and face the music.


    Meanwhile, Zhao Chuchu was enjoying the satisfying feeling of riding on a horse galloping at full speed.


    She and Xie Heng had agreed to meet at a small town about six miles away from the capital city.


    When Zhao Chuchu arrived at the town, Xie Heng was already there.


    A smile appeared on Xie Heng¡¯s face uncontrobly when he saw Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°You rushed all the way here?¡± Xie Heng asked, ¡°Let¡¯s go. We¡¯ll go find an inn for you to wash up. After that, we¡¯ll eat and change to a horse-drawn carriage.¡±


    ¡°Not really. I ran into some people from the Ye n, wasting time. I was afraid that you would be waiting too long, which is why I came here as fast as I could,¡± Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°Did you reach yesterday night?¡±


    ¡°No, I arrived this morning. Did the Ye n look forward to treating the two worthless idiots?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I think so. But Qiao Heting hade to the Guangqing Province. I don¡¯t think the Ye n would be able tost for much longer, right?¡±


    ¡°Nevermind, let¡¯s not talk about the people who have nothing to do with us.


    There¡¯s a dish in this town that¡¯s very special. Let¡¯s go try itter.¡±


    Xie Heng preferred talking to Zhao Chuchu about food rather than those people.


    At least it was a more meaningful conversation, in Xie Heng¡¯s opinion.


    A n that was almost going to be delisted from the Guangqing Province wasn¡¯t worth Xie Heng¡¯s time.


    Zhao Chuchu was immediately intrigued when Xie Heng talked about food. The two of them walked toward the inn.


    What could evoke joy more than delicious food?


    The two of them didn¡¯t take special care to hide their identities.


    After Zhao Chuchu took a shower and brushed her teeth, she went to the restaurant with Xie Heng to try the specialty dish.


    Xie Heng saw that Zhao Chuchu liked the dish, which put a smile on his face.


    ¡°Is it good?¡± Xie Heng asked, ¡°If you like it, I can make it for you when we return. ¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s delicious!¡± Zhao Chuchu hurriedly nodded and said, ¡°Da Lang, you¡¯ve learned it already?¡±


    ¡°Not yet, but I can try,¡± Xie Heng said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ll be able to replicate this taste with some practice.¡±


    He didn¡¯t tell Zhao Chuchu that he had asked several locals how to make this dish before she even arrived. He was confident that he would be able to make it for her.


    As long as Zhao Chuchu liked it, Xie Heng was willing to spend time learning it.


    ¡°Honestly, I still prefer life in Lengshui Vige. Although Guangqing Province is quite a bustling city, itcks the human touch,¡± Zhao Chuchu sighed.


    There are too many people with ugly hearts and few who are simple and kind.


    Every big n is hiding something hideous and revolting behind their facades. They had many secrets that most people wouldn¡¯t dare to look at.


    ¡°But you have the human touch. You helped so many girls,¡± Xie Heng said, ¡°You seem to have a lot more patience than usual for girls?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a girl myself, so I don¡¯t want to make life difficult for them. That makes sense, right? They¡¯re not bad people. I think it¡¯s good for me to help them, as long as it¡¯s within my ability.¡±


    ¡°But you can¡¯t help them forever.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, but for the moment that I¡¯m helping them, I feel happy. Da Lang, I feel that life is about making ourselves happy. Of course, it is human nature to shun bad things and chase good ones. But the trouble thates with helping those girls is nothing to me.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t afraid of death, and no one was capable of killing her.


    ¡°Da Lang, perhaps you feel that I¡¯m sticking my nose into other people¡¯s business or that I¡¯m overlypassionate for my own good. But I think it¡¯s better to let a good person live than die from the abuse of bad people. I follow my heart. If I think something is right, I will do it, and I won¡¯t regret it.¡±


    Just like how she took out the high-yielding paddy rice, potatoes, and other crops. She didn¡¯t do it to get famous. She simply wanted everyone to be able to eat full meals.


    If she had to be cautious and scared of the consequences of everything she does, what was the point of her bing so capable and strong?


    Yuan Hui and the second daughter of the Du n were indeed over-protected. But they were good people at heart. Were they not worthy of her help?


    As for what would happen to them in the future, that wasn¡¯t but to Zhao


    Chuchu.


    If they didn¡¯t mature at all after being saved by Zhao Chuchu, it was their own issue. Just like what Xie Heng said, Zhao Chuchu could help them once, but she couldn¡¯t help them forever.


    ¡°I know,¡± Xie Heng nodded and said.


    Zhao Chuchu continued, ¡°Besides, I didn¡¯t help them out of selfless altruism. I nave my own considerations as wen.¡¯


    The Yuan n was the wealthiest family in Guangqing Province, and the Du n was on par with them. These two ns werepletely different from the Xia n. Zhao Chuchu might be able to use her rtionship with them someday.


    Although she was very powerful in terms of rawbat strength, it was still difficult for her to fight against a crowd of people. Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t feel that she was invincible in this era.


    ¡°Da Lang, do you not trust me?¡± Zhao Chuchu raised her eyebrows and asked. Xie Heng hurriedly denied, ¡°No, no, of course, I trust you.¡±


    He was the one who asked Qiao Heting toe to the Yuan n to propose. If he didn¡¯t trust Zhao Chuchu, why would he do that?


    If Duke Ding and the Yuan n became rted by marriage, the Sikou n would be forced to take action.


    The Sikou n had been eyeing the Yuan n as well.


    Actually, the Ye n was just a vassal of the Sikou n. The Sikou n directed every action that the Ye n took.


    Otherwise, there was no way the deputy governor would dare to bypass magistrate Shangfeng and do something so brazen.


    It was because the deputy governor was backed by someone bigger than the magistrate.


    The Sikou n had been cultivating its influence in the imperial court for so many years it had developed many underlings there..

 Chapter 337 - 337: Not Worth His Time

    Chapter 337: Not Worth His Time


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    As it was, Xie Heng could tell that Duke Ding had simr intentions as him, which was why he used this opportunity to help them. Not only did it help the Yuan n to solve their crisis, but it also made Qiao Heting owe him a favor.


    Grand secretary Xie would never do something that wasn¡¯t worth his time.


    Of course, Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t know about this. Xie Heng didn¡¯t want to involve Zhao Chuchu in all this scheming.


    But after returning, Xie Heng nned to tell Zhao Chuchu all about it.


    While Xie Heng was thinking about how to have fun with Zhao Chuchu on their way back and taste all of the excellent food on the way, the Xia n of the Guangqign Province received news that made them extremely angry.


    The Zhao Chuchu they wanted to find so badly had been brought to the capital city by Yuan Hui a long time ago. ¡°Miss Lin¡± was actually Zhao Chuchu!


    Xia Songquan almost fainted from anger upon learning about this.


    It turned out she was right under their noses the whole time!!!


    Zhao Chuchu knew that the Xia n was looking for her. Yet, not only did she hide from them, she went right in front of them and deceived them as though they were a bunch of fools.


    Xie Songquan was used to being revered and fawned over by other people. He wanted to catch Zhao Chuchu and bring her back right now!


    ¡°Useless! Why am I even paying you good-for-nothing fools? You can¡¯t even do something so simple? I sent men out to gather information about her for over a month. How did none of you know that she had been here the whole time!¡± Xia Songquan vented his anger on Lu Ming.


    He knew Zhao Chuchu¡¯s identity. Why would he need to make such a big scene?


    All he needed to do was to bring her back to the Xia n, and everything would be resolved.


    Would Zhao Chuchu dare to go against his will?


    If she did, he could not be med for being ruthless and using Xia Xiaoxiao¡¯s familial background to threaten Zhao Chuchu. He was certain that Zhao


    Chuchu wouldn¡¯t be able to take that.


    How hard would it be to control a little girl like her?


    ¡°Go to the Yuan n right now and bring her back. If they dare to reject us, announce to the public that the Yuan n kidnapped my ¡®granddaughter.¡¯ I would like to see if they dare to go against me.¡±


    ¡°Old Mr. Xia, Zhao Chuchu had already left the city this morning.¡±


    ¡°What? Why didn¡¯t you stop her?¡±


    ¡°The Ye n tried, but Zhao Chuchu escaped. She was really good at horseback riding. The Ye n couldn¡¯t stop her at all! Also, the tofu skin and tofu that started getting popr in Guangqign province were all made by Zhao Chuchu.¡±


    ¡°Come again?¡± Xia Songquan couldn¡¯t believe his ears.


    Lu Ming continued, ¡°Other than that, Zhao Chuchu also provided the high-yielding paddy rice seeds in Lengshui Vige. Some say that the per-acre yield was more than 1000 catties.¡±


    ¡°1000 catties?¡± Xia Songquan¡¯s voice was trembling slightly. The best paddy rice fields right now yielded at most three to four hundred catties per acre.


    More than a thousand catties per acre¡­ That meant that, literally, any plot ofnd would be profitable!


    Xia Songquan calcted the yield of average farms and immediately started to get excited.


    If they could make that paddy rice seed exclusive to the Xia n, it would only be a matter of time before the Xia n surpasses the Yuan n to be the wealthiest n in the entire Wei dynasty!


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what methods you use. Get Zhao Chuchu back to the Xia n. If she¡¯s alive, I want to see her. If she¡¯s dead, I want to see her body! As for her marriage, we¡¯ll pay for a peaceful divorce. A money tree like her can only belong to the Xia n.


    Lu Ming looked at Xia Songquan. The old man¡¯s eyes had be bloodshot from excitement. He bowed to conceal his expression and replied respectfully, ¡°Yes, Old Mr. Xia.¡±


    Xie Songquan¡¯s mind was entirely upied by Zhao Chuchu and the items that she was capable of producing.


    All these things belonged to the Xia n. No one can take them away from him!


    With those things, even if they couldn¡¯t get the salt license in the future, the Xia n wouldn¡¯t be defeated.


    Because agriculture and food will never be in a losing spot.


    Xia Songquan thought about how he would be able to make his ancestors proud very soon, which made him extremely excited.


    All these were heard by Xia Chengzhu, who was hiding outside the door.


    Only then did Xia Chengzhu know that ZHao Chuchu had been right under their noses the whole time.


    If she was here, Xia Chengxue might actually have a chance of recovering!


    Xie Chengzhu had been scheming to get the Xia n for a long time. He couldn¡¯t allow the existence of anypetitors.


    Even Xia Songquan didn¡¯t know that Xia Chengzhu had the audacity to poison him.


    Although Xia Songquan could still enjoy his time with women, he was no longer capable of getting anyone pregnant.


    Now, if Xia Chengzhu could eliminate all of his brothers, he would be the only one left to inherit the Xia n!


    Initially, Xie Chengzhu wasn¡¯t nning to do anything to Xia Chengxue yet. But after hearing about this secret, he couldn¡¯t wait anymore.


    Xia Chengxue had to die!


    No one knew that Xie Heng had intentionally spread the news to the Xia n.


    The arrival of Zhao Chuchu and Yuan Hui in Guanqing Province was neither quiet nor inconspicuous. If Xie Heng didn¡¯t pull strings behind the scenes, the news would have been spread long ago.


    Xie Heng knew what Zhao Chuchu was thinking. Naturally, he wouldn¡¯t hold back against the Xia n.


    It was very easy to incite internal conflict in the Xia n.


    Xie Heng managed to do it almost effortlessly.


    Xia n was now on the brink of implosion. Their mor was like the final flicker of a candle.


    Xie Chengzhu acted quickly. He had bought poison that could kill people without symptoms or signs a long time ago.


    Under Zhao Chuchu¡¯s treatment, Xia Chengxue had been recovering quite well.


    But Xia Chengzhu didn¡¯t want Xia CHengxue to recover too quickly. After asking another doctor, he changed the dosage of one of the herbs required for Xie Chengxue¡¯s treatment.


    Now, in order to be the Xia n¡¯s owner, Xia Chengzhu nned to add just a little of the poison into his medicine. It won¡¯t kill Xie Chengxue immediately, but he would be poisoned slowly and die sooner orter¡­


    Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng took their time to have fun on their trip back. It was autumn when they left the capital of Guangqing Province. By the time they were back, it was already winter.


    During this time, many things happened in the Guangqing Province.


    Zhao Chuchu was able to hear thetest news from Xie Heng every day.


    For example, vice magistrate Ye was jailed for corruption. The Hong n was implicated. Or that Qiao Heting and Yuan Hui got officially engaged¡­


    Zhao Chuchu had expected all of these to happen, yet she still felt delighted for the entire day when she saw the news.


    Her rtionship with Xie Heng had also been developing rapidly during this time.


    Although they weren¡¯t wholly shameless just yet, kissing and hugging had be the norm now.


    Xie Heng had always been cold and distant to everyone else, but he was exceptionally clingy and gentle when interacting with Zhao Chuchu.


    Fortunately, Zhao Chuchu liked this mode of interaction.


    However, after returning to Lengshui Vige, life wasn¡¯t as free as it was outside.


    After all, the little kid Xie Jun was present!


    He hadn¡¯t seen his brother and sis-inw for a very long time. Upon learning that they had returned, he immediately put down the brush pen that he was using to write and hurriedly ran home. He didn¡¯t even realize that he was missing a shoe.


    ¡°Bro!¡±


    Xie Jun jumped toward his brother immediately after opening the door. He hugged Xie Heng and started crying profusely.


    Xie Heng was speechless.


    ¡°Sis, I miss you so much. You¡¯re finally back¡­¡±


    Xie Heng felt the veins on his forehead popping a little.


    ¡°We were going toe back a little earlier, but some stuff got dyed. That¡¯s why we took a while more. Don¡¯t cry. We¡¯re back now, right?¡± Zhao Chuchu looked at Xie Jun, who was wailing like a little baby and looking exceptionally pitiful. She couldn¡¯t help but feel empathetic.


    ¡°Wahhh, I thought that bro was going to steal sis and go traveling and nevere back.. Junjun is going to be abandoned, just like some cauliflower on the farm! ¡°

 Chapter 338 - 338: Why Is It So Hard to Have a Nephew?

    Chapter 338: Why Is It So Hard to Have a Nephew?


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°Junjun is still at home. We¡¯re not going to leave you alone and go traveling the world. Something happened and dyed our return, that¡¯s why we came back sote. We¡¯re not going to abandon Junjun and let you be alone!¡± Zhao Chuchu said with a smile.


    Xie Jun raised his head and looked at Zhao Chuchu with misty eyes. He sniffled and said, ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Zhao Chuchu said as she rubbed his head, ¡°Junjun is such a good boy. Why would we leave you?¡±


    Xie Jun finally stopped crying as a smile appeared on his face.


    Xie Heng said helplessly, ¡°You¡¯re a man. Men don¡¯t cry. We stay strong and fight. Clean up your tears, don¡¯t let other peopleugh at you.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Xie Jun hurriedly wiped his face with his sleeve.


    Zhao Chuchu saw Xie Jun¡¯s action and took out a handkerchiefto wipe his face for him. Xie Heng took over the handkerchief and cleaned Xie Jun¡¯s face thoroughly. ¡°Go wash up.¡±


    Xie Jun ran to the water vat to get some water so he could wash his head. He feared Xie Heng would get angry if he were too slow.


    Xie Heng told Zhao Chuchu to sit down and rest while he packed up the things they had bought in the past few days.


    ¡°Bro, anything for me?¡± Xie Jun ran over and asked after washing his face. As he helped Xie Heng to pack up, he said, ¡°I¡¯ve been behaving very well at Grandpa Gan¡¯s house.¡±


    Before Xie Heng left Yuanjiang County, he sent Xie Jun to Gan Maosheng¡¯s ce and asked Gan Maosheng to take care of him. Right before they came back, he sent a mail to the Gan n and asked them to temporarily send Xie Jun back to the Chen n.


    ¡°Yup, I¡¯ll give it to you when we¡¯re done packing, alright?¡± Xie Heng asked gently.


    Xie Jun nodded profusely. ¡°Okay!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu saw that the two brothers were getting busy, so she also returned to her room to clean up.


    Xie Jun looked at the room, then asked Xie Heng softly, ¡°Bro, you and sis stayed outside for so long. Did you manage to produce a little nephew for me?¡± Xie Heng was speechless.


    Xie Jun pouted his lips and said, ¡°Bro, if you¡¯re not capable of giving birth to a little nephew, you should ask sis to help you do a check-up! Grandma Gan said that couples usually have children a few months after getting married. You and sis have been married for so long. Why haven¡¯t you given birth to a little nephew for me yet?¡±


    Xie Jun had wanted to be an uncle for a long time, yet Zhao Chuchu¡¯s tummy hadn¡¯t changed at all, which made him somewhat disappointed.


    Why was it so difficult to have a little nephew?


    ¡°I can help to take care of my little nephew,¡± Xie Jun said earnestly, ¡°He won¡¯t disturb you and sis.¡±


    Xie Heng didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Where did this kid learn all this crap from?


    ¡°Xie Jun, I still need to study. If we had a child, your sis would have a very difficult time taking care of the kid because I wouldn¡¯t be able to make time to take care of the child. Junjun, being a father isn¡¯t that easy, and we can¡¯t just let the mother take care of the child. That¡¯s why your sis and I aren¡¯t going to have a child yet.¡¯


    Although Xie Heng felt rather speechless, he still decided to exin it to Xie Jun.


    Xie Jun mumbled, ¡°But I can help you¡­¡±


    ¡°But you can¡¯t rece the child¡¯s father. I love your sis and don¡¯t want her to be too tired. Jun Jun, you also don¡¯t want your sis to suffer and be exhausted all day, right?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s why I want to help.¡±


    ¡°But you can¡¯t take care of her and the child like a husband and father.¡±


    Xie Jun thought about it. Xie Heng had a point.


    Sigh, that means no little nephew for now.


    ¡°Is it really not an issue with your body?¡± Xie Jun was a little suspicious.


    Xie Heng was speechless again.


    It wasn¡¯t difficult for him to guess that Old Mrs. Gan probably said something to Xie Jun.


    Xie Heng didn¡¯t know whether he should be thankful or mad at such ¡°goodwill.¡±


    ¡°Nop.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Xie Jun felt like he should ask sis about it in secret.


    At this point, Xie Jun was still a child and didn¡¯t know how to hide his thoughts. Xie Heng could immediately tell what he was thinking.


    But Xie Heng had always been very forgiving toward Xie Jun. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t get angry at him for such a small matter.


    However, Xie Heng made sure to remember this incident. One day, he was going to get back at Xie Jun for this.


    Rushing him to have a child? He¡¯ll get a taste of it himself!


    Xie Jun didn¡¯t know how much pressure his much-desired little nephew would bring on him in the future.


    Zhao Chuchu heard the conversation from inside the room. She didn¡¯t know how to respond to it.


    Xie Jun¡¯s desire to be an uncle had far exceeded her imagination.


    A child of Xie Heng and her¡­ Come to think of it, Zhao Chuchu looked forward to it quite a bit. But Xle Heng was right. This wasn¡¯t an opportune time to have a child.


    This body was still too young. It wasn¡¯t suitable for bearing a child.


    In Zhao Chuchu¡¯s n, the earliest age where she would have a child was 20 years old.


    Both she and Xie Heng would have many years to focus on their careers.


    They would have a child sooner ater. There was no need to rush it.


    Zhao Chuchu changed all of the bedding. Xie Jun knocked on the door and asked, ¡°Sis, can Ie in?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Zhao Chuchu answered.


    Xie Jun pushed open the door and entered the room, then walked to the bed and helped Zhao Chuchu tten out the nket by grabbing the corner and shaking it.


    ¡°Sis, are you still sleeping in separate rooms with my brother? Grandma Gan said that husband and wife shouldn¡¯t sleep separately. That would give other bad women out there a chance to sneak in and invade the rtionship. I just want you to be my sister-inw and nobody else. Can you please not sleep in separate rooms from my brother?¡± Xie Jun looked at Zhao Chuchu with sad eyes.


    Zhao Chuchu almost spat her water out.


    But as she looked at Xie Jun¡¯s pitiful expression, Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t bring herself to reject him.


    Besides, she had been sleeping in the same bed as Xie Heng the whole way back. There seemed to be no reason to sleep separately from Xie Heng after they had returned to Lengshui Vige.


    ¡°Sis, please?¡±


    ¡°Why are you telling me all these things?¡±


    ¡°I just saw that everyone else in the vige sleeps together. Dad and mum used to do that as well.¡±


    ¡°How about we find a wife for Junjun as well, okay?¡±


    Xie Jun¡¯s face instantly turned red. He said shyly, ¡°I¡¯m still young. I don¡¯t want a wife.


    ¡°After you get married, you can be a father instead of an uncle,¡± Zhao Chuchu continued to tease him.


    Xie Jun shook his head profusely and said, ¡°I don¡¯t want a child, I can¡¯t provide for him, and I can¡¯t let you and your brother raise him for me. You¡¯ve already put in too much effort to raise me. I¡¯ll only get married when I grow up and can make money on my own.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t help butugh. She rubbed his head and said, ¡°Junjun, you also know that you want to get married?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not. I¡­¡± Xie Jun forgot what he wanted to say after being interjected by


    ZHao Chuchu.


    How could he be a match for Zhao Chuchu in conversation?


    He was defeated with just a few short sentences from Zhao Chuchu.


    By the time Xie Jun left Zhao Chuchu¡¯s room, his mind was thinking about somethingpletely unrted.


    Xie Heng asked him to help deliver some mail to other households in the vige.


    Just then, Niu Tongsheng arrived.


    ¡°You¡¯re finally back in the vige!¡± Niu Tongsheng eximed upon seeing Xie Heng, ¡°I was about to get someone to go search for the two of you.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Xie Heng knew about almost everything that had been happening in Lengshui Vige, and he knew why Niu Tongsheng came looking for them. However, he pretended to be unaware.


    ¡°More and more people want to do business with us recently, but we don¡¯t have enough people working in the workshop. I was thinking, maybe we could hire more people, but I didn¡¯t dare to decide while the two of you weren¡¯t in the vige.¡± Niu Tongsheng didn¡¯t beat about the bush and got straight to the point.


    ¡°You can hire people as long as you find someone suitable. There¡¯s no need to consult us. You can make the arrangements yourself.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t own the workshop after all. Frankly, everyone here is rted to some extent. If I hired one person and didn¡¯t hire the others, some of them are bound to get upset. But it would be different if you were the one who made the decision. They wouldn¡¯t dare to say anything even if they aren¡¯t happy with it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve already chosen the people you want to hire?¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡±


    Niu Tongsheng nodded.


    This was also why he couldn¡¯t reject them..

 Chapter 339 - 339: Chuchu Is Better Than Me

    Chapter 339: Chuchu Is Better Than Me


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Some people are justzy and greedy. They would be leeching off the business if he really hired them to work at the workshop.


    But some of these people were closely rted to Niu Tongsheng, making it difficult for him to reject them directly. Now that Xie Heng and Zhao Chuchu were back, he could tell them who could and shouldn¡¯t be hired. Once Xie Heng and Zhao Chuchu decided, no one would dare to say anything.


    Niu Tongsheng truly wished that the workshop would operate well because it would uplift the lives of everyone.


    Everyone in the vige was scared of living in poverty, where they didn¡¯t have enough food and clothes. Now that they had the chance to escape poverty, Niu Tongsheng didn¡¯t want those people to ruin their hope.


    Most importantly, some of these people had bad characters. If they stole the recipe for the tofu skins and sold it to outsiders, the workshop might have to close down!


    ¡°Tell me about these people.¡± Xie Heng understood what Niu Tongsheng meant, so he told Niu Tongsheng to exin the name list.


    Niu Tongsheng didn¡¯t say who wasn¡¯t trustworthy outright. Instead, he told Xie Heng about each of their strengths and weaknesses, which gave Xie Heng a good idea of who should be hired.


    Zhao Chuchu heard the conversation from inside the room. She felt that Niu Tongsheng was managing the workshop quite well.


    They had been out of town for a month, yet the workshop operated normally.


    Xie Heng told Niu Tongsheng who could stay, finally allowing Niu Tongsheng to solve the issue. After that, he asked Xie Heng about what was going on out there.


    Xie Heng picked some things and talked about them. Niu Tongsheng didn¡¯t ask too much. He told Xie Heng that someone who imed to be from the Xia n of the Guangqing Province came looking for Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°They said they were from Chuchu¡¯s maternal family and came to fetch Chuchu back to the capital city. But Chuchu had already left back then. They didn¡¯t believe me and even tried to search the vige.¡± Niu Tongsheng frowned as he thought about what had happened that day. He asked, ¡°Da Lang, is Chuchu¡¯s maternal family really so wealthy? Could it be that they came to try and scam her because they saw how good of a doctor she was?¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Xie Heng asked.


    ¡°I feel like they¡¯re scammers. Miss Xia lived such a tough life back then, yet they never came to help her. Now that Chuchu became famous, this ¡®maternal family¡¯ suddenly popped out of nowhere. I don¡¯t believe in coincidences like this. ¡±


    ¡°Chuchu¡¯s mother was an orphan. She didn¡¯t have a maternal family.¡±


    ¡°They even went to look for Old Man Zhao.¡±


    ¡°What did Madam Yang do?¡±


    ¡°She wanted to recognize them as Zhao Chuchu¡¯s rtive, but she didn¡¯t dare!¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t dare?¡±


    ¡°Yup, I think she got scared.¡±


    Madam Yang had been extremely well-behaved recently. She didn¡¯t dare to stir up any trouble in the vige. Even though she was practically drooling over those people¡¯s wealth, she didn¡¯t dare to recognize them as rtives in ce of Zhao Chuchu.


    While those people kept calling her ¡°inw¡± as though they were good friends, Madam Yang didn¡¯t dare to answer them.


    The other people from the Zhao n tried to get close to them and get something out of those people.


    But scammers only wanted money. Why would they treat the others from the Zhao n nicely?


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure why but they never returned after a while.¡±


    ¡°They realized they couldn¡¯t scam you, so they had no choice but to leave.¡±


    ¡°I told everyone in the vige not to believe them. As for the Zhao n, I guess whatever they want to do is their own problem. We won¡¯t help them in any way when they get into trouble. But as long as Old Man Zhao and Madam Yang don¡¯t recognize those people, no one else from the Zhao n would be able to do anything. ¡±


    Old Man Zhao was Zhao Chuchu¡¯s real grandfather.


    Even her grandfather didn¡¯t say anything. The other people in the family had no right to make any ims.


    ¡°Next time you see them, just chase them out. We don¡¯t want anyone in the vige to get scammed,¡± Xie Heng said impassively, ¡°There¡¯s no need to treat scammers nicely.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± Niu Tongsheng nodded and said, ¡°Oh, by the way, Men and Hu Yiming¡¯s wedding has been finalized. We¡¯ve also decided on a date. It¡¯s going to happen at the end of the year. I think it¡¯s 20th December¡­¡±


    Niu Tongsheng told Xie Heng about everything that had happened in the vige.


    Actually, Xie Heng had known about these things a long time ago, yet he still patiently listened to Niu Tongsheng speak.


    Zhao Chuchu felt happy for Zhao Men.


    This engagement was supposed to be between Zhao Meijuan and Hu Yiming. However, Zhao Meijuan was an idiot and looked down on Hu Yiming for being intellectually disabled. Instead, she decided to get together with a scumbag. Now, she had lost her man and the money that was supposed toe with the marriage.


    She was probably drooling over the engagement with the Hu n.


    Niu Tongsheng stayed for another hour at the Xie n before leaving.


    Zhao Chuchu only came out of the room after he left.


    ¡°Did we disturb your sleep?¡± Xie Heng asked gently, ¡°Would you like to sleep for a while more?¡±


    ¡°No, I was tidying up the room. I wasn¡¯t sleeping,¡± Zhao Chuchu said as she walked to Xie Heng¡¯s side and sat down. ¡°I feel like the vige chief is treating you as the backbone of the vige. He¡¯s asking you about everything.¡±


    ¡°Actually, he was asking you. He wasn¡¯t looking for me. Oh, by the way, what do you think of the people that the vige chief suggested?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, I think your picks are great, and the chief has chosen a good way to deal with the situation as well.¡±


    Life in viges like Lengshui viges was all about rtionships and favors.


    Niu Tongsheng couldn¡¯t entirely reject those people, but Xie Heng and Zhao Chuchu were different!


    These people are rtives in the vige. They had nothing to do with Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng. Regardless of the final verdict, they couldn¡¯t me Niu Tongsheng for it.


    ¡°Did you send the stuff over?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked, ¡°If you haven¡¯t, I can take a walk and do it. I haven¡¯te back for quite a while. Everything feels so endearing. ¡±


    She liked this ce quite a lot. The mountains were beautiful, and the waters were clear. The air was also superb, making it a great retirement ce.


    Although a retired life was getting further and further away from her, she still wanted to treasure her few hours of spare time!


    ¡°Junjun is delivering it. I¡¯m going to tidy up the study room. Wannae to help me?¡± Xie Heng looked at Zhao Chuchu and asked.


    He used the word ¡°help,¡± but he actually just wanted Zhao Chuchu to stand there and apany him.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Zhao Chuchu answered.


    Xie Heng happily carried a bucket of water into the study room.


    Because the room was vacant for a very long time, everything was covered in dust. Xie Heng opened up all of the winders and told Zhao Chuchu to stand at the door and watch him clean up the room.


    There were a lot of books in his study room.


    Books were extremely valuable in ancient times. Xie Heng¡¯s collection was probably worth more than the worth of many wealthy ns.


    Xie Heng could recite all of these books. Whichever book Zhao Chuchu pointed at, he could tell her its content.


    ¡°Where I came from, we sometimes describe well-read people with the phrase ¡®knowledge that could fill five carriages.¡¯ I feel like this phrase was created for you,¡± Zhao Chuchu said.


    ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t say I have enough knowledge to fill up five carriages, haha. I just read a few books. I¡¯m still far behind you, Chuchu,¡± Xie Heng said humbly.


    Zhao Chuchu rolled her eyes.


    If his level of knowledge was considered ¡°a few, ¡± no one in this world could be regarded as knowledgeable.


    Xie Heng couldn¡¯t help but smile when he saw Zhao Chuchu¡¯s expression.


    ¡°Da Lang, being overly humble makes it fake,¡± Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°You should know that there aren¡¯t many people in this world who is more well-read than you.¡±


    ¡°There will always be someone out there who is better than me. You once told me that among any three people, one of them would be able to teach me something. Many people are more capable than me, and you are one of them.¡±


    Xie Heng wasn¡¯t being fake. In his opinion, Zhao Chuchu was an extremely impressive person.


    ¡°Nevermind, let¡¯s not talk about that. I want to eat something good tonight.¡± Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t want to discuss this topic, so she started thinking about food. She needed to fill her stomach to think about other things.


    ¡°What would you like to eat?¡± Xie Heng was happy to cook what Zhao Chuchu liked to eat.


    Zhao Chuchu listed several home-style dishes.


    These dishes were extremely easy for Xie Heng.


    ¡°Oh yeah, Da Lang, let¡¯s leave your room empty,¡± Zhao Chuchu suddenly changed the topic and said, ¡°So Junjun doesn¡¯t have to worry about us every day.¡±


    Xie Heng froze upon hearing that, and his face instantly turned red..

 Chapter 340 - 340: Don ‘t Leave Me 1

    Chapter 340: Don ¡®t Leave Me 1


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Although Xie Heng was able to recover from the surprise quickly, the words that Zhao Chuchu had said still rang inside his empty mind.


    There was no response from the man, prompting Zhao Chuchu to turn her head to look at him. She was shocked to see that his face waspletely red and grinned. ¡°Are you blushing, Da Lang?¡±


    Xie Heng blinked and smiled. ¡°Isn¡¯t that something I¡¯m supposed to ask instead?¡±


    Even after spending such a long time with Zhao Chuchu and having her take the initiative all the time, Xie Heng was still unused to it.


    ¡°Why does it matter? It¡¯s the same thing.¡± Zhao Chuchu chuckled. She then approached Xie Heng and whispered, ¡°Do you not want me to go?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Xie Heng replied without even thinking twice.


    Ever since he got used to having Zhao Chuchu sleep next to him, he did not want to experience lying on a bed alone again.


    Even if they were just lying on the bed doing nothing, that alone could already bring Xie Heng a lot of satisfaction. That satisfaction was something that could not be reced.


    ¡°But, Junjun won¡¯t bother you with those questions again.¡± Zhao Chuchu gently flicked the man¡¯s nose.


    He could immediately feel his nose turning red.


    When thedy who aroused the man was ready to turn to leave, he grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her into his arms.


    He hugged thedy tightly as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.


    The hint of sweet aroma that lingered around her was making him lose control. ¡°Chuchu, can you stay by my side forever?¡± the man softly whispered. ¡°Don¡¯t ever leave me.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu could feel her heart starting to race. ¡°Alright. I will always be with


    you.¡±


    As long as Xie Heng didn¡¯t do anything that would go against her principles, there was nothing that she could not ept.


    The man was pretty much her type, ticking every box there was about the perfect man in her mind. She was sure it would be almost impossible for her to find a man like Xie Heng who could make her heart race again.


    ¡°We¡¯ll always be together.¡±


    ¡°I know we will.¡±


    Xie Heng was reluctant to let go of Zhao Chuchu and continued to hug her.


    They were then suddenly interrupted by footsteps that were getting close to them. Xie Heng was forced to let go of Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°Someone¡¯s here,¡± he said.


    Zhao Chuchu noticed that they had a guest earlier than him.


    She could even tell from the sound of the footsteps that the guest was Zhao Men.


    Zhao Men¡¯s wedding was basically decided just before Zhao Chuchu had left.


    After going through all the preparations, she was now a bride-to-be. Zhao Men did not open the door immediately but knocked on it first.


    ¡°Come on in,¡± Zhao Chuchu responded.


    Zhao Men pushed the door opened and entered the room with a basket in her hand.


    A happy smile appeared on her face the moment she saw Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°Chuchu, Mr. Xie.¡±


    ¡°What brings you here? Aren¡¯t you supposed to be preparing for the wedding? Isn¡¯t it happening in a few days?¡± Zhao Chuchu teased.


    Zhao Men blushed. ¡°I heard that you guys are back, so I came to visit¡­¡±


    She then put the basket on the table and said, ¡°These are some snacks I just made. I hope you guys will like it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Zhao Chuchu replied and removed the cloth covering the top of the basket. She realized inside the basket were all the snacks she had once mentioned to Zhao Men.


    She was surprised that Zhao Men actually made all of them.


    Zhao Chuchu tried one of the snacks and was surprised that it tasted almost the same as she had remembered.


    ¡°This is amazing! I¡¯ve only described these to you, and you actually made them!¡± Zhao Chuchuplimented. At the same time, she also felt like God was making fun of her cooking skill.


    ¡°I actually failed a few times before getting it right. I¡¯m d that you like it! ¡± Zhao Men beamed.


    After a few exchanges, Xie Heng decided to leave the room so the twodies could have a morefortable conversation.


    ¡°Are they still causing you trouble?¡± Since Old Madam Ma and her sons had all been sent to the mine, it would be years before they could return to trouble Zhao Guitang and his family again. The people she was referring to now were the maiden family of Old Madam Ma.


    ¡°They are, but the chief has been helping us a lot. There¡¯s nothing much they could do.¡± Zhao Men nodded. ¡°Zhao Meijuan was the one who rejected this marriage. Why do I have to feel bad when I didn¡¯t do anything?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you can think this way.¡± Zhao Chuchu was d.


    She was initially worried that Zhao Men was too kind and would feel bad for doing that to Old Madam Ma. It would¡¯ve led to her being used by Old Madam Ma again in the future.


    However, judging from how much she had changed, there was nothing much for Zhao Chuchu to worry about.


    ¡°My dad¡¯s legs have healed, and the tofu business is growing by the day. They tried to take advantage of us, but my parents arepletely disappointed with them now and won¡¯t let them do what they want anymore.¡±


    ¡°What about the Hu n?¡±


    ¡°They have confirmed that even if I cut ties with them, the n would not consider my action disrespectful. In the end, they were the ones who offended the Hu n and us first. We are in the right here..¡±

 Chapter 341 - 341: Don’t Leave Me 2

    Chapter 341: Don¡¯t Leave Me 2


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°Does Hu Yiminge to the vige often?¡± ¡°All the time! He¡¯s treating me very well.¡±


    ¡°But, are you okay with this?¡±


    ¡°Of course. He might be the only person in the world who would treat me like this. If not for the illness that caused the brain injury, I would never have met such a good man. As long as he loves me, our lives will be good.¡±


    Zhao Men was very pessimistic about her marriage. The Hu n was a family of schrs. Hu Yiming might be mentally challenged now, but it didn¡¯t mean their children would be the same. With her mother-inw still around, she was confident that her children would get the best education and upbringing.


    Thedy was not someone who didn¡¯t know how blessed she was. She had vowed to treat the elders of the Hu n with the utmost respect in return for them treating her like a family.


    There was also the fact that Zhao Men actually liked the pure and kind Hu Yiming.


    Zhao Chuchu gently smiled. ¡°Men, I will also give you a huge present during your wedding.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve already given my family a lot of things. I¡¯m just here to visit you today. Chuchu, thank you. I¡¯m fortunate to have you help me so much.¡± Zhao Men was very grateful to Zhao Chuchu, even when thetter was the one who broke her father¡¯s legs.


    In the end, Zhao Chuchu healed the father¡¯s legs, and the family even found happiness from that ordeal.


    If not for Zhao Chuchu, the family would never be able to get out of the n that had been sucking them dry like vampires and would never have found the happy life they had yearned for.


    Zhao Men was satisfied with her life and was grateful for that.


    If one day, when Zhao Chuchu needed Zhao Men¡¯s help, thetter would do anything, even if it meant taking a de into her body.


    That was why Zhao Men didn¡¯t even try to guess what Zhao Chuchu would give her as a wedding present. It would still be an essential gift to her, even if it were a feather.


    Zhao Chuchu then asked Zhao Men about the tofu business and learned that Zhao Guitang had already found a small stall in the city. He was nning to move to the city shortly, away from Old Madam Mapletely.


    With that, Zhao Guitang and his family would no longer cross paths with his mother¡¯s family.


    ¡°So, are you no longer nning to sell tofu in Yongtu Town?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked.


    ¡°It would be bee too much for us to handle.¡± Zhao Men paused as she was a little embarrassed about that. ¡°Also, mom¡¯s pregnant. The town is too close to the vige. We are afraid my grandma will plot something again if she learns of that.¡±


    ¡°Your mom¡¯s pregnant?¡± That slightly caught Zhao Chuchu off guard.


    Zhao Men nodded. ¡°We just found out half a month ago. Dad¡¯s super excited for the past few weeks because of that.¡±


    ¡°Congrattions!¡± Zhao Chuchu was happy for them. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s head to your house. I¡¯ll check on the baby for your mom.¡±


    Zhao Men then quickly led Zhao Chuchu to her home.


    Madam He wasn¡¯t even old. She was only 31 years old. However, they were in a


    period where women could be grandmothers in their 30s, which was why Zhao Guitang was extremely nervous about it.


    Ever since he learned about the pregnancy, he had been doing all the chores himself and asked his wife to rest as much as possible.


    ¡°When your aunt was pregnant with Men, she still had to do all the heavy lifting and chores,¡± Zhao Guitang told Zhao Chuchu. ¡°She almost lost her life from giving birth because of that. Now that our situation has improved, I don¡¯t mind doing all the hard things myself. I don¡¯t want her to risk her life like before.¡¯


    Madam, He red at her husband and turned to Zhao Chuchu. ¡°Your uncle is like this, always scaring himself. Look at us. We can livefortably now. Nothing will happen to me. I also know my own body. A little work wouldn¡¯t matter.¡±


    ¡°Darling, just rest, okay? Think of it as me trying to make up for the past.¡±


    ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? There¡¯s nothing for you to make up. Chuchu, please help me convince your uncle. It¡¯s like I¡¯m in prison. I can¡¯t even go out. I¡¯ll go crazy if this continues.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was utterly speechless.


    She could not believe that she suddenly had to watch a couple openly showing affection toward each other.


    However, she was also happy to see the smooth rtionship between the married couple.


    At the very least, there were no quarrels and fights between them. Instead, their hearts were filled with understanding and love.


    ¡°Here. I¡¯ll check your pulse for you.¡± Zhao Chuchu sat down on the bed, prompting Zhao Guitang to give her some space quickly.


    Zhao Chuchu had a serious expression when she checked Madam He¡¯s pulse. As Zhao Guitang was extremely nervous, he felt as if he had to gasp for air as time passed. He just kept staring at Madam He¡¯s wrist as if he was worried that Zhao Chuchu would say something like the baby wasn¡¯t healthy.


    Since the family moved, Madam He had been living afortable life. Even her body and mental state were healthier now..

 Chapter 342 - 342: Don’t Leave Me 3

    Chapter 342: Don¡¯t Leave Me 3


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    A baby would thrive if the mother were healthy too.


    ¡°The baby is fine. You don¡¯t have to worry too much. Make sure not to work too hard for the first two or three months. Something light is still okay. It¡¯s also good to move around once in a while. Since she isn¡¯t showing any difort, try not to go overboard on the supplements. Too much will actually harm the child. ¡±


    ¡°Then, is there anything else I need to worry about? How about we ask your mom toe and look after you?¡± Zhao Guitang asked Zhao Chuchu first before turning to his wife. Since he was now separated from his mother¡¯s family, he was nervous despite not being the first time having a baby.


    ¡°Mom still needs to take care of other children. Come on. It¡¯s not my first time bearing a baby. I know how to take care of myself. Let¡¯s not trouble mom too much.¡± Madam He was a little speechless. ¡°Also, Chuchu is back now. If anything really happens, Chuchu is much more reliable than mom.¡±


    Zhao Guitang thought about it and found that his wife was right. He turned to Zhao Chuchu and sincerely requested, ¡°Chuchu, I¡¯ll leave her in your hands. Just let me know what you need. I¡¯ll pay you.¡±


    ¡°Stop it. Don¡¯t jinx it. Nothing is going to happen!¡± Madam He quickly pinched the husband.


    As their daughter was getting married and into a reputable family, they had spent much of their money preparing for the wedding. As they didn¡¯t want the others to look down on their daughter, they did their best to give her the best they could find.


    That was why they didn¡¯t have much spare money anymore.


    The baby was just too sudden. Despite that, they still insisted on giving Zhao Men the best.


    Madam He was sure that after surviving all the hardships in the past, her pregnancy would be easy. Ultimately, their lives were much better, and they could always fill their stomachs now. There was no need for them to work from morning until night as well.


    Zhao Chuchu smiled. ¡°The baby is healthy. There¡¯s not much to worry about for now. You should ease up a little, uncle.¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, is the baby a boy or a girl?¡± Madam He suddenly asked.


    Zhao Chuchu wasn¡¯t going to judge the woman for asking such a question.


    That was the ideology and culture at the time. To them, a family wasn¡¯tplete without a boy.


    ¡°Even I¡¯m not that good. The gender is already decided. There¡¯s nothing you can do now to change that. Don¡¯t think of eating something weird to try and change that, or it could risk the baby¡¯s life.¡± The only thing Zhao Chuchu could do was warn them.


    ¡°Darling, I don¡¯t care if the baby is a boy or a girl. It¡¯s the same thing. Look at other families. They have so many sons, but their lives are still hard. All we have to do is ensure the baby grows healthily.¡±


    ¡°But, I still want to give you a son¡­¡± Madam He said.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with a daughter? Look at Men. Isn¡¯t she perfect?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that. I just don¡¯t want people to ridicule you because of this.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you understand now? Having a son won¡¯t stop people from looking down on or ridiculing us. We need to be sessful. Look at Chuchu. She¡¯s a girl but is there any man in the vige better than her?¡±


    Madam He suddenly felt terrible after hearing that and quickly exined. ¡°Chuchu, it¡¯s not that having a daughter isn¡¯t good, but I just want to have both.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll know when it¡¯s time,¡± Zhao Chuchu said. ¡°Whether it¡¯s a boy or a girl, it¡¯s already decided the moment they were formed inside your body. In the end, the baby is part of you. What difference does that make? Being a parent and giving birth to a child is not the hardest part. The hardest part is making sure the child grows up as a decent person. Look at the sons of the Zhao n. Look at their attitudes and personalities. The parents still have to worry about them and even pay for their expenses at such an old age. What good would such sons give?¡±


    Madam He thought about what Zhao Chuchu had said and realized thedy was right.


    That was how she stopped thinking about having a son and left it for fate to decide.


    She realized that it would be a good thing if she had another daughter like Zhao Men.


    Zhao Chuchu left the room and noticed Zhao Men sitting in the garden. She was sure thedy outside had heard of everything and walked toward the garden.


    Zhao Men tilted forward and asked, ¡°Chuchu, are you worried that I would feel bad after hearing what mom had just said?¡±


    ¡°Then, how do you feel?¡±


    Zhao Men shook her head. ¡°As long as mom is happy. I don¡¯t really care if I get a brother or a sister. I¡¯d love them the same. But it¡¯d be better if it¡¯s a boy. At least he can care for mom and dad once they get old. You know what? I still hope that it¡¯s a boy¡­¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Because grandma will stop calling my mom a chicken that can¡¯ty eggs.¡±


    That was enough to enrage Zhao Chuchu as she scolded in her head.. ¡°What a vicious old woman!¡±

 Chapter 343 - 343: Faster than the Rest 1

    Chapter 343: Faster than the Rest 1


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°But Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll tell my mom not to trust superstitious beliefs to get a son. I wouldn¡¯t want her to ruin her body because of that,¡± Zhao Men quickly exined, worried that Zhao Chuchu would misunderstand.


    ¡°The gender of the baby has already been decided the moment they are conceived. Those weird methods that promise a son are fake, and those who actually got a son were just lucky. It¡¯s a 50-50 chance, after all. At least half of those who tried those methods would get a son.¡± Zhao Chuchu paused. ¡°The same goes for you in the future too. Don¡¯t pay too much attention to whether you¡¯ll bear a son or a daughter. There¡¯s no point in having many sons if you can¡¯t raise them properly.¡±


    Zhao Men¡¯s face turned red as she nodded.


    She was about to marry soon, which meant that she would have to get pregnant eventually.


    ¡°However, it¡¯s not absolute. I¡¯ll be able to help you when the timees,¡± Zhao Chuchu whispered to Zhao Men.


    ¡°I thought you said the gender is already decided?¡±


    ¡°After getting pregnant, yes. But there are still a couple of things I can do before you get pregnant.¡±


    ¡°R-really?¡¯


    ¡°Yes. But I Don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary for me to do that, is it? It¡¯s fate that the baby will be yours. It¡¯s better not to force this kind of thing. Who knows?


    Maybe you¡¯ll give birth to both a boy and a girl in the future.¡± see¡­¡±


    Zhao Men couldn¡¯t say anything else.


    As she was a shy person and the fact that the focus of the conversation had shifted onto her, she was too embarrassed to talk about her potential pregnancy.


    Seeing how embarrassed Zhao Men was, Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t help but burst outughing.


    Zhao Chuchu found it entertaining to tease such a pure-hearteddy.


    If she were still in her past life, her friends would¡¯ve turned the conversation indecent real quick, and they wouldugh at her for not doing that.


    Zhao Chuchu felt like she was a big bad wolf thrown into a flock of tamed sheep.


    ¡°By the way, does mom need to take any herbs?¡± Zhao Men quickly changed the topic.


    ¡°She¡¯s very healthy. There¡¯s no need for her to consume any herbs or medicines. Just make sure that she¡¯s careful when moving around. It¡¯s best if she can avoid taking any meds.¡±


    ¡°Then, is there anything for me to take note of?¡±


    ¡°Nope. Seeing how careful your father is, your mother will probably be healthy. You don¡¯t have to worry too much about it and focus on your own wedding instead.¡±


    Zhao Men was finally relieved after hearing that.


    She was worried that her mother and her sibling would have to suffer.


    However, all she got from Zhao Chuchu were good news. Those were words with calming effects on her.


    When Zhao Chuchu left Zhao Guitang¡¯s house, Zhao Men gave her more food to bring home with her.


    It had been quite a while since the vigers hadst seen Zhao Chuchua


    When they spotted her, they would yell her name and stop what they were doing just to chat with her.


    Most of the conversation was about the excellent harvest that year. Since business at the watermill workshop was getting even better, the vigers¡¯ wages and lives had also improved, and they thanked Zhao Chuchu from the bottom of their hearts for that.


    ¡°My husband said that if we keep doing good, we¡¯ll be able to build a new house next year! It¡¯s all thanks to you, Chuchu! We never even dreamt of living such a good life before! You really are our lucky star!¡¯


    ¡°Right? Do you even know how many people areing to our vige to work at the watermill workshop now? My son was never able to find a wife, but now, people have been knocking on my door every day to see if my son needs a wife. He eventually got one!¡¯


    ¡°Chuchu, you have no idea how badly those in the vige are regretting right now, do you? They are all begging for your forgiveness. Chuchu, I know you¡¯re a kind person, but some people just Don¡¯t deserve a second chance.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu mostly listened to them talking while smiling and asionally replied to them.


    However, Zhao Chuchu understood who the vigers were talking about.


    She would never help those people, no matter how hard they begged.


    For her, she always believed that if a person wanted to bear ill-intention to another person, they should be prepared not to be forgiven easily.


    ¡°How are the potatoes?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked the vigers. ¡°I think I forgot how to teach you all how to make a couple of dishes out of those potatoes. Why Don¡¯t I teach some recipes? It¡¯s way more interesting than talking about those people.¡±


    ¡°Yes, please!¡± Everyone replied in unison.


    Not many people were nting potatoes in the vige yet, but after the harvest from the Tripe Mountain, Zhao Chuchu gave a lot to the vigers.


    One was to let them try the potatoes out, and the other reason was to let them have the seeds.


    As for what the vigers had in store for next year, Zhao Chuchu decided not to interfere with that.


    Teaching people knowledge was better than handing them aplete product. She had taught the vigers all she could teach. If they still couldn¡¯t fill their stomachs, they could only me themselves for that. There was no way Zhao Chuchu could help them forever.


    Zhao Chuchu then taught the vigers a couple of recipes that involved using potatoes.


    Although Zhao Chuchu was terrible at cooking, it didn¡¯t mean she didn¡¯t know how to cook. In the end, theory and practice were two separate entities.


    Madam Yang happened to walk past. She was about to run when she spotted Zhao Chuchu but eventually stopped when she heard thedy talking about recipes involving using potatoes. She quickly hid behind the crowd and listened.


    She didn¡¯t even dare to make a voice as she was worried that she would get noticed and get chased away by Zhao Chuchu.


    They couldn¡¯t be on good terms with Zhao Chuchu anymore. If they were to offend Zhao Chuchu even further, they would most likely get chased out of Lengshui Vige.


    Madam Yang still remembered the time when she led a group of people to mess with Zhao Guitang. Not only did she not get what she wanted, she even almost lost her life. That left a profound impression on her; she wouldn¡¯t dare mess with Zhao Chuchu anymore.


    Zhao Chuchu did spot Madam Yang hiding behind.


    However, seeing how the woman was not trying to cause any trouble, Zhao Chuchu decided not to bother her. She wouldn¡¯t want to waste time on the woman, either.


    Madam Yang quickly left after hearing everything she needed.


    Old Mrs. Chen then whispered to Zhao Chuchu, ¡°Madam Yang has been keeping a low profile recently. She didn¡¯t even talk to the Zhao n anymore. Do you think she¡¯s changed?¡¯


    ¡°She¡¯s just keeping a low profile because there¡¯s no powerful group backing her up. If she eventually gets one again, do you think she¡¯ll live such a life?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked.


    Old Mrs. Chen thought about it and realized that Zhao Chuchu was correct.


    Madam Yang had never been the type to keep a low profile ever since she arrived in Lengshui Vige.


    If not for Zhao Chuchu, Madam Yang would¡¯ve never lived this way.


    ¡°Then, will you¡­¡±


    ¡°Never!¡¯


    Zhao Chuchu cut Old Mrs. Chen short.


    She would never return to the Zhao n.


    It never made sense for the n to force her that much when the original owner never owed them anything.


    In the end, if Madam Yang still wanted to make a scene, she wouldn¡¯t mind giving her the Old Madam Ma treatment and sending her to the mine.


    ¡°Also, when you were gone, there were a few new faces in the vige asking about you,¡± Old Mrs. Chen scanned the surrounding before whispering. ¡°Even I can tell that they mean trouble. They even went to Old Man Zhao. You should be careful..¡±

 Chapter 344 - 344: Can You Teach Me

    Chapter 344: Can You Teach Me


    Trantor: Nyoi-Ba Studio Editor: Nyai-Bo Studio


    ¡°What did that old man do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure. All I saw was him seeing those people off with a huge grin on his face. I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯s plotting something. You should be careful. They might be targeting the watermill workshop since you refused to let them work there.¡±


    ¡°Any other weird stuff?¡±


    ¡°I see them outside the workshop all the time.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°But, the chief has guards keeping the workshop safe all the time. No one can enter without permission.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu wasn¡¯t really worried that people might steal the secret to making tofu skins.


    As the market grew bigger, just the watermill workshop in Lengshui Vige alone wasn¡¯t enough to meet the demand.


    The other reason was that they were also contracted with the Yuan n. Not many people were able tond such a contract.


    As long as her rtionship with the Yuan n remained friendly, no one could cooperate with the Yuan n directly.


    ¡°I see. Don¡¯t worry about it. Even if they do steal the secret to making tofu skins, they wont be able to steal away our sales.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯re the face of the workshop, after all. Even the chief said that we have to make sure the tofu skins are all well made, or else we¡¯ll tarnish your name. Though, I wonder why you¡¯re so smartpared to others.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because I read a lot of books. Before Da Lang taught me how to read, I Don¡¯t know many things either.¡±


    ¡°Then, why doesn¡¯t Da Lang know how to do this?¡¯


    ¡°Because his eyes used to be bad, and he can¡¯t see clearly. No one would¡¯ve believed him even if he taught people, right?¡¯


    Old Mrs. Chen thought about it and found thedy¡¯s exnation made sense.


    When Xie Heng used to be blind, most vigers pitied him, but only a handful believed him.


    In the end, most people would think that the words of a blind man weren¡¯t trustable.


    Even Old Mrs. Chen had the same thought.


    It wasn¡¯t that they were looking down on Xie Heng, but it was hard to believe a blind person who couldn¡¯t do things on their own.


    ¡°But we are nning to move to the city next year. So, I hope you guys can master everything I have to teach.¡± ¡°Is Da Lang preparing to take the exam?¡±


    ¡°Yes. He¡¯s nning to take the next one.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great! Thank God Da Lang is able to meet you, or else he would have to live a poor life. He¡¯s such a smart person. Even our old schr always praised him, saying that he could ace the test easily! Unfortunately, he lost his sight.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m not sure about that, but it¡¯s worth a try. He¡¯s still young, and he can still try again.¡±


    Old Mrs. Chen wasn¡¯t sure what Zhao Chuchu meant, but she could understand the implication of thedy¡¯s words.


    ¡°Just tell Da Lang to focus on his study. If you guys need anything, just ask your Uncle Chen for help. They¡¯re pretty free now.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ste. Why Don¡¯t you stay over for dinner? We just killed a chicken today. Have Da Lang and June over too.¡± Old Mrs. Chen invited Zhao Chuchu to have dinner with the Chen n.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to go back and see if Da Lang has already made dinner or not. We¡¯lle over if he hasn¡¯t started yet.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing,¡± Old Mrs. Chen replied with a warm smile.


    Zhao Chuchu nodded and headed home first.


    Fortunately enough, Xie Heng had yet to make dinner.


    ¡°Da Lang, Grandma Chen invited us over for dinner. You don¡¯t have to cook today.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Why Don¡¯t we bring some food over too?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu then returned to the house with a serving of cold served chicken


    She could simply y it off as something she¡¯d bought from the county town.


    It would be hard for her to exin if the food was still hot and fresh out of the space.


    She also brought a serving of cold braised duck feet too.


    After Xie Heng had finished his work, he washed his hands and headed to the Chen n¡¯s house with Zhao Chuchu.


    Xie Jun was already waiting for them there.


    ¡°Come on! I said I was making dinner. Why did you still bring food over?¡± Old Mrs. Chen red at Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°I got these from the town. These were supposed to be my dinner. They might go back if I keep them. You guys can try it too. It¡¯s something new,¡± Zhao Chuchu exined with a grin.


    ¡°Come on, mom, Chuchu is practically family now,¡± Madam Zheng said. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so reserved. What if they don¡¯t want toe over again?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s right.¡± Madam Liang nodded. ¡°Chuchu must¡¯ve wanted us to try them. Da


    Lang, Chuchu, here, have a seat first. Dinner about to be done.¡±


    The atmosphere that the Chen n had ¡®Was perfect. Old Mrs. Chen had a really good rtionship with her two daughters-inw. They rarely fought as well. Madam Zheng and Madam Liang weren¡¯t petty people as well. They ¡®Were poor, but their lives were peaceful.


    That was why Xie Heng always asked the Chen n to help look after Xie Jun.


    A family that always argued over the small things would be bad for the little boy¡¯s upbringing.


    Although Zhao Chuchu had brought over a lot of chicken and duck feet, it only took them a couple of minutes to finish them.


    The children of the Zhao n loved them the most.


    ¡°Chuchu, these are super tasty! The children rarely eat these back then, but look at them go today!¡± Madam Liang beamed. ¡°Where did you buy these? I¡¯ll have Dashan buy some when he goes into town.¡±


    ¡°I bought it from a stall. I kind of forgot where it was. A grandfather and his grandson tend the stall.¡± Zhao Chuchu quickly made an excuse. ¡°I¡¯ll see if I can find it again.¡±


    ¡°These sure are good. Who would¡¯ve thought that chicken and duck feet could be made into such delicacies!¡¯


    ¡°Well, many things can be turned into tasty food if you are willing to put your time into it. But, these must be their own secret recipe passed down in their family. I wonder if we can buy the recipe from them?¡±


    Xie Heng, who had been silent throughout the whole meal, suddenly said, ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be hard. I¡¯ll try to replicate these when I have the time.¡±


    ¡°Can you?¡± Old Mrs. Chen was surprised.


    Xie Heng nodded and listed out the ingredient he thought was used in making the two dishes, and they were the same as what Zhao Chuchu knew.


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    Fortunately for the restaurants out there, Xie Heng vvas about to be a government official, or else he would¡¯ve taken over their businesses easily.


    There was no way they would still be in business when Xie Heng could easily taste what ingredients were used in their specialty dish. The only way they would prevent that was not to serve him anything.


    Zhao Chuchu was d that Xie Heng was her man, that she had someone who could cook with her so that she didn¡¯t have to worry about not getting any good food into her stomach.


    He could make anything she wanted to eat.


    ¡°Then, can you teach me how to make these?¡± Old Mrs. Chen asked. ¡°The children love them a lot.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Xie Heng nodded.


    When he was still blind, the Chen n took excellent care of him and Xie Jun.


    Xie Heng had always been grateful to them for that..

 Chapter 345 - 345: Love That Can’t Be Hidden

    Chapter 345: Love That Can¡¯t Be Hidden


    Trantor: Nyai-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-ao Studio


    Old Mrs. Chen was extremely delighted. ¡°I guess there¡¯s the merit of being old for once. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to thank me, Grandma Chen,¡± Xie Heng replied. ¡°It¡¯s nothing much, really. I just have to tell you how to make them.¡±


    ¡°Still, I¡¯ll have to waste your time.¡± Old Mrs. Chen was still a little embarrassed about it. ¡°If you have anything you want to learn and I happen to know it, just let me know. I¡¯ll make sure you learn it.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    Old Mrs. Chen then asked Xie Heng about the Imperial Examination, and the man replied to every question thrown at him.


    Old Mrs. Chen regretted a little that none of her children were good at studying. If not, she would¡¯ve done anything she could to ensure they got the best education possible.


    Xie Heng could tell what the old woman was thinking and said, ¡°Your grandchildren are already at that age. You could send them to a private school in the town. If it suits them, why not let them learn? It¡¯s not like they have to participate in the Imperial Examination and be an official. Being able to read and write is better for their future after all.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Dashan, Dashi, what do you guys think?¡± Old Mrs. Chen asked her two sons.


    Madam Zheng and Madam Liang started to get a little excited.


    Naturally, as mothers, both of them would wish that their sons could be sessful in the future, and studying was one of the best ways to do that.


    They never thought about it because they used to be poor in the past. However, with their family¡¯s financial situation getting better and now that they had a stable ie, it wasn¡¯t hard for them to pay the tuition fees for the two children.


    Chen Dashan and his brother came to the same conclusion as well.


    ¡°Mom, are you sure? Who are we sending to school?¡±


    ¡°Since I Don¡¯t want you guys to call me biased, why not let¡¯s send all of the children to private schools? If they want to continue to learn after that, we¡¯ll just let them learn. If they aren¡¯t interested in that, then what¡¯s the point of forcing them to study? It all depends on the children themselves in the end.¡± Old Mrs. Chen had calcted all the silvers they had. As long as the watermill workshop continued to operate, money would not be a problem.


    ¡°Thank you, mom,¡± Madam Zheng and Madam Liang both thanked at the same time.


    ¡°Come on. We are a family. You don¡¯t have to thank me for this. But, if they Don¡¯t want to go, I won¡¯t force them either. I¡¯m not going to waste money.¡±


    ¡°We understand.¡±


    Chances were given to everyone. It all depended on themselves if they could cash out on the opportunities or not.


    The mothers were now wondering how they were going to convince their children, hoping that they were willing to study and not grow up to be adults like them who couldn¡¯t read.


    Studying would still bring a lot of benefits. Xie Heng and Zhao Chuchu were great examples. Not only did learning change their lives, but it also changed the lives of the entire vige.


    The vige would still be in a terrible situation if not for that.


    Most of them would be dead when the gue took over the vige.


    Old Mrs. Chen took the chance to ask Xie Heng about the preparation needed.


    Xie Heng patiently answered all the questions and even gave them a lot of suggestions.


    At first, Old Mrs. Chen thought of having Xie Heng teach the children first, but then she thought of the number of children in the vige, and there was no way Xie Heng could teach all of them.


    If Xie Heng somehow messed it up, the vigers would, in turn, me him.


    There was also the fact that Xie Heng was preparing for an exam himself. Old Mrs. Chen didn¡¯t want to waste too much of his time.


    ¡°I rmend you send the children to the city, but you¡¯ll need to arrange for them to be taken care of, and that¡¯s a little unrealistic. The best course of action now is for them to get their first education in the town before sending them to the academies in the city.¡±


    ¡°We Don¡¯t know anything about this. We¡¯ll just follow what you said.¡± Xie Heng smiled.


    When they finally left Chen¡¯s house, the sky had already turned dark


    Xie Heng lit the dark road with a fire torch while guiding Zhao Chuchu with his other arm over her shoulder.


    As the night wind was chilly, Xie Heng pulled thedy closer to him.


    ¡°Is it cold?¡± Xie Heng asked.


    ¡°Not at all.¡± It didn¡¯t really matter to Zhao Chuchu. Even without the torch, she could clearly see the road ahead.


    However, it was the best time for them to be together. Zhao Chuchu wasn¡¯t the type ofdy who would ruin the atmosphere.


    ¡°I heard from Grandma Chen today that someone made a deal with Old Man Zhao. I¡¯m pretty sure they¡¯re making a move against me,¡± Zhao Chuchu said.


    ¡°You know about it, right?¡±


    ¡°They are just some small fry who can¡¯t do anything,¡± Xie Heng gently replied.


    ¡°The Zhao n will find themselves in huge trouble soon.¡±


    ¡°Everything is under your control, huh? It looks like I can justy back and rx.¡± Zhao Chuchu chuckled. ¡°Is there anything I need to worry about?¡± ¡°Yeah, me,¡± Xie Heng naturally replied. ¡± You can worry about me.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°Like, you can think more about me?¡±


    ¡°When are you so good with words?¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t stop myself after seeing you. I Don¡¯t even know what it means to lose your self-control over love back then, but now I know. Even if I want to hide it, it¡¯ll poke out like a needle.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless as Xie Heng was clearly flirting with her.


    She couldn¡¯t understand how such a cold man coulde out with so many cheesy lines.


    The worst part was that she enjoyed them a lot.


    Her heart was now racing.


    That was something she had never felt before.


    She would¡¯ve found it annoying if she had heard it from another person. But when it was from Xie Heng, it would make her blush instead


    Zhao Chuchu took a deep breath. ¡°Da Lang, I never thought I would hear these lines from you.¡±


    ¡°There are still more toe. We still have a lifetime ahead of us. I¡¯ll slowly let you hear all of them.¡±


    ¡°But, what if you get bored one day?¡¯


    ¡°I won¡¯t. All those lines are reserved for you. I¡¯ll never get bored. Our fates are tied together by God. It took me two lives to finally find you. How can I be bored of this?¡±


    He even thought that a lifetime with Zhao Chuchu wasn¡¯t enough and greedily wanted more.


    ¡°But, people change.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll only change for you. I¡¯ve lived avish life, but you¡¯re the best that I¡¯ve ever gotten. You¡¯re my world.¡±


    When Xie Heng said that, he stared at Zhao Chuchu intensely as if he wanted to burn a hole in her.


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s heart raced even faster, but she didn¡¯t want Xie Heng to realize she was blushing. ¡°Men are always real with their promises, but these might notst. Do you know why men always get struck by lightning? Because they make too many promises.¡±


    Xie Hengughed. ¡°Well, I¡¯m the one that never gets hit by lightning. Chuchu, no one understand my feeling more than myself. You¡¯re not a spur-of-a-moment girl for me. I want to be with you forever. My words might not be enough, but time can prove them for me.¡±

 Chapter 346 - 346: Married in Name

    Chapter 346: Married in Name


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Zhao Chuchu let out a sigh. ¡°Other people kept saying that you¡¯re a boring man, but you were just hiding your true self all along. Da Lang, if you were like this from the start, you would never have lived a single life for so long.¡±


    ¡°But they aren¡¯t you and Don¡¯t have your charm. Do you even know how much you¡¯ve changed me?¡± Xie Heng lowered his head and whispered as his warm breath brushed past Zhao Chuchu¡¯s face.


    Despite the cold weather, Zhao Chuchu could still feel the warmth from his breath.


    Her heart was racing so fast that she thought she was dying.


    Fortunately for her, the trip home wasn¡¯t long, or her face would¡¯ve burst into me from all the blushing.


    The moment they got home, she ran into the kitchen, saying that she was going to boil water for their bath, but in truth, she was hiding from Xie Heng.


    She always thought she was the flirting master until Xie Heng started to flirt with her daily.


    Zhao Chuchu was already almost at her limit.


    As she didn¡¯t want to admit defeat, all she could do was hide.


    Zhao Chuchu knelt in front of the stove. As she started a fire, she kept thinking about how to turn the tide. She couldn¡¯t just let Xie Heng take the lead all the time, thinking she should be making his heart race instead.


    Thedy always thought that she was a courageous person and that she could seduce men easily.


    However, it was as if all her guts were gone when she was in front of Xie Heng.


    It was then she learned that one would be very timid in front of the person they like.


    When she finally understood that, she was in disbelief.


    She couldn¡¯t believe that she had such a timid side, even though she was the one who had been making Xie Heng blush at first.


    Zhao Chuchu was trying hard to remember when their roles switched.


    Yet, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn¡¯t remember.


    Ultimately, she could only conclude that it happened when she wasn¡¯t paying attention.


    Amidst her thought, Xie Heng suddenly came into the kitchen.


    He opened the lid and poured water into the pot before asking, ¡°Are you trying to burn the pot?¡¯


    Zhao Chuchu then realized she had not been paying attention because she was thinking of other stuff and had yet to add water to the pot.


    ¡°Are you tired?¡± Xie Heng was very considerate and didn¡¯t leave her in the awkwardness. ¡°Why Don¡¯t you sit outside for a while? Let me do this.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Help me get some water,¡± Zhao Chuchu ordered without changing her expression. ¡°Let¡¯s fill the pot. That should be enough for us.¡±


    ¡°Are you inviting me to shower together?¡± Xie Heng tried to hide hisughter while he couldn¡¯t stop himself from teasing her.


    Zhao Chuchu red at the man as she thought, ¡°Look at him now, knowing how to tease me like that!¡±


    ¡°Sure, if you insist. Do you want to bathe with me?¡± Not wanting to lose, Zhao Chuchu raised a brow and asked Xie Heng.


    She didn¡¯t expect his face to turn red instantly, and she immediatelyughed when she saw that.


    Being able to turn the tide, Zhao Chuchu was feeling really good.


    At least she won¡¯t be the one at the receiving end anymore, and she liked it. ¡°Chuchu, I¡¯ll think you¡¯re really inviting me if you keep teasing me like that.¡± ¡°Do you even have the guts?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked.


    Xie Heng didn¡¯t say anything. With a grunt, he picked the bucket up and turned to leave. He was running away.


    After he was out of the kitchen, he turned and said, ¡°I¡¯m still a man!¡¯


    Before Zhao Chuchu could even react, Xie Heng was already gone.


    It took her a while to understand what he meant.


    This time, Xie Heng took his time beforeing back with another bucket of water.


    However, his expression had returned to normal. It seemed that he had already calmed down.


    ¡°Let¡¯s boil two buckets first. It¡¯ll boil faster. Why don¡¯t you take a bath first so you can rest? I¡¯ll boil my ownter.¡± Xie Heng looked at Zhao Chuchu. ¡°You must be tired from all that traveling.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu wasn¡¯t tired, but she wouldn¡¯t refuse his offer either.


    ¡°Sure thing.¡±


    Xie Heng put the basket down and knelt before the stove to throw more firewood into the burning me.


    Zhao Chuchu looked at him from behind; all she could feel was sweetness.


    These were things that could happen every day, but they were also things that touched her.


    Zhao Chuchu had never once thought how the man she would eventuallye to like would look like in the past.


    Yet, now, it was much clearer than ever. It was the man in front of her, Xie Heng.


    It was as if Xie Heng was carved from her picture of a perfect man. There wasn¡¯t a part of him that she didn¡¯t like.


    After ensuring the fire would continue to burn for a While, Xie Heng grabbed a stool and sat down next to Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°Want some sweet potato? I¡¯ll grill a couple too,¡± Xie Heng tilted towards her and gently asked. ¡°You like them, no?¡±


    ¡°Why not.¡± Zhao Chuchu nodded.


    Xie Heng got up and returned to the house. He returned with two normal-sized sweet potatoes and tossed them into the me.


    He then continued to talk to Zhao Chuchu.


    The water boiled not long after, and he helped her carry the water into the bathroom.


    After her bath, thedy returned to the room.


    Her face started to blush again when she thought about how she asked if they should move into the same room.


    She quickly convinced herself that it wasn¡¯t their first time sharing the same bed and calmed herself down.


    In the end, they were still married by name.


    Zhao Chuchu then climbed onto the bed, but she did not expect herself to fall asleep before Xie Heng could even return.


    On the other hand, Xie Heng was extremely nervous, and sharing the same bed at home was differentpared to doing that outside. It took him a long while to calm down before heading into the room. What weed him was Zhao Chuchu¡¯s calm breaths, and he couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    ¡°What are you thinking so much for?¡± Heughed at himself in his head. ¡°My Chuchu never follows the script anyway. Yeah, there¡¯s no point in forcing things. We should let things happen naturally.¡±


    Xie Heng was still d that Zhao Chuchu could be utterly defenseless in front of him.


    He was constantly worried that she would be wary of him after learning about him.


    But she didn¡¯t.


    She still trusted him.


    Xie Heng slowly walked toward the bed.


    Zhao Chuchu heard that, and she opened her eyes. When she saw it was Xie Heng, she closed her eyes and went back to sleep.


    All Xie Heng could feel was warmth in his heart when he saw that.


    He stared at her, giving all his love to her through his eyes.


    She was his woman. No matter what would happen in the future, he had promised that he would not let her go easily and that no one could ever take her away from him.


    Perhaps because Zhao Chuchu was already fast asleep, Xie Heng fell asleep as soon as he hit the bed.


    Being next to her, he didn¡¯t have to worry about the other stuff. Hearing her breath was calming for him.


    The next day, Xie Jun, smart enough to stay with the Chen n the night before, slowly crept home. When he realized that his brother and sister-inw were still sleeping, he quickly took a shower and was ready to leave so the couple could have more alone time.


    He wasn¡¯t worried that if he would get a niece or nephew soon or not, but he wanted to give them more time together.


    As long as their rtionship remained strong, they would never be separated.


    All Xie Jun wanted was for Zhao Chuchu to be his sister-inw forever.


    Xie Jun thought that his action was very soft, but he didn¡¯t know that Zhao Chuchu had already noticed him before he even got home.


    Zhao Chuchu almost couldn¡¯t hold herughter when she realized that the little boy was trying not to alert her of Xie Heng. She found it funny that he thought she didn¡¯t know that he crept toward their room and tried to listen inside before heading to the bathroom..

 Chapter 347 - 347: Ruthless is The Basic

    Chapter 347: Ruthless is The Basic


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Xie Jun thought he was silent enough and was ready to leave after cleaning himself up. However, he was stopped by his brother, who had already woken up.


    ¡°Where are you going? I¡¯ll have to check on your homework after breakfast.¡±


    Xie Jun¡¯s excited face was gone almost instantly. ¡°Bro, can we do that a few dayster? You and sis haven¡¯t been home, and I missed you guys.¡±


    ¡°You were ying around, huh?¡± Xie Heng asked.


    Xie Jun lowered his head and didn¡¯t argue.


    The little boy did miss his older brother, but that didn¡¯t stop him from ying around.


    As he used to be weak, he couldn¡¯t y much like other children.


    Now that his body had gotten healthier, nothing was stopping him from ying. He was still a kid, after all, and it was in their nature to have fun. No matter how good his self-control was, he could not stop himself from ying.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Xie Jun mumbled. ¡°I couldn¡¯t stop myself from ying. There are a lot of things I wanted to try, so¡­¡±


    ¡°Did you have fun?¡±


    ¡°Not really. I was worried that you would scold me when you came back¡­¡±


    ¡°So, you didn¡¯t have fun and didn¡¯t do your homework?¡±


    Xie Jun remained silent after that.


    Xie Heng patted the little boy¡¯s head. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with ying, but you must learn to make a schedule. If you finished your homework earlier, then you could y to your heart¡¯s content, no? ()r else, you would think of ying when you are studying and worry about your homework when you y. How is that fun?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not.¡± ¡°Then, do you know what you¡¯ve done wrong?¡¯


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°What should you do then?¡±


    ¡°Finish what I should do first before ying.¡±


    ¡°Good. Then, you¡¯ll be able to finish your homework and y as much as you want after that. You have to remember that there are more important things that should be taken care of first.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Xie Jun raised his head. ¡°I ept any punishment!¡¯


    ¡°Forgot it. I¡¯ll let you off the hook just this one time.¡± Xie Heng wasn¡¯t going to be too harsh on Xie Jun. ¡°However, there¡¯s no next time, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Xie Jun nodded before he whispered, ¡°Bro, did sis invite you to her room?¡±


    Xie Heng was speechless for a second before yelling, ¡°Bring your homework out!


    I want to check them!¡¯


    Shocked, Xie Jun wailed in his head, scolding himself for being a busybody.


    He went into his room and returned with the passage he had copied for the past few days.


    Xie Heng turned into a strict teacher and picked out all of Xie Jun¡¯s mistakes. His criticism was so harsh that he made the boy drop his head.


    Fortunately, his handwriting was the only thing Xie Jun didn¡¯t do well enough. He still perfectly memorized all the passages that Xie Heng had asked him to. In the end, he just had to rewrite all the words he didn¡¯t perfect ten times. Xie Heng then went and cleaned himself up before making breakfast.


    Zhao Chuchu waited until then beforeing out of the room.


    When she saw Xie Jun fully focused on writing, she couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    However, she didn¡¯t interrupt the little boy and went to check what breakfast Xie Heng was making.


    When Xie Jun heard his sister-inw¡¯s voice, he ran into the kitchen excitedly and dragged her out.


    Xie Heng looked at his brother, and all he could think of was that the punishment wasn¡¯t enough.


    Xie Jun had no idea that he would get in trouble again.


    ¡°Sis! How was the city?¡± Xie Jun asked, wanting to hear stories of the big city. Zhao Chuchu nced at his homework and patted his head. ¡°Junjun, I think you should finish your homework first, or else, your brother will make you write more. Didn¡¯t you promise to focus on what¡¯s important first?¡±


    Xie Jun chuckled embarrassingly and said, ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll finish them first!¡¯


    ¡°Good boy.¡±


    The little boy then started to focus on his writing again.


    Xie Heng saw that and didn¡¯t say anything else.


    After breakfast, Zhao Chuchu headed to the watermill workshop.


    Niu Tongsheng had his own idea of managing the workshop, and it started to look like a factory from the future.


    When he spotted Zhao Chuchu, he quickly greeted her. ¡°Chuchu, you¡¯re up early.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just here to take a look. You¡¯ve been doing a great job managing this ce,


    Chief.¡±


    ¡°I just did what I thought was right. I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s good or not. If you think it¡¯s okay, then it¡¯s good enough for me.¡±


    ¡°The workshop will only grow bigger if this goes on.¡±


    ¡°I hope so. Are you here to see the new employees?¡±


    ¡°No. I happened to pass by. I won¡¯t be here for long.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu had no intention of spending much time on the workshop matters..

 Chapter 348 - 348: Ruthless is The Norm 2

    Chapter 348: Ruthless is The Norm 2


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    She would eventually leave Lengshui Vige. The watermill workshop was more like a gift from her to the vigers who took care of the original owner.


    That was why the watermill workshop would be handed to the vigers. Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t care about the rest after that.


    Niu Tongsheng then told Zhao Chuchu his future ns for the workshop.


    She took the chance to give him a lot of suggestions, and he diligently noted all of them down.


    It was also then thedy realized that Niu Tongsheng had been learning how to read and write.


    ¡°Well, everything has to be recorded if I want to do business. I can¡¯t find people to help me with that, can I? What if someone tried to scam me? Crying won¡¯t help. Learning is the best way to counter that,¡± Niu Tongsheng quickly exined, worried that Zhao Chuchu would think he was not focused on the workshop.


    Initially, he was able to read a little, but that was all. However, for his future ns, he decided to start learning again.


    Zhao Chuchu smiled. ¡°I¡¯m d that you can have such a good mindset. People should learn from you. Instead of gettingfortable with the current life, learning as you grow is better.¡± ¡°Are you not ming me?¡±


    ¡°Why would I?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was extremely happy that the vige chief was willing to learn.


    She didn¡¯t want toe back only to see the workshop in shambles.


    From what Niu Tongsheng had shown her, she believed that such an oue would not happen.


    ¡°Oh, right! Chuchu, didn¡¯t you say that we can use soybean to make other products? Can we make those here in the workshop?¡± Niu Tongsheng asked.


    Zhao Chuchu thought about it for a while. Both bean paste and soy sauce were made with soybean and were widely consumed in the future world. She believed that the two condiments would be very weed at a time when dish variety was stillcking.


    However, if the workshop were to make all of those, it might be too much for them to handle.


    ¡°Chief, it¡¯s not like I dont want the workshop to make those too, but the workshop can barely keep up with the demand for tofu skins. I dont think it¡¯s a good idea to expand yet.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not what I mean. i¡­¡±


    ¡°I know you want the give the employees higher wages, but it¡¯s not the time yet. Making tofu skins isn¡¯tplicated, and people will eventually learn how to make them. Instead of being reced by other people, why not be the specialty of this workshop? We can wait until everyone acknowledges that the tofu skin from this watermill workshop is the only ce to get good tofu skin before we venture to other productions.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I didn¡¯t even think that far.¡± Niu Tongsheng sighed. ¡°I kept thinking of making the workshop even more sessful, but I didn¡¯t even think that far ahead. Just forget what I had said.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s normal. I¡¯m not ming you, either. This is just my advice. Please don¡¯t think bad of me for being straightforward.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare! What you said makes sense as well. I was just too shortsighted. Chuchu, if you hadn¡¯t reminded me of that, I would¡¯ve tried to run before I could even walk. You are right.¡±


    ¡°Also, there¡¯s the part where even if I teach you to make other stuff now, the workshop won¡¯t be able to produce them yet. The cost is just too high, and the workshop will fall because of that. The cost for tofu skin is the lowest and the best for the workshop now.¡±


    Niu Tongsheng quickly nodded.


    ¡°When people start to acknowledge the tofu skins made by this workshop, then you¡¯ll start to see the power of branding. Money will start to flow in.¡±


    As information technology was stillcking and advertising was not the norm, people tended to trust old shops more.


    The watermill workshop was the first in the world to make tofu skins. As long as they didn¡¯t start to skimp on the ingredient and the quality of the product remained the same, they would always be one step ahead of others. Making a profit was not going to be a problem.


    Niu Tongsheng was an honest person as well. Zhao Chuchu believed that the workshop would be even better under his management.


    The only thing holding them back from expanding was time.


    ¡°The Yuan n is interested in tofu skins as well. They¡¯ll eventually send someone to talk to you about working together. You better prepare for that.¡±


    ¡°The Yuan n? The one from the Guangqing Province?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I thought they were a salt merchant. Why¡­¡±


    ¡°Have you ever seen someone giving up on a good chance of making more money?¡¯


    ¡°I see. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll make sure this will go well.¡±


    Niu Tongsheng was extremely motivated.


    The Yuan n used to be a family he could never even imagine interacting with. Being able to work with them was a huge step up in his life.


    ¡°Dont put too much pressure on yourself. The Yuan n is not a family that likes to force other people. At least they won¡¯t be like most people you¡¯ve met


    before..¡±

 Chapter 349 - 349: Ruthless Is the Basic

    Chapter 349: Ruthless Is the Basic


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°Even if that happens, I¡¯m still not worried. You¡¯re here to help, aren¡¯t you? With you backing me up, I¡¯m not afraid of anyone.¡± Niu Tongsheng smiled.


    Zhao Chuchu did not expect to hear that sort of reply from him, and she was surprised.


    However, she also knew that Niu Tongsheng was not a cunning person and that he would not do something terrible in her name. If he really needed to use her name when required, she wouldn¡¯t mind it, and he could use it as much as he wanted.


    When Zhao Chuchu finally left the watermill workshop, it was already afternoon.


    It was time to eat again.


    She rubbed her belly and could tell that she was hungry.


    Days now passed by in an instant to her.


    After leaving the watermill workshop and having lunch, she spent the rest of the day forced by other women in the vige to tell them more about the province city.


    Zhao Chuchu had told them so much that her throat had turned dry, but it was as if they still wanted to hear more.


    To these women, the county town was the furthest ce they had ever been to. ces further away than that were ces too far for them to ever travel to, and they probably would never have the chance to visit.


    That was why Zhao Chuchu¡¯s trip was special to them. They were too embarrassed to ask the men about it, but they felt morefortable asking anotherdy.


    In the end, Xie Heng saved Zhao Chuchu from the women.


    ¡°Da Lang, you sure are clingy to your wife, huh?¡± one of the women joked. ¡°Who would¡¯ve thought! Looks like every man is the same. They cant get away from their wives once they are married.¡±


    ¡°We always thought Da Lang was an emotionless persona I mean, have you girls ever seen him smile before this? Looks like he was just saving them for Chuchu!¡¯


    ¡°Girls, stop it. They¡¯re still passionately in love. Weren¡¯t you all the same when you all just got married?¡±


    Being joked around like that, Xie Heng could only beg. ¡°Ladies, please spare me.


    Thank you.¡±


    The restughed. Naturally, they had to let the couple go.


    Xie Heng finally saved Zhao Chuchu from the women, and he couldn¡¯t help but let out a sigh of relief once they were on their way back.


    He was a man who could face wild beasts like tigers and leopards without a change in his expression, but facing those women was something that even he found challenging.


    Especially when it concerned Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°They were just joking. Don¡¯t mind them.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that. My heart just started to race when I saw you. Even I won¡¯t feel that way when I first started practicing martial arts.¡±


    ¡°So, it proves that you¡¯re different. I¡¯ll get anxious because of you.¡±


    That only happened when he was with her.


    Even if he wanted to try and control it, he would realize that his feeling was not as controble as other stuff.


    That was why there was a saying that said attraction was something uncontroble.


    ¡°Then, you should be d that I¡¯m not your enemy, or else you would die in my hands easily,¡± Zhao Chuchu joked.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then I would think of something.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°Like tying you up next to me so you won¡¯t have the chance to harm me.¡± ¡°I thought you would say something like you¡¯d be d to die in my hands.¡±


    ¡°I would never say that.¡±


    Even if he were to die in her hands, he would do it after he hadpleted all the things he needed to do, or else it would be pointless for him to reincarnate.


    Yet, Xie Heng was confident that he would never let Zhao Chuchu get the chance to harm him.


    He was pretty sure he would kill her on the spot if they were enemies.


    ¡°You¡¯ll kill me, won¡¯t you?¡± Zhao Chuchu stared at Xie Heng.


    The man turned to look at her and paused for a few seconds before nodding. ¡°Are you angry?¡¯


    ¡°No. I would¡¯ve looked down on you instead if you were to show mepassion.¡± If Xie Heng were to spare her, she would find him a man who could not achieve anything significant.


    He was reincarnated and had lived a life with a lot of power in the previous one. If he made that choice, then his past life was pointless.


    It would make it sound like he could climb to the top out of pure luck. He was never a kind person. Being ruthless was the foundation of his sess.


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m too cruel?¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s if we are enemies, no? But we are not. Would you even keep a walking bomb with you? I would not.¡±


    Xie Heng looked at her and realized he was overthinking it. Zhao Chuchu was not the type of girl who would fight him because of that.


    That was the woman he had chosen. ¡°Chuchu, that day will nevere.¡±


    ¡°What if I really am your enemy?¡¯


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll drag you down to hell with me when you kill me.¡±


    Xie Heng was serious.


    Zhao Chuchu looked at him, wondering if he was just pure at heart or what. However, she also realized that it was something that he would do..

 Chapter 350 - 350: I Won ‘t Acknowledge It

    Chapter 350: I Won ¡®t Acknowledge It


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°Don¡¯t make assumptions about things that don¡¯t exist.¡± Xie Heng gently pinched Zhao Chuchu¡¯s cheek. ¡°It won¡¯t happen.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu tilted her head to pull her cheek away. ¡°You¡¯re going to make my face skinnier if you keep pinching my cheeks.¡±


    Xie Hengughed. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll have to help you gain some weight first. You¡¯re too skinny. How are you still so thing despite the amount of food you eat?¡±


    The man had been trying his best to make all the food that Zhao Chuchu loved to eat, and she was a big eater too. Yet, her weight remained the same after all the food she consumed daily.


    ¡°That¡¯s because my body burns a lot of calories!¡¯


    The truth was that Zhao Chuchu would consume a lot of energy when she used her supernatural power.


    Due to that, it was tough for Zhao Chuchu to gain weight unless she ate from morning to night every single day. However, that wasn¡¯t something that she would do.


    Although Zhao Chuchu had lived in a post-apocalyptic world where she would have had to starve, she still had a lot of self-control when it came to food.


    She loved to eat, but she wouldn¡¯t let herself lose control.


    Xie Heng looked at Zhao Chuchu and just smiled.


    When they both got home, they received the news from the province.


    Yuan Hui and Qiao Heting¡¯s marriage had been decided, and the two families had already agreed to it. So as long as nothing out of the ordinary happened, the wedding was considered a done deal.


    Zhao Chuchu was happy for Yuan Hui, but at the same time, she was worried that Yuan Hui would suffer in the Imperial City.


    The fights between families in the Imperial City would make what she had seen at the Yuan n like child¡¯s y.


    Yuan Hui had also grown up being well protected. She would never be able to defend herself there.


    As for the Xia n, when Kang Xiuwan returned home crying, the Xia n responded abnormally. Instead of helping the cryingdy, they decided to side with Xia Chengxuan.


    The Kang n always thought that they could rival the Xia n, but they were wrong. Although the family had gotten worse ever since Xia Songquan became the head, it was still impossible for the Kang n to take over the entire Xia n. Instead, they suffered a lot after Xia Songquan fought back.


    The family would¡¯ve crumbled instantly if the Kang n had no backups.


    The war between the two ns also gave other ns an opportunity to step in.


    The Kang n¡¯s original n was to drag the Yuan n down, but thetter didn¡¯t even show the former any respect. They decided to step out of the fight and let the other ns fight among themselves so that they could reap what was left of that.


    The Kang n could not do anything about that, as the Yuan n was stronger than the Xia n.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that people from the Xia n are on their way here now. Who will it be? Xia Chengzhu?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked Xie Heng. In the end, her information still arrived slower than Xie Heng¡¯s.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s Lu Ming.¡± Xie Heng shook his head. ¡°Xia Songquan doesn¡¯t trust Xia


    Chengzhu. He¡¯ll never let hime. There¡¯s another person too.¡±


    ¡°who?¡±


    ¡°Xia Chenn.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu remained silent after hearing that.


    ¡°Xia Songquan must¡¯ve thought that Xia Chenn could force you to cooperate.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu frowned, wondering if the Xia n actually thought that she would cooperate just because Xia Chenn personally went.


    ¡°They must be hallucinating.¡± Zhao Chuchu chuckled. ¡°Do they really think that Xia Chenn could threaten me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s clear that they¡¯re trying to force you by using your mom¡¯s family.¡±


    ¡°What can they do if I don¡¯t admit to that? There¡¯s not a single piece of evidence.


    They are overestimating their influence here.¡±


    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t have resorted to this if they had thought of that.¡± Zhao Chuchu agreed to that.


    They would never have fallen if the Xia n had a single, smart person.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see what Xia Chenn ns to do.¡± She would eventually have to face them. Since she had free time now, she didn¡¯t mind entertaining them.


    ¡°She¡¯s just going to try and act like your mom and call you an ungrateful child if you don¡¯t do what she says.¡±


    ¡°So? I just don¡¯t acknowledge her as my mother.¡±


    ¡°The Zhao n will.¡±


    ¡°The Zhao n? Who do they think they are? They can¡¯t represent me.¡±


    If she were the type who cared about that, she would never have severed her ties with the Zhao n.


    She sighed as the Zhao n still couldn¡¯t understand what had happened.


    Even Madam Yang had already learned not to mess with Zhao Chuchu. The only one that could still have Zhao Chuchu do something was Old Man Zhao.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Do you think I could just poison all of them?¡±


    ¡°Although that¡¯s not a bad idea, logically speaking, I¡¯m against that. No matter how bad the dynasty is, thew is still in effect. It¡¯s not worth risking your life for these people.¡±


    Xie Heng knew that Zhao Chuchu was joking, but he still gave an honest opinion.


    ¡°The Zhao n won¡¯t even try anything after this.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just not something to be happy about.¡± Zhao Chuchu sighed.


    ¡°Well, at least they don¡¯t dare act up in front of you now. So let¡¯s just ignore them.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu nodded.


    Now that Zhao Men and Hu Yiming¡¯s marriage has also been decided, she can start her treatment with Hu Yiming earlier.


    ¡°Da Lang, do you think Hu Yiming will still treat Men the same once he recovers?¡±


    ¡°He will,¡± agreed Zhao Chuchu. ¡°Do you n to start treating him?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Their wedding is not far away.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you treat him before the wedding? Then, if Hu Yiming regrets his choices, there¡¯s still a chance for Men to back out.¡±


    ¡°I thought you said he wasn¡¯t the type to go back on his word?¡±


    ¡°Just think of it as giving them a chance.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu realized that Xie Heng¡¯s words made sense.


    In the end, they didn¡¯t know what Hu Yiming was really thinking.


    If Hu Yiming were to recover but be an ungrateful person, she would let him live the rest of his life as an idiot.


    To her, that kind of man didn¡¯t deserve a bright future.


    However, if Hu Yiming still treated Zhao Men the same, it would be a huge wedding gift for them.


    Once Zhao Chuchu had decided, she began preparing for the treatment.


    Zhao Chuchu had yet to mention her n to Zhao Men.


    She nned to do that after the people from the Xia n had left.


    Xie Heng would tell Zhao Chuchu where the people from the Xia n had reached every day.


    When Lu Ming and Xia Chenn eventually arrived at Lengshui Vige, it was already early November, and winter was just around the corner.


    Instead of heading to the Xie n immediately, they first visited Old Man Zhao.


    When Madam Yang heard they were here for Zhao Chuchu, she didn¡¯t hesitate to chase them out with a broom. ¡°Get lost! Zhao Chuchu is not here! Don¡¯t bother


    Although Lu Ming was just the butler of the Xia n, he was trusted by Xia Songquan and held more authority in the n than Xia Songquan¡¯s son. Since he had held such a high position in a big family, that was the first time someone chased him out.


    His face darkened almost instantly.


    If he had not dodged earlier, the broom would have hit his face.


    Madam Yang¡¯s yells could still be heard from inside the house, cursing Lu Ming and his ancestors.


    It wasn¡¯t that the proposition didn¡¯t move Madam Yang, but she didn¡¯t dare ept it.


    If her legs really got broken or if she got sent to the mine, then she wouldn¡¯t have long to live.


    Her mind was much clearer than ever.


    If she lived the rest of her life knowing her boundaries, then she could still enjoy it.


    She had nted some potatoes, and the harvest was good. Once she got her hands on paddy seeds, her family would have enough money for a long time. There was just no reason for her to annoy Zhao Chuchu when she could have a good life ahead of her..

 Chapter 351 - 351: Payback Next Time

    Chapter 351: Payback Next Time


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Lu Ming suppressed his anger and knocked on the door. ¡°Ma¡¯am, I¡¯m the butler of the Xia n. We are here to find Ms. Chuchu. It¡¯s in your best interest to open the door, or I¡¯ll report you to the government for scamming.¡±


    ¡°Then go and get her! Why are you even at my ce? There¡¯s no Zhao Chuchu here!¡± Madam Yang yelled from inside. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re from that Xia n.


    You want to report me to the government? Be my guess!¡±


    Madam Yang knew that they were looking for Zhao Chuchu, and she also understood that nothing would happen to her as long as she didn¡¯t try to offend thedy.


    After so much had happened between them in the past, even if Madam Yang wasn¡¯t that smart, she could tell that Zhao Chuchu was verypetent.


    Anyone who tried to mess with thedy would only end up hurting themselves.


    Madam Yang didn¡¯t want to invite trouble.


    ¡°You!¡¯ Lu Ming couldn¡¯t even find the words to argue back.


    He had looked into Madam Yang beforehand and knew that she was the head of the family and was someone who liked to take advantage of others.


    Ever since Zhao Chuchu severed her ties with the Zhao n, Madam Yang had tried more than once to bring thedy back, but she had refused every time.


    Lu Ming thought that Madam Yang would help him if he agreed to convince Zhao Chuchu.


    Yet he was chased out of the house before proposing the idea.


    ¡°Uncle Ming! Did that old hag just chase us out?¡± Xia Chenn stood by the side with her arms crossed. She was dressed elegantly, but the way she dressed seemed out of ce.


    It was as if she tried to hang as many essories as possible on a tree.


    Although Xia Chenn was only in her early thirties, she looked like she was in her forties.


    Perhaps her life after eloping wasn¡¯t good.


    No one ever understood why she forfeited her life as the youngdy of a prestigious family and eloped instead.


    However, there wasn¡¯t a single normal person in the Xia n either. So Zhao Chuchu wasn¡¯t surprised that Xia Chenn did that.


    She had been following the people from the Xia n as soon as they entered the vige.


    Zhao Chuchu did not show herself and hid instead.


    She now had her eyes on Xia Chenn.


    Zhao Chuchu had never met the original owner¡¯s mother, but from the little memory the original owner had left, she realized that Xia Chenn actually did look a little like the mother.


    If Xia Chenn had lost a little weight and looked a little younger, it wouldn¡¯t be hard for her to pretend to be the original owner¡¯s mother.


    Unfortunately for Xia Chenn, she was now overweight and looked like a person who was easily annoyed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go try to convince her.¡±


    ¡°What for? Just tear the door down. Let¡¯s see if she will treat us like that again!¡± Xia Chenn arrogantly said. ¡°They¡¯re just some peasants! What¡¯s there to worry about?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not here to make enemies,¡± Lu Ming emphasized.


    The Xia n needed Zhao Chuchu, or Doctor Miracle, to side with them. That was the only way to prevent the other ns from targeting them, and they could gain the most benefit from Zhao Chuchu that way as well.


    Although Lu Ming was furious at Madam Yang¡¯s disrespect, he still needed to put on a poker face to gain her cooperation.


    How Madam Yang treated them now was unimportant, and he could always get back at her for that in the future.


    There was no need for him to hurry.


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu is one of us. She has toe back with us when we ask her. That¡¯s her responsibility. Her mother had used my name to scam other people, so, in a sense, she¡¯s my daughter too. As her mother, I can do whatever I want with her. These peasants can¡¯t do anything about it.¡± Xia Chenn scoffed. It was clear that she thought of herself as someone who had control over Zhao


    Chuchu.


    That made Zhao Chuchupletely speechless.


    She couldn¡¯t believe the confidence that Xia Chenn had.


    Lu Ming wanted to say something but was stopped by Xia Chenn.


    The woman then had one of her people kick the door down to force Old Man Zhao and Madam Yang to work with them.


    The moment the door was kicked down, Madam Yang instantly went insane.


    She ran into the kitchen and came charging out with a cleaver in her hand.


    The people from the Xia n were intimidated by Madam Yang¡¯s crazed expression, and all of them ran.


    As for Xia Chenn, shepletely forgot to run. Instead, all she could do was stare as Madam Yang charged toward her with the cleaver raised.


    ¡°Ah¡­!¡± Xia Chenn screamed, and she fell back while a unique odor started to fill the air.


    She had pissed her pants.


    Zhao Chuchu almost could not stop herself fromughing.


    That was all Xia Chenn could do.


    Just a simple threat from a viger, and she had pissed her pants.


    Madam Yang wasn¡¯t nning on splitting Xia Chenn¡¯s head in half.


    She still remembered that killing was a serious offense.


    ¡°Get lost, or I¡¯ll chop your leg in half!¡± Madam Yang roared, still holding the


    cleaver high.


    ¡°You crazy woman!¡± Xia Chenn screamed. ¡°Do you know who I am? How dare you do this to me? Kill this bitch!¡±


    Lu Ming also realized that Madam Yang had no intention to kill someone and had returned.


    Madam Yang was alone, and all she could do was scare the people from the Xia n. ¡°Don¡¯te any closer! This is Lengshui Vige! Are you guys bandits?¡± Lu Ming didn¡¯t want things to turn out like this.


    However, Xia Chenn was utterly terrified. If he still tried to talk things out, Xia Chenn would be on his ass once they headed back.


    Xia Songquan also treated Xia Chenn better than all of his other children. Lu Ming didn¡¯t want the situation to be the reason for his employer to lose trust in him.


    ¡°Take the entire n down and drag them to the government! They have kidnapped one of us and tried to bribe us!¡± Lu Ming ordered.


    ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡± Madam Yang roared. ¡°Who did I kidnap? Your mom? Your mouth is as foul as your ass! It¡¯s so smelly that I can¡¯t even breathe! You guys are the thugs here! This is Lengshui Vige! There¡¯s thew here!¡±


    However, the people from the Xia n weren¡¯t affected by what Madam Yang had said.


    They knew that Madam Yang was putting on a show, and they weren¡¯t afraid anymore. It was as if they hadn¡¯t run away just a few minutes ago.


    Now, Madam Yang was starting to get scared.


    Old Man Zhao and her two sons didn¡¯t even dare toe out to help her.


    ¡°Help! They¡¯re trying to kill me!¡± Madam Yang yelled.


    As her voice was already loud to begin with, her yell quickly attracted the attention of the entire vige.


    ¡°Kill that bitch!¡± Xia Chenn roared.


    The thought of her pissing her own pants made her want to tear Madam Yang into pieces.


    At the same time, Niu Tongsheng had arrived with the rest of the vigers, charging into Old Man Zhao¡¯s garden.


    ¡°Who are you guys? What are you doing?¡± Niu Tongsheng roared. ¡°How dare you try and harm our vigers? Do you think we¡¯ll sit still and let you do this?¡±


    When Lu Ming saw that everyone was listening to Niu Tongsheng¡¯s order, he quickly knew that the man was the vige chief. He then signaled all his men to stand down.


    ¡°Uncle Ming! What are you doing?¡± Xia Chenn scolded..

 Chapter 352 - 352: Chater 346 Fearless

    Chapter 352: Chater 346 Fearless


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Xia Chenn could not believe that Lu Ming would actually call their men down when Madam Yang humiliated her.


    She would not let the person who had done that to her go unpunished.


    ¡°Do not stop! Kill that bitch! I¡¯ll bear all the responsibility!¡± Xia Chenn roared. She didn¡¯t n to cooperate with Lu Ming. All she wanted was for Madam Yang to die.


    Lu Ming frowned and whispered, ¡°Miss, we have to settle thister. We have a more important matter to attend to today. We can always punish her in the future.¡±


    ¡°You!¡±


    Xia Chenn red at Lu Ming.


    Unfortunately for her, the people that apanied them were all loyal to Lu Ming instead of her. They would never prioritize her over Lu Ming.


    That made her even more furious.


    Yet there was nothing she could do about it. All she could do was back down and try to hide the fact that she had pissed herself just a moment ago.


    Niu Tongsheng had already noticed this the moment he entered the garden. However, Xia Chenn was still a woman, so he didn¡¯t want to embarrass her too much. It was never a good thing to embarrass a woman in public.


    ¡°I¡¯m the Chief of Lengshui Vige. What is going on here? Were you guys trying to break into someone else¡¯s house? You do know that we can report this to the government, right? Trespassing and all,¡± Niu Tongsheng said with a serious expression.


    ¡°I¡¯m the butler of the Xia n,¡± Lu Ming introduced himself. ¡°We¡¯re here because one of us was kidnapped by someone from Lengshui Vige. We hadn¡¯t heard from her for a very long time, and we finally found evidence of her being here, or rather, she used to be here. Everything we¡¯ve learned points to Lengshui Vige. This is a serious matter, Chief. If you try to protect them, you better be prepared to face the consequences. If you don¡¯t know about this, it¡¯s in your best interest to mind your own business and let us do what we came for. We don¡¯t want you to get into trouble, too, do we?¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Where¡¯s the evidence? Show us the evidence,¡± Niu Tongsheng asked. ¡°Are they kidnappers just because you say so? If I call you a scammer, then are you one as well? That is not how things work. The government will need evidence to prove that they are kidnappers. That¡¯s how the government works if you don¡¯t know. If they really are kidnappers or scammers, as you said they are, then show us the evidence. If they really did kidnap someone from the Xia n, I¡¯ll personally send them to the government myself. However, if there isn¡¯t any evidence, then don¡¯t even think of taking someone from our vige.¡±


    Lu Ming waspletely surprised by Niu Tongsheng¡¯s reaction.


    He thought the vige chief would get scared when he announced he was from the Xia n.


    To his surprise, Niu Tongsheng was not a timid person.


    It was as if everyone from Lengshui Vige was fearless¡ªlike they had the guts of steel.


    In the past, people would¡¯ve cooperated right away the moment they heard he was from the Xia n. That had always been the case.


    To him, the vigers were like the rocks inside the toilet¡ªstinky and hard.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re going to protect them?¡±


    ¡°Until you have proof that they did it, of course.¡±


    ¡°Do you know who Xia Chenn is? She¡¯s our eldest youngdy! She went missing a decade ago, and we¡¯ve been looking for her! We only recently learned that she was tricked into this vige and was forced to give birth by her then-husband. Unfortunately, she passed away before we found her, and we¡¯re here to handle this matter. So move aside and let us do our job.¡±


    Lu Ming red at Niu Tongsheng as if he were talking to a subordinate.


    Niu Tongsheng nodded. ¡°It¡¯s true that someone from this n married a woman called Xia Chenn. But anyone with a pair of eyes can see that Xia Chenn loved her husband a lot. I¡¯m sure everyone here agrees. There¡¯s nothing that suggests that she had been tricked. Also, what proof do you have that this Xia Chenn is from your n?¡±


    ¡°Does she look like this?¡± Lu Ming took a picture from one of his men and showed it to Niu Tongsheng. ¡°This is a portrait of our eldest youngdy. Was this her?¡±


    Many people had gathered at Old Man Zhao¡¯s house by then.


    Almost all of them could instantly recognize the woman in the drawing. That was Zhao Chuchu¡¯s mother, Xia Chenn.


    ¡°Are you serious? Xia Chenn is the youngdy of the Xia n? They don¡¯t look like farmers but like a prestigious family, no?¡±


    ¡°I always thought that she didn¡¯t look like ady who grew up in a vige! I was right!¡±


    ¡°But, how could such a person be so hardworking? Did you guys forget how hard she worked when she was alive? She could do things that most families would not let their daughters do!¡±


    ¡°Could they be the scammer instead? Chuchu is now known as Doctor Miracle by everyone. Did they evere for her when she was living a hard life? Now that she¡¯s famous, they¡¯re suddenly here, iming to be her family. It¡¯s clear that they¡¯re scammers!¡±


    At first, Lu Ming seemed to have proof that Zhao Chuchu was part of the Xia n, but the tide quickly changed.


    The smile on his face slowly disappeared as he could not believe a group of peasants dared to call him a scammer.


    ¡°See? You treat them with respect, and this is what you get!¡± Xia Chenn tried to add more fuel to the fire. ¡°Looks like you aren¡¯t much when you¡¯re not


    home, huh?¡±


    Lu Ming did not reply to that and turned to Niu Tongsheng instead. ¡°No matter what you say, it¡¯s true that one of us got kidnapped and hade to this vige. She¡¯s dead now, so no one can prove that. But none of you are from the Zhao n. I¡¯d still like to settle this with them. Even if you are the vige chief, you have no right to butt into this, am I right?¡±


    Niu Tongsheng smiled. ¡°You¡¯re right. She¡¯s dead. But that doesn¡¯t make you right either, does it?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not wrong, but our youngdy had married someone from the Zhao n, and that¡¯s a fact. Our Old Mr. Xia didn¡¯t want to make a mess out of this. There¡¯s no point in denying this. We just want our youngdy to live in her afterlife peacefully.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you making such a scene like a group of bandits?¡±


    ¡°They were the ones who disrespected us first. We were forced to fight back, or else we would¡¯ve gotten killed by her.¡±


    ¡°What nonsense are you spouting?¡± Madam Yang roared. ¡°You look like a gentleman, but you¡¯re nothing more than a thug! You were the one who broke down my door first! Chief! You have to help us! This man is trying to kill me!¡±


    ¡°Who are you calling a thug?¡±


    ¡°You!¡±


    ¡°You better not regret this!¡± Lu Ming scoffed.


    Suddenly, the Zhao n¡¯s head arrived with the rest of the n members.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening here? Why can¡¯t we talk this out instead of fighting?¡±


    The n head then turned to Lu Ming. ¡°I¡¯m the head of the Zhao n. Just tell me if you need anything. She can¡¯t represent the whole n.¡±


    ¡°Do you know her?¡± Lu Ming asked while showing her the portrait.


    The n head pretended to be shocked after a few seconds. ¡°Madam Yang, isn¡¯t that your eldest daughter-inw?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Madam Yang chastised.. ¡°This has nothing to do with you, by the way! Stop butting into other people¡¯s business!¡±

 Chapter 353 - 353: Who Are You to Sell Me?

    Chapter 353: Who Are You to Sell Me?


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°As long as you bear the family name of Zhao, then I have the right to handle this!¡± The n head roared and paused before turning to Lu Ming. ¡°I can make the decision here. So, why do you have a drawing of Chenn?¡±


    Lu Ming repeated what he had just told Niu Tongsheng.


    After that, the n head immediately said, ¡°Since Chenn is your youngdy, I understand. I¡¯m sure losing their daughter was difficult for her parents. Unfortunately, Chenn has already passed away. But she did give birth to a daughter. She¡¯s still here in this vige.¡±


    ¡°Our old master has heard that the youngdy has passed away, and he was deeply saddened by it. He became ill from that, and he no longer had the strength to handle family affairs. He just wants to see Chenn¡¯s daughter. The reason we are here is to bring her home.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s natural that she goes back with you. She¡¯s Old Mr. Xia¡¯s granddaughter, after all. However, Chuchu is already married, so we can¡¯t decide for her.¡±


    ¡°Can we see her?¡±


    The back and forth between the two sounded as if it made sense.


    However, Zhao Chuchu was already holding back the urge to tell them to practice their acting more.


    She couldn¡¯t believe they actually had the nerve to pretend they were alone.


    ¡°But¡­¡± The n head looked a little troubled. ¡°Although we want to lead you there, Chuchu has already separated from us. Even I can¡¯t do anything about it. But if she¡¯s Old Mr. Xia¡¯s granddaughter, it¡¯s natural that she returns and pays her respect in her mother¡¯s stead.¡±


    Niu Tongsheng waspletely speechless now.


    Lu Ming nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right. Why don¡¯t you just lead us to her, and we¡¯ll do the talking? As for the problem between you and her, we¡¯ll take care of it as well. However, it¡¯s still up to her if the Xia n will take revenge on this family.¡±


    It was clear that Lu Ming was threatening Madam Yang.


    If Zhao Chuchu wished for them to live a hard life, they would have to suffer. They were the ones who targeted Zhao Chuchu first, after all.


    Madam Yang became restless, just as expected.


    ¡°Madam Yang, why don¡¯t youe with us and persuade Chuchu to return to the Xia n? They are a big family. She won¡¯t have to suffer if she goes back. If she lives a better life, she might forgive your family too, no? You were also the one who made her marry Xie Heng. It makes sense that you can separate them too.¡±


    The n head understood that the Xia n only wanted Zhao Chuchu, and they didn¡¯t want Xie Heng to go with her.


    He didn¡¯t have the power to force Zhao Chuchu, but he could still force Old Man Zhao and Madam Yang.


    If the two did that, then Zhao Chuchu would have toply if she didn¡¯t want to ruin Xie Heng¡¯s future.


    Niu Tongsheng couldn¡¯t hold back any longer and scolded, ¡°Chuchu is officially not a part of the Zhao n anymore. So what? Are you trying to sell her now? Not one of you has the right to mess with her marriage! How are you still so sly despite being so old already?¡±


    ¡°This is our business and has nothing to do with you, Niu Tongsheng!¡± The n head scoffed. ¡°Even if you¡¯re the vige chief, you have no right to meddle in our familv¡¯s business! As long as Chuchu bears the name Zhao. she¡¯ll still be a


    part of us!¡±


    ¡°Is that so? But what are you doing in my presence? Nothing.¡± Zhao Chuchu suddenly walked out of the crowd and grinned at the n head. ¡°I have the official document with me that states that I have nothing to do with the Zhao n anymore. How can you be so shameless?¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, I¡¯m doing this for your own good! The Xia n is big! They are the Xia n from the Guangqing Province and are rich! You can live a good life if you go back with them!¡± the n head quickly persuaded. ¡°You¡¯re still young, so you don¡¯t know how important money is yet! Going back to the Xia n is a huge thing for you!¡±


    ¡°Good for you or me? How much did they pay for you to lie so tantly? Didn¡¯t


    I tell you again and again that you have no right to decide for me?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Trying to sell me? You?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s re was so intense that the n head had to take a few steps back as a shiver ran down his spine.


    Lu Ming and Xia Chenn had been staring at Zhao Chuchu since she showed herself.


    Lu Ming could instantly recognize her, as she had been walking in and out of the Xia n¡¯s mansion for a while back then.


    He had already known that Miss Lin was Zhao Chuchu, but he was still shocked when his guess was proven right.


    ¡°Miss, your mother is the youngdy of the Xia n. We are here on Old Mr. Xia¡¯s order. He misses your mother a lot, but unfortunately for us, she is no longer with us. So since you¡¯re an adult, why don¡¯t youe back with us to see him?¡± Lu Ming asked, dropping the arrogance that he just had.


    Zhao Chuchu nced at him. ¡°Butler, we meet again. The world sure is small, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Who would¡¯ve thought that Miss Lin was the person we were looking for?


    If I had known, I would¡¯ve asked you to stay back then.¡±


    ¡°Well, unfortunately for you, I have no interest in the Xia n. After staying here for so many years, not one of you came to visit my mom. You guys were also nowhere to be seen when I almost starved to death. So where were you guys back then?¡±


    ¡°How dare you?¡± Xia Chenn roared. ¡°Is this how you talk to your elder?¡± ¡°Elder? Who the heck are you anyway?¡±


    ¡°Your mother has been using my name! I¡¯m your aunt! Now that your mother is dead, I¡¯m pretty much your mother now! It¡¯s your responsibility to do as I say!¡±


    ¡°Hah! Mother, you say? Did you give birth to me, or did you raise me? You sure are a shameless one. Too bad for you. I really can¡¯t bring myself to call a woman who pissed herself my mother. It¡¯s just too embarrassing.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu purposely humiliated them in front of everyone else.


    She couldn¡¯t believe that the Xia n had actually tried to force her to return before she could even give them a taste of their own medicine.


    ¡°You¡¯re unfit to be my mother. Stop thinking so highly of yourself. I have no responsibility to pay respect to your n. I¡¯ve always heard that big ns are very well-educated and well-mannered, but I guess you guys are nothing more than vile peasants who always try to take advantage of other people. Also, you kept saying that my mom is the youngdy of the Xia n. Well, where¡¯s the proof?¡±


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu! Mind your manners!¡±


    ¡°Who do you think you are?¡±


    ¡°Y-you¡­¡±


    Xia Chenn was so angered by Zhao Chuchu that she was speechless. All she could do was point at thedy with her trembling finger.


    Zhao Chuchu pped the finger away. ¡°I hate it when people point at me like that. You should be happy that I¡¯m in a good mood today, or else I would¡¯ve snapped that finger of yours.¡±


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu! The Xia n is a n that you can never hope to be a part of!


    You better not regret this!¡± Xia Chenn yelled..

 Chapter 354 - 354: I Should Exact My Revenge Instead

    Chapter 354: I Should Exact My Revenge Instead


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°Is that so? Then I should be thanking you. I really can¡¯t ever hope to be part of the Xia n. Please go back.¡± Zhao Chuchu smiled. ¡°Have a safe trip.¡±


    ¡°Y -you¡­¡±


    Xia Chenn couldn¡¯t find the words to yell back again.


    She red at Zhao Chuchu as if she wanted to rip thedy to pieces.


    After a while, Xia Chenn finally scolded, ¡°Zhao Chuchu, if I want to, I can ruin your entire reputation! Do you want to live like that? Where everyone Imows how low you are and despises you?


    Zhao Chuchu met the woman¡¯s re. ¡°They are just baseless rumors, after all. Do what you want. Consider it my loss if I get scared. But remember that if you can¡¯t kill me with that, it¡¯ll be my turn to make your life a living hell.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s tone was as cold as it could get, and her re was much sharper than before.


    Xia Chenn was intimidated by that and took a step back without thinking.


    Zhao Chuchu continued, ¡°You aren¡¯t even young anymore. Can you think of the consequences before you do something? You can use the Xia n to bully other people, but not me. I know what your n is plotting here.¡±


    ¡°Miss, she was just worried about you. She just wants you to go back to see your grandfather. She means no harm.¡± Lu Ming quickly stepped in.


    Zhao Chuchu turned. ¡°She¡¯s already old enough to be a grandmother. She herself knows if she¡¯sing with ill intentions or not. There¡¯s no need for a butler to help her. What are you, her dad? There¡¯s no need for you to do that. Also, let me remind you that I have nothing to do with the Zhao n and not your Xia n, either! Stop trying to use my responsibility to force me. That won¡¯t work. You guys weren¡¯t here when my mom had no money for her medication, and you guys weren¡¯t here when my life was hard, either. Now that I¡¯ve be a doctor, you guys suddenlye out of nowhere. Do you think I still owe you guys something? My mom and dad loved each other a lot as well. She never mentioned the Xia n to me. If I were to look into this, you guys could have forced my mom out! I should be exacting my revenge on the Xia n instead!¡±


    Lu Ming and Xia Chenn were both taken aback when they heard that.


    Zhao Chuc.hu had openly exposed their secret.


    Thedy noticed their reaction and grinned.


    ¡°Since you have left the Zhao n, you should still have a family to lean on. The Xia n can be your best supporter. Old Mr. Xia also felt bad for not helping you in the past and asked me to bring you home. He just wants to make up for that.¡±


    Lu Ming had to force himself to say that. Even he wasn¡¯t arrogant enough not to have a guilty conscience.


    It was all because Zhao Chuchu had previously visited the Xia n.


    Even if she didn¡¯t know everything about the n, she would¡¯ve still found out


    ¡°Make up or use me? I¡¯ve frequented your n enough to know how rotten it is. Even I¡¯m ashamed.¡±


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu! Enough is enough!¡± Xia Chenn was already at her limit after being humiliated by Zhao Chuchu. ¡°You should be grateful that we are willing to take you back! Do you think that you¡¯re something just because you have some medical knowledge and that you happen to save a few people? If you don¡¯t have the Xia n backing you up, you¡¯ll never be sessful! You¡¯ll never know what riches are or how the world works!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu grinned. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t need you to show me that. In the end, I¡¯m still legally married to my husband. Even if my life is a little hard, I still have a good reputation. Have you ever heard of the saying that even if you¡¯re legally married, you will only be considered a lover once you¡¯ve eloped?¡±


    That saying was directed at Xia Chenn, and it made her lose her mind. She pointed at thedy and yelled, ¡°You bitch! I¡¯ll¡­¡±


    Before she could even finish a sentence, a loud p echoed throughout the garden.


    Everyone was dumbfounded.


    Xia Chenn held her burning cheek and looked at Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to teach that foul mouth of yours a lesson. You should learn that there are people in this world you can¡¯t offend. You don¡¯t stand above everyone else.¡± Zhao Chuchu waved her hand around and pped Xia Chenn again. ¡°You should be happy that it¡¯s illegal to kill people here. Would you still be yapping around here if I could kill you?¡±


    The killing intent from Zhao Chuchu¡¯s eyes was so intense that Xia Chenn had to gasp for air.


    Zhao Chuchu paused for a second. ¡°Even the Zhao n can¡¯t do anything about me. So who do you guys think you are? If you don¡¯t want to die, then get lost. Or I¡¯ll make you wish that I¡¯d killed you instead.¡±


    ¡°Y-you! How dare you hit your elder?¡±


    ¡°What elder?¡± Zhao Chuchuughed and leaned forward to whisper, ¡°Are you perhaps referring to yourself? Don¡¯t you clearly know that my mom is actually your aunt? Are you really trying to threaten me with this? Go back and tell Xia Songquan that he should be happy that I¡¯m already showing him enough respect by not exacting my revenge on your entire n.¡±


    Xia Chenn¡¯s face turned pale, and she jumped back. She could not believe that Zhao Chuchu knew about that.


    That could be used to threaten Zhao Chuchu, but there was a catch. Zhao Chuchu had to be worried about ruining her reputation for that to work.


    However, Zhao Chuchu had made it clear that she wasn¡¯t afraid of the Xia n using that against her. She could even use that to ruin the entire n¡¯s reputation.


    Xia Chenn didn¡¯t want to believe that Zhao Chuchu would do that, but her reasoning told her that Zhao Chuchu would do that if needed.


    When words of her elopement got out, there would be no ce for her left in Guangqing Province.


    ¡°I¡¯m warning you; if youe and mess with me again, I¡¯ll have the Yuan n take care of the Xia n. So let¡¯s see if the rich life you just mentioned will still be there or not.¡± Zhao Chuchu smiled, but it was a dangerous smile.


    Xia Chenn couldn¡¯t help but shiver.


    Lu Ming had the same reaction as well.


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t lower her voice too much when she said that) and Lu Ming could hear her.


    Her words hadpletely ruined their n.


    They thought that taking care of Zhao Chuchu would be easy.


    Lu Ming always thought that ady who grew up in a vige, no matter how good she was at medicine, would still look forward to living avish life.


    It was clear that he was wrong.


    If Lu Ming could still not see the ill-intent Zhao Chuchu had when she visited the Xia n as Miss Lin, then he should quit as the butler.


    ¡°You knew about everything?¡± Lu Ming stared at Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°What does your gut say?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked.


    The pressure Lu Ming felt from Zhao Chuchu was way stronger than Xia Songquan.


    He could not understand why ady who grew up in a vige could be so hard to take care of.


    Compared to thedies of the Xia n, Lu Ming could clearly feel that Zhao Chuchu was not someone he could handle..

 Chapter 355 - 355: If You’re Done Talking, Get Lost!

    Chapter 355: If You¡¯re Done Talking, Get Lost!


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Lu Ming felt that he was wrong, but it was already toote.


    Zhao Chuchu did not care about the Xia n at all. His previous confidence was gone.


    A single nce from Zhao Chuchu had already made him tremble in fear.


    He did not know how Zhao Chuchu had honed such a frightening killing intent. Was this something a young maiden should have?


    ¡°Miss Zhao, the Xia n does have its faults. Isn¡¯t that precisely why it should be restructured? Your mother used to manage the Xia n well. Now, Old Mr. Xia hopes that you will return to help him do the same. As a butler, I am already old. There are many things beyond my ability to handle. We need a person like you to properly manage the n¡­¡±


    ¡°Have you said enough?¡± Zhao Chuchu interrupted Lu Ming¡¯s grand speech.


    ¡°If you have said enough, get lost. Don¡¯t wear out my patience here. Go back and tell Xia Songquan that I will go back, but only if he hands the entire Xia n over to me and your lot leaves the n. Otherwise, there is nothing to be discussed.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Lu Ming was furious.


    With a cold smile, he said, ¡°Just because I called you Miss Zhao, do you think that you are the master of the Xia n? Even if you are the daughter of the young mistress, your surname is Zhao and not Xia. The time has not yete for a person with the surname Zhao to be directing the Xia n!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu retorted, ¡°Then why did youe here? My surname is Zhao. Since when can a person with the surname Xia order me around? The saying ¡°age without wisdom¡± refers to people like you!¡¯


    Lu Ming nearly died on the spot in anger.


    Xia Chenn was ted to see Lu Ming deted for reasons unknown.


    As long as she was not the only one who was embarrassed, she felt better.


    However, this excitement was no match for her rage at the disrespect Zhao Chuchu showed toward her.


    ¡°Do not forget that your mother¡¯s surname is Xia!¡±


    ¡°There are so many people with the surname Xia. How do you have the audacity to im that your n is the only one with that surname? Have you consulted the other Xia ns?


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu, do you wish to be against us until the end?¡±


    ¡°Look at what you are saying. I merely do not wish to conspire with you. We do not see eye to eye, so any more discussion is meaningless. I still allowed you to spout nonsense for so long. You should feel honored.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Zhao Chuchu looked at Niu Tongsheng. Ever since she appeared, the others could only watch from the sidelines.


    Zhao Chuchu told Niu Tongsheng, ¡°Chief, I suspect that they came to our Lengshui Vige to cause trouble. They must be jealous of our watermill workshop¡¯s business being so good. So why don¡¯t we banish them from the vige? Otherwise, if the recipe for tofu skins is stolen, that would spell trouble.¡±


    Right now, the watermill workshop is the lifeblood of the vigers of Lengshui Vige. So when the vigers heard Zhao Chuchu say this, they were riled up.


    A viger said, ¡°Chief, we must cast these people out of the vige. They must be here to steal the recipe.¡±


    Another chimed in, ¡°The way I see it, that old fart from the Zhao n is also in this. He hase to the watermill workshop countless times. He is envious of our monthly wages while they cannot benefit at all from our business.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we chase all the Zhao n members out of the vige? Otherwise, they might turn around and stab us in the back. Worstes to worst, we will draw a clear line between them and us. In the future, we had better not approach anything rted to the Zhao n.


    The vigers went on and on.


    The vigers all prioritized the human touch. Whenever someone had a funeral or a wedding, everyone woulde together to help out. Compared to rtives, neighbors were more important.


    Once the Zhao n was excluded, with just a few families remaining, nothing much could be done.


    Hence, when the vigers made such suggestions, the other members of the Zhao n began to panic.


    The first to panic was Madam Yang.


    Madam Yang rushed to defend herself, saying, ¡°Chuchu, you can¡¯t me me for this. I already said that I would not meddle in your affairs. They were the ones who came to my house to force me. I have done nothing to wrong you. I also do not know them. Please judge objectively.¡±


    The other members of the Zhao n also rushed to clear their names.


    ¡°This is their family¡¯s idea. We werepletely in the dark. If we didn¡¯t see someone from the Xia n, we wouldn¡¯t know why we came to Old Man Zhao¡¯s


    ¡°That¡¯s right. We have already learned our lesson. Chuchu, we wouldn¡¯t dare scheme against you. But, Chuchu, if you want someone to me, me him. As the n head, he made this decision on his own. We know nothing about this, right?¡±


    ¡°Their family has been scheming all along. A few days ago, strangers were seening and going from their house. They must have nned out their scheme then. We were busy with the autumn harvest. When would we find the time for scheming?


    Their excuses followed one after another.


    The Zhao n head was instantly pushed to the cusp of making a tough decision by the Zhao n members.


    Of course, those people only said those things because they wanted to protect their interests. In reality, they knew about this matter.


    The Zhao n head was enraged.


    with his trembling finger, he pointed at the Zhao n members and chided,


    ¡°What nonsense are you speaking of now? Don¡¯t you remember what you


    agreed to? Now you¡¯re putting the me squarely on my shoulders? Aren¡¯t


    you afraid of being struck by lightning because of karma? Don¡¯t test me. I


    might just remove all your names from the Zhao n genealogy!¡±


    A member of the Zhao n retorted, ¡°Do you think that you¡¯re the only one capable of being the n head? If you dare, just remove all of us from the Zhao n. We could just set up a new ancestral hall without you. We have long thought of you as an eyesore. You abuse your authority, believing that everyone should listen to you just because you¡¯re the n head. Nah!¡±


    To the side, Zhao Chuchu quietly witnessed the Zhao n¡¯s infighting. She was not at all perturbed by it.


    However, it was true that Madam Yang hadn¡¯t invited any trouble for her so far.


    Of course, Zhao Chuchu would not treat her differently just because of that.


    Truth be told, Madam Yang behaved ordingly because she could read the room. She knew that she was no match for Zhao Chuchu, so she chose not to go against thetter.


    If a greater backer came along, would Madam Yang jump ship?


    As for Lu Ming and Xia Chenn, when they saw the Zhao n head arguing with the others, their rage burned inside them.


    They had considered many possibilities, but infighting was the only one they had not considered. They could not cause Zhao Chuchu any harm, and even what they believed to be their most helpful leverage was useless. Zhao Chuchu had instead threatened them.


    Lu Ming was an experienced butler. However, now that he had lost to Zhao Chuchu, for a moment, he did not know whether he was angry or resigned.


    Nevertheless, he did not dare to do anything.


    If he angered Zhao Chuchu, she might actually break his leg and then heal it again.


    Lu Ming was already of ripe old age. He did not wish to suffer like that. While the members of the Zhao n argued, Zhao Chuchu signaled Niu Tongsheng to lead the vigers away.


    Niu Tongsheng understood that she would settle this matter on her own. Hence, he gestured for the other vigers to leave.


    Just now, he had overheard some things. There was a lot of information to take in. Niu Tongsheng did not wish for any bad rumors to make their way around the vige, even It they were about her mother.


    Once Niu Tongsheng and the others left, there were much fewer people in the courtyard.


    Zhao Chuchu crossed her arms and looked at Lu Ming. Then she asked, ¡°What other scheme do you wish to use against me?


    Lu Ming red at her. He said, ¡°The mighty will fall.. Miss Zhao, are you sure you will not regret your decision today?¡±

 Chapter 356 - 356: What Else Does He Not Dare to Do?

    Chapter 356: What Else Does He Not Dare to Do?


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°It seems that you really don¡¯t understand human speech,¡± said Zhao Chuchu indifferently. ¡°Whether I will fall or not has absolutely nothing to do with you.


    Don¡¯t waste your saliva here spouting nonsense.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­alright¡­l hope that you will remember your words today. Don¡¯t you regret them in the future!¡±


    Lu Ming was also furious. He had never tried to invite someone so humbly.


    Whatever happened to the Xia n, they were still one of the top ns in Guangqing Province. As their butler, even government officials showed him some respect. Who was Zhao Chuchu?


    She was just the daughter of that bitch that was recognized by the Xia n. In his eyes, she was a nobody!


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu, this is your only chance. Once you miss this chance, it will note again. Just you wait!¡± Once Lu Ming said that, he waved his sleeves and


    Xia Chenn was stunned. She nced at Zhao Chuchu, and their gazes met. She immediately looked away.


    Xia Chenn dared not put on the airs of a senior in front of Zhao Chuchu.


    She swallowed whatever she wanted to say, worried that she would embarrass herself even more.


    In the end, she turned around and chased after Lu Ming.


    The house of Old Man Zhao soon quieted down.


    Madam Yang slumped to the ground. She heaved a sigh of relief as she patted her chest, saying, ¡°Thank god.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu nced at Madam Yang before she left without looking back.


    Madam Yang initially wanted to ask for some benefits from Zhao Chuchu. However, in the end, she said nothing.


    Zhao Chuchu dared to offend the Xia n, even though thetter was filthy rich. Madam Yang spected that people like herself were even more unworthy in Zhao Chuchu¡¯s eyes.


    It was better for her to stay in line so that she wouldn¡¯t get into any trouble.


    Zhao Chuchu did not return to the Xie n.


    The Zhao n head stopped her on her way back and pleaded, ¡°Chuchu, I said those things because I lost my head for a moment and was deceived by the n members. I initially thought that you would have a better life if you returned to the Xia n. I meant you no harm¡­¡±


    ¡°We both know whether or not you are concerned for my welfare,¡± interrupted Zhao Chuchu coldly. ¡°I¡¯m neither blind nor a fool. I can see for myself what you have done. But if you consider yourself long-lived, continue standing there spouting nonsense. I can send you to meet the King of Hell earlier.¡±


    The n head turned pale with fright. He no longer had the air of a senior. In a low voice, he begged Zhao Chuchu, ¡°We are from the same ancestor. Is it right for us to be arguing like this? I will apologize to you. Can you please forgive


    Zhao Chuc.hu smiled. There happened to be some firewood next to her. She picked up a stick and threw it.


    The stick pierced the boulder behind her, cleaving it in two.


    The n head saw this and stopped breathing. Terror overwhelmed him like a rising tide, drowning him.


    ¡°Do you still want to apologize?¡± asked Zhao Chuchu as she looked at the n head. But, unfortunately, her smile did not look like a smile.


    When the n head, who was using a cane, heard this, he immediately ran for his life. He feared that Zhao Chuchu would cleave him in two with a stick. Zhao Chuchu heard him fleeing and said with a smile, ¡°A load of trash.¡±


    She then turned to leave.


    Aside from the Zhao n head, the other members of the Zhao n also saw this scene y out.


    They were terrified of Zhao Chuchu from the bottom of their hearts. So they did not dare to approach her for fear of offending her.


    Zhao Chuchu finally had peace and quiet.


    Lu Ming and the others left Lengshui Vige as fast as they could.


    Along the way, Xia Chenn kept scolding Lu Ming.


    ¡°Useless thing, you cannot even handle a young brat. How do you manage the household? No wonder the Xia n is in a mess now. This is all your fault! Uncle Ming, tell us if you are too old and cannot handle things. It is not like we don¡¯t wish for you to enjoy your retirement!¡±


    Lu Ming and Xia Chenn were not in the same carriage. He ignored thetter.


    However, it was as though Xia Chenn was possessed. She kept scolding him nonstop.


    Lu Ming wasbing through matters rted to Zhao Chuchu. Xia Chenn paled in insignificance whenpared to her.


    Xia Chenn eloped and put the Xia n to shame. On the other hand, even though Zhao Chuchu had a mother with an unsightly background, her healing power was formidable.


    Moreover, she healed the face of the daughter of the Du n. Now, her fame had spread throughout Guangqing Province.


    Soon, there would be more and more people seeking her medical help. If the Xia n could convince her to return to the n, she would be a great asset to them.


    No one would dare mess with the Xia n.


    Aging, illness, and death were all unavoidable experiences for everyone. However, everyone would try their best to save their necks. Therefore, who would want to offend a divine physician?


    The martial arts masters in the cultivation world had an unspoken rule: they could kill as many people as they wished, but they would never attack a physician. Those who vited the rule would be hunted down incessantly by others.


    The same rule applied among themon folk.


    If Zhao Chuchu sided with the Xia n, even the Yuan n would have to


    protect them.


    As the butler of the Xia n, Lu Ming was naturally protective of the n¡¯s interests.


    Xia Songquan did not even bat an eyelid when he abnegated his own children. Therefore, Lu Ming, an outsider, did not hold back when dealing with the n members.


    ¡°Uncle Ming, are you deaf, or do you have a guilty conscience? Do you dare ignore me when I am speaking? I will ask my father to remove your butler authority when we return. After that, I will reduce you to a nameless servant of the Xia n!¡±


    Xia Chenn did not receive a response, so her words became more and more outrageous.


    Although she received funds from Xia Songquan secretly after eloping, her life was hard.


    The person she had eloped with was a good-for-nothing who depended on her for finances. Their entire family lived by sucking her blood.


    Xia Chenn had never left the family because she couldn¡¯t bear to part with the children. However, her temperament became increasingly irritable and extreme, and sometimes she would go crazy and out of control.


    ¡°You useless thing. I don¡¯t know why my father keeps an old fart like you around! You can¡¯t evenplete such a simple task and were led by the nose by a little bitch. In the end, you were kicked out. If I were you, I would be too embarrassed to live¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡¯


    Lu Ming could not take it anymore, and he shouted angrily.


    This just added fuel to the fire.


    Xia Chenn became even more upset. She began to curse, dragging even Lu Ming¡¯s ancestors into her cursing.


    Lu Ming took a deep breath.


    ¡°Someone, throw this vige wife off the carriage,¡± Lu Mingmanded sternly. Xia Chenn had stepped on his bottom line. He would no longer hold back against her.


    All the servants here were his trusted aides. So if anything were to happen to Xia Chenn, he would push the me onto Zhao Chuchu.


    Xia Songquan would believe whatever he said.


    Xia Chenn was yelling hysterically, so she did not hear what Lu Ming said.


    When she saw the carriage suddenlye to a halt, she leaped off herself, intending to settle the score with Lu Ming.


    Lu Ming just happened to open his curtains and look back. When he saw that, his gaze turned cold, and he emotionlessly said, ¡°Speed up. We must get back to the city by nightfall.¡±


    When the driver heard hismand, he immediately whipped the horses and rode off swiftly.


    Xia Chenn stood where she was, unable to react for a moment. Instead, she watched as the Xia n¡¯s carriages rode away, leaving behind a trail of mud and dirt. They drew further and further away from her until they finally disappeared.


    Only then did she manage to react. She pursued the carriages frantically, screaming, ¡°Stop right there. Stop. I haven¡¯t gotten on the carriage yet. Lu


    Ming, you old fart, you dare to abandon me¡­.¡±

 Chapter 357 - 357: Didn ‘t Understand What She Said

    Chapter 357: Didn ¡®t Understand What She Said


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    No matter how much Xia Chenn shouted, Lu Ming did not turn the carriages around.


    Xia Chenn had pissed herself earlier, and her dress had been drenched. While running on the road, she was covered in mud and dirt. Her look could only be described as pathetic.


    She sat on the ground and began bawling her eyes out. She cursed Lu Ming to die a terrible death.


    However, even though she screamed until she lost her voice, no one showed up.


    In the end, Xia Chenn had no choice but to return to Lengshui Vige. After all, the capital was too far away. She would never be able to reach it by walking.


    When Zhao Chuchu saw Xia Chenn return covered in mud, she raised her eyebrows slightly. Then she thought to herself, ¡°As expected, this woman was actually left behind by Lu Ming.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu did not understand Lu Ming, but she could tell that he was selfish and sought his own interests. He was also extremely arrogant.


    He already looked down on people like Xia Chengzhu. It was even worse for Xia Chenn, who had eloped from the family. So Lu Ming chasing Xia Chenn off the carriage was to be expected.


    When Xia Chenn saw Zhao Chuchu, she lifted her dress and ran over frantically.


    The sour smell emanating from her made people cover their noses subconsciously.


    Xia Chenn seemed unaware of her stench.


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu, your mother also used my name. Your mother¡¯s name is Xia Chenn, which is my name. I do not need you to be filial to me; find a way to send me safely back to the capital, and our score will be settled.¡± Xia Chenn started talking big once she reached Zhao Chuchu.


    Thetter was speechless.


    This attitude when asking people for things ran in the family.


    Simrly, Xia Chenn did not seem to understand what Zhao Chuchu said.


    Zhao Chuchu looked at Xia Chenn silently, not saying a single word.


    On her way there, Xia Chenn had mentally prepared herself to face Zhao Chuchu. But instead, she decided to pressure Zhao Chuchu with her air of superiority.


    However, she had goosebumps just from being stared at by Zhao Chuchu. Whatever air of superiority she intended to put up had long been thrown out of the window.


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°Firstly, I am not rted to you in any way. Secondly, so many people in the world have the same name. You are shameless if you think anyone whose mother has the same name as you needs to treat you differently. Thirdly, I am not indebted to you. If you do not desire death, get lost. Otherwise, I will also let you experience a life more painful than death.¡±


    Xia Chenn subconsciously took a step back out of fear. She retorted sheepishly, ¡°But¡­but we are at least blood rtions. Isn¡¯t it right for you to lend me a hand?¡±


    ¡°We are both humans. So why should I pamper you? Who are you to think that everything should go your way?


    ¡°I¡­¡± Xia Chenn was at a loss for words.


    Zhao Chuchu continued, ¡°However, I pity you. I am also a woman, so I don¡¯t want to make things difficult for you. Didn¡¯t your butler just say that you are the daughter of the Xia n? How did you be so pathetic? Oh! So it turns out that the person in charge in the Xia n is actually an outsider whose surname is not Xia.¡±


    ¡°You are speaking nonsense! How is it possible? The person in charge of the n now is my father!¡±


    ¡°But can you order the servants around? They don¡¯t even listen to you. In that case, what kind of master are you? Other people might think that Lu Ming is the actual master of the Xia n.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu seemed to be teasing Xia Chenn. However, in reality, she was sowing discord between Xia Chenn and Lu Ming.


    She wanted the Xia n to crumble from within and have infighting until they werepletely wiped out.


    Giving the Xia n a swift end was showing mercy. But, on the other hand, hacking away at the flesh with a dull de was the most torturous. ¡°The n¡¯s surname is Xia, not Lu. So don¡¯t try to insinuate anything.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Was I mistaken? So, you being unable tomand the thugs from the Xia n before this was me seeing things? While treating illnesses in the Xia n, I saw that the Xia n could only function under themand of the butler. Your butler probably knows how much money the n has better than you do. Sigh, why am I saying all these things? After all, matters of the Xia n have nothing to do with me. You¡¯d better look out for yourselves. I am already married, so it is not suitable for me to offer you a ce to stay.¡±


    ¡°Are you asking me to sleep out in the streets?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? I have done so many times. Do you know what that is called? Karma. Payback is a bitch.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°Forget about it. I get no satisfaction from arguing with you. I will arrange for someone to send you to the county town. As for what you do after that, that is none of our concern,¡± said Zhao Chuchu pretentiously.


    ¡°I want to go to the capital!¡±


    ¡°I have already used up my benevolence to send you to the county town. If you make any more requests, I will kill you. After all, Lu Ming has no ns for keeping you alive. Therefore, even if you return to the capital, you will most likely be killed by Lu Ming¡¯s men.¡±


    ¡°Stop scaremongering,¡± said Xia Chenn as she began to panic. Even her voice was trembling. She believed that Lu Ming would act against her.


    ¡°Am I? Could it be that I know this better than you?¡± said Zhao Chuchu, seeing through Xia Chenn¡¯s thoughts. ¡°I will not send you to the county town for


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask for a foot when given an inch.¡±


    ¡°Then forget about it. Walk back on your own.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu pretended to leave. Xia Chenn instinctively grabbed her.


    Zhao Chuchu looked down at where Xia Chenn had grabbed her. Then she inly said, ¡°What are you doing?


    Xia Chenn suddenly released her hand.


    She gritted her teeth, took off her gold earrings, and threw them at Zhao Chuchu, saying, ¡°Are these enough?¡±


    The earrings rolled off Zhao Chuchu¡¯s body and fell to the ground.


    Zhao Chuchu did not even look at them as she asked, ¡°What is enough?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t y dumb. I gave you my gold earrings. Getting too greedy wille back to bite you.¡±


    ¡°Young Mistress, your parents should have taught you to be proper, right? Look at you. A daughter of arge n is not even a match for a daughter of a small n like mine.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Zhao Chuchu merely smiled.


    Xia Chenn took a deep breath. She kneeled and picked up the earrings. She said, ¡°Please consider this your payment. They are made of gold, so they should be more than enough to request a carriage from you.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu epted the gold earrings. They looked nice and were indeed better than what many other maidens were wearing.


    ¡°You can¡¯t afford me with just these broken earrings. Did you think that I have never seen good stuff?¡±


    Xia Chenn¡¯s face blushed when she heard Zhao Chuchu say this.


    ¡°Wait here. Don¡¯t go running off. I will find someone to send you to the county town. Remember, this is Lengshui Vige, not your home. If you are tired of living, you can try to act as though you own the ce,¡± Zhao Chuchu warned


    Xia Chenn before she went to find someone to send her to the county town.


    Xia Chenn endured. She kept telling herself that she had to lower her head since she was on someone else¡¯s turf.


    When she returned to the capital, she would ensure that these ignorant people paid the price.


    Zhao Chuchu found a married couple to send Xia Chenn back to the county town. The husband was honest and responsible. The wife was very sharp-tongued. Xia Chenn was definitely not her match.


    This couple drove a donkey cart to pick Xia Chenn up.


    Xia Chenn had a look of disgust on her face and said, ¡°You want me to take this donkey cart? Who do you take me for?¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t get on? Walk then,¡± Zhao Chuchu said as she gestured to the couple to leave.


    Xia Chenn became anxious when she saw this. She said, ¡°I did not say that I wouldn¡¯t get on. Since you epted my payment, send me to town.¡±


    ¡°Then what are you waiting for? Are you waiting for me to invite you to dinner?¡± said Zhao Chuchu, emphasizing each word.


    Xia Chenn did not say anything.


    She reluctantly climbed onto the donkey cart and left Lengshui Vige. She kept staring at Zhao Chuchu, seemingly attempting to pierce through her with her gaze..

 Chapter 358 - 358: Even My Heart Feels Sweet

    Chapter 358: Even My Heart Feels Sweet


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°Chuchu, is this woman really your aunt? She doesn¡¯t seem like a young mistress to me. She seems more like a vixen of a vige instead, almost like


    Madam Yang,¡± said Madam Kong to Zhao Chuchu. ¡°My husband said that the Xia n is rich. Is that true?


    Zhao Chuchu nodded and replied, ¡°Hmm, the chief is right. The Xia n is indeed very wealthy, but that has nothing to do with me. If my mother was truly a member of the Xia n, then why didn¡¯t theye looking for her all these years? When I was treated harshly by Madam Yang, where were they?


    They only came over because they saw the benefits they could reap from me. As for whether or not my mother was a member of the Xia n, that is not important at all.¡±


    Madam Kong also felt the same.


    No matter how wealthy the Xia n was, the n was neither affectionate nor righteous.


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s family had been living poorly in Lengshui Vige for so long, and the Xia n had never gone to find them. Now that Zhao Chuchu had made a name for herself, they seemed to have popped out of nowhere. Nevertheless, they still acted arrogantly,pletely belittling her.


    ¡°Then, will theye back to disturb you again? Your medical skills are so good. I fear that they will not stop at this.¡±


    ¡°We will deal with whatever they throw at us. I am not afraid of them finding trouble with me. However, when I went to the capital before this, I actually dealt with the Xia n. They should not have any other chance ofing to Lengshui Vige again. Many other matters will give them headaches. They won¡¯t have time to bother with me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine then. I was just worried that they would bug you every day and that this issue would blow up and harm your reputation.¡±


    ¡°Madam Kong, do I look like someone who cares about their reputation?


    Madam Kongughed upon hearing this.


    That¡¯s right. Since when did Zhao Chuchu worry about her reputation?


    Even the Zhao n was powerless against her, let alone the Xia n, which had appeared out of nowhere. Madam Kong reckoned that no one could use the excuse of being filial to force Zhao Chuchu into doing something.


    ¡°Haha, it seems that I was worrying too much. Our Chuchu has always had ideas. How could they possibly seed in their schemes against you? However,


    Chuchu, no matter how incredible you are, you had best be careful.¡±


    ¡°I know. Please do not worry, Madam Kong.¡±


    Madam Kong patted Zhao Chuchu¡¯s hand and did not say any more.


    She was very content with her current life.


    She did not need to worry about the harvest in the fields and never needed to worry about clothes and food again. She did not need to squeeze for everyst penny.


    She only needed to make sure that the house was in order. Her husband, her sons, and their wives handled everything else.


    These were good times that Madam Kong had never dared to dream about. Now, she was not only enjoying such times, but her life was improving.


    One day, the Niu n would definitely bendlords.


    Madam Kong was not ambitious. She merely hoped that their n had several dozen acres of fertile fields.


    After Zhao Chuchu parted ways with Madam Kong, the former returned to the Xie residence.


    When Xie Heng heard her footsteps, he came out of the house and asked, ¡°How did it go?


    ¡°The fighting ability of the members of the Xia n is not worth mentioning.


    How could they possibly be a match for me?¡± said Zhao Chuchu with a smile.


    ¡°Not only did they not manage to gain any advantage over me, Lu Ming and Xia Chenn turned against each other. Once Xia Chenn returns, the Xia n will be turned upside down. I wonder when Xia Songquan will breathe hisst breath.¡±


    ¡°Xia Chengzhu has already started acting. So I believe it won¡¯t be long,¡± said


    Xie Heng. Then he headed toward the kitchen and said, ¡°I made rice wine balls. Have some to warm yourself up. It¡¯s been getting colder by the day recently.¡±


    ¡°Alright.


    Zhao Chuchu grinned from ear to ear.


    She did not feel cold, but she would definitely not turn down Xie Heng¡¯s concern for her.


    Xie Heng had made the rice wine balls earlier that day. Since Zhao Chuchu had not returned, Xie Heng had kept them warm in a pot over the charcoal fire.


    Now the temperature was just right for Zhao Chuchu to eat them.


    Zhao Chuchu ate the warm rice wine balls. She felt the warmth spread throughout her body.


    ¡°Are they tasty?¡± asked Xie Heng as he looked at her. Only Zhao Chuchu was reflected in his deep, dark eyes.


    She nodded her head. She then scooped up a ball and fed it to Xie Heng, saying,


    ¡°It¡¯s delicious. You have one as well.¡±


    Xie Heng smiled. He then opened his mouth and ate the ball.


    When he was cooking it, he felt that the taste was ordinary. So how did it suddenly taste so sweet that even his heart felt it when Zhao Chuchu fed him?


    ¡°It is very sweet,¡± said Xie Heng.


    ¡°I think so too. Your culinary skills are improving. I like these rice wine balls.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t I cook them in the afternoon as your afternoon snack from now


    ¡°Sounds good!¡± ¡°Then that¡¯s settled.¡±


    ¡°Come. Have another.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm.¡±


    After they enjoyed the rice wine balls, Xie Heng talked about other matters with Zhao Chuchu.


    He asked, ¡°It¡¯s almost winter time. I n to make some preserved meat and sausages. Do you have other preserved foods that you want to eat?¡±


    ¡°Can you make some preserved duck? I have been longing for a good preserved duck drumstick. ¡±


    As soon as Xie Hene mentioned food, Zhao Chuchu¡¯s eves twinkled with expectation. She was a huge fan of preserved meat. But) unfortunately, she hadn¡¯t had any since she went to the post-apocalyptic world.


    After she was reborn, she was upied with hoarding supplies. By chance, she managed to taste preserved meat once during that time. After that, she went to the post-apocalyptic world. Then, she died and arrived in the Wei Dynasty, where she encountered Xie Heng.


    He replied, ¡°Sure. Should I attempt to make some preserved pork trotters too?¡±


    ¡°That sounds wonderful. I love any kind of preserved meat. That¡¯s right! Da Lang, is the preserved meat here sweet?¡±


    Guangqing Province was located where Southern Guangdong was in Zhao Chuchu¡¯s previous life. Many of the preserved meats from this ce were sweet. It wasn¡¯t that she disliked sweet things. She just thought that it would have tasted better salted. She especially liked the m-vored preserved meats from Sichuan and Chongqing.


    ¡°No, it is salty. Do you prefer them sweet?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I prefer them salty. However, why don¡¯t we try m vored?¡±


    ¡°M vored?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I have the seasonings.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu believed that with Xie Heng¡¯s skills, even if he had never made it before, he could sessfully make the dish.


    His talent for cooking was too great. He could perfectly control the temperature and recreate the taste by just describing a dish.


    ¡°Alright. I will try. If we fail, we can try again. New Year¡¯s is still a ways off.¡±


    ¡°Da Lang, you are too good to me.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was beaming. She felt that she would never again encounter a man who was as patient with her as Xie Heng was toward her.


    ¡°You are worthy of me trying to make all the delicacies the world has to offer,¡± said Xie Heng as he pinched the tip of her nose. ¡°As long as you enjoy them, I am content.¡±


    ¡°Of course I like them. I like them so much that I cannot stand you leaving my side for even a day. Before, I was fine with just eating to fill my belly. However, ever since I met you, I began to be picky about these tastes. Da Lang, you have spoiled me for vors.¡±


    ¡°Then, does that mean that I can hold on to you forever?


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless for a moment.


    It seemed like Xie Heng was well aware of the saying, ¡°the way to a man¡¯s heart is through his stomach.¡±


    ¡°If you offend me, I will leave,¡± Zhao Chuchu threatened Xie Heng yfully as she raised her eyebrows. ¡°If I am determined to run away, no one can stop me, not even you, Da Lang.¡±


    ¡°I will not let you think of leaving me,¡± Xie Heng promised. ¡°Chuchu, shall we buy some meat from town tomorrow?


    Zhao Chuchu pondered for a while and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t we buy an entire pig from the vigers? Then, we can turn all the parts into preserved meat. Then, when the meat has been marinated and dried, I can keep it, and it will never go bad. That way, we will always have preserved meat whenever we want.¡±


    ¡°Whatever you wish.¡±


    Xie Heng wanted to go around town with Zhao Chuchu. However, since she had said so, he could onlyply..

 Chapter 359 - 359: Truly Have Too Much Money to Burn

    Chapter 359: Truly Have Too Much Money to Burn


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    However, Xie Heng did not admit defeat so quickly. He said, ¡°We will still need to make a trip to town. Because the weather is getting colder, we should buy some charcoal and cotton back.¡±


    ¡°Why are we buying cotton? Don¡¯t we already have nkets and clothes?¡± asked Zhao Chuchu. She did not understand. She had already taken out the down nkets and high-tech thermal underwear. No matter how cold it got, it would not affect them. So wouldn¡¯t it be a waste to buy more?


    Moreover, if Xie Heng and his brother were truly afraid of the cold, she still had heating pads. Wherever they felt cold, they could just apply the pads. They were guaranteed to stay warm until they perspired.


    ¡°With so many things we would have needed to buy, we have to put on a show for others to see, no?¡± said Xie Heng as he smiled and patted her head. ¡°Of course, we are not cold, but others will think that we are.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± said Zhao Chuchu. She had not thought about that.


    The down nket was wrapped in a quilt, and the heated mattress was covered by sheets. They wore their thermal underwear inside. Who would be so bored as to take a peek at their underwear?


    Seeing that Zhao Chuchu was somewhat dissatisfied, Xie Heng helplessly said,


    ¡°Chuc.hu, I just want to walk around town with you to discuss what to buy. Such a sensation makes me feel alive.¡±


    Zhao Chuc.hu was speechless.


    She had called Xie Heng a clueless man. Now, wasn¡¯t she a clueless woman?


    She did not realize that Xie Heng meant to ask her out and instead kept helping him find ways not to go to town.


    Zhao Chuchu immediately admitted her mistake and said, ¡°Da Lang, I was wrong. I thought you were forced to go to town. I am happy to go to town with you, even if it is just window shopping.¡±


    Xie Hengughed and said, ¡°As long as you think so, it is fine. As long as I am with you, even sitting together silently gives me unprecedented tranquility.¡±


    ¡°Do I have such influence over you?


    ¡°Yes, you can influence all of my decisions.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was very happy when she heard this. She tiptoed and kissed Xie


    Heng on the cheek. She said, ¡°Da Lang, I really like you.¡±


    Xie Heng looked at Zhao Chuchu. Even though it wasn¡¯t his first time being kissed, his heart still beat erratically. The more he was kissed, the less calm he could remain.


    Zhao Chuchu was deeply rooted in his heart. She had long since grown from a tiny seedling into a giant tree.


    ¡°Chuchu, I also like you,¡± said Xie Heng with a passionate gaze. He enunciated each word clearly. After he finished saying this, he slowly approached her, wanting to kiss her.


    ¡°Bro¡­Bro¡­¡± At that moment, Xie Jun¡¯s voice could be heard from the courtyard. Xie Heng was startled, and he quickly backed away from Zhao


    Chuchu.


    He had the urge to give Xie Jun a good beating on his buttocks.


    Why would he choose toe back at this time? He had ruined a perfect moment.


    Zhao Chuchu was somewhat disappointed too.


    She also wanted to kiss Xie Heng. But, unfortunately, the kid was back.


    ¡°Bro, I dug this up. Other people said it¡¯s ginseng!¡± Xie Jun rushed into the room with great excitement as he raised his muddy hands and showed them what he was holding. ¡°Is this worth a lot of money?


    When Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng saw this, they both frowned.


    They were in the south, whereas ginseng grew in the north. So how could it possibly appear here?


    Zhao Chuchu took the nt in Xie Jun¡¯s hand and cleaned off the mud around its roots. It was ginseng!


    That was strange!


    Zhao Chuchu had gone herb-gathering in the mountains herself. If there were ginseng, she would have discovered it long ago. So how did Xie Jun manage to dig up ginseng suddenly?


    ¡°Junjun, where did you find this?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked as she looked at Xie Jun with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s really ginseng.¡±


    ¡°Sis, you¡¯re not lying to make me happy, right? Can this be sold for money?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really ginseng, but it isn¡¯t worth anything because it¡¯s too young. If Junjun hadn¡¯t dug it out and let it grow, it would have been worth a fortune.¡±


    ¡°Ah? So I dug it out too soon? Is this ginseng too young?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Zhao Chuchu said as she nodded. She then encouraged Xie Jun, saying, ¡°Anyway, Junjun is terrific for recognizing ginseng, even though you have only studied medicine under me for a short while. Don¡¯t get arrogant.


    Keep up the good work.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± said Xie Jun as he scratched his head in embarrassment.


    Xie Heng hesitated before saying, ¡°¡­Look at you. You are like a dirty cat. There is hot water in the pot. Quickly go bathe and change into a set of clean clothes.¡± ¡°Alright, Bro,¡± Xie Jun promised Xie Heng, his gaze never leaving the ginseng.


    Zhao Chuc.hu saw through him and said, ¡°This ginseng is too young, so its medicinal properties are ordinary. Medical halls will most likely not want it. Why don¡¯t you let me handle this? I will pay youter ording to the medical hall¡¯s rate. You¡¯d better take care of the money.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want the money,¡± said Xie Jun, turning down her offer. ¡°Sis, is such a small ginseng truly useful? Are you saying that just to butter me up?¡±


    ¡°Other physicians do not know how to use it, but I can. You trust me, don¡¯t you Pi,


    ¡°Yes, I trust Sis.¡±


    ¡°Then, quickly go bathe.¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡¯


    After beingforted by Zhao Chuchu, Xie Jun happily went to bathe.


    ¡°Let me ask around to see whether anyone else dug up ginseng,¡± said Zhao Chuchu. She ced the little ginseng into her carry-on space and prepared to go around the vige.


    ¡°Is this ginseng poisonous?¡± asked Xie Heng. He simrly felt that this was strange. However, he did not have Zhao Chuchu¡¯s medicinal knowledge, so he could not tell.


    ¡°It¡¯s not poisonous, but it¡¯s weird that ginseng grows in our area. Da Lang, did you know? This ginseng is not grown in the wild. Someone most likely nted it,¡± Zhao Chuchu exined in a low voice. ¡°I don¡¯t know who would want to grow ginseng for kids to dig them out, but there is definitely more than meets the eye.¡±


    ¡°Then go and ask around. I will ask people to investigate whether any suspicious individuals have been around Lengshui Vige.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu thought about the ginseng as she left the Xie residence.


    She made a trip around the vige. As expected, aside from Xie Jun, many other children had also dug up ginseng.


    ording to them, they were not dug up in the mountains but in the vicinity of the vige.


    In the vicinity of the vige?


    Zhao Chuchu raised her eyebrows.


    Although these ginseng roots were young, to send ginseng to such a remote ce, the person behind all this must truly have too much money to burn.


    Zhao Chuchu collected all the ginseng by telling the kids that she had a use for them. Then, she paid the children ording to the medical halls¡¯ rate.


    Those who dug up the ginseng were very happy. They earned a small sum of money just like that and did not need to head into town to sell the ginseng.


    They would go again tomorrow to see whether they could dig up more ginseng to exchange for some money.


    Zhao Chuchu collected the ginseng with the same intention.


    She was interested to find out how many ginseng roots the other party would be willing to give them.


    Zhao Chuchu collected all the ginseng and concluded that her hypothesis was correct. They were dug out from somewhere and rented there.


    She did not know what method the other party used to keep the ginseng leaves fresh throughout the renting process.


    Xie Heng sat beside her and asked, ¡°Did you discover any clues?


    Zhao Chuchu shook her head and replied, ¡°Nothing for the time being. These ginseng roots are still usable. It¡¯s just that I bought them for a high price. I told the vigers that they could sell them to me if they found more ginseng. I am curious to find out how much more ginseng the party behind all this can afford to give us.¡±


    For now, Xie Heng could not figure out the situation either.


    It was also gettingte. So they would have to wait until tomorrow to see where the ginseng were dug up.


    Zhao Chuchu caught him off guard by suggesting, ¡°Da Lang, why don¡¯t we take a look tonight?¡±

 Chapter 360 - 360: Why Don ‘t You Make Me a Promise?

    Chapter 360: Why Don ¡®t You Make Me a Promise?


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°Alright,¡± replied Xie Heng.


    He watched as Zhao Chuchu researched the ginseng intently. He did not disturb her and walked out of the house to make dinner.


    Zhao Chuchu did not manage to discover anything after a long time. Finally, she threw the ginseng aside and went to help Xie Heng make dinner. They would have an early dinner and check out where the ginsengs were dug up.


    At the dinner table, Xie Jun excitedly brought up the incident of him digging up ginseng. He counted with his fingers how many he had to dig up to buy Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng gifts.


    ¡°Sis, what would you like? I¡¯m going to start saving money now so that I can give it to you as a gift.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu could not bring herself to dampen Xie Jun¡¯s enthusiasm. She replied, ¡°Aside from food, I don¡¯t want anything else.¡±


    ¡°Nothing they sell outside tastes better than Bro¡¯s cooking. Does that mean I can¡¯t get you anything?¡± said Xie Jun as he pouted. ¡°Sis, please tell me. Is there anything else aside from food?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu pondered for a bit before replying, ¡°I can¡¯t think of anything at the moment. Why don¡¯t you make me a promise? How about honoring it when you grow up in the future?¡±


    ¡°A promise?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, rx. I won¡¯t ask you to do anything evil.¡±


    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s a promise, Sis. What about you, Bro?¡±


    In Xie Jun¡¯s heart, Xie Heng was second only to Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°It is the thought that counts. So I will like whatever you give me,¡± said Xie


    Heng.


    Xie Jun rolled his eyes and said, ¡°Alright, I know what to give you!¡±


    Xie Heng saw through Xie Jun, but he did not expose him.


    His limited patience was all used up on Zhao Chuchu and Xie Jun. Aside from these two, no one else was worthy of even a sideways nce from him.


    He would only help those Zhao Chuchu wanted to help, and only for her sake.


    Otherwise, he could care less whether they lived or died.


    After dinner, Xie Jun helped put away the dishes.


    The two brothers pushed Zhao Chuchu out of the kitchen, so she went to rest in the house.


    Later that night, when Xie Jun was already asleep, Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng quietly left to check out where Xie Jun and the other children had dug up the ginseng.


    Zhao Chuchu took out a shlight and inspected the holes.


    As expected, the holes had been previously dug up and refilled. The soil did not appear to have just been dug up during the day.


    There were also traces of soil that was not from the area.


    The ginseng holes had no discernible order. It was as though the person behind all this had randomly found ces to nt them.


    ¡°Da Lang, why do you think they are nting ginseng here? What are their intentions?¡± asked Zhao Chuchu. She still could not deduce the other party¡¯s intentions. Why were they giving ginseng to the vigers of Lengshui Vige?


    Xie Heng got up and looked at Zhao Chuchu. He said, ¡°They probably want the vigers to bezy and make them want to get something for nothing!¡±


    ¡°If they can regrly get ginseng from the mountains, who would want to tend the fields? Ginseng is worth much more than grain. Once the vigers get used to such a lifestyle, no one would ever want to tend the fields again.¡± Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    Although Xie Heng¡¯s imagination was a little wild, it was logical.


    Aside from that, she could not think of a better reason.


    ¡°Although it does seem rather illogical, now that Lengshui Vige has high-yield crops like rice, potatoes, great millets, and soybeans, for many, the temptation is too great. They all want to get their hands on these seeds. As long as they can master the techniques for nting them, they can reap even greater benefits.¡±


    ¡°Who do you think the culprit is?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know yet. We need to see who wille to find us in the near future.¡±


    At that moment, Xie Heng did not know who was responsible for this. However, he had his suspicions.


    Seeing that there was no evidence, he did not want to tell Zhao Chuchu, whom he suspected. If his intuition were off, he would have instead misled her.


    ¡°Come, let¡¯s check out elsewhere and see whether we can catch this patron who is nting ginseng.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu finished inspecting these ginseng holes and nned to search elsewhere.


    She believed that this person could not just keep nting ginseng around the vicinity of Lengshui Vige.


    The area should be growingrger.


    Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng walked further away from the vige to take a look and found newly nted ginseng.


    Zhao Chuchu raised her eyebrows and said, ¡°We actually have a patron. This ginseng should have been ntedst night. Our culprit is quite capable. They managed to keep the ginseng alive even after moving them here. Don¡¯t you think they should find something better to do?¡±


    ¡°The heart of man is the hardest to decipher. They might just have too much time on their hands.¡±


    ¡°They probably had a lot of time on their hands. Since thev want to zive us


    these ginsengs, then I will help myself to them.¡±


    Even though the ginsengs were too young, they still had their uses. Zhao Chuchu would not be picky.


    Xie Hengughed when he saw this. He helped Zhao Chuchu dig up all these little ginsengs that had just been nted. Their harvest was rather bountiful.


    However, Zhao Chuchu did not dig them all up. They had to leave behind one or two stalks for the other party to continue nting them.


    It was still early when they finished digging up the ginseng.


    Zhao Chuchu asked Xie Heng to wait where they were. She quickly searched the mountains around Lengshui Vige as fast as she could, but she did not find any strangers.


    Only then did she return to the Xie residence with Xie Heng.


    She looked disgusted at herself, all covered in mud and dirt.


    Xie Heng quietly went to the kitchen to heat up some water.


    Zhao Chuchu used this opportunity to prepare the ginseng.


    Their medicinal properties weren¡¯t strong, but they were still ginseng. So there woulde a time when they would be useful.


    Once the hot water was ready, Xie Heng went to call Zhao Chuchu to take a bath.


    Zhao Chuchu was happy to enjoy Xie Heng¡¯s meticulous care. She rxed and enjoyed her bath before going to bed refreshed.


    She was already fast asleep when Xie Heng finished his bath.


    She only opened her eyes for a moment when Xie Heng also went to bed. She then closed her eyes again. However, she did not forget to say, ¡°Da Lang, good night.¡±


    When Xie Heng heard this, his eyes showed indescribable tenderness.


    ¡°Good night,¡± he replied softly, but Zhao Chuchu had already drifted back to sleep.


    Xie Heng carefullyid down on his side and gazed at her peaceful face as she slept. He felt an unprecedented sense of satisfaction.


    He only wanted to gaze at her like that till morning, quietly.


    Xie Heng himself did not realize when he fell asleep while watching her.


    The next day, Xie Jun got up bright and early.


    The poison in his body has mostly been neutralized, with some remaining residue to be cleansed out of his body.


    For his health, Zhao Chuchu had taught him a set of martial art techniques that could be used to strengthen his body as well as defend himself before she left for Guangqing Province. She instructed him to practice theplete set every morning.


    Xie Jun was rather disciplined. Even without Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng around, he kept to this practice every morning.


    After finishing his set, he warmed up yesterday¡¯s leftovers for breakfast. He did not wait for Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng to get up. Instead, he carried a small basket on his back and went to find his friends to head up into the mountains to dig for ginseng.


    The children in the vige were enthusiastic as they had managed to earn money yesterday. So they all joined Xie Jun to head up the mountain bright and early, hoping to have more time to dig up more ginseng..

 Chapter 361 - 361: No More Regrets

    Chapter 361: No More Regrets


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°Junjun has gone into the mountains. Are you okay with that?¡± Once Xie Jun left the house, Zhao Chuchu nudged Xie Heng, who was sleeping beside her.


    Xie Heng replied with his eyes closed, ¡°It will be fine. Junjun should be up and about more often. He should not be confined to the house all day. It is normal for children to be yful. When we go to Guangqing Province next year, he will not have the chance to y like this again. For now, let¡¯s allow him to make up for his childhood.


    ¡°I did not know that you were that sensitive to want to give Junjun back his childhood.¡±


    When Xie Heng heard these words, he opened his eyes. It was as though he were once again seeing Xie Jun from his previous life dying in his arms and speaking of his many regrets.


    Xie Jun said that he had never yed in the mud or participated in family role-y games with other children. He had never climbed trees to collect bird eggs or yed pranks with them.


    Xie Jun said that if there was a next life, he hoped that he and Xie Heng could be ordinary brothers and live life like regr people. Status was both a burden and a death summons. He desired normalcy.


    Before Zhao Chuchu appeared, Xie Heng was aware that he could not make up for Xie Jun¡¯s regrets.


    That was because, in his previous life, he never managed to find the antidote to Xie Jun¡¯s poison up until thetter¡¯s death.


    Hence, after being reborn, he avoided the enemies of his previous life. This is because he did not want to encounter them too soon.


    Aside from keeping a low profile, he meant to keep Xie Jun from being drawn into political battles for as long as possible.


    Xie Heng hoped that Xie Jun could live happily.


    ¡°Junjun¡¯s life has been too miserable. I just hope that he won¡¯t have any regrets in the future,¡± Xie Heng said as he gently sighed. ¡°This is the normalcy that he previously desired but could never obtain. With his status, he is destined to be extraordinary. We only have this limited time to make him happy.¡±


    ¡°Those regrets no longer exist. With me here, Junjun will have the opportunity to make up for his lost childhood. Da Lang, in his previous life, Junjun might have also missed living with you in Lengshui Vige the most.¡±


    ¡°Why do you say so?¡±


    ¡°This is also a simple and ordinary happiness. Although Junjun was sick, he had you to take care of him, and he did not need to face anything he did not like.


    Isn¡¯t that also a form of happiness for him?¡±


    Xie Heng was stunned for a moment. He then smiled and said, ¡°I was in a daze. The current Junjun is the current Junjun. I should not beparing him to the past. However, Chuchu, I still insist that for now, we let Junjun y as much as he can.¡±


    He continued, ¡°That is because very soon, he will not be able to continue doing so. But he still has his calling.¡±


    In their previous lives, Xie Jun had be an emperor. So it would be the same for this life as well.


    Xie Heng also hoped that Xie Jun could be a wise emperor.


    That way, once Xie Jun secured his position as emperor, Xie Heng could leave the Wei Dynasty in his hands without worry. He could then travel the world with Zhao Chuchu and bring her to taste all the world¡¯s delicacies.


    ¡°For me, power struggles are out of my league. If you ask me to fight and kill, I have no qualms about doing so. However, if you ask me to fight others with my brain, it is too much for me to handle,¡± said Zhao Chuchu. ¡°I will not interfere in any decision you make. Da Lang, I will always be by your side.¡±


    Xie Heng pulled Zhao Chuchu into his arms and sniffed the fragrance of her hair. His entire being rxed.


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Due to most of the little ginsengs being dug up by Zhao Chuchust night, Xie Jun¡¯s group only managed to find two to three stalks of ginsengs after a morning of searching nearby.


    Xie Jun returned home dejectedly.


    ¡°Sis, there are no more ginsengs,¡± said Xie Jun as he put down his little basket.


    Then he came up to Zhao Chuchu and said, ¡°It is not easy to find ginseng. So,


    Sis, I might not be able to give you a gift.¡±


    Xie Jun was still thinking about saving money to buy her a gift. As for the promise she mentioned, Xie Jun felt that that was something she wanted and was not something he wanted to give, so he did not consider it fulfilled.


    Zhao Chuchu patted Xie Jun, who was covered in dirt, and said, ¡°Ginsengs are not carrots. They are not so easily found. Look at you, dirty as a cat. Quickly wash your face. Otherwise, who knows what your brother will say when he sees you?¡±


    ¡°But the gift¡­¡¯


    ¡°It is alright. Junjun is still young. When you are older, you will have the chance to buy me a gift. I am already pleased that you intend to do so.¡±


    ¡°I broke my promise.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t consider it as such. Aren¡¯t you still working hard to save money? If you can¡¯t dig for ginseng, we can always find other methods, right?¡±


    Xie Jun was indeed very obedient to Zhao Chuchu.


    Once sheforted him like this, he got over it. He felt that what she said made sense. He was still young and had so many years ahead of him before he woulde of age. Then, he would have his chance to give her a gift.


    Xie Jun smiled again as he went to wash his face.


    Zhao Chuchu shook her head helplessly.


    This child was indeed well-behaved and obedient. He was very likable.


    ¡°We will head over to Grandma Chen¡¯s ce. Then, we will ughter a pig,¡± Zhao Chuchu told Xie Jun once he had washed his face. ¡°We n to marinate an entire pig¡¯s worth of preserved meat and sausages. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± asked Xie Jun upon hearing this. His eyes were wide open, and he could not believe what he was hearing.


    ¡°Of course. If you have washed up, we will head over. They should be removing the hair right now.¡±


    ¡°I will get ready immediately.¡±


    Xie Jun excitedly dashed into the room. He changed into clean clothes as fast as he could. He then happily followed Zhao Chuchu to the Chen n residence. ¡°Sis, why are we marinating so much preserved meat and sausages?¡± ¡°Do you not like them?¡±


    ¡°No, I like everything. Since you began to speak, I feel that our Xie n has greatly changed. Setting aside that we get to eat meat daily, Bro no longer avoids talking the entire day and is no longer as frightening as before. He even smiles a lot. Is it because he likes you, Sis?¡± Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    How do children nowadays know so much?


    ¡°What do you think?


    ¡°Of course he does. Every time we have a meal, I feel that Bro is already full from just looking at you. He doesn¡¯t even need to eat. I have never seen Bro look at other people with that gaze, Sis. You are the first.¡±


    ¡°What gaze?¡±


    ¡°The gaze he has when he looks at you, the one where even his eyes are smiling. That¡¯s right, his eyes smile. However, he doesn¡¯t have such an expression when he talks to other girls. So, Sis, you must also like my Bro. He treats you very, very well. I hope that you both stay together forever.¡±


    Xie Jun looked up at Zhao Chuchu with a look of anticipation. Then he asked, ¡°My wish cane true, right?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu patted his head. Then, she replied, ¡°If there are no idents, it wille true.¡±


    ¡°There won¡¯t be any. I will always remind my bro. Remember, you are the person he likes the most,¡± he said thoughtfully. ¡°Sis, I will always stand by your side.¡±


    Zhao Chuchuughed and said, ¡°Alright. With Junjun backing me up, your brother wouldn¡¯t dare do anything.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± replied Xie Jun as he nodded his head, expressing his agreement.


    ¡°When I grow up, I will make my Bro fear me. Do you think it is possible, Sis?¡± ¡°You will need to work hard to be someone your brother will fear then.¡±


    ¡°I definitely can,¡± said Xie Jun grandly. He seemed to have forgotten that he would obey everything Xie Heng said.


    As Zhao Chuchu watched the cute Xie Jun, she felt this was another day when she was healed by this child..

 Chapter 362 - 362: They Did Not Consummate the Marriage

    Chapter 362: They Did Not Consummate the Marriage


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ughtering a pig was a huge event in the vige.


    Children especially liked to join in the fun.


    After the pig was ughtered, close families would be invited to share a meal together.


    By the time Zhao Chuchu and Xie Jun made their way over, the pig had been shaved and was about to be brought to the river for cleaning.


    Xie Jun dashed over and followed the other children, chasing after the pig being carried to the river.


    Old Mrs. Chen also carried a basket full of vegetables to the river. When she saw Zhao Chuchu, she waved and called out to her, ¡°Chuchu, you came just in time. If you are free, could you help me wash the vegetables?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I can,¡± replied Zhao Chuchu as she quickly walked forward. She took the basket from Old Mrs. Chen and asked, ¡°Why are you washing so many vegetables?¡±


    ¡°The weather has been good recently. I n to dry some vegetables so we can have some during spring when there won¡¯t be much avable.¡±


    ¡°Are you also drying carrots?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you pickle them? Pickled vegetables go well with rice.¡±


    ¡°Pickled vegetables?¡±


    Old Mrs. Chen had never heard of pickled vegetables. There was a look of awe on her face.


    ¡°Is this a new dish that you read about in your books?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I will check to see how to make itter. You can give it a try then.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. Don¡¯t mind if I do,¡± said Old Mrs. Chen with a smile. ¡°It just so happens the children of my household do not like to eat dried vegetables. Theyin that it is tasteless.¡±


    ¡°Pickled vegetables go well with rice. It also has a unique taste when eaten with white porridge.¡±


    ¡°Then I will be waiting for you to teach me how to make it.¡±


    The two of them chatted as they walked to the river. Along the way, they met other women. When the others heard about pickled vegetables, they also became curious. So they tagged along to ask more about it.


    Zhao Chuchu was not selfish and shared all that she knew.


    She did not know how to make it exactly, only the rough steps. To prevent misleading them and wasting vegetables, she nned to make Xie Heng attempt it first. If he seeded, she would teach the women how to make it.


    Then, they could use this novel dish to help supplement their family¡¯s ie.


    It was very lively next to the river. The children were ying beside it. From time to time, they woulde over to see how the adults handled the pig.


    Xie Heng was also present, but the vigers treated him as a schr. His hands were valuable, so they did not allow him to help.


    He could only watch as they worked.


    Before Zhao Chuchu reached the riverside, Xie Heng had already noticed her. He smiled at her from a distance.


    Zhao Chuchu waved in reply.


    When the young women beside her saw this, they teased her, saying, ¡°Chuchu, Da Lang holds you in high regard. His eyes follow you wherever you go. You can¡¯t even push them away if you want to. Aye, Da Lang is a gentleman, but how is he in that department?¡±


    For a moment, Zhao Chuchu did not know how to respond to this straightforward and unexpected question.


    ¡°He must be excellent. Otherwise, would Chuchu like him so much? Isn¡¯t that what couples are about? Would she bother talking to him if he was not performing well?¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, does Da Lang know many positions? Do any of them make you feel good? Share with us, please.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my husband said that schrs have the most pornographic drawings. He must know many different types of positions. Please don¡¯t be stingy. Why don¡¯t I share how my husband pleases me?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    Stop!


    What vulgarity was this?


    She had truly underestimated how vulgar the women of this era were.


    ¡°Da Lang and I have yet to consummate the marriage,¡± Zhao Chuchu confessed to avoid further inquiries. ¡°I have yet to have my period.¡±


    The women probably had not expected such an answer. Nevertheless, they exchanged nces with one another.


    They had thought that Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng had consummated their marriage long ago!


    Old Mrs. Chen recalled that she had urged Zhao Chuchu to have children a while ago. She could not help but feel embarrassed now.


    ¡°Chuchu is still young. You cannot rush such things. All of you, don¡¯t just share everything in front of Chuchu. If we misguide her, Da Lang wille after us,¡± said Old Mrs. Chen, immediately smoothing things over.


    A woman said, ¡°Hahaha, what is there to fear? She will grow up eventually. After all, she is already married. There is no harm in knowing more. It is better than not knowing anything when they actually consummate the marriage. It would be unfortunate if they became aughingstock as I did.¡±


    Another woman chipped in, ¡°Chuchu,e to my house when you have timeter. I can teach you some things that guarantee Da Lang will cling to you even more. My husband obeys my every word because of this. He will not look west if I ask him to look east.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that so?¡±


    Someone made a flirtatious pose.


    The women immediatelyughed out loud.


    The woman who said that she would teach Zhao Chuchu feigned anger and pushed the other woman from behind. Then she said, ¡°Stop it. It is enough that you know. Why show it? Chuchu is thin-skinned. Don¡¯t end up scaring her away.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was truly amazed.


    They were really daring. Even when discussing matters of the bedroom, they did not seem embarrassed. Zhao Chuchu felt that she was inexperiencedpared to them.


    In any era, there was no shortage of people who spoke in such a vulgar manner!


    These women were all experienced veterans. They could make her blush so hard that she would rocket off to the moon at any moment.


    Even Zhao Chuchu felt embarrassed listening to them talk.


    She had also used profanity in her previous life. However, she was more civilized and nowhere near as straightforward as these women. They could even share in vivid detail what positions they had attempted.


    It seems that the theoretical knowledge she obtained from books could notpete with her actual experience.


    In truth, in ancient times, at night, there was no entertainment to speak of. The joys of the bedroom were their only form of entertainment. They had gotten very creative with it.


    Fortunately, they had already reached the river, so they ended this topic of discussion.


    As for Xie Heng, this was the first time he considered that having excellent hearing was not necessarily a blessing.


    He had heard everything the women said. Moreover, he had been staring at


    Zhao Chuchu. He could not help but imagine what they said. He was slightly aroused ana could not focus.


    Luckily, Xie Heng¡¯s self-control was extremely strong. Therefore, he did not show a reaction in public.


    Nevertheless, he spent a lot of effort quenching his excitement.


    After that, Xie Heng did not dare look at Zhao Chuchu again.


    He felt that he was being disrespectful toward her.


    Zhao Chuchu naturally did not miss Xie Heng¡¯s response. On the contrary, she could not help but smile slightly when she saw his embarrassed look.


    How could such an innocent boy possibly exist?


    His mind was no longer that of a youth, but he was still easily embarrassed.


    Zhao Chuchu once again felt that she had picked up a treasure.


    The women chose to wash the vegetables upstream.


    They began making jokes about the men downstream.


    Their jokes included but were not limited to, vulgar jokes.


    Zhao Chuchu listened quietly, not daring to speak up.


    After all, she had yet to consummate her marriage. If her theoretical knowledge was too vast, would she shock a few people and cause them to fall into the river?


    Although their conversation was not safe for children, the atmosphere was rather rxing for Zhao Chuchu.


    There were no mind games at y. Life without worrying about zombies rushing out at any given moment was wonderful.


    Old Mrs. Chen said softly, ¡°They are like this every day. Don¡¯t mind them. Just pretend you didn¡¯t hear anything. They are used to being so shameless.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. It is quite fun,¡± said Zhao Chuchu with a smile.


    ¡°You are still young. There is no rush. You should wait for your period toe before consummating the marriage. Otherwise, it will not be good for your body.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°Right, you are a physician, so you will naturally know more than we do. However, Chuchu, when the timees, it is better to have children as soon as possible.. A family is notplete without children!¡±

 Chapter 363 - 357 1’ve Even Thought of the

    Chapter 363: Chapter 357 1¡¯ve Even Thought of the


    Children ¡®s NamesPlease enter the trantion


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°Okay,¡± Zhao Chuchu replied while nodding and paltering with Old Mrs. Chen.


    In her opinion, it was too early to talk about having children.


    She was still so young and wanted to enjoy her life a little longer.


    Regardless of health or other reasons, childbearing was not her priority now.


    Her body was in prime condition after she nursed herself back to health. She was not afraid of not being able to be a mother, so she was not in a rush to have kids now.


    Old Mrs. Chen advised, ¡°Be it a boy or a girl, a woman should always try to have more babies. You are still young. The more children you have, the deeper your connection with Da Lang. In the future, Da Lang will have to take care of you and the children regardless of what happens.¡±


    Women of Old Mrs. Chen¡¯s age typically had such a mindset.


    They believed that they could make their husbands stay with them after they had children. Therefore, they gave birth nonstop.


    They also believed that as their children grew older, they would be manpower to share household responsibilities.


    The poorer the women were, the more they held on to this belief.


    Education was not for themon folk. Therefore, these women did not have to worry about giving their children an education. They only needed to make sure that their children grew up healthy.


    As someone who had received higher education, Zhao Chuchu naturally did not agree with this belief.


    However, she remained neutral about this issue.


    After all, differences in the living environment and educational background shaped all of them to think differently.


    Zhao Chuchu could not force all the other women to ept her beliefs alone.


    Therefore, the best way for her to deal with them was to slowly influence them through their conversations after listening attentively to whatever they had to say.


    Any realization of thought cannot be aplished in a single lifetime. Instead, change was gradually brought about by generations of effort.


    ¡°We can discuss this in the future. I am not at the age where I should be discussing this topic,¡± Zhao Chuchu said with a smile.


    Old Mrs. Chen nagged, ¡°It¡¯s not too early to be talking about this. You are at the right age. You will have your period soon, right? So there¡¯s nothing wrong with preparing early. Moreover, both of your parents are not around. Even though you are a physician, raising children is different from healing patients. You will be very busy after you have kids.¡±


    ¡°In that case, can I ask for Grandma Chen¡¯s help to take care of my children in the future?


    ¡°Are you serious? I will agree to your request in advance.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one who said that we should prepare early? However, when the timees, Uncle Dashan might have more children too. Then, you will not be able to help me.¡±


    ¡°I can teach you. I am not bragging, but I am good at raising children, even though I didn¡¯t give birth to many. Many wives in the vigee to consult me on this matter. I can teach you next time.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Xie Heng overheard their conversation.


    When Xie Heng heard them mention children, a warm sensation surged in his heart involuntarily.


    He could be uncontrobly emotional over children.


    If he and Chuchu had a child, it would be the best-looking one in the world.


    If they had a daughter, she would look like Chuchu. If they had a boy, he¡­no, it was best for them only to have one child. Giving birth was equivalent to a trip around hell for women. He did not wish for Chuchu to experience such things. Zhao Chuchu only brought up children while talking with Old Mrs. Chen. As for


    Xie Heng, he had even thought of the children¡¯s names.


    He also considered how to educate the children. Xie Heng had already contemted topics such as what they would teach their child if they had a


    The more Xie Heng thought about it, the more worried he became.


    Aside from himself, every other man in this world would have bad intentions toward his daughter. So he had to be on guard against all men to protect his daughter from falling for their schemes. But) right now, all Xie Hengcked was a child for him to carry out his n!


    Zhao Chuchu asionally nced at Xie Heng. She had the feeling that his expression was strange. He seemed to be grinding his teeth.


    No one here had offended him, and he was fine just a moment ago. So why had his expression changed so suddenly?


    Unbeknownst to her, due to her conversation with Old Mrs. Chen, Xie Heng was already fantasizing about what his daughter would look like.


    If Xie Heng told Zhao Chuchu what he had in mind, she would definitely dismiss him as ridiculous.


    She would be amused by the random thoughts Xie Heng had.


    Thankfully, Chen Dashan interrupted Xie Heng¡¯s train of thought by passing him a boning knife. Otherwise, Xie Heng would imagine how to kill the brats who wanted to get married to his imaginary daughter.


    ¡°Da Lang, we do not need any help here. Why don¡¯t you head back first?¡± Chen Dashan told Xie Heng. ¡°When you return, teach your aunt how to make glutinous rice stuffed with pig¡¯s blood. Otherwise, if she gets the recipe wrong, it will be a waste of food.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± said Xie Heng as he nodded. He pointed at the basket and said, ¡°Then I will take that basket back first.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± replied Chen Dashan.


    Xie Heng walked over to Zhao Chuchu and asked whether the vegetables were washed. He wanted to bring them back as well.


    Old Mrs. Chen said, ¡°It is alright, Da Lang. You spend your days reading and writing. You won¡¯t be strong enough to carry them. Don¡¯t hurt your hands. Chuchu and I can carry these back together.¡±


    ¡°It is not a problem. It¡¯s not that heavy. Moreover, I practice martial arts regrly, so I am not that weak,¡± answered Xie Heng. Then he looked at Zhao Chuchu and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back together.¡±


    ¡°Then, both of you head back first. I will go and help the others.¡± When Old Mrs. Chen heard him say this, she did not say anything else and passed the basket to Xie Heng.


    She wouldn¡¯t get in between the two of them.


    She was hoping for Zhao Chuchu to give Xie Heng children soon. She would not disturb them when such a golden opportunity to develop their rtionship Dresented itself.


    Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng walked back to the vige together.


    ¡°Is it heavy? Let me help you carry some.¡±


    ¡°There is no need. Keeping mepany is more than enough.¡±


    Xie Heng rejected her offer.


    Even though he was not as skilled at martial arts as Zhao Chuchu, that did not mean that he was weak.


    Xie Heng did not want Zhao Chuchu to secretlybel him as a meek schr.


    ¡°You overheard my conversation with thedies just now, didn¡¯t you?¡± Zhao Chuchu teased Xie Heng. ¡°I am helpless against those wild aunties.¡±


    Xie Heng¡¯s handsome face became as red as a tomato. He avoided having eye contact with her. He pretended to be calm and said, ¡°What did youdies talk about? I was very focused on watching the men ughter the pig, so I did not pay attention to your conversation.¡±


    Zhao Chuc.hu knew from his reaction that he had overheard them.


    ¡°Aye, it is best that you did not hear anything. Even I got embarrassed listening to their profanities.¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t listen to them.¡±


    ¡°But they kept asking me.¡±


    ¡°A¡­about what?¡±


    Xie Heng was somewhat nervous.


    ¡°They asked whether you knew many positions.¡±


    Xie Heng was speechless.


    He did not expect her to tell him the truth so casually.


    He was so embarrassed that he wished the ground would open up and swallow him whole.


    Zhao Chuchu admired Xie Heng¡¯s shy look from the side. Then sheughed out loud and said) ¡°Da Lang, you are adorable.¡±


    It was hard to imagine that a man who had reached the peak of authority was innocent to such an extent. He was still a virgin!


    Even Zhao Chuchu wanted to have sex with him if it weren¡¯t for the fact that her body was too young.


    She wondered how he would perform.


    ¡°Chuchu, when I am with you, my self-control is feeble. However, I do not


    wish for you to feel that I am disrespecting you in the slightest. So, can you restrain yourself a little in the future? I am afraid that I will really¡­¡±


    Xie Heng did not finish his sentence. However, his meaning was obvious.


    No man could remain calm in front of the girl he liked. Xie Heng was no exception.


    He was also an ordinary man. He also had desires..

 Chapter 364 - 358 It’s a Pleasure to Spend Money on Her

    Chapter 364: Chapter 358 It¡¯s a Pleasure to Spend Money on Her


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Once Xie Heng said this, Zhao Chuchu wanted to tease him more instead.


    ¡°But I can¡¯t help it. You know that I am not a child.¡±


    ¡°Then, can you spare me this time?


    It wasn¡¯t that Xie Heng disliked Zhao Chuchu teasing him. He was just afraid that he would lose control.


    Zhao Chuc.hu was still physically a child. Therefore, no matter how much he liked her, he could not do anything to a maiden of that age.


    Hugging and kissing her was already the limit for him.


    Xie Heng could not bring himself to do any more than that.


    Zhao Chuchu put her arm in his and looked into his eyes. She blinked and said,


    ¡°Then we will see how well you behave.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± replied Xie Heng as he lifted his hand and patted her head. Xie Heng did not want to stop touching her soft hair, which was as smooth as silk. However, carrying two baskets with one hand was too cumbersome. He could only retract his hand. He suggested, ¡°We can go into town tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. You¡¯re the one paying anyway.¡±


    ¡°Alright. ¡±


    Xie Heng felt that it was a pleasure to spend money on her.


    ¡°We¡¯ll buy everything you want.¡±


    ¡°We are not bringing Junjun along, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.


    They had less couple time now that they were home. Of course, Xie Heng did not n to bring Xie Jun along.


    Moreover, Xie Jun was a smart kid. So he would most likely feel reluctant to follow them along to town.


    Old Mrs. Chen¡¯s daughters-inw were already starting the fire and preparing the meal.


    Xie Heng asked for a wooden basin and washed some glutinous rice. He squatted in the courtyard and mixed the pig¡¯s blood and glutinous rice together. Then he added some seasoning.


    Madam Zheng and Madam Liang exchanged a nce, and both of them shared a tacit understanding to stay out of Xie Heng¡¯s way. Instead, they would leave some room for Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng to work together on their own.


    Even though Zhao Chuchu was a horrible cook, she knew how to make glutinous rice stuffed with pig¡¯s blood.


    She squatted beside Xie Heng. She nned to help him support the equipment so that it would be easier for him to stuff the sausage skin with the glutinous rice and pig¡¯s blood mixture.


    Xie Heng instructed, ¡°Wait a second. Please help me roll up my sleeves. If my clothes get stained with pig¡¯s blood, it will be hard to wash it off.¡± As he said this, he gestured to Zhao Chuchu by raising his jaw and lifting his arms.


    The sleeves of his clothes were very loose. Zhao Chuchu asked for two pairs of armbands from Madam Zheng for Xie Heng and herself. It would be easier for them to work after wearing the armbands.


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s slender arms moved before Xie Heng¡¯s eyes as she was helping him put on the armbands. Her skin looked exceptionally fair with the pig¡¯s blood in the background. Xie Heng was mesmerized by her beauty.


    He sighed internally.


    Zhao Chuchu had a greater influence on him now.


    He forced himself to stay focused and get his mind out of the gutter.


    Frankly speaking, in his previous life, he had encountered countless women attempting to seduce him after he became the grand secretary. Some of them were even more physically attractive than Zhao Chuchu. However, even when those women stood before him naked, he could remain as calm as still water.


    Sometimes, he would even pick up the clothes dropped by those women tasked to seduce him, help them get dressed again, and say to them, ¡°It¡¯s getting colder. Girls should learn how to stay warm.¡±


    At that time, everyone in the government thought that he was gay. Therefore, some gave him some handsome young men as presents. However, those men simrly could not arouse his interest.


    Xie Heng had once thought that he was a cold-blooded person with no emotions or love.


    Now that he was reborn and this young maiden had appeared in his life, Xie Heng knew that his emotionless state was just because he had not met the right person.


    He could also desire a woman. She was extremely attractive to him even when she was not doing anything. She made him fall helplessly in love with her. Although it was tormenting at times, Xie Heng mostly felt that his days were happy and sweet.


    He enjoyed this feeling of longing for a person.


    ¡°Da Lang, what do you n to do with the remaining pig¡¯s blood?¡± asked Zhao Chuchu when she saw that there was still half a wooden basin of blood remaining. ¡°Are we nning to cook it?¡±


    ¡°We will make blood sausages with it. Have you tried that before?¡± Xie Heng returned to reality.


    ¡°I can¡¯t remember.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu liked glutinous rice stuffed with pig¡¯s blood, so she missed its taste. As for blood sausages, even if she had eaten them before, she could not recall their taste.


    ¡°We can steam them in a while so you can try them. You will like it.¡± Xie Heng had never seen Zhao Chuchu dislike eating anything.


    This young maiden had a good appetite. He enjoyed seeing her eat.


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    When the sausage skin was filled, Xie Heng asked Madam Zheng and the others to prepare another pot of water for steaming.


    Only then did Madam Zheng ask, ¡°Da Lang, do you need any help?¡±


    ¡°Nope. We are all done here.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡±


    Madam Zheng revealed a meaningful smile. Then, she went into the kitchen with her sister-inw to clean up the pig¡¯s internal organs.


    Zhao Chuchu remembered the braised pork they hadst time. She felt that cooking the internal organs in clear soup with ginger like they usually did was a waste.


    ¡°Da Lang, why don¡¯t we braise the offal? It¡¯s still early. They will be ready by dinner time.¡± ¡°There¡¯s not enough time for the offal to soak up the brine.¡±


    ¡°Alright. ¡±


    Zhao Chuchu could only obey Xie Heng¡¯smands when it came to food.


    Terrible cooks had no right to speak in the kitchen.


    ¡°If you want braised pork, we can make it tomorrow,¡± said Xie Heng gently.


    ¡°It¡¯s toote to make it today.¡±


    ¡°Alright.


    Xie Heng subconsciously wanted to pat Zhao Chuchu i s head, but he discovered that his hands were covered in blood, so he gave up to prevent a terrifying sight like a murder scene.


    When Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng finished filling up the blood sausages, Chen Dashan and the others returned with the pig that had been cleaned and hung it on the door.


    ¡°Da Lang, do you need help cutting it up? ¡°Yes, sorry to trouble you, Uncle Dashan.¡± ¡°It is no trouble at all. We are all family.¡± Chen Dashanughed heartily.


    He did not mind doing such things at all.


    This was nothingpared to the benefits Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng had brought them.


    Their Chen n only reached this point because of Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng. Even if they had to work the fields for the Xie n for free, they would willingly do so.


    The two women of the Chen n worked quickly, and soon lunch was ready.


    Xie Jun and the others were assigned tasks to call others for lunch.


    Madam Yang just happened to pass by the entrance to the Chen n residence. When she saw the big, fat pig in the courtyard, she was envious from the bottom of her heart.


    Sadly, after knowing it was Zhao Chuchu¡¯s pig, she did not dare snatch it, even if she wanted it.


    Zhao Chuchu was too incredible and hadpletely suppressed them.


    The Yang n did not dare cause any more trouble.


    They did not even dare to speak with Zhao Chuc.hu to get to the bottom of Zhao Zhizhi¡¯s death.


    Everyone knew that Zhao Zhizhi had suddenly screamed and startled the guard, who stabbed her to death. However, they would not link Zhao Zhizhi¡¯s death to Zhao Chuchu.


    However, one person was an exception.


    That person was Zhao Zhizhi¡¯s mother, Madam Ma. She had always held a grudge against Zhao Chuchu. She felt that if it weren¡¯t for Zhao Chuchu, her daughter would not have died.


    However, Madam Ma had seen many people end tragically when they went against Zhao Chuchu. Therefore, she also did not dare act recklessly. She could only keep everything she felt to herself and await the day she could get her revenge against Zhao Chuchu.


    Ever since Zhao Chuchu cured Xie Heng and Xie Jun, Madam Ma felt that the current Zhao Chuchu was a ghost.


    Madam Ma was well aware of the life Zhao Chuchu experienced in the Zhao n. Even after thetter had married someone in the Xie n, she was cold toward Xie Heng. Why would Xie Heng suddenly teach her how to read?


    However, Madam Ma did not dare to say anything. She was afraid that she would also offend Zhao Chuchu and that thetter would kill her in the middle of the night. She truly was afraid to die. She had yet to seek revenge for her daughter. She absolutely could not die yet!


    Please enter the trantion

 Chapter 365 - 359 You are an Animal!

    Chapter 365: Chapter 359 You are an Animal!


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Madam Ma lived her days in resentment and fear.


    Her husband became disabled and could never walk normally again because of Zhao Chuchu. Madam Yang could forgive Zhao Chuchu, but she wasn¡¯t able to.


    Every time Zhao Chuchu treated a patient, Madam Ma prayed to God that Zhao Chuchu would identally kill her patient. She would have to pay back with her own life that way!


    Unfortunately, Madam Ma¡¯s prayers were never answered.


    The noise from Madam Yang opening the door brought Madam Ma back from her train of thought.


    ¡°Are you deaf? I called you so many times. Why didn¡¯t you answer? Do you still know that I am your mother-inw? Why the long face all day? You act as if we aren¡¯t giving you enough to eat! All of this crap is the result of bad luck bringers like you!¡¯


    Madam Yang kept scolding Madam Ma nonstop.


    ¡°Mom, I didn¡¯t do that on purpose. I got distracted because I was thinking about when Baogen¡¯s leg could recover. Zhao Chuchu said that it¡¯s going to be very fast, right? However, new year is going to be over soon, and Baogen¡¯s leg still hasn¡¯t recovered. Was she lying to us back then?¡±


    ¡°So what? Do you want to find trouble with that evil maniac? I¡¯ll tell you now¡ª if you want to do anything stupid, do it yourself. I¡¯m not going with you. If that maniac breaks your leg too, don¡¯t me me for not getting you a doctor.¡±


    ¡°Mom, 1¡­¡±


    ¡®Enough, shut up. I¡¯ve had enough of your nonsense all day. Just behave properly and stay away from that insane woman. Baogen wouldn¡¯t have broken his leg if it weren¡¯t for you! You should be taking care of him right now. You don¡¯t even have to work on the farms. You should be happy that you can ck off at home!¡±


    Madam Ma was so mad that she could barely speak.


    What did she mean by ¡°cking off at home ?


    All the chores in the household are handled by her now. That sister-inw of hers refused to do any tasks after returning from work on the farm. Every day, she just sat there and waited for food as though she owned the ce.


    Madam Ma had to feed the chickens and ducks. Sometimes she had to harvest the hogweed to feed the pigs. Besides that, she was also in charge of washing the clothes, cleaning the ce, and chopping up the logs.


    During the autumn, when they were harvesting, she had to go to the sun-drying field to dry the paddy rice on top of her usual chores. Then, after the rice dried, she had to pack them up and carry them home bit by bit!


    Why did all these things seem like easy work for these people?


    Madam Ma felt extremely bitter but didn¡¯t dare to say anything. If she spoke out against Madam Yang, Madam Yang would surely start wailing and whining as though it were the end of the world, and she would be infamous for being ¡°unfilial.¡±


    Zhao Baogen had previously said that if she dared go against Madam Yang¡¯s will, he would divorce her!


    The Ma n also resented Madam Ma because of the incident with Old Madam Ma. They felt that if it weren¡¯t for Madam Ma, Old Madam Ma wouldn¡¯t have to do forcedbor at such an old age.


    Madam Ma was being cornered and attacked from all facets of her life, and her husband didn¡¯t empathize with her.


    The more Madam Ma thought about it, the angrier she felt. She med it all on Zhao Chuchu.


    If Zhao Chuchu hadn¡¯t done those things, her life wouldn¡¯t have be so difficult. Why did her daughter die that day instead of that little bitch!


    Why is God so unfair?


    ¡°What are you doing? Are you giving me a look just because I scolded you a little? Do you want to scram back to your maiden family?!¡± Madam Yang was enraged when she saw the resentment in Madam Ma¡¯s eyes. She pointed at her nose and started shrieking, ¡°Our family must have messed up really bad in our previous lives to have such shitty luck to have you marry my son, you¡­¡± Madam Ma didn¡¯t dare say a word in return.


    All she could do was stand there and wait until Madam Yang was done scolding her before walking back to her room, feeling extremely miserable.


    Zhao Baogen was lying on the bed and heard everything that Madam Yang had said to Madam Ma.


    People often say that when a person is sick for a prolonged period, he may have low self-esteem. Zhao Baogen was no different.


    After hearing Madam Ma get scolded, not only did he not try to console her, he even mocked her. ¡°Wow, you¡¯re so amazing. How do you manage to infuriate my mother every single day without fail? Do you feel like you can¡¯t stay in the


    Zhao n anymore and want me to divorce you so you can find another man? Right, you¡¯re still so young. There must be so many men out there willing to marry you!¡¯


    ¡°Zhao Baogen, how can you say that?¡± Madam Ma was so angry upon hearing Zhao Baogen that she started crying. ¡°I have been caring for you and doing all the household chores during this time. How can you say something so hurtful?


    How could you be so ungrateful?¡±


    ¡°All you do is just cook three meals a day. How tiring can that be? You¡¯re enjoying a good life right now, and it¡¯s because your husband¡¯s leg is ruined. You should be grateful!¡±


    ¡°You, you¡­you are an animal.¡±


    ¡°Bitch, how dare you say that to me? I knew you had another man out there, so you¡¯reing home to show me this attitude!¡±


    ¡°Zhao Baogen, you are worse than an animal! I worked so hard to take care of you, yet you still suspect me like that. You¡¯re inhuman¡­¡±


    Madam Mapletely lost it. She pounced forward and scratched Zhao Baogen¡¯s face.


    Zhao Baogen had been bedridden for almost half a year now. Not only did he be a lotzier than before, but much of his strength had also deteriorated. Although he was still bigger than Madam Ma, he couldn¡¯t fight against her, who worked every day.


    Madam Ma quickly made several scratch marks on his face. Zhao Baogen started yelling.


    Madam Yang charged into the room when she heard the noise. She saw Madam Ma pinning her son down on the bed and beating her. She screamed and pounced forward, grabbing Madam Ma¡¯s hair and tugging Madam Ma back to get her away from Zhao Baogen.


    ¡°You bitch, how dare you beat your husband? I have to give you a lesson today, you ungrateful, unloyal, disgusting maggot! I¡¯ll teach you what the Zhao n is made of today!¡± Madam Yang started beating Madam Ma as she shrieked. Madam Ma returned to her senses and started revolting against Madam Yang.


    The two women started fighting.


    The brawl was so loud that their neighbors were alerted.


    By the time their neighbors managed to separate the two of them, both Madam Yang and Madam Ma had their clothes stretched and torn, their hair was scattered and messy, and there were scratches all over their faces. They all look incredibly miserable.


    Madam Yang pointed at Madam Ma and yelled, ¡°Bitch, you wait. I¡¯ll divorce you right now and chase you out. How dare you beat your mother-inw, you inhuman wretch! I¡¯m telling you, you won¡¯t get away with this!¡±


    Madam Ma hadpletely let herself loose at this point. She yelled back, ¡°Sure, I dare you to divorce me! I¡¯ll make sure every single one of you dies with me. Don¡¯t think for a minute that you can enjoy your life while I suffer. You bully me all day long. Do you really think that I¡¯m just a doll that you can do with as you please? Think again!¡¯


    ¡°Enough! Do you want us to be theughingstock of the entire vige? You! Get out of my house and scram back to the Ma n now!¡± Zhao Baogen yelled.


    Madam Ma looked toward Zhao Baogen. She couldn¡¯t believe her ears. ¡°What did you just say?


    She didn¡¯t care when Madam Yang said to divorce her. But it was totally different when Zhao Baogen said it.


    ¡°You beat my mother just now. That¡¯s unfilial, so I¡¯m going to divorce you!¡¯ ¡°Zhao Baogen, how dare you?


    Madam Ma panicked. While she appeared tough on the outside, she was rather weak and scared on the inside.


    Her maiden family didn¡¯t want her anymore. So if Zhao Baogen divorced her, she would have no other option but to die.


    ¡°You heard him. My son said he¡¯s going to divorce you; now scram back to the


    Ma n!!¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯ve been working my ass off in the Zhao n for so many years. I did so much hardbor for all of you. I even gave birth to a child, yet now you¡¯re saying you want to divorce me.¡±


    Madam Ma screamed hysterically. She hadpletely lost her mind.


    She dashed to the table, picked up the oilmp, and took out a fire starter. ¡°An eye for an eye. You want to divorce me? Alright, I¡¯ll make you die with me, Zhao Baogen!¡¯


    Madam Yang was shocked by how Madam Ma behaved, as though she had gone entirely mad.


    She was afraid that Madam Ma would really set fire to the ce.


    ¡°Zhao Baogen, we weren¡¯t born on the same day, but we shall die on the same night. After we die, we¡¯ll still be husband and wife,¡± Madam Yang said viciously. ¡°You made me do this!¡±


    Zhao Baogen¡¯s leg hadn¡¯t recovered fully yet. So even if he could get out of bed, he couldn¡¯t run.


    He started panicking as well.


    Please enter the trantion

 Chapter 366 - 360 1’ll Do Anything to Repay You!

    Chapter 366: Chapter 360 1¡¯ll Do Anything to Repay You!


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°Stop it! Have you thought about Changrong? It¡¯s easy for you to make me die together with you, but what about Changrong? He¡¯s your son!¡± Zhao Baogen said frantically, ¡°Do you want Changrong to have a murderer as his mother?¡±


    Zhao Changrong was Madam Ma¡¯s soft spot. The moment Zhao Baogen mentioned him, the anger in Madam Ma¡¯s heart dissipated significantly. Zhao Baotian and Madam Liu took the chance and charged forward. The husband and wife duo coordinated their actions perfectly. One snatched the fire starter and oilmp from Madam Ma, while the other grabbed Madam Ma by the waist and pulled her away.


    Madam Liu yelled, ¡°If you want to die, go die somewhere far away from us.


    Don¡¯t drag other people down with you. I still haven¡¯t lived enough!¡¯


    Madam Yang immediately walked forward and gave Madam Ma two hard ps as she shouted, ¡°Bitch, how dare you try to drag us down with you. I swear I¡¯m going to partpany with you today. Second son, chase this bitch out and make her go back to the Ma n. The Zhao n doesn¡¯t need a vicious woman like her.¡±


    Madam Ma felt her vision turn ck momentarily from the ps. Her face felt like it was burning.


    ¡°Zhao n became like this because of you, you bad luck-bringing wretch! If you didn¡¯t treat Chuchu so badly, there¡¯s no way she would have cut ties with us like this. She would rather give benefits to outsiders than let us get even a single cent. Get out of my house, now!¡±


    Madam Yang pointed at the door as she put all the me on Madam Ma.


    Zhao Baotian and Madam Liu started shoving Madam Ma toward the door as well when they heard Madam Yang.


    The Zhao n¡¯s situation had been improving day by day. They wouldn¡¯t have trouble handling the chores even if Madam Ma wasn¡¯t around. Madam Liu had long been wishing for Madam Ma to get out of the Zhao n.


    Every time she saw Madam Ma, she felt an inexplicable sense of frustration.


    After Madam Ma got chased out, they could ask to split the house with Zhao Baogen. In that way, everything in the family would belong to her and her husband.


    Zhao Baogen was disabled and useless at the moment. Zhao Chuchu said that even if he recovered, he still wouldn¡¯t be able to walk properly.


    What¡¯s there to be scared about a handicapped person?


    In contrast, her husband was strong and healthy, and her mother and father-inw had to depend on her family for their retirement. They wouldn¡¯t dare to defend Zhao Baogen.


    Madam Ma could tell that these people were determined to chase her out right now.


    While this was happening, Zhao Baogen simply sat on the bed and looked at her with a cold, emotionless gaze. He didn¡¯t say a single word.


    Madam Ma felt a chill run down her spine.


    For the past six months, she had been taking care of Zhao Baogen every single day as he was bedridden.


    Yet now, he wouldn¡¯t even speak out for her when everyone else was bullying her like that?


    Madam Ma felt her heart fill up with hatred.


    She hated Zhao Chuchu for killing Zhao Zhizhi. She hated Zhao Baogen even more for being so heartless, and she hated Zhao n for being so inhumane!


    Zhao Chaorong came home after ying outside and saw what was happening. He yelled anxiously, ¡°Mom! Mom! Why are you pushing my mother? Go away. Go away!¡¯


    Zhao Changrong shouted as he dashed forward and tried to push Zhao Baotian and Madam Liu away.


    But he was too young, and the two of them wouldn¡¯t budge at all.


    Out of anger, Zhao Changrong opened his mouth and bit down on Zhao Baotian¡¯s arm as hard as he could.


    Zhao Baotian yelled in pain. He subconsciously shoved Zhao Changrong away.


    Zhao Changrong staggered several steps back. He stepped on a rock and slipped. He then fell backward and hit right onto the wall of the well behind him. His headnded on the hard stone, and he couldn¡¯t even make a sound before losing consciousnesspletely.


    The courtyard sank into silence.


    Madam Ma¡¯s eyes widened as she looked at her son in disbelief. Zhao Changrongy motionlessly on the ground as blood started seeping out from the back of his head, turning the outer wall of the well red.


    She charged forward and carried Zhao Changrong into her arms. She called out to him with a trembling voice, ¡°Changrong, what¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t scare mummy, please. Can you open your eyes? Changrong, please don¡¯t scare me. Changrong¡­¡±


    Madam Ma realized that Zhao Changrong wasn¡¯t responding to her no matter how hard she shook him. She panicked. She screamed hysterically, ¡°Changrong, open your eyes and look at mummy!¡¯


    Zhao Baotian¡¯s face turned pale. He raised his hands and shook his head as though his life depended on it. He said, ¡°It has nothing to do with me! He tried to bite me, so I pushed him a bit, and he slipped and fell on his own. I didn¡¯t do


    Madam Yang realized that something was going wrong. She quickly stepped forward and said, ¡°Changrong, quit ying. Grandma is going to cook eggs for you, alright?¡±


    Madam Ma shoved Madam Yang away. She picked up Zhao Changrong and ran out of the door.


    Zhao Chuchu could surely save her son. She was the Doctor Miracle. Surely, she could save Changrong!


    Madam Ma didn¡¯t care about anything else at that moment. All she could think about was Zhao Changrong. All she wanted was for Zhao Changrong to be alive.


    Zhao Chuchu was having lunch at the Chen n¡¯s residence at this time. She didn¡¯t know what ordeal Madam Yang had just created.


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu, please, please save my son!¡±


    Madam Ma suddenly charged into the Chen n¡¯s courtyard. She knelt down and started kowtowing, even though she didn¡¯t see clearly where Zhao Chuhu was.


    ¡°Please save my son. If you can save my son, I will do anything to pay you back. Please!¡± Madam Ma wailed, ¡°Please, I¡¯m begging you¡­¡±


    Old Mrs. Chen was closer to Madam Ma. She hurriedly went forward and saw what was happening. She was shocked when she saw Zhao Changrongying motionlessly in Madam Ma¡¯s arms, bleedingly profusely from the back of his head. She said, ¡°Baogen¡¯s wife, what happened to Changrong?


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu, please save my son. Please.¡± Madam Ma didn¡¯t hear Old Mrs.


    Chen at all. She continued begging, ¡°Please.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu frowned slightly.


    The original owner didn¡¯t have any severe grudges against Zhao Changrong. The worst thing that the boy ever did was prank her with a bug. He didn¡¯t really do her any wrong. After all, Zhao Changrong was only eight years old.


    Although she disliked Madam Yang and Madam Ma, Zhao Changrong wasn¡¯t Zhao Zhizhi. Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t just watch an innocent child die.


    Zhao Chuchu put down her chopsticks and walked over. As she got closer, she realized that Zhao Changrong was no longer breathing.


    Madam Ma hadpletely lost it at this point. She was in a state of hysteria as she kept begging Zhao Chuchu to try to save Zhao Changrong.


    Fortunately, she brought her son over in time. Zhao Chuchu was quite confident that she could bring Zhao Changrong back from the brink of death. Old Mrs. Chen whispered to Zhao Chuchu, ¡°Chuchu, Changrong can be quite naughty sometimes, but he isn¡¯t the same as the rest of them. Can you try to do something?¡±


    Mrs. Chen had children as well. She couldn¡¯t bear to watch a kid who was healthy and lively just a few hours ago lose his life.


    Zhao Chuc.hu wanted to save Zhao Changrong as well. After all, the original owner didn¡¯t have a grudge against Zhao Changrong.


    ¡°Madam Ma, I¡¯m a doctor. I either try my best to save someone or don¡¯t do it at all. You know that Zhao Changrong isn¡¯t breathing anymore. I can only do my best. It¡¯s all up to his luck whether he can be brought back or not. If you dare to me me for not being able to save him, I¡¯ll make you wish that you were dead.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t me you. Please save him!¡±


    Madam Ma didn¡¯t care about anything else, she desperately grabbed onto thest bit of hope, even if it was just the tiniest glimmer.


    Zhao Chuchu took down a b of pork that was hanging on the door andy it on the ground. Then, she instructed Madam Ma to put Zhao Changrong on the pork.


    ¡°Da Lang, get my medical box. Hurry up. And get the other bottles on the table as well.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Xie Heng ran out of the room.


    Zhao Chuchu tried to stop Zhao Changrong¡¯s bleeding as she signaled to the others to move out of the way.


    Zhao Changrong wasn¡¯t breathing at this point, and he had lost too much blood. He needed a blood transfusion urgently. Otherwise, even if she could bring him back from the brink of death, he wouldn¡¯t be able to survive for

 Chapter 367 - 361 He’s Alive! He’s Alive!

    Chapter 367: Chapter 361 He¡¯s Alive! He¡¯s Alive!


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Xie Heng grabbed Zhao Chuchu¡¯s medical box and came back as fast as he could.


    Zhao Chuchu shaved off the hair on the back of Zhao Changrong¡¯s head with a butcher¡¯s knife while telling Xie Heng to open up the medical box at the same time. She took out a pack of needles from inside and started performing acupuncture on Zhao Changrong.


    Speaking of which, it was the first time that Zhao Chuchu used the golden needle method ever since she finished learning it.


    In the apocalyptic world, although there was a severeck of resources, technology continued to advance and medical equipment was also improving constantly. She rarely had the chance to use this needling technique.


    Zhao Chuchu quickly took off Zhao Changrong¡¯s clothes.


    The people in the courtyard saw Zhao Chuchu¡¯s hand moving so fast that there were afterimages from the spots where she inserted the needles. Within a few moments, all of the needles had been inserted into Zhao Changrong¡¯s body.


    Meanwhile, Madam Ma knelt on the ground and prayed that God would give her a miracle so her son could live once more.


    No one dared to breathe.


    30 minutester, Zhao Changrong¡¯s face started to turn frompletely pale to slightly red, and his chest started to move slightly as well.


    ¡°He¡¯s alive. He¡¯s alive!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s incredible! Chuchu just snatched someone away from the grim reaper!¡¯


    ¡°That¡¯s great, as long as the kid is okay.¡±


    Madam Ma didn¡¯t dare to open her eyes. She was afraid that Zhao Chuchu would tell her that her son couldn¡¯t be saved.


    When she heard the voices around her, she thought she was hallucinating.


    As more and more people started to chatter about the miraculous feat, she finally mustered the courage and opened her eyes. When she did, she saw her son lookingpletely different. He no longer looked like a corpse.


    Madam Ma trembled slightly.


    She was afraid that the scene would be just a dream and that when she woke up from the dream, her son would still be dead.


    The golden needle technique was extremely exhausting. Even Zhao Chuchu was sweating profusely, with beads of sweat on her forehead.


    Xie Heng helped Zhao Chuchu clean off her sweat with a towel.


    When Zhao Chuchu finally inserted all of the needles, she heaved a sigh of relief.


    She looked toward Madam Ma and said, ¡°Zhao Changrong has lost too much blood. I only managed to get him to return his breathing. But if we want to revive him, there¡¯s something else we need to do. Are you okay with it?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not alive yet? What else do we need to do?¡±


    ¡°You should know that if a person loses too much blood, he can die. Your son is in this state right now, so we need to transfer more blood into his body in order to sustain his life.¡±


    ¡°Do we need to keep doing this?¡± ¡°No. Just doing it once will do.¡±


    ¡°Then, use my blood.¡±


    Madam Ma picked up a boning knife and immediately tried to slit her wrist.


    Zhao Chuc.hu was speechless.


    She stretched out her foot and kicked the knife away from Madam Ma¡¯s hand.


    ¡°We can¡¯t use the blood of his direct rtive.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°We need to find someone with the same blood as your son.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that just me and Zhao Baogen?


    Zhao Chuc.hu felt rather exhausted that she needed to exin this to them. She simplified the theory of blood types as much as possible. She told them that there were only a few different types of blood that a person could have. Many people carried the same type of blood. Only people with the same type of blood could transfuse blood to each other. Otherwise, it would only hasten the death of the patient.


    Madam Ma didn¡¯t really understand what she said, but she had no other solution but to listen to Zhao Chuchu.


    However, Old Man Zhao and Madam Yang arrived at this point.


    Old Man Zhao yelled angrily, ¡°Changrong is Baogen¡¯s son. Even if we need to give him the blood, it can only be Baogen¡¯s blood. If the blood of other people flowed within his body, can he still be considered Baogen¡¯s son? Chuchu, what are you trying to do?¡±


    Madam Yang snorted and said, ¡°I suspect that this little bitch cheated on Baogen and bore Changrong with someone else. Now, she bribed Zhao Chuchu and made this show, thinking that she could trick everyone this way and let Changrong have the blood of other people out in the open. Zhao Chuchu, I¡¯m afraid of you, but I won¡¯t let something like this happen.¡±


    ¡°Tell me, who is Changrong¡¯s father? Did you get some other man out there and have this kid?¡± Zhao Baogen red at Madam Ma and said with a dark expression.


    Madam Liu tried to add fuel to the fire as she said, ¡°That¡¯s it! Otherwise, how could there be something as ridiculous as getting other people to transfer blood to Changrong? I¡¯ve never heard of nonsense like this! He can¡¯t use the blood of a direct rtive? Does that mean that we can¡¯t use the blood of anyone from the Zhao n?¡±


    ¡°Madam Ma, my brother treated you quite well) how could you do something like this to tarnish the name of the Zhao n? You should be locked up in a pig cage and thrown into the river!¡± Zhao Baotian added as well.


    Zhao Chuchu waspletely speechless.


    She felt frustration building up inside while listening to these foolish imbeciles speak.


    Old Mrs. Chen couldn¡¯t help but snap back at Old Man Zhao.


    ¡°Although Madam Ma isn¡¯t a good person, I witnessed the way she treated the


    Zhao n with loyalty. Ignoring what happened in the past, all of you are being extremely ungrateful and heartless and using her like that!¡±


    ¡°I know right, wasn¡¯t Madam Ma the one who took care of Zhao Baogen for the past half a year when his leg was broken? Cheat on him? She doesn¡¯t even have time to do that!¡±


    ¡°Changrong looks exactly like the younger version of Chao Baogen! How can you say that he is someone else¡¯s son? Are you saying Zhao Baogen¡¯s face isn¡¯t a face?


    Old Man Zhao¡¯s face turnedpletely red as the other people scolded him. But he insisted that Zhao Chuchu wasn¡¯t allowed to perform a blood transfusion on Zhao Changrong if she was going to use the blood of other people.


    Madam Ma¡¯s heart turnedpletely cold. She had never hated the Zhao n more than she did right now.


    If Zhao Baotian didn¡¯t push her, her son wouldn¡¯t have died.


    Yet now, they were pointing their fingers at her and ndering her?


    Ironically, those people who had been fighting against her were speaking out for her now.


    Madam Ma felt angry, exasperated, and extremely sad.


    Was it really worth it for her to be enemies with so many people for the sake of the Zhao n?


    ¡°If I, Ma Xiulian, cheated on Zhao Baogen, I would get struck by lightning and suffer the most gruesome death in the world,¡± Madam Ma raised her hand and swore. ¡°The Zhao n has bullied me and made my life absolutely miserable. If I kill myself because of this oppression, I wille back as a ghost and haunt all of you to seek revenge!¡¯


    Old Man Zhao got a little scared by her vicious words.


    Just then, a weak voice stopped their quarrel. ¡°Mom, mom¡­¡±


    Madam Ma jolted and turned her head sharply. She met Zhao Changrong¡¯s gaze.


    Zhao Changrong struggled as he tried to raise his hand.


    ¡°Mummy, I¡¯m cold¡­¡±


    Tears fell from Madam Ma¡¯s eyes. She hurriedly went over and wanted to hug Zhao Changrong, but Zhao Chuchu stopped her. ¡°Don¡¯t touch him.¡±


    ¡°But he said he was cold.¡±


    ¡°He died once already. This bit of cold is nothing.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu paused. Then, she looked toward Old Man Zhao and said, ¡°You have been so foolish for the entirety of your life. You live in your own little world, weak, stupid and ignorant. You caused the death of your eldest son and daughter-inw, and now, you want your grandson to die too. Are you not afraid that your ancestors mighte back to haunt you for what you did?¡± ¡°What nonsense are you spouting?


    ¡°You¡¯re trying to stop Zhao Changrong from surviving right now! What do you mean that Zhao Changrong bes someone else¡¯s son after getting someone else¡¯s blood? By that logic, the blood that you got from your parents when you were born, had long beenpletely reced.


    ¡°Blood is like the river. As long as the person is alive, new blood would be generated continuously. If you don¡¯t know anything, don¡¯t try to doubt a doctor. If you¡¯re that knowledgeable, save this dying boy yourself. If you can¡¯t do that, then shut the hell up!


    ¡°Also, blood transfusion doesn¡¯t need to be done by a man. The donor can be a woman as well. Are you saying that two women can give birth to a child as well? You¡¯ve lived for so many years, yet you can¡¯t even discern between basic facts and bogus logic. Have you been wasting your life all these years?

 Chapter 368 - 362 You Can ‘t Just Sentence Her to

    Chapter 368: Chapter 362 You Can ¡®t Just Sentence Her to


    Death Like That


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Old Man Zhao¡¯s face turned red from Zhao Chuchu¡¯s harsh criticism. He couldn¡¯t say a single word in return for a long while.


    After hearing Zhao Chuchu¡¯s long monologue, Madam Yang didn¡¯t dare to speak anymore.


    Madam Liu was the only one who couldn¡¯t read the situation.


    All she knew was that it was her best chance. If she could chase Madam Ma out of the family and when Madam Yang became so old that she couldn¡¯t move anymore, the Zhao n would be the property of her and her husband.


    ¡°Chuchu, don¡¯t try to deceive us just because we¡¯re not knowledgeable about this. You¡¯re saying all that nonsense just to confuse us. Since you¡¯ve already chosen to cut ties with the Zhao n, you should know that this is our familial affair. Why are you trying to help her at the cost of our reputation?


    ¡°Hehe. Don¡¯t forget how she treated you back then. Do you forget everything because she paid you some money? Chuchu, you should know that if you want to live long, you shouldn¡¯t stick your nose into other people¡¯s business.¡±


    Zhao Chuchuughed and said, ¡°Stick my nose into other people¡¯s business? He came from the Zhao n, yet all of you seem to have no problem watching as he dies. You kept saying that this is your familial affair. Does it mean that you want this kid dead? I won¡¯t me you for being ignorant, but there is no way you can kill a person whom I just brought back from the brink of death.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu paused for a moment. She then looked toward Zhao Baogen and said, ¡°Since you suspect that Zhao Changrong isn¡¯t your son, does it mean that I can suspect you aren¡¯t your father¡¯s son as well? Zhao Changrong looks so much like you, yet you still deny that he is your son. You don¡¯t look like your father at all.¡±


    Madam Yang jumped up and said, ¡°Zhao Chuchu, why are you making this about me? What do you mean by Baogen not being his father¡¯s son? Aren¡¯t you afraid of divine retribution for saying something so egregious?


    ¡°If bullying people would result in divine retribution, all of you would have died a long time ago,¡± Zhao Chuchu rebutted.


    ¡®Enough with all this nonsense. I heard that one way to tell whether two people are rted or not is by putting their blood together. If the blood can merge together, he is my son. Otherwise, he is a bastard child. Today, I¡¯m going to make sure whether Changrong is my son or not!¡± Zhao Baogen said loudly.


    Madam Ma red at him and said, ¡°You devil!¡±


    Zhao Baogen sneered, ¡°You¡¯ve always wanted to run away from me since a long time ago, right? I am giving you a chance today. If you admit that you have another man outside, I¡¯ll let you live and I won¡¯t get people to lock you into a pig cage and drown in the river!¡±


    Niu Tongsheng got so mad that he startedughing. ¡°Dip in a pig cage? Do you think we havews just for show? Even if Madam Ma is your wife, you can¡¯t


    just sentence her to death like that.¡±


    ¡°Vige chief, this is our own familial affair. Don¡¯t interfere!¡± Zhao Baogen said loudly.


    Madam Ma gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll try your method. Changrong, you heard your father. Remember that this animal doesn¡¯t want you as his son. He suspects that you are not rted to him!¡±


    Zhao Changrong had only regained consciousness moments ago. He was still rather weak, and he almost fainted again because of Madam Ma¡¯s words.


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    She yelled angrily, ¡°Quarrel all you want. I don¡¯t care. But did you think that dragging Zhao Changrong into this would prove that you are right? All of you are brainless fools! Zhao Baogen, you said it yourself. As long as the blood can merge, the two people are rted, right? Well, you can wait to have a few more dads and moms!¡±


    Zhao Baogen became less confident when Zhao Chuchu yelled at him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be used of anythingter, so you go get the water yourself!¡± Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t bother to get the bowls for the test. She made Zhao Baogen get them himself.


    Zhao Baogen was determined to find out today if Zhao Changrong was actually his son.


    Zhao Baogen was sensitive and had very low self-esteem. The moment such a thought was nted in his mind, he kept convincing himself until hepletely believed that it was real.


    Zhao Baogen limped over to the kitchen to get a bowl.


    ¡°Grab a few more, and you will do it too,¡± Zhao Chuchu said as she saw that he wanted toe back after taking just one bowl. ¡°Other than Zhao Changrong, everyone else will do it as well.¡±


    Zhao Baogen paused for a moment, then he returned to get all of the bowls in the kitchen with an ugly expression on his face.


    After that, Zhao Baogen put some water in each of the bowls, then cut his finger and made a bit of blood drip into the first bowl.


    ¡°Put one drop in every bowl!¡± Zhao Chuchu grabbed his hand and forced him to drip blood into every bowl.


    Zhao Baogen was extremely mad, but he wasn¡¯t able to break free from Zhao Chuchu¡¯s grip. So, he had no choice but to endure.


    Zhao Chuchu picked several people from the crowd with different genders and ages and told them to drip a bit of blood into different bowls.


    Then, she made Zhao Baogen carry his bowl to Zhao Changrong.


    Zhao Chuchu pricked Zhao Changrong¡¯s finger so that a drop of blood would drip into the bowl.


    Old Man Zhao and the others from the Zhao n all went closer to the bowl and stared at the two drops of blood.


    Zhao Baogen held his breath as he waited.


    Zhao Changrong¡¯s blood and Zhao Baogen¡¯s blood merged together sessfully.


    Zhao Baogen heaved a sigh of relief. Zhao Changrong was his son after all.


    Zhao Chuchu could tell what he was thinking. She sneered as she said, ¡°You¡¯re smiling too early. That doesn¡¯t mean that Zhao Changrong is your son. Why don¡¯t you look at the other bowls? I think you have another parent!¡±


    Zhao Baogen¡¯s expression froze.


    ¡°Huh? How did my blood merge with his?


    ¡°Mine didn¡¯t. It¡¯s separate.¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, what¡¯s going on? How can Zhao Baogen be my son? There¡¯s no way!¡¯


    The vigers started chattering.


    Old Man Zhao dashed over and looked into that bowl. His face instantly turned Madam Yang¡¯s expression was even worse.


    The man whose blood merged with Zhao Baogen¡¯s happened to be a man, and he was around the same age as Old Man Zhao.


    Old Man Zhao was immediately enraged. He pointed at Madam Yang and shrieked, ¡°You cheated on me? Baogen isn¡¯t my son?¡±


    ¡°I swear to God I¡¯ve never done anything like that! Zhao Chuchu, you tricked us, right?¡± Madam Yang started yelling in a desperate attempt to prove that she was innocent.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything. I didn¡¯t even touch the bowls and the water. How could this have anything to do with me? Don¡¯t try to me me on a whim. You know that I don¡¯t have a good temper,¡± Zhao Chuchu said impassively. ¡°You tried to use her of cheating without any evidence. Now, we have concrete evidence that you cheated on your husband. Are you going to deny it?¡±


    ¡°I listened to you for almost everything all these years, yet you cheated on me?! I¡¯m going to divorce you!¡± This was a matter of his pride and dignity as a man. Old Man Zhao finally wasn¡¯t a coward for once as he shouted at Madam Yang.


    Madam Yang started wailing, ¡°You old hag, how can you doubt me like that? I sacrificed so much for this family, yet you¡¯re saying such heartless things to me? I¡¯m going to kill you, you ungrateful animal!¡±


    Madam Yan pounced on Old Man Zhao as she spoke.


    Old Man Zhao didn¡¯t shirk from her this time.


    Madam Yang was apletely mad woman who was pretty much used to being in a state of hysteria, while Old Man Zhao had never fought her before. Old Man Zhao was no match for her. Soon, his hair was aplete mess and there were several wounds on his face.


    Zhao Baotian and Madam Liu didn¡¯t dare to speak anymore.


    Old Mrs. Chen got his son and daughter-inw to separate them and stop the


    Madam Yang didn¡¯t really suffer any damage, while Old Man Zhao¡¯s shirt was torn in several spots. The only ¡°insult¡± that he coulde up with was, ¡°How


    dare you cheat on me?!¡±

 Chapter 369 - 363 He Would Die from a Stab!

    Chapter 369: Chapter 363 He Would Die from a Stab!


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Zhao Chuchu had had enough of this morbid ¡°show.¡± She said, ¡°Were not done yet, let¡¯s continue with the blood testing.¡±


    Everyone looked toward Zhao Chuchu. Regardless of whether they had something to hide, none of them dared to try.


    What if their blood couldn¡¯t merge with their child or parents, they would have no way of exining themselves.


    Zhao Chuchu realized that none of the people dared to do the test, so she used her own blood and then made Zhao Baogen choose people to test their blood with hers.


    Zhao Baogen chose a few more people at random.


    They tried again. It turned out, the blood of two other women could merge with Zhao Chuchu¡¯s blood, and the rest didn¡¯t work.


    The two women had nothing to do with the Zhao n, they both came from another vige, and their ancestors weren¡¯t rted to any of the families from Lengshui Vige either.


    Everyone was perplexed.


    What¡¯s going on here?


    They asked Zhao Chuchu, ¡°Chuchu, why is it that the blood from non-rtives could merge?


    ¡°Yeah yeah, I heard that only blood from direct rtives can be mixed together. That¡¯s why people said that you could test whether someone is rted to you by trying to mix your blood.¡±


    ¡°Based on what we just saw, does that mean that the blood of many people could mix together? Wouldn¡¯t thatpletely mess things up?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu looked around, then repeated the blood type theory she mentioned.


    The people of Lengshui Vige finally understood the theory or at least part of it.


    ¡°So, to help Zhao Changrong replenish his blood, we need to use blood that


    can mix with his?¡±


    ¡°Yup, in theory. But there are also other things that we need to test. It¡¯s a little bit moreplicated than this. Don¡¯t try this at home. Otherwise, you could kill someone. Also, we can¡¯t use the blood from direct rtives, like his parents.¡±


    ¡°Because their blood is too simr, it could cause otherplications. If theseplications arise, the chance of death is very high, which would definitely cause the patient to die since he¡¯s already in a fragile state. On top of this, I don¡¯t have any methods to cure theseplications.¡±


    Most people didn¡¯t really understand what she was saying, so Zhao Chuchu had to exin it in the most straightforwardnguage possible.


    But Zhao Baogen still wanted to use his own blood to prevent Zhao Changrong from having other peoples blood and bing someone else¡¯s son.


    Zhao Chuchu took a deep breath to calm herself down, then said, ¡°I¡¯ve exined this so many times, and you¡¯re still telling me that? Okay, fine, but I¡¯ve already warned you if Zhao Changrong dies, you better not regret your decision. Even if divine beings descended to Earth, they wouldn¡¯t be able to save him!¡±


    Zhao Baogen didn¡¯t dare to insist anymore.


    Old Mrs. Chen said, ¡°Chuchu said our blood is like a river, the water inside constantly flowing and changing itself out. Changrong is your son. Nobody can change that. Are you really going to watch him die like that? Just so you can regret it in the future?


    ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, Chuchu said she wasn¡¯t going to save anyone from the Zhao n, but she still decided to save Changrong because he is a kid. But if you want Changrong to die, I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t have another opportunity to make up to this child!¡±


    Madam Ma begged Zhao Chuchu. ¡°Please don¡¯t listen to them. I will take responsibility for whatever happens. All I want is for Changrong to be alive. Zhao Baogen doesn¡¯t deserve to be Changrong¡¯s father. I would rather they scold and shame me for being an undignified, immoral woman than let my son die like that!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu looked toward Old Man Zhao and asked, ¡°What about you?


    Old Man Zhao didn¡¯t dare look at Zhao Chuchu, nor did he dare to ask Madam Yang.


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s actions just now proved that whatever they thought were facts


    in the past werepletely false.


    After all, deep inside, Old Man Zhao wasn¡¯t willing to believe that he had been cheated on either.


    ¡°Chuchu is right. She is the doctor. No one knows better than her how to save Changrong. Changrong is Baogen¡¯s son, and that will never change. Just do as she says.¡±


    Old Man Zhao turned around and left after saying that.


    He was afraid that he would be theughingstock of Lengshui Vige if he stayed there.


    Madam Yang held a grudge against Old Man Zhao for using her in front of everyone earlier. She was still mad about the incident. She ran after Old Man Zhao.


    Zhao Baogtian and Madam Liu felt a little guilty, so they wanted to leave as well.


    But Zhao Baogen suddenly said, ¡°Brother, don¡¯t go. Stay here and watch how severe Changrong¡¯s injuries are! You pushed Changrong and made him fall. I saw it with my own eyes!¡¯


    Cold sweat started forming on Zhao Baotian¡¯s forehead.


    Madam Liu gulped and said, ¡°Umm, hey, Baotian didn¡¯t do it on purpose, right? And Zhao Chuchu had already saved him, didn¡¯t she? Why make a big fuss out of such a small thing?¡±


    ¡°Small thing? This is a small thing to you? My son almost died!¡± Zhao Baogen yelled, ¡°I¡¯m telling you, this isn¡¯t the end. You better pray that nothing happens to Changrong. Otherwise, I¡¯ll make all of you die together with him!¡±


    ¡°Brother, what nonsense are you talking about? I didn¡¯t do it on purpose? If


    Changrong didn¡¯t bite me, I wouldn¡¯t have pushed him! Brother, you have to be reasonable here!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be reasonable about here. It¡¯s all your fault. I only believe what I saw.¡±


    ¡°Baogen, while your leg was broken, we were the ones who did all of the work inside and outside of the house. How can you say those things?


    Zhao Chuchu i s face remained expressionless as she started to test who had a suitable blood type for the blood transfusion.


    If she didn¡¯t have healing powers, Zhao Changrong would have died a long time


    ago because of this dy.


    Madam Ma didn¡¯t care about the quarrel between Zhao Baogen and Zhao


    Baotian.


    She was utterly exhausted from the incident that almost made her lose Zhao Changrong.


    If Zhao Changrong died, she wouldn¡¯t be able to live on her own!


    Regardless of what Zhao Chuchu wanted her to do, even if it were to make her exchange her life for Zhao Changrong¡¯s, she would be willing.


    ¡°If you want to quarrel, go home and quarrel, don¡¯t stay here and disturb


    Chuchu, i ¡® Xie Heng said coldly, ¡°Besides, what¡¯s the point of the war of words?


    Why not just grab a knife and fight it out? You¡¯re not kids anymore!¡±


    The moment he said that, Zhao Baogen and Zhao Baotian went silent.


    Xie Heng nced at them and said, ¡°You need me to get knives for you?


    Madam Liu said awkwardly, ¡°Da Lang, haha, the brothers were just having a bit of verbal conflict. There¡¯s no need to bring out the knives, isn¡¯t it? Haha, that was a good joke.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t joking,¡± Xie Heng said seriously. ¡°There¡¯s nothing that can¡¯t be solved with a stab of a knife. If there is, then just give it a couple more stabs.¡± Madam Liu didn¡¯t dare to talk anymore.


    She was afraid that Xie Heng would really bring out two knives for them.


    Zhao Baogen was still enraged at the moment. If he got hold of a knife, there was a good chance that her husband wouldn¡¯t be alive by the end of the day.


    Finally, there was peace in the courtyard.


    Zhao Chuchu instructed people to carry Zhao Changrong into the room.


    Old Mrs. Chen hurriedly tidied up her grandson¡¯s room, so there was space to put down Zhao Changrong.


    Chen Dashan¡¯s blood type happened to bepatible with Zhao Changrong.


    Chao Chuchu told Chen Dashan that she needed to draw some blood from him. Chen Dashen agreed to her request without even thinking.


    It wouldn¡¯t cost his life. If he could save the kid, it would surely result in good karma.


    ¡°Everyone else, wait outside. Uncle Dashan, Madam Ma, Zhao Baogen, the three of youe inside,¡± Zhao Chuchu said.


    Madam Ma ran into the room first, and Zhao Baogen limped behind hr.


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t draw the blood in front of Chen Dashan in front of Madam Ma and Zhao Baogen. She did it in another room.


    She used the medical box as her disguise and took out the tools needed for drawing blood from Chen Dashan and the substances needed for preparing the blood.


    Blood that had just been drawn from the donor cannot be immediately injected into the patient¡¯s body. Zhao Chuchu needed to prepare it first.


    In her previous life, medical technology from the apocalypse era could simplify manyplicated medical procedures. Blood preparation was one of them.

 Chapter 370 - 364 That Is His Son!

    Chapter 370: Chapter 364 That Is His Son!


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°Chuchu, can my blood really help Changrong to survive?¡± Chen Dashan asked anxiously, ¡°Nothing is going to go wrong, right?¡±


    ¡°Uncle Dashan, you have to trust me?¡¯ Zhao Chuchu raised her head and said to him.


    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you bring the blood to Changrong now? Is he going to drink


    ¡°No, he¡¯s not going to drink it. IVs just like how I drew the blood from you, just in reverse. I took the blood out from you. Now I¡¯m going to inject it into his veins. Blood that has just been drawn cannot be injected into another person directly. I need to prepare it first. It takes a while.¡±


    Chen Dashan had no idea how any of this worked, and neither did he understand what Zhao Chuchu was doing right now.


    All he felt was that Zhao Chuchu was moving really quickly, so quickly that he could barely see her hands.


    Chen Dashan thought Zhao Changrong was obviously already dead when Madam Ma brought him over just now, yet somehow, Zhao Chuchu managed to bring him back to life. So, whatever she says now must be right.


    Lengshui Vige had really good feng shui. With this Doctor Miracle here in their vige, they would also receive some of her good luck in the future.


    In the other room, Madam Ma and Zhao Baogen ignored each other.


    Madam Ma was fully focused on Zhao Changrong. She grabbed Zhao Changrong¡¯s hand tightly and said, ¡°Changrong, you have to stay alive, okay? Mummy can¡¯t live alone without you.¡±


    Zhao Changrong nodded weakly and answered, ¡°Mom, I will be fine.¡±


    Tears started falling from Madam Ma¡¯s eyes.


    Madam Ma felt very anxious because Zhao Chuchu wasn¡¯ting over, yet she didn¡¯t dare to rush Zhao Chuchu. She was afraid that Zhao Chuchu would get angry and decide to give up saving her son. If that happened, her son would definitely die.


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t sheing over yet? Why don¡¯t you go and ask her?¡± Zhao Baogen said impatiently.


    Madam Ma looked at him coldly and said, ¡°Are you mute? Or do you not have legs? Can¡¯t you go yourself?¡±


    Zhao Baogen red at her and said, ¡°I am your man. You should do as I say.¡±


    ¡°Man? Are you even a man at all? If you are a man, why didn¡¯t you say a single word when your son almost got killed by someone just now? Zhao Baogen, you are just a useless coward!¡± Madam Ma felt extremely hateful toward Zhao Baogen right now.


    She hated Zhao Baogen for being so heartless. She hated Zhao Baogen for being suspicious of her, and she hated Zhao Baogen for wanting to divorce her.


    Their rtionship as husband and wife for so many years was like a joke. Zhao Baogen easily betrayed her because of someone else¡¯s words. Madam Ma couldn¡¯t think of why she should expect anything from Zhao Baogen at this point. Her feelings for Zhao Baogen diedpletely when Zhao Changrong stopped breathing previously.


    That was her son!


    Zhao Baotian killed her son, yet Zhao Baogen simply stood at the side and refused to say a single word!


    ¡°Shut up! Do you think I can¡¯t do anything to you now? I¡¯ll beat you to death if you dare to go against my words again!¡±


    ¡°Beat me! Do it! I dare you! Why don¡¯t you just beat Changrong and me to death right now so you can make space for another woman, huh? Anyways, you don¡¯t see Changrong as your son. Zhao Baogen, do it now if you are a man. Otherwise, you¡¯re a useless piece of garbage!¡±


    ¡°Bitch!¡±


    Zhao Baogen, if you dare to swing that cane, I¡¯ll make sure that you wouldn¡¯t even be able to use a cane for the rest of your life. Would you like to try?¡± Just then, Zhao Chuchu walked in and saw Zhao Baogen almost beating a woman again. She said coldly, ¡°Although I dislike Madam Ma, I have to say, all men who beat women are useless pieces of garbage!¡¯


    Zhao Baogen was livid, yet he didn¡¯t dare to say anything. All he could do was swallow his anger and take back his cane. He turned away and didn¡¯t look at


    Zhao Chuchu.


    Madam Ma decided that she would never cry again because of Zhao Baogen.


    When she saw Zhao Chuchu walk over, she immediately moved to make space for her.


    Zhao Chuchu came to the bedside and looked toward Zhao Changrong as she said, ¡°Are you afraid?¡±


    Zhao Changrong shook his head and said weakly, ¡°I¡¯m not scared.¡±


    In reality, Zhao Chuchu could see the fear on his face, but she didn¡¯t expose him. She still had a bit of patience toward kids. After all, Zhao Changrong wasn¡¯t a very naughty child.


    He was one of the few kids in the Zhao n who didn¡¯t be overly pampered. He could be considered extremely well-behavedpared to Zhao Baotian¡¯s children.


    Zhao Chuchu hung the bag of blood on the mosquito, then took out the tools for drawing blood from her medical box.


    ¡°Later on, I¡¯m going to insert the needle from her. It might hurt a little, but don¡¯t struggle. Do as I say, understand?¡± Zhao Chuchu said to Zhao Changrong.


    Zhao Changrong nodded.


    Madam Ma asked carefully, ¡°Do you need me to do anything?¡±


    ¡°Just watch, don¡¯t make any sounds.¡±


    Zhao Baogen quickly looked toward them upon hearing their conversation.


    Zhao Chuchu inserted the needle into Zhao Changrongs arm in front of them and injected the blood into Zhao Changrong¡¯s body.


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Madam Ma asked, ¡°How long do we need to wait?¡±


    ¡°Until all the blood is finished. You stay here and watch. Do not touch this blood bag. Otherwise, if any idents happen, no one will be able to save your


    ¡°Okay, okay, I will be careful.¡±


    ¡°You, get out of here,¡± Zhao Chuchu pointed toward Zhao Baogen and ordered him to scram,¡± With you here, Zhao Changrong might die even if he could live.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my son. How could I let him die? How can you say something so vicious?¡± Zhao Baogen disagreed with Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu sneered and said, ¡°Vicious? Not as vicious as you! You said your son is someone else¡¯s child right before him. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s difficult to find a father more vicious than you, am I right?¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Zhao Baogen couldn¡¯t rebut her at all.


    Madam Ma said closely,¡± You heard Chuchu, get out, don¡¯t stay here. If anything happens to my son, I¡¯ll make your entire family pay for it!¡±


    Zhao Baogen was furious upon hearing Madam Ma¡¯s threat. His pride as a man didn¡¯t allow him to stay here.


    He snorted, then stood up and left as fast as he could.


    Madam Ma thanked Zhao Chuc.hu profusely, ¡°Thank you for saving my son. I will do everything I can to repay you.¡±


    ¡°No need. I saved Zhao Changrong not because he is your son but because you begged me. I did it because Zhao CHangrong is still a child. The grudge between you and I shouldn¡¯t affect him. Even if he hates me in the future, just like you, I don¡¯t care.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect any repayment for saving him. The only thing different about this whole thing is that we had grudges against each other. Chen Dashan is considered Zhao Changrong¡¯s savior as well. I hope that you don¡¯t forget what he did. I drew quite a bit of blood from him, he would need to rest for at least half a month, and he would need some nutritious food to rejuvenate.¡±


    ¡°I know. I will thank you.¡± Madam Ma nodded and said, ¡°1 will remember what you and Dashan did to help Changrong, and I will tell Changrong to repay you and him in the future.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu looked toward Zhao Changrong, then smiled and said, ¡°We can talk about that next time. The most important thing right now is for him to stay alive. I believe you don¡¯t want to return to the Zhao n anymore. You can stay at the Chen n for the time being. I will tell Grandma Chen.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Madam Ma thanked Zhao Chuchu again. Regardless of how much suspicion and resentment she had against Zhao Chuchu, at this moment, she was grateful to Zhao Chuchu from the bottom of her heart.

 Chapter 371 - 365 1 Hope No One Dies

    Chapter 371: Chapter 365 1 Hope No One Dies


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Old Mrs. Chen quickly went to check on Chen Dashan.


    After donating so much blood, Chen Dashan¡¯s face looked a little pale.


    ¡°Dashan, how are you feeling? Do you feel sick anywhere? Should I call Chuchu toe over?¡± Old Mrs. Chen felt a little worried.


    Chen Dashan said, ¡°Mom, I¡¯m fine, don¡¯t worry. Chuchu said that I would be fine after a few days of rest and replenishing some nutrients. It¡¯s not anything serious.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good. Do you still want to eat?¡±


    ¡°Yes. ¡±


    They just started eating just now when the incident happened. Chen Dashan wasn¡¯t full at all.


    ¡°I¡¯ll bring some food over for you.¡±


    ¡°Okay, thanks, mom.¡±


    ¡°Silly boy, no need to be so polite with your mother.¡±


    Old Mrs. Chen could tell that Chen Dashan was pretty much fine, so she felt much more at ease.


    Xie Heng came into the room with some food. When he looked toward Zhao Chuchu, his eyes were filled with tender loving care. But when he passed the food to Madam Ma, there was no expression on his face.


    Madam Ma felt a little scared when he saw Xie Heng¡¯s expression. She instinctively rejected him. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m not hungry.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t eat and end up fainting, Chuchu is the one who will be working overtime,¡± Xie Heng said impassively. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to trouble other people, you should take care of yourself.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay.¡± Madam Ma didn¡¯t dare to refuse the food anymore. She quickly took the food from Xie Heng and started gobbling it down. She looked like she feared Xie Heng reprimanding her if she ate too slowly.


    Zhao Chuc.hu didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°Are you tired?¡± Xie Heng asked as he massaged Chuchu¡¯s shoulders for her, ¡°It must have been exhausting.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m not that tired.¡± Zhao Chuchu raised her head to look at Xie Heng. Her brows were curved, and her cheeks puffed up slightly. She looked unbearably cute.


    Xie Heng wanted to kiss her face, but because Madam Ma was there, he had to control his impulse.


    How was this little girl so good at activating his soft spots?


    She was so adorable that Xie Heng wanted to hide her and not let anyone else see her.


    Madam Ma heard the conversation between Xie Heng and Zhao Chuchu. She couldn¡¯t help but nce at them from the corner of her eyes. When she saw their interaction, Madam Ma couldn¡¯t help but think about how Zhao Baogen spoke to her and treated her. The meat and rice that she would have craved back then suddenly became tasteful. She even felt that it was a little difficult to swallow the food.


    Both Zhao Chuchu and she were women. Why did she have to meet such a useless man?


    The Zhao n forced Zhao Chuchu to marry Xie Heng, yet she received all of


    Xie Heng¡¯s love and care.


    Madam Ma thought about her own daughter, Zhao Zhizhi.


    For a moment, Madam Ma couldn¡¯t fathom why her life had to be so insufferable.


    Her man wouldn¡¯t stand up for her, her daughter died at a young age, and now her son was on the brink of death.


    Tears fell out from her eyes and into her bowl.


    She felt miserable. She wasn¡¯t jealous of Zhao Chuchu. She simply found her own lifeughably patheticpared to Zhao Chuchu¡¯s life.


    Zhao Chuchu heard her sobbing. She looked toward Madam Ma and asked, ¡°Why are you crying?


    Madam Ma quickly wiped away her tears upon hearing Zhao Chuchu. She answered, ¡°I¡¯m fine. I was just thinking about Changrong¡¯s injuries and felt a bit sad.¡±


    Xie Heng nced at her but didn¡¯t expose her honest thoughts.


    If that was really the case, she should be happy because Zhao Changrong had been saved. She shouldn¡¯t be crying so sadly right now.


    ¡°As long as you people don¡¯t try to kill Zhao Changrong, he wouldn¡¯t die. There¡¯s nothing to cry about. Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you just now you still need to pay for the consultation and treatment. I saved your son and used a lot of medicine that took a lot of time to make. You can¡¯t let me lose money from this, right?¡±


    ¡°How, how much?¡±


    ¡°Not that much. I¡¯ll charge you 30 taels of silver. Also, Uncle Dashan doesn¡¯t want your money, but you should bring him some food and supplements to replenish his body, right?¡±


    ¡°Okay, but I don¡¯t have so much money now. Can I give it to youter?¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to run away from the payment?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that!¡±


    ¡°Zhao Changrong is a son of the Zhao n. You don¡¯t have the money, but that doesn¡¯t mean they don¡¯t have it either, right? Are you still trying to help them save money right now? Aren¡¯t you afraid that you will be left with absolutely nothing when they chase you out of the n?¡±


    Madam Ma jolted. She understood what she should do now.


    These people wanted to get rid of her. They definitely wouldn¡¯t let her son stay together with her when she got divorced.


    Why should she be working to earn money? Besides, Zhao Baotian was the one who was responsible for her son¡¯s injury. They have every reason to be paying for the treatment.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go back and get the money from them right now!¡±


    Madam Ma immediately stood up.


    ¡°Please help me take care of my son.¡±


    After saying that, Madam Ma turned around and started walking out of the room.


    The people in the courtyard saw Madam Ma walking out with a murderous expression on her face. They all stopped talking and looked toward her.


    Madam Ma picked up the butcher¡¯s knife from the ground, then walked out of the Chen n¡¯s courtyard with an incredibly intimidating aura.


    The others looked at each other.


    Madam Kong pped herp and said, ¡°Oh my, hubby, bring some people and go check out what¡¯s happening. I think Madam Ma might actually be nning to chop up Old Man Zhao and the others. You saw what they did just now. She¡¯s consumed by anger right now. She could do anything!¡¯


    ¡°Yeah, Vige chief, go see what¡¯s happening.¡±


    ¡°I hope no one died. That wouldn¡¯t be good for our vige.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. We should follow them.¡±


    After being reminded by Madam Kong, the vigers couldn¡¯t just stand around and talk anymore. They all walked out of the courtyard.


    Zhao Chuchu heard them as well.


    But both Xie Heng and she simply sat there without moving at all.


    ¡°You saved Zhao Changrong today. I¡¯m afraid people are going to imitate the blood transfusion procedure?¡¯


    ¡°They can do what they want if they¡¯re not afraid of dying. I¡¯ve told them outright how this whole thing works. If they really want to seek death, that¡¯s their business. All new medical procedures are doubted, and it takes time for people to ept them. I don¡¯t care what other people think. They won¡¯t be able to find trouble with you anyway.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°The vigers in Langshui Vige are mostly farmers. Not much can be learned from their recount of what happened. The most people can learn is what I did today.¡±


    ¡°Why did you persuade Madam Ma to ask for money from the Zhao n?¡±


    ¡°I deserve it, and they should be paying me for the treatment.¡±


    Xie Heng couldn¡¯t help butugh. He asked, ¡°Other than that, you can increase the conflict in the Zhao n.¡±


    ¡°I told you that Madam Yang isn¡¯t going to stay well-behaved. She simply shunned me because she knew she couldn¡¯t win against me. But when she¡¯s facing Madam Ma, isn¡¯t she exactly the same as she was before?


    ¡°An ignorant woman, this is all she could think of. But I¡¯m afraid Zhao


    Changrong¡¯s life isn¡¯t going to be easy in the future. Have you thought about

 Chapter 372 - 366 Just Like How I Poisoned My Brother

    Chapter 372: Chapter 366 Just Like How I Poisoned My Brother


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Zhao Chuchu nodded and said, ¡°Of course, I thought about it. That¡¯s why I did the experiment to test whether it¡¯s possible to see if two people are rted by simply putting their blood together, and I did it in front of so many people. As long as a portion of the people believed me, Zhao Changrong¡¯s life wouldn¡¯t be so difficult.¡±


    Worst case scenario, there was still the Chen n.


    In the olden days, people really cared about blood rtionships. Chen Dashan¡¯s blood had been injected into Zhao Changrong¡¯s veins. So naturally, Chen Dashan would see Zhao Changrong differently.


    He wouldn¡¯t let Zhao Baogen continue abusing Zhao Changrong.


    To be honest, Zhao Baogen didn¡¯t deserve a son like Zhao Changrong.


    This was why Zhao Chuchu chose Chen Dashan¡¯s blood for the blood transfusion.


    Xie Heng kissed Zhao Chuchu¡¯s forehead and said, ¡®Even if they try to stir up trouble, I¡¯ll settle it for you.¡±


    ¡°I trust you.¡± Zhao Chuchu kissed Xie Heng as well.


    Xie Heng felt as if there was a flower blooming in his heart.


    ¡°But I¡¯m afraid Madam Ma won¡¯t be able to get anything out of them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s her problem. I¡¯ve done my part in saving the boy. The rest has nothing to do with me.¡±


    She wouldn¡¯t change her view of Madam Ma just because she saved Zhao Changrong.


    She hadn¡¯t forgotten all of the things that Madam Ma had done to the original owner of this body.


    She would be letting down the original owner if she forgot about those things.


    Even if Madam Ma really got killed by Madam Yang, Zhao Chuchu wouldn¡¯t do anything to help her.


    That was because Madam Ma wasn¡¯t Zhao Changrong!


    In fact, Madam Ma had considered dying alongside Madam Yang somehow.


    That way, they would surely be able to pay for Zhao Changrong¡¯s treatment.


    Madam Ma¡¯s head had been upied by anger and resentment at that point.


    Everything that happened today made her heart more vicious and cold.


    As long as Zhao Changrong was alive, she didn¡¯t care if everyone else died!


    Madam Ma walked toward the Zhao n in big strides.


    Madam Yang was pointing at Old Man Zhao and screaming, ¡®You useless idiot! How can you use me of cheating on you in front of so many people? You ungrateful dog! Old heartless piece of trash¡­¡±


    Old Man Zhao squatted under the eaves, hung his head low, and didn¡¯t dare to say anything. He no longer had the confidence and vigor that he had just now when using Madam Yang.


    The more he stayed silent, the angrier Madam Yang got.


    Zhao Baotian and Madam Liu hid in their room because of the Zhao Changrong incident. They let Madam Yang beat and scold Old Man Zhao as they didn¡¯t dare toe out and intervene.


    Madam Liu said softly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Zhao Chuchu? I thought she said she wouldn¡¯t save anyone from the Zhao n. Why did she save Changrong? If Changrong died, your brother would have no descendants, and the Zhao n would be ours!¡±


    ¡°Who knows what that Zhao Chuchu was thinking? It¡¯s all that little bitch¡¯s fault for ruining our n. I should have let her live back then, and she would have died together with my brother and sister-inw!¡± Zhao Baotian said through gritted teeth. ¡°It¡¯s your fault. You were the one who insisted on letting Zhao Chuchu live to exchange her for betrothal gifts. I would have gotten rid of her a long time ago.¡±


    ¡°I had no idea that your mother would just trade her away for a few taels of silver!¡± Madam Liu got a little upset by Zhao Baotian¡¯s usation.


    ¡°Enough. Lower your voice. If she hears us, she wille looking for trouble again!¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t she always looking for trouble? It¡¯s all because you listen to your mother for everything. If you just go against her a few times, your mother might just listen to you! Look at all the crap that is happening right now. Zhao Chuchu is basically a money tree now, yet it has nothing to do with us. Your mother is so shortsighted.¡±


    ¡°Say that one more time.¡± Zhao Baotian looked at her from the corner of his eyes.


    Madam Liu smiled apologetically and said, ¡°Can¡¯t you just let mein for a bit? Think about how much money the watermill workshop makes! Yet none of it belongs to us now.¡±


    She felt a pain in her heart just thinking about it.


    Zhao Baotian snorted coldly and said, ¡°We can¡¯t rush this stuff. We need to do things slowly. Isn¡¯t this the best opportunity?¡±


    ¡°What opportunity?¡± Madam Liu was a little confused.


    ¡°What if both Changrong and Chen Dashan died?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu would be responsible for it. Once she bes implicated in a murder case, no one would be able to defend her.¡±


    Zhao Baotian¡¯s expression was eerily dark when he said that.


    In his eyes, two lives amounted to almost nothing.


    Just like how he poisoned his brother and sister-inw back then.


    It was just because they didn¡¯t have any sons. They only had a daughter. So as long as the eldest son of the Zhao n was gone, all they needed to do wase up with a way to deal with the second son¡¯s family or split the n and try to get everything.


    No one could imagine that Zhao Baotian coulde up with such vicious schemes despite looking so cowardly.


    No one could have imagined that he poisoned Zhao Chuchu¡¯s parents.


    Yet, it was quite logical. How did the two of them die one after another with such perfect timing?


    Unfortunately, there were no doctors in Lengshui Vige at that time. Zhao Baotian appeared really close to his brother back then. When Zhao Chuchu¡¯s father died, he cried so hard that he fainted. No one suspected that someone actually murdered Old Man Zhao¡¯s eldest son!


    And now, the second son of the n has delivered the perfect opportunity for them. On top of that, the n was living a better life than before. All these things fueled Zhao Baotian¡¯s desire to take everything for himself.


    ¡°But with Zhao Chuchu here, how will we do anything?¡± Madam Liu wasn¡¯t scared at all. Instead, she was a little excited. However, she squirmed when she thought about Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Baotian sneered and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Changrong will return sooner orter. We can do it when hees back. As for Chen Dashan, it¡¯s even simpler.


    All we need to do is¡­¡±


    Zhao Baotian made a gesture as if he were drugging a bowl of food as he stopped talking.


    But Madam Liu was still worried. ¡°But what if Zhao Chuchu intervenes again?


    ¡°Then we increase the dosage. Zhao Chuchu can¡¯t stay in the vige forever. When she leaves, we¡¯ll make a move. Zhao Chuchu is the only one who has ever done anything to Chen Dashan. So no one would know when or how he died, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Hubby, you¡¯re the smartest! As long as Zhao Chuchu gets implicated in a death case, we would have ways to get the watermill workshop. Then, money would flow endlessly into our pockets. We won¡¯t have to worry about food or clothing ever again!¡±


    Madam Liu thought about the wealth and luxury that she could enjoy in the future and got more excited.


    Just as the people in the Zhao n schemed and thought about different things, Madam Ma arrived with her butcher¡¯s knife.


    She kicked open the door, raised the knife, and shouted at Madam Yang, standing in the courtyard, ¡°Give me 50 taels of silver right now, or I¡¯ll kill everyst one of you.¡±


    ¡°Madam Ma, what are you trying to do? Murder? I dare you to attack us in broad daylight!¡± Madam Yang yelled. She appeared brave, yet she was terrified inside. She started stepping backward as she said, ¡°I¡¯m warning you; don¡¯t do anything stupid. Otherwise, I won¡¯t hold back.¡±


    ¡°Changrong is already in this state. There¡¯s nothing I¡¯m scared of. My life is ruined anyway, and I don¡¯t mind fighting all of you to death! Take out the money right now. That¡¯s the fee for the treatment. All of you are responsible for making him like this now!¡±


    ¡°You want money? Dream on! You don¡¯t belong to the Zhao n anymore. I¡¯ll report you to the government for attempted robbery!¡¯


    ¡®Go ahead. Do you think I¡¯m afraid of you? I¡¯ll tell the magistrate that your son tried to kill my son!¡±


    ¡°Nonsense! He fell down himself. It has nothing to do with Baotian!¡±


    Madam Ma knew that Madam Yang wouldn¡¯t be willing to take out the money.


    She came prepared.


    ¡°Okay, then, let¡¯s die together!¡±


    A ferocious expression appeared on Madam Ma¡¯s face as she started charging toward Madam Yang.


    Madam Yang started screaming subconsciously, ¡°Help! She¡¯s trying to kill me!¡±

 Chapter 373 - 367 My Today Is Your Tomorrow

    Chapter 373: Chapter 367 My Today Is Your Tomorrow


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Zhao Baotian and Madam Liu quickly came out of their room to see what was happening.


    When they realized that it was Madam Ma, Zhao Baotian wasn¡¯t scared anymore.


    Zhao Baotian had killed someone before, which made him different from Madam Ma. Although Madam Ma looked scary and intended to fight them to death, Zhao Baotian still felt that he should be able to defeat a woman!


    Just then, Zhao Baogen came out from his room as well.


    He looked at Madam Ma and then said to Madam Yang, ¡°Mom, you have to pay for Changrong¡¯s payment. Third brother was the one who pushed Changrong. If you are really nning to save this money, don¡¯t me me for being unfilial. ¡±


    Zhao Baogen had been lying on the bed for over half a year. He looked a lot gloomier than before.


    The way he spoke to Madam Yang made her feel a little intimidated.


    ¡°Second son, what are you talking about? Changrong fell down himself! If this woman hadn¡¯t gotten violent and tried to beat us, Changrong wouldn¡¯t have gone over, right? Many mistakes were made, but it¡¯s her fault at the end of the day! Why should we be paying for this? I¡¯ll tell you right now; I won¡¯t pay a single tael of silver for this!¡±


    Fifty tales of silver wasn¡¯t a small amount. Unfortunately, because of the tofu incident, she had to pay quite a bit of money aspensation. How could Madam Yang bear taking out even more money now?


    Taking money from her was like slicing away her flesh!


    Madam Yang had made up her mind. She wasn¡¯t going to pay a single cent!


    Zhao Chuc.hu had already saved Zhao Changrong. Since she wasn¡¯t the one who begged Zhao Chuchu to do it, it didn¡¯t have anything to do with her. If she wanted money, ask Madam Ma instead!


    Zhao Baogen was so angry that he startedughing. ¡°I saw it with my own eyes. Mother, how can you do this? Changrong is a son of our family. Are you just going to watch him die? Is he not your grandson?¡±


    ¡°What grandson? Chen Dashan¡¯s blood is flowing in his body right now. He has nothing to do with us.¡± Madam Yang started spouting nonsense theories. She was saying anything to avoid taking out money.


    She didn¡¯t believe that Madam Ma would dare to kill them!


    Madam Ma looked at Madam Yang. She thought about how she had treated Madam Yang since marrying into the Zhao n. She respected Madam Yang and served her mother-inw as best she could, but what did she get in the end?


    Madam Ma finally understood why Zhao Chuchu insisted on cutting ties with the Zhao n.


    She should have seen iting a long time ago.


    Madam Yang didn¡¯t even care about her granddaughter, so why would she care about an outsider like her?


    Madam Maughed. She wasughing at how pathetic her life was. It took her so incredibly long to finally see these people¡¯s true colors.


    ¡°Okay, since all of you have tossed your morals in the trash, there¡¯s no point in me treating you like a human.¡± Madam sincerely felt that all of these people should be dead. They deserved to suffer in the depths of hell.


    Zhao Baotian was the one who caused her son to be in this state, yet this old hag could somehow im that it was her fault.


    Yeah, right. How could they ever be the ones at fault?


    She was the one who was wrong because she was an outsider.


    ¡°Sis-inw, it¡¯s wrong to use violence and threaten to kill people like that. Did Baotian push Changrong? No! It was clearly because you were misbehaving! I know Baotian is very honest and down-to-earth, but that doesn¡¯t mean you can bully him! I am here to stand up for him!¡±


    Madam Liu looked at Madam Ma with the confidence and joy of a victor. Madam Ma¡¯s miserable state made her feel very satisfied.


    Madam Ma sneered and said, ¡°Don¡¯t startughing too soon. My today is your tomorrow. So just wait and see what happens!¡±


    Madam Liu¡¯s expression turned ugly. She said, ¡°I¡¯m different from you. I have made contributions to this family. I¡¯m not like you, you bad luck-bringing wretch. All you do is ruin the peace of this home.¡±


    Madam Ma trembled in anger.


    Madam Yang said coldly, ¡®You don¡¯t belong to the Zhao n anymore. Go back to wherever you came from. Don¡¯t force me to chase you out. It won¡¯t be good for you if the other vigers see it!¡±


    Madam Ma¡¯s ragepletely overwhelmed her rational mind. Her brain was filled with a single thought: ¡°kill them.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill all of you!¡± Madam Ma raised her knife and charged forward.


    Niu Tongsheng and the other vigers just happened to arrive at the scene. ¡°Madam Ma, stop! Stop right now! Somebody stop her!¡±


    Madam Yang and Madam Liu started screaming from Madam Ma¡¯s sudden outburst. Then, they started running around the courtyard as they yelled for help.


    Niu Tongsheng felt their hearts palpitating as they watched.


    Niu An had learned some martial arts while going out of the vige. So he dashed forward and snatched the butcher¡¯s knife from Madam Ma, but his arm got injured instead.


    Niu Tongshengs expression changed drastically. He frantically asked, ¡°Son, are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Dad, I¡¯m fine.¡± Niu An hid the knife behind him, then pressed on his wound and shook his head.


    Niu Tongsheng red at Madam Ma and asked her fiercely, ¡°Madam Ma, are you crazy? Can¡¯t we just sit down and talk properly? Do you have to kill someone? Have you thought about Changrong?


    ¡°Do you think he could live a normal life if he had a murderer for a mother? Have you thought about the consequences of your impulsive action?


    Madam Ma acted out of rage. She lost control of her emotions and actions because of what the people of the Zhao n said.


    After identally injuring Niu An, she started to calm down. However, she didn¡¯t dare reply to Niu Tonzsheng.


    ¡°Chief, you came at the right time. You have to seek justice for us. This bitch of a woman was trying to kill her mother-inw. We can¡¯t let this woman stay in Lengshui Vige anymore. She¡¯s insane and haspletely lost her mind, and no one knows when she will start going crazy and killing people around her¡­¡± Madam Yang immediately began toin. She cried and sobbed as though something truly terrifying had happened to her.


    Madam Liu immediately followed Madam Yang¡¯s lead and said, ¡°Chief, she came here and started threatening to kill us. My mom tried to reason it out with her nicely, but she refused to listen to us and started charging at us with the knife. If you didn¡¯t arrive in time, I¡¯m afraid we would have been¡­¡± Madam Liu squeezed a tear from her eyes as she spoke.


    Madam Ma simply stood there expressionlessly. She didn¡¯t speak out for herself.


    Niu Tongsheng didn¡¯t just believe in Madam Liu and Madam Yangs side of the story. He looked at Madam Ma and said, ¡°Madam Ma, what happened? Why did you want to kill them?¡±


    Madam Ma remained silent.


    ¡°Tell me. I won¡¯t be biased against anyone!¡±


    ¡°Chief, how could you do this? You saw it with your own eyes. She wanted to kill us! Shouldn¡¯t you be seeking justice for us? How is that considered being biased for us?


    Madam Yang was unhappy about what Niu Tongsheng said.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Niu Tongsheng yelled. ¡°You think I don¡¯t know what kind of person you are? I¡¯m asking Madam Ma right now. It¡¯s not the time for you to talk.¡± Madam Yang was mad, but she didn¡¯t dare say anything.


    But Madam Liu felt differently. She thought that justice was on her side, so she wasn¡¯t afraid. She said, ¡°Chief, my sister-inw has gonepletely insane. We can¡¯t let a crazy person stay in the vige, right? That¡¯s going to make everyone scared!¡±


    Niu Tongsheng red at Madam Liu coldly and said, ¡°Did I say it¡¯s your turn to speak?¡±


    Madam Liu couldn¡¯t say anything in return.


    ¡°They caused my son to be in such a state. Shouldn¡¯t they pay for the treatment that saved his life? Why should I be paying for everything? Zhao Baotian was the one who pushed my son, yet that old hag had the cheek to spout such nonsense and me me for it? Whv am I wrong for wanting to save my son?


    Madam La suddenly started yelling hysterically. She pointed at the people from the Zhao n. The hatred in her eyes was so intense that it scared anyone who looked at her.


    ¡°Since they want me to watch my son die, why should I let them live? How about we all die together, huh? Then, when we go down there, we can ask our ancestors whether they want to be rted to these heartless animals! I have nothing now. All I have is this miserable life. So I don¡¯t think having them die with me is a bad deal!¡±

 Chapter 374 - 368 Take It If You Want

    Chapter 374: Chapter 368 Take It If You Want


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Niu Tongsheng looked past Madam Yang. His gazended on Old Man Zhao as he asked with a deep tone, ¡°Old Man Zhao, is there nothing that you would like to say?


    Old Man Zhao appeared as cowardly and spineless as ever. He stammered,


    ¡°This, this is an issue between the women. I can¡¯t intervene?¡¯


    Niu Tongsheng was so angry that he startedughing, ¡°An issue between women? By that definition, Changrong isn¡¯t your grandson? That is Baogen¡¯s only son. How can you stand by and do nothing as his grandfather?


    ¡°All along, I thought that you were just cowardly, but I didn¡¯t think that you were such a selfish person. As long as you don¡¯t say anything, once Madam Yang settles everything, it will have nothing to do with you, right?¡±


    Old Man Zhao said nervously, ¡°Vige Chief, how could you say that? This is a quarrel between the women, and I don¡¯t think it¡¯s good for us men to intervene, right? Besides, the blood that is flowing in Changrong¡¯s veins doesn¡¯t belong to the Zhao n, right? So I think my wife didn¡¯t do anything wrong!¡¯


    Niu Tongsheng wanted to crack open Old Man Zhao¡¯s head and see if it was filled to the brim with feces.


    How could he say that?


    Zhao Chuchu had exined it so clearly to them, yet he was still trying to use that as a reason to evade responsibility.


    The Zhao n was beyond saving!


    Zhao Chuchu was absolutely right to have severed ties with them early on.


    Look at Madam Ma. She had been filial toward Old Man Zhao and Madam Yang all these years, yet what did she get in return?


    ¡°If God is looking at us now, you should be struck by lightning. If your ancestors knew what you were doing, they would jump out of their coffins and beat you to death, you inhuman bastard! You threw away all your morals as a human being just for a few taels of silver!¡± said Niu Tongsheng angrily. ¡°Old Man Zhao, let me ask you one more time¡ªare you going to pay for Changrong¡¯s treatment?¡±


    Instead of answering him, Old Man Zhao asked, ¡°Chief, why are you so interested in getting the money for Zhao Chuchu? Did she promise to give you a cut as well?¡±


    Niu Tongsheng was disgusted.


    For the first time, he realized what a revolting person Old Man Zhao was.


    ¡°Great, great, great¡­¡± Niu Tongsheng said. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I won¡¯t try to stop this fight. Madam Ma, someone who kills someone else, should pay with their own life. But I suggest you don¡¯t gamble with Changrong¡¯s future We should bring this up with the government officials. I believe County Magistrate Qiao would make sure that justice is served.¡±


    Niu Tongsheng felt that if he couldn¡¯t convince them with reason and logic, there was no point in talking to them anymore.


    Thew will deal with these shameless scoundrels.


    Niu Tongsheng didn¡¯t even want to look at Old Man Zhao anymore.


    He wouldn¡¯t even feel pity for Old Man Zhao if he died right now.


    Fortunately, he didn¡¯t try to convince Zhao Chuchu not to cut ties with the Zhao n for the sake of ¡°filial piety.¡± Otherwise, Niu Tongsheng couldn¡¯t imagine how much misery Zhao Chuchu would have gone through.


    ¡°County Magistrate Qiao has always been an impartial person. I¡¯m sure he will investigate thoroughly to find out what happened. He won¡¯t just believe whatever they say and take it as the truth,¡± Niu Tongsheng said. ¡°If he needs it, we will be eyewitnesses for you.¡±


    Old Man Zhao immediately started panicking when he heard that they would bring this up with a government official.


    ¡°Vige Chief, this is just our family affair. So why do we need to blow the issue up and bring it to court?¡±


    ¡°Someone almost died today, and you still think it¡¯s a small issue? Old Man Zhao, why do you still not understand how big this is?¡±


    ¡°If Madam Ma hadn¡¯t started finding trouble first, would Changrong still have fallen and gotten injured? It¡¯s all Madam Ma¡¯s fault. What does it have anything to do with us?¡±


    Old Man Zhao was still trying to push the me away.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then there¡¯s nothing to discuss. Madam Ma, go report this to the government,¡± said Niu Tongsheng as he looked at Madam Ma.


    Madam Ma stared at Madam Yang and asked again, ¡°You¡¯re not going to give me the money, right?¡±


    When Madam Yang heard about reporting the incident to the government, she thought about how Niu Ziming¡¯s family was sent to a mine to serve their corvee.


    Despite being extremely reluctant, she knew that she had to use this money to avoid a disaster.


    ¡°You must have nned and schemed really hard for this money. Alright, I¡¯ll give it to you. Take it as a donation!¡± Madam Yang didn¡¯t want to lose face with Madam Ma. She wanted to humiliate Madam Ma.


    She went into the house. After a long while, she brought out a handful of broken silver taels.


    ¡°I only have 30 taels, nothing more. Take it if you want!¡± Madam Yang threw the money at Madam Ma.


    The silver fragments were scattered on the ground.


    Niu Tongsheng sighed deeply.


    But there was nothing he could say.


    Madam Ma remained silent as well. Then, finally, she crouched down and picked up all of the silver fragments.


    Then, Niu Tongsheng got someone to bring over a steelyard and weigh the silver fragments. It turned out there were only 25 taels worth of silver.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Are your 25 taels of silver capable of reproducing or something? How did it be 30 taels?¡± Niu Tongsheng asked.


    Madam Yang yelled, ¡°I don¡¯t know who the idiot who stole it was, and I don¡¯t care. I gave her 30 taels of silver. Some of it was lost, but that has nothing to do with me!¡±


    She insisted that she had given Madam Ma 30 taels of silver. But, of course, no one had any evidence anyway. Even Niu Tongsheng couldn¡¯t do anything to her.


    ¡°There are eight chickens there. I¡¯ll count that as five taels of silver.¡± Madam Ma pointed at the chicken coop.


    ¡°How dare you? Those are my chickens!¡±


    ¡°I raised them.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re in my house, so they belong to me. They have nothing to do with you! You are not a daughter-inw of the Zhao n anymore. So if you dare to take those chickens, you are robbing us.¡±


    Zhao Baogen walked to the chicken coop quietly. He grabbed the chicken cage beside it and started putting the chickens in it.


    Madam Yang thought that Zhao Baogen was keeping the chickens, so she didn¡¯t stop him.


    ¡°You see? That¡¯s what my son thinks as well,¡± Madam Yang said proudly.


    Yet, before she even finished her sentence, Zhao Baogen had made her swallow her words. He carried the two chicken cages and walked toward Madam Ma.


    ¡°I¡¯m a useless man; this is all I can do. Take it.¡±


    ¡°Brother (Son), are you insane?¡± everyone in the Zhao n eximed.


    Zhao Baogen turned around and said, ¡°You are forcing me to go insane. How can I remain normal? I was the one who caught the chickens. Report me to the government and put me in jail.¡±


    ¡°Those are our chickens. Why should we give it to her?¡±


    ¡°She raised them!¡±


    ¡°So what? Do we not deserve a cut working outside on the farms?¡±


    ¡®Good. You know that you deserve a cut for your work. What about her cut? Where did her cut go?


    Madam Yang choked at Zhao Baogen¡¯s question. For a moment) she didn¡¯t know how to reply.


    ¡®Even if she deserved a cut, it is at most worth one chicken. The rest belongs to us,¡± Madam Liu said anxiously. She didn¡¯t even want Madam Ma to take a single thread from them, let alone eight chickens.


    Zhao Baotian stepped forward and tried to snatch the chickens away.


    Unexpectedly, Zhao Baogen stopped him. ¡°Try snatching it. I dare you.¡±


    Zhao Baotian stared at him. Then he whispered to Zhao Baogen, ¡°Brother, you are a disabled man now. You¡¯ll have to rely on us in the future. So you shouldn¡¯t make life difficult for yourself! Do you think you can live afortable life without us?


    Zhao Baogen wasn¡¯t convinced by Zhao Baotian at all. He said, ¡°So what? I¡¯ll just make you all die alongside me. There¡¯s nothing I¡¯m scared of.¡±


    Zhao Baotian didn¡¯t think that Zhao Baogen woulde up with such an insane answer.


    At the same time, Madam Ma took the opportunity and ran off with the chickens.


    She was there to get money from the Zhao n. Now that she had what she wanted, she did not need to stay there and disgust herself with these people.


    ¡°Stop! Don¡¯t run!¡± Madam Yang got anxious. She wanted to chase after Madam Ma, but by the time she started running, Madam Ma was already quite far away.


    When Zhao Chuchu received the money from Madam Ma, she was surprised.


    She didn¡¯t expect that Madam Ma would be able to get the money from Madam


    Yang so quickly.

 Chapter 375 - 369 Didn ‘t You Notice Anything Off?

    Chapter 375: Chapter 369 Didn ¡®t You Notice Anything Off?


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°I have already paid the consultation fee. You must save my son¡¯s life,¡± said Madam Ma. Her voice was trembling slightly as she continued, ¡°As long as he lives, I am willing to part with everything.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu inly said, ¡°Since I will be treating him, he will definitely be saved.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Madam Ma. She then turned towards Zhao Changrong.


    Zhao Changrong had already fallen asleep.


    His heaving chest indicated to Madam Ma that he was still alive.


    As she looked at Zhao Changrong, Madam Ma felt that anything she did for him would be worth it.


    The two of them did not speak anymore Once the bag of blood was transfused, Zhao Chuchu pulled out the transfusion tube. She then put the items away.


    ¡°Call me if Zhao Changrong wakes up. In the meantime, take good care of him. Do not let members of the Zhao n into the room. Otherwise, my efforts will be in vain,¡± Zhao Chuchu reminded Madam Ma.


    Thetter nodded in acknowledgment.


    Only then did Zhao Chuchu leave the room.


    She went over to Chen Dashan to check on his condition.


    After having so much blood drawn, Chen Dashan¡¯s face had also be ashen.


    ¡°Uncle Dashan, do you feel any difort?¡±


    ¡°Aside from feeling light-headed, I am fine.¡±


    ¡°Let me take a look,¡± said Zhao Chuchu as she checked his pulse. She did not detect anything out of the ordinary.


    ¡®Get some rest. Stay in bed for the next few days. Later, I will send some tonics for Grandma Chen to prepare to help you replenish your nutrients. You will be back to normal in no time.¡±


    ¡°Alright. ¡±


    ¡°Then, I will head back first.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Take care.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu nodded and left the room with her medicine box.


    Old Mrs. Chen approached Zhao Chuchu as soon as the former saw her walking out and told her about the incident with the Zhao n.


    Everything Old Man Zhao had said was within Zhao Chuchu i s expectations, so she wasn¡¯t fazed.


    Old Man Zhao¡¯s selfishness disgusted her.


    Before this, he kept pretending to be a good person. In reality, he was worse than Madam Yang.


    Madam Yang was publicly evil. However, Old Man Zhao was not like this. His heart was wretched. He let others do the dirty work. In the end, he would never be the one who was condemned. He was very shrewd.


    ¡°Madam Ma brought over these chickens. She said that they are meant for Dashan to replenish his energy. Chuchu, should I reject them?¡± Old Mrs. Chen asked Zhao Chuchu as she pointed to the two cages of chickens in the corner.


    Zhao Chuchu raised her eyebrow and asked, ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t we ept them? Uncle Dashan deserves them. Donating so much blood is no trivial matter. If we do not replenish his nutrients, how can Uncle Dashan recover? Grandma Chen, there are limits to kindness. Don¡¯t worry so much after saving someone.¡±


    ¡°Since you put it that way, I will ept them with an open heart. However, the members of the Zhao n will most likely not let this slide. What if theye to seize these chickens?¡±


    ¡°If they dare to do so, tell me. I will snatch them back.¡±


    Such a family that went out of their way to seek trouble would sooner orter invite their own deaths.


    ¡°Alright. ¡±


    ¡°They will not bring this up with the officials. They were the ones at fault in the first ce.¡±


    Old Mrs. Chen nodded her head.


    ¡°I will head back first. As for Zhao Changrong, please let him stay in the Chen residence. For now, please be careful. If Old Man Zhao and the otherse to your ce, you must be on your guard so that you are not caught in their schemes. They will definitely seek revenge.¡±


    They might actually dare to kill Zhao Changrong and Chen Dashan and then


    put the me on her.


    Madam Yang might not dare to do such a thing. However, the same could not be said for Old Man Zhao!


    After all, he acted so indifferently to his own grandchildren. Why should they hope for him to show kindness?


    ¡°What are they nning to do?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. However, my intuition is telling me that they are up to something. We cannot let our guard down. Grandma Chen, remember this.


    The medicine must never leave your sight.¡±


    When Old Mrs. Chen heard Zhao Chuchu speaking in such a serious tone, her expression became stern.


    ¡°Chuchu, why does it sound like they n to kill people?¡±


    ¡°It is hard to say. There is no harm in being careful. It is better to be called petty by others than to lose your life.¡±


    ¡°That is also true. I will follow your instructions. Later, I will tell Dashan and his wife,¡± Old Mrs. Chen replied.


    Zhao Chuchu left the Chen residence. She hadn¡¯t traveled far when Madam Ma rushed after her.


    ¡°Chuchu, I have something to ask you,¡± Madam Ma called for her.


    Zhao Chuchu paused in her tracks and looked at Madam Ma. With an indifferent tone, she asked, ¡°What do you want to ask?¡±


    Her attitude caused Madam Ma to swallow whatever she wanted to say.


    However, in the end, Madam Ma still chose to say what was on her mind. ¡°I know you are not the original Zhao Chuchu. You killed Zhizhi, is that right?¡±


    ¡°Did you call me just for this?¡±


    ¡°Answer my question first. Is it yes or no?


    ¡°There were so many witnesses around. Your daughter acted out of line and was identally killed by the official. Why would you twist the truth and say that I killed Zhao Zhizhi? Madam Ma, do you really think that you are now considered my ally just because I saved Zhao Changrong? I have limited patience. You¡¯d better think carefully before you say anything.¡±


    Madam Ma retorted, ¡°Zhao Chuchu was incapable of anything, but suddenly you have such amazing medical skill. You can¡¯t fool us. You are certainly not


    Zhao Chuchu.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu gave Madam Ma a long, hard stare, causing thetter to have goosebumps. She thought that Zhao Chuchu was about to attack her.


    Zhao Chuchu sneered and said, ¡°From the looks of it, you have really gone nuts. Zhao Baogen should have locked you up. You used me of pretending to be Zhao Chuchu. Do you have any proof? As for how I acquired my medical skill, isn¡¯t it logical since Xie Heng taught me how to read and write and encouraged me to read books rted to medicine?


    ¡°How could anyone possibly be so smart?¡±


    ¡°Some people be provincial graduates at the age of 10. How do you exin that? Just because you¡¯re dumb doesn¡¯t mean that other people are incapable. Madam Ma, I understand you have experienced great trauma from Zhao Changrong nearly dying. So I will pretend that this conversation never happened. If you speak without thinking again, then you should be prepared never to be able to speak again.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s expression was calm, but what she said instilled fear in Madam Ma.


    Madam Ma attempted to spot a trace of shock or any signs of lying from Zhao Chuchu.


    However, she was disappointed. Zhao Chuchu behaved just like her usual self and did not reveal any weaknesses.


    Initially, Madam Ma was certain that Zhao Chuchu would admit the truth under her sudden interrogation. To her surprise, Zhao Chuchu was unperturbed by her confrontation.


    Madam Ma was more and more confident that this was not the original Zhao


    Chuchu.


    Unfortunately, she did not have evidence. She also did not dare to reveal this truth.


    If Zhao Chuchu chose to give up, her son would definitely die.


    Regardless of who Zhao Chuchu was, Madam Ma would not pursue the matter further.


    ¡°I will remember this debt of gratitude for saving Changrong. As for Zhizhi¡¯s death¡­¡±


    Zhao Chuchu interrupted her, saying, ¡°There is no need to do so. You can believe whatever you want. If believing that I killed Zhao Zhizhi will make you feel better, and you won¡¯t need to owe me anything, then do as you like. From my perspective, I do not care what you do. You can even kill me if you have the ability to do so.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ I am not that sort of person. I just want to know the truth!¡±


    ¡°Have you ever considered that Zhao Zhizhi might not be the original Zhao Zhizhi? Would a sane person do whatever she did at that time? She acted so bizarrely. As her mother, didn¡¯t you sense anything off?¡±


    Once she said this, Madam Ma¡¯s expression changed drastically.


    Ever since Zhao Zhizhi died, Madam Ma did not dare to recall what the former had done before she died. This was because Madam Ma was afraid.

 Chapter 376 - 370 It’s Because You’re Chuchu

    Chapter 376: Chapter 370 It¡¯s Because You¡¯re Chuchu


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Madam Ma panicked after Zhao Chuchu pointed out that Zhao Zhizhi¡¯s behavior was off before she was killed.


    ¡®You¡¯re spouting nonsense. There was nothing wrong with Zhizhi¡¯s behavior,¡± Madam Ma denied immediately.


    ¡°Are you sure? Think carefully. Would a sane person do what she had done? Madam Ma, I pity you for almost losing your son. However, it¡¯s better for you to recall what happened in the past thoroughly. Don¡¯t go around ming innocent people for crimes they did notmit. A single misstep might lead you to make even more mistakes.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s impossible! It¡¯s definitely impossible!¡±


    Zhao Chuc.hu reminded her, saying, ¡°Zhao Zhizhi called me an evil spirit. Did you forget about that?¡±


    ¡°She¡­ She¡­¡±


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s rebuttal scattered Madam Ma¡¯s thoughts.


    In reality, Zhao Zhizhi was indeed killed by Zhao Chuchu.


    However, thetter killed the former in self-defense.


    Zhao Chuchu was not a saint. Of course, she acted first before Zhao Zhizhi could harm her. Would she be so foolish as to keep Zhao Zhizhi, a reborn person, around and allow thetter to interfere with her n?


    Moreover, Zhao Zhizhi clearly had the same intention as Sikou Qin. Both of them had fallen in love with Xie Heng and wanted to marry him.


    Zhao Chuchu would not tell Madam Ma the truth.


    She would never admit to anyone that she was the cause of Zhao Zhizhi¡¯s death.


    It was not because she was afraid of the consequences. Rather, she believed it was unnecessary for her to tell others about it.


    After all, everyone witnessed Zhao Zhizhi being stabbed to death by the officials after she frightened them.


    Zhao Chuchu added, ¡°I could cure all of you, yet Zhao Zhizhi insisted that I needed to die in order to end the gue. If I actually died, would all of you still be alive now? We are both adults. By right, you should understand such simple logic better than I do.¡±


    Madam Ma felt dizzy. She couldn¡¯t think of anything to refute Zhao Chuchu¡¯s words.


    Zhao Chuchu threw off her thought process. The more she recalled, the more she felt something was off with Zhao Zhizhi. Thetter even knew when it would rain.


    Madam Ma understood her own daughter well. Aside from makeup and dreaming about marrying a good husband, Zhao Zhizhi was unconcerned about everything else. How would she know that it was about to rain?


    The only logical exnation for her abnormality was that some stray ghost had taken over her body.


    When Zhao Chuchu saw the look of terror on Madam Ma¡¯s face, she knew that Madam Ma¡¯s thoughts were in her grasp.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind that you think that I¡¯m suspicious. However, you should think about what really happened before you use me.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu left without turning back after she said this, leaving Madam Ma standing there alone, consumed by fear.


    From everyone¡¯s point of view, Zhao Zhizhi¡¯s speech and actions were bizarre and could not be exined with logic.


    When the vigers gossiped about her privately, they too, suspected that a ghost possessed her before she died. If she was sane, why would she behave so strangely?


    Every time Madam Ma overheard their conversations, she was subconsciously influenced by their opinions. However, she refused to believe so.


    Now that Zhao Chuchu had pointed this out, Madam Ma began to doubt herself. Was her spection about Zhao Zhizhi¡¯s death wrong?


    Madam Ma had no answer to this question.


    Nevertheless, she would no longer suspect Zhao Chuchu after thetter openly discussed Zhao Zhizhi¡¯s death without a hint of guilt.


    Zhao Chuc.hu was unaware of what was happening in Madam Ma¡¯s mind. Even if thetter insisted that she was the murderer and wanted to seek revenge, she couldn¡¯t care less about it.


    Why would she care about an insignificant ant?


    Zhao Chuc.hu only wanted to have a good bath and a good night¡¯s sleep now. Recently, she felt something was wrong with her superpowers. Every time after she used it, she would feel exhausted.


    This was something that she had never experienced before.


    She had no one to consult regarding this issue, so she could only sleep more to replenish her energy.


    Xie Heng had caringly boiled a pot of water. The water temperature was just nice when Zhao Chuchu reached home.


    When she walked in, Xie Heng asked, ¡°Do you want to take a bath and rest for a while?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was amused. She replied, ¡°Da Lang, did you read my mind? How did you know that I wanted to take a bath?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re Chuchu.¡± Xie Heng paid close attention to everything Chuchu did, so naturally, he could predict what she desired.


    ¡°This feels great!¡± Zhao Chuchu sighed in contentment.


    Xie Heng put her medicine box in the room.


    He instructed, ¡°I will fill up the tub. You can grab your clothes first.¡±


    ¡°Alright. ¡±


    Xie Heng left the room after he put down the medicine box.


    Zhao Chuchu stared at his tall silhouette and thought, ¡°It feels nice to be taken care of.¡±


    Honestly, Zhao Chuchu had a lot of suitors in the past, but none of them were as caring as Xie Heng.


    If she had encountered a suitor who was half as caring as Xie Heng, she would not have remained single throughout her past life.


    She did not look for clothes immediately. Instead, she disposed of the blood transfusion set in the medicine box. After that, she took out some herbs and supplements that were used to replenish blood loss from her carry-on space.


    She packed them and instructed Xie Heng to send them to the Chen residence. Only then did she take her bath.


    By the time Xie Heng returned from his delivery, Zhao Chuchu was already in bed. However, she was still awake.


    When Xie Heng entered the room, she was reading a book.


    He sat beside the bed and stroked her hair, asking, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you asleep yet?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel sleepy yet.¡±


    ¡°What are you reading?¡±


    Xie Heng took a nce at Zhao Chuchu¡¯s book and saw a bunch of curly symbols. He didn¡¯t recognize a single word.


    ¡°What characters are these?¡± Xie Heng asked as he pointed at the letters.


    Zhao Chuchu exined, ¡°This is thenguage used by my country. This book is regarded as a masterpiece, but I wouldn¡¯t say I like it. Whenever I can¡¯t sleep, I read it to lull myself to sleep. It¡¯s very effective.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, I do not know thisnguage. If not, I could read it for you.


    Reading in bed is not good for your eyes.¡±


    ¡°Da Lang, did you forget something?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a doctor. My eyes will not go bad. Do you want to learn thisnguage?


    Zhao Chuchu asked as she waved the book in front of him.


    ¡°Are you going to teach me?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Who knows? Maybe you will need to use it one day.¡±


    ¡°Alright, but I am a little dim-witted. I¡¯m afraid that I will be a very slow learner. Please do not get angry at me.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu rolled her eyes upon hearing this. She said, ¡°Da Lang, if you spoke like this back in my country, you would be beaten to death.¡±


    An academic prodigy imed to be dim-witted. Wasn¡¯t he practically seeking a good beating?


    Xie Heng smiled softly and said, ¡°I have nevere in contact with this before. I might not be able to learn this well.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you worry.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu really wanted to know which bastard dared to im that Xie Heng¡¯s learning ability was subpar.


    ¡°However, I don¡¯t have time to teach you now. I need to sleep first,¡± said Zhao Chuchu. She fumbled about in her carry-on space for some time. She then took out a picture guide for kids and passed it to Xie Heng. She instructed, ¡°Learn what is on here first. We will talk once I wake up.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± said Xie Heng as he took the item. He was eager to learn and was very interested in new things.


    Moreover, this was a secret between him and Zhao Chuchu. He wished that they had more of these secrets. That way, he could upy her time with peace of mind and spend time with her alone.


    Zhao Chuchu did not know how divergent Xie Heng¡¯s thoughts became because of this.


    While reading, it did not take long for her to be unable to keep her eyelids open. The book she was reading fell on her face, and she fell asleep in the blink of an eye.


    Xie Heng heard Zhao Chuchu¡¯s steady breathing. After a short while, he carefully lifted the book off her face and ced it to one side. He then tucked her into bed.


    He gazed at her with glistening eyes. His gaze was gentle and attentive, seemingly absorbing Zhao Chuchu¡¯s entire being into it.

 Chapter 377 - 371 Don ‘t Let Outsiders Know

    Chapter 377: Chapter 371 Don ¡®t Let Outsiders Know


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    In the blink of an eye, three days passed.


    Zhao Changrong finally managed to eat something. Only then did Madam Ma rx.


    She had nowhere to go. For Zhao Changrong¡¯s sake, she could only bite the bullet and stay in the Chen residence.


    Every day at dawn, she woke up first and helped the Chen n with their chores. This made her feel better. At the very least, others could not honestly im that she was freeloading.


    Old Mrs. Chen allowed her to do as she pleased. After all, Madam Ma ate whatever they had for their meals. Chen Dashan and Zhao Changrong had separate meals prepared for them.


    Zhao Baogen had tried visiting the Chen residence. However, Madam Ma would not see him at all and did not allow him to see Zhao Changrong as well. Zhao Baogen was so enraged that he cursed outside of the residence.


    Madam Ma paid no heed to his ravings.


    Even if people gossiped and ran their mouths, she would never return to the Zhao n again.


    Madam Ma knew that her situation would only be worse if she returned.


    Zhao Baogen visited a few times, but Madam Ma ignored him. It was as though he was hitting cotton with his fist; he had nowhere to vent his anger. On top of that, Zhao Baotian and Madam Liu would provoke him from time to time. Zhao Baogen even began hating the Chen n. He believed the Chen n had taken his wife and son away from him. He began to ponder ways to get them back.


    When Madam Liu saw Zhao Baogen return empty-handed again, she purposely sighed and said, ¡°Second Sis must definitely hate us. However, Second Bro, you also know that Baotian cannot be med for Changrong¡¯s incident. If Second Sis had not wanted to strike us, Baotian and I would not have tried to stop her. Then, Changrong would not have seen that scene upon his return and bit people, right?¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± yelled Zhao Baogen. He was in a foul mood. He did not want to speak with her.


    Madam Liu rolled her eyes and said, ¡°Second Bro, I have a way to bring Second Sis back.¡±


    Zhao Baogen stared at her with a cold gaze.


    ¡°Second Sis feels that she has been treated unfairly. She will definitely want to make a fuss about dividing the family property. However, we are a family; how can we divide the family property so easily, right? If you make her change her


    mind about this, she will definitely return. It is not proper for her to stay at the Chen residence. Could it be that Changrong will actually be Chen Dashan¡¯s son?


    Zhao Baogen revealed a stern look.


    Madam Liu ignored him and concluded, ¡°So, for now, either you make her change her mind and live out the rest of your lives peacefully, or you divide up the property.¡±


    ¡°At the end of the day, it is you who wants to divide up the property. You think that I will drag you all down because I am crippled, don¡¯t you? You have no chance whatsoever!¡± roared Zhao Baogen angrily.


    He was definitely against dividing up the property.


    He knew that if they did so, he would lose everything.


    His leg was already crippled!


    Madam Liu shrank back at Zhao Baogen¡¯s roar.


    After that, Zhao Baogen returned to his room and mmed the door violently.


    Madam Liu spat and said, ¡°Useless thing, who only dares to shout at women. He is a cripple, and he thinks that he is still incredible? I know that he is leeching off us!¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? Have I given you too much face?¡± Unbeknownst when, Madam Yang had appeared and overheard Madam Liu¡¯s words. She began scolding her with a dark expression on her face.


    Madam Liu did not dare to talk back at the former. She quickly lowered her head and continued with her chores to prevent Madam Yang from going on and on.


    Nevertheless, Madam Yang still began swearing ceaselessly.


    Madam Liu was thick-skinned. She was used to it already, so she pretended not to hear the former.


    After all, she had her heart set on dividing the property up.


    Why should her husband take care of Zhao Baogen and his family?


    Everything in this family depended on the two of them. Sooner orter, they would die of fatigue!


    It would be best if Zhao Baogen and his family all died together.


    Madam Liu cursed nonstop internally. However, she did not dare to show her dissatisfaction.


    When night came, Madam Liu and Zhao Baotian talked about this matter again in bed.


    Madam Liu said, ¡°Darling, you will sooner orter be worked to death if things continue this way. Now, your Second Bro is clearly depending on you to support his entire family. We have two sons. What would happen to our children if we fell victim to their scheme? We have to find a way to get rid of them quickly.¡±


    Zhao Baotian snorted and replied in a low voice, ¡°There¡¯s no need to rush. I have recently figured out the time the members of the Chen n are out. I will put some rat poison into their food when the opportunity arises. All of them will surely die. After that, the watermill workshop will be ours. You will be able to live high on the hog.¡±


    ¡°I know for a fact that I married the right man.¡±


    Madam Liu kissed Zhao Baotian on the cheek. Then, she got out of bed and took out a carefully hidden purse in the wardrobe. She poured out all the coins and pieces of silver in the purse.


    ¡°This is all we have left. I am smart and did not hand in everything. Otherwise, we would be like Madam Ma and have to ask for every penny from your mother. Have a look. There are a total of six Taels and 28 cents.¡±


    Zhao Baotian was very satisfied with Madam Liu¡¯s ability to keep money from the family.


    He promised, ¡°After we seize the watermill workshop, you can be in charge of finances.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?


    ¡°Have I ever lied to you?


    Madam Liu put her arms around Zhao Baotian¡¯s neck, and the two rolled onto the bed.


    Since her man said something that made her happy, she would naturally pleasure him.


    After the two of them had sex, they continued their discussion.


    Zhao Baotian threatened) ¡°I trust you with everything and hide nothing from you. You will not end well if you let outsiders know about our n. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Darling, I will follow whatever you say. Speaking of which, Xie Heng is not easy to deal with either. If we want to take over the watermill workshop, we might also need to eliminate him.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s just a weak schr and can¡¯t do much. It would note off as a surprise to others if he suddenly died due to a fall.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d better be careful. He is cunning, unlike your brothers. You might fall for his tricks if you¡¯re careless.¡±


    Madam Liu was not as optimistic as Zhao Baotian.


    She analyzed, ¡°We lost control over Zhao Chuchu after she married Xie Heng. God knows what he has been teaching her in private.¡±


    Zhao Baotian brushed her off, saying, ¡°What are you afraid of? There¡¯re many ways to kill someone subtly without being noticed. You stay out of this. I will take care of it. Just pretend that you know nothing.¡±


    ¡°Sigh. Darling, please be careful.¡±


    ¡°Rest your worry. Your man is reliable.¡±


    ¡­


    Zhao Baotian thought that everything he did went without notice.


    Unbeknownst to him, Zhao Chuchu and Old Mrs. Chen had long detected his abnormal behavior. For the past few days, he had been hanging out around the vicinity of the Chen residence without any reason. They were convinced he was plotting a scheme based on his suspicious actions.


    Old Mrs. Chen even went to consult Zhao Chuchu because of this matter. ¡°Chuc.hu, you¡¯re right. The Zhao n is indeed evil. I spotted Zhao Baotian furtively spying on our house these few days multiple times. Is he really plotting something against Dashan?¡±


    ¡°I think he is. If he visits your house, do not act recklessly. Inform me, and I¡¯ll go over to take a look.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Alright. I am worried. Why is Zhao Baotian so evil?¡±


    ¡°Aside from my parents, everyone in that household is up to no good.¡±


    Now, Zhao Chuchu even suspected that the death of the parents of the original owner of her body might be rted to Zhao Baotian.


    Unfortunately, the parents passed away while the original owner of her body was still very young. Therefore, she did not remember much about them aside from knowing they died due to sickness.


    Zhao Chuc.hu had never thought of this possibility before.


    However, after witnessing how Old Man Zhao and Zhao Baotian mistreated Zhao Changrong, she couldn¡¯t help but be skeptical about the cause of her parents¡¯ death.

 Chapter 378 - 372 Digging Graves for Autopsies

    Chapter 378: Chapter 372 Digging Graves for Autopsies


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°Da Lang, do you remember the details of Zhao Baolin and his wifes death?¡± Zhao Chuchu decided to ask Xie Heng.


    Xie Heng replied, ¡°I remember that they both contracted a serious illness and died one after another. I was still very young back then, so I cannot remember the exact details clearly.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu stated her suspicions. ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but I get the feeling that their deaths are abnormal.¡±


    ¡°Why so?¡±


    ¡°The gue that Lengshui Vige faced when I arrived was just a minor illness in my time. However, it was still fatal for all of you, so I felt it was normal that Zhao Baolin and his wife died at such a young age. However, after seeing Old Man Zhao and Zhao Baotian¡¯s actions over the past few days, I feel that it wouldn¡¯t be unusual if these two men murdered Zhao Baolin and his wife.¡±


    She continued, ¡°After all, getting treated requires money. Once the Zhao n felt that Zhao Baolin and his wife were beyond saving, they might have left the couple to die!¡±


    In his previous life, Xie Heng had left Lengshui Vige after he passed the Imperial Examination. Even after he became grand secretary, he had not returned. He did not know how Old Man Zhao and the Zhao n ended up.


    Moreover, in his previous life, Zhao Chuchu had died during the gue. It was even more unlikely that he would investigate the deaths of Zhao Baolin and his wife.


    By the time he was reborn, these events had already passed.


    He asked, ¡°So, what do you n to do?¡±


    ¡°I n to dig up their graves and carry out an autopsy on their corpses.¡±


    Only by inspecting their corpses could she be certain whether Zhao Baolin and his wife had died of illness or poison.


    Zhao Chuchu had her suspicions, so she had to prove them.


    Xie Heng said, ¡°I will follow you.¡±


    She teased. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be stopping me in such a situation?


    ¡°If they actually died due to such schemes, you will be giving them justice. Why would I stop you?


    ¡°By right, you should advocate for the dead to be left to rest in peace and that gravediggers should be punished.¡±


    ¡°The truth is more important.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was the type of person who liked to take action.


    Late at night, she and Xie Heng quietly went to the graves of the parents of the original owner of this body.


    Xie Heng said, ¡°Pass me the shovel.¡± Zhao Chuchu did not ask him to bring anything. He believed that she had ced them in her carry-on space.


    Zhao Chuchu raised her eyebrows. She asked, ¡°Do we need to do such things ourselves?


    She took out two excavating robots. Xie Heng was stunned when he saw this.


    The robots could automatically detect objects underground. They would then determine how deep they needed to dig. Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng did not need to lift a finger.


    Zhao Chuchu sat down with Xie Heng to the side. They enjoyed the night breeze as they watched the robots work.


    ¡°Are these robots?¡± The love for robots must be embedded in the souls of men. Xie Heng kept staring at the robots intently. His eyes were full of curiosity. He asked, ¡°Or are these sage arts from your time?


    Aside from this, Xie Heng did not know how to exin what he was seeing.


    Zhao Chuchu smiled and said, ¡®Yes, they are robots, not sage arts.¡±


    ¡°Can I have a closer lookter?¡±


    ¡°Of course, you can.¡±


    Xie Heng¡¯s eyes were practically overflowing with joy.


    He had seen robots before, but they were far less intricate than the ones before him now.


    He wondered what sort of world could create such devices.


    Xie Heng longed to experience such a prosperous world.


    The robots were very efficient. They reached a coffin in less than half an hour and immediately stopped.


    Zhao Chuc.hu passed Xie Heng a specially made mask. She instructed, ¡°Put it


    on.¡±


    She then took out her tools for the autopsy, leaped into the grave, and opened the coffin.


    After more than a decade, only their dried bones remained.


    They were in a graveyardte at night with skeletons; these elementsbined made a thrilling opening.


    However, with the main protagonist being Zhao Chuchu, everything seemed calm.


    She had the help of instruments from the future. She carried out the autopsy swiftly.


    Once again, Xie Heng witnessed the power of technology.


    ¡°He died due to poison!¡± The autopsy soon yielded results. Zhao Chuchu looked at Xie Heng and announced, ¡°Zhao Baolin did not die due to sickness alone.¡±


    ¡°Was it the same for his wife?¡±


    ¡°Most likely.¡±


    As Zhao Chuchu said this, she opened another coffin.


    It wasmon for the people here to bury a deceased married couple together in the same grave.


    Upon examination, Zhao Chuchu discovered that the cause of death of Xia


    Xiaoxiao was the same as that of Zhao Baolin. Both of them died due to poison.


    The real Zhao Chuchu was the only one who died due to the gue. Her parents were actually killed!


    Zhao Chuchu was enraged.


    Zhao Baolin and his wife were kind to everyone when they were alive, yet no good deeds went unpunished!


    If she had not been reborn here, they would most likely have been murdered, and the truth would be forever unknown.


    ¡°I n to report this to the authorities,¡± dered Zhao Chuchu in a slightly cold tone. ¡°The Zhao n did it anyway. So, I need to see justice carried out.¡±


    ¡°What if the coroner fails to confirm our results?¡± retorted Xie Heng. ¡°They are not as incredible as you are.¡±


    ¡®Even if the coroneres to inspect the corpses, it won¡¯t be tooplicated. I merely wanted to be fast, so I did not use ordinary methods. I still believe in the coroner¡¯s abilities.¡±


    Xie Heng reasoned, ¡°Chuchu, I think you overestimate the ability of the coroners in Yuanjiang County. The people from the Ministry of Justice will most likely be able to identify their true cause of death. However, you¡¯d better not expect so much from the local coroners.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t kill the members of the Zhao n directly to avenge Zhao Baolin and his wife, can I?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to do so. You can falsify some evidence to allow the local coroners to identify their cause of death.¡±


    ¡°Falsify?¡±


    ¡°Since we have determined that they died of poison, we need to bring the truth to light. As for how we do so, that is not important.¡±


    Xie Heng then whispered some things in Zhao Chuchu¡¯s ear. Zhao Chuc.hu¡¯s eyes lit up as she said, ¡°Alright. I will follow your n.¡±


    Xie Heng¡¯s n was simple. It involved scaring the Zhao n.


    ¡°I beg your pardon. I am forced to do this because I hope that the true cause of your death can be made known to the public. I hope to bring you justice by convicting the perpetrators. Please forgive me,¡± Zhao Chuchu mumbled as she did something to the bones.


    After she finished, she closed the coffins, buried them, and restored the graves to their original state


    Unfortunately, she did not have thunder-type superpowers. Otherwise, she could cleave thend apart with a lightning strike and im it as the work of the gods. It would be more convincing for people of this era.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go home,¡± Zhao Chuchu said. When she noticed that Xie Heng was still examining the robots, she added, ¡°You can check them out at home. It¡¯s too cold out here.¡±


    Xie Heng nodded in agreement.


    When they returned home, some hot water was still left in the kitchen.


    Zhao Chuc.hu left the robots in the room and went to take a bath. When she got out of the bathroom, she discovered that Xie Heng had disassembled the robots.


    He was reassembling them now.


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    As expected, all men loved machinery!


    Xie Heng was very focused on his work. He actually remembered how the robots looked before dismantling them. However, his speed of putting the pieces back together was rather slow.


    Zhao Chuchu squatted down beside him. She purposely sighed and said, ¡°Sigh. You have destroyed my robots.¡±


    ¡®Give me some time. I will put them back together.¡± Xie Heng paused what he was doing and nced at Zhao Chuchu. Then, heforted her, saying, ¡°They should still be fine. I was very careful when I took them apart.¡±


    ¡°Can you really remember where each part goes?


    ¡°Yes, I can.¡±


    Upon hearing his confident response, Zhao Chuchu chose to stay awake. She sat beside him on a small stool.


    When dawn came, Xie Heng finished putting in thestponent.


    Zhao Chuchu tested it out. The robot worked as usual.


    She was stunned.


    As expected, geniuses like Xie Heng existed to deal blows to the confidence of others.

 Chapter 379 - 373 Only Hugs and Kisses Can Wake

    Chapter 379: Chapter 373 Only Hugs and Kisses Can Wake


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Xie Heng grinned from ear to ear.


    ¡°The design of these robots is intricate!¡± he eximed. ¡°It would be great if the Wei Dynasty could produce such robots too.¡±


    ¡°That would be a tall order.¡± Zhao Chuchu exined. ¡°Even with a blueprint, the craftsmen here cannot produce a robot. There¡¯s too much technology involved. Rome was not built in one day.¡±


    ¡°I understand. I was just thinking out loud,¡± Xie Heng replied while returning the robots to Zhao Chuchu. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Are you done examining them?¡±


    ¡°I have more or less figured out how to assemble them. But, as you said, many materials are beyond myprehension. No matter how much I study them, I cannot replicate them.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m ayman when ites to robots. I only know how to use them. I know nothing about how they work, so I can¡¯t help you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I learned something too. Even though I can¡¯t produce an exact replica, I can try making a robot that is less smart. I¡¯ll give it a tryter.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu raised her brows doubtfully and asked, ¡°You know how to build a robot just by taking this one apart?¡±


    Xie Heng said, ¡°Of course, it will pale inparison. However, for us, if we can sessfully replicate one, it will still be miraculous. For now, I cannot be certain that I will seed. I will know once I give it a try.¡±


    When Xie Heng took apart the robot, he had a rough idea of how it worked.


    There was no harm in trying to replicate it. He would figure out what to do if he failed.


    ¡°It is almost dawn. Why don¡¯t you sleep for a while? Didn¡¯t you say that you wanted to go into town to buy some things?¡± Zhao Chuchu looked at the sky outside as she ced the robot back into her carry-on space


    Xie Heng shook his head and said, ¡°There is no need for sleep. I am fine. I will just rest for a while. What do you want for breakfast? I¡¯ll make it now.¡±


    Seeing that his energy level seemed good, Zhao Chuchu did not say anymore. She ordered some bone porridge.


    Xie Heng tidied up and then went to prepare breakfast.


    Zhao Chuchuy back in bed and thought about the matter of the parents of this original body of hers.


    For now, they did not have any proof. Zhao Chuchu could not be certain as to who poisoned them. The major suspects were Old Man Zhao and Zhao Baotian.


    Although Zhao Baogen was not a good person, he only sought riches. He had rtively little reason to kill Zhao Baolin.


    After all, when Zhao Baolin was alive, the former had a much more rxing life. Zhao Baolin and his wife were also better at earning money than him and Zhao Baotian.


    Old Man Zhao was a stingy person through and through. Atter Zhao Baolin and his wife fell ill and he felt that there was no hope in saving them, he was highly likely to have killed them to save money.


    As for Zhao Baotian, his presence in the Zhao n seemed insignificant, but his heart was dark.


    He did not stand out in the Zhao n, but he had fanned the mes of discord many times.


    In the memories of the original owner of this body, Zhao Baogen had been used by Zhao Baotian many times. Unfortunately, Zhao Baogen did not realize this.


    The original owner of her body had a very blurry impression of her parents.


    However, the vigers of Lengshui Vige kept saying that the original owner and her mother looked alike.


    Zhao Chuchu nned to use this detail to scare the members of the Zhao n.


    Before that, she still needed to make some preparations.


    It was almost daybreak.


    Xie Heng had also finished preparing the bone porridge.


    Xie Jun got out of bed at the smell of the porridge.


    ¡°Bro, what delicacy have you made this morning? It is so fragrant.¡±


    Xie Jun had yet to get dressed as he came running into the kitchen while kicking his shoes. He peered into the pot.


    Xie Heng nced at him and said, ¡°Look at how you are dressed. Is this presentable? Go, wash up, and get dressed before youe back. If this happens again, you won¡¯t need breakfast anymore.¡±


    Xie Heng could allow Xie Jun a childhood, but he would definitely not allow the future emperor to disregard his image to such an extent.


    As the leader of the country, he represented the entire Wei Dynasty!


    Xie Jun softly said, ¡°Isn¡¯t what I am wearing now, alright?¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Xie Jun could only return to his room and change beforeing back out.


    He washed up as fast as possible.


    Xie Heng had already set arge bowl of bone porridge to cool down for him.


    ¡°Thank vou. Bro.¡±


    ¡®Eat,¡± said Xie Heng as he patted Xie Jun¡¯s head.


    He then went to call Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu already knew that the bone porridge was ready. However, she was stillzing around in bed.


    When she saw Xie Heng enter the room, she extended her arms and said, ¡°I have fallen. Only hugs and kisses can get me up.¡±


    Xie Heng was stunned momentarily. Once he managed to react, he instantly revealed a smile.


    He walked over towards her withrge strides. He then bent over and ced his hands on the bed on both sides of her head. His gaze locked onto Zhao Chuchu as he said, ¡°Do you mean kisses like this?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was just joking with Xie Heng. The soft sensation on her lips made her realize that he was being serious.


    The gentle kiss lingered on Zhao Chuchu. Her thoughts instantly became chaotic.


    Xie Heng only pulled himself away once their breathing became erratic. He forcefully shackled his urge to continue kissing.


    ¡°Like that?¡± asked Xie Heng, his voice hoarse. Zhao Chuchu could see herself in


    Xie Heng¡¯s eyes.


    She blushed, and her heartbeat raced.


    ¡°Am I doing it wrong?


    Xie Heng narrowed his eyes, seemingly very interested to continue learning about kissing.


    Zhao Chuchu nodded and said, ¡°You¡¯re doing it right.¡±


    She supposed she was the only idiot in the world who started a tease but ended up being teased.


    Xie Heng smiled and lifted Zhao Chuchu up with a darling carry. ¡°Alright.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was caught off guard, and she put her arms around Xie Heng¡¯s neck without thinking. Because of that, she leaned against him very closely. She felt her face be redder as she listened to his heartbeat.


    If another person had hugged her, she would most likely have broken the person¡¯s neck in rage by now.


    However, she was always demure when faced with Xie Heng. Even she was unaware of her switch of attitude when interacting with him.


    ¡°Shall I wake you up in the future with this method?¡± Xie Heng liked it when Zhao Chuchu acted coy in front of him. Even more than that, he enjoyed hugging and kissing her.


    Zhao Chuchu wanted the ground to open up and swallow her whole.


    ¡°No need. I can wake up on my own.¡± As she said this, she struggled to leave


    Xie Heng¡¯s embrace.


    However, Xie Heng hugged her tightly. She was afraid that she would identally hurt him if she struggled too hard, so she could only resist her urge to do so.


    ¡°Da Lang, I really can walk on my own. What if Junjun sees us? We will be bad examples to him.¡±


    ¡°Junjun is eager to be an uncle. He will ignore us if he sees us. Don¡¯t you worry. He is very smart.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu could not think of aeback to retort his twisted logic. She didn¡¯t expect Xie Heng to say such shameless statements.


    In the end, Xie Heng actually carried Zhao Chuchu out of the bedroom.


    When Xie Jun saw them, he immediately lowered his head. He almost buried his head into his bowl as he chomped down on the bone porridge as fast as he could. Then, he left the house while skipping joyfully.


    ¡°Bro, Sis, I¡¯m hanging out with my friends. I will only be back by noon.¡± Before Xie Jun dashed out, he even caringly told them that he wouldn¡¯t be back for the entire morning, so they had the whole house to themselves.


    Zhao Chuc.huined, ¡°Look at you! Junjun has been led astray by your bad influence. ¡±


    Xie Hengughed and said, ¡°He was a smart kid, to begin with. Do you think that you can hide our rtionship from him?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re adults. We should set good examples for him.¡±


    ¡°Technically, we¡¯re also still kids now. Kids should behave like kids.¡± ¡°Da Lang, I discovered that you are actually quite shameless at times.¡±

 Chapter 380 - 374 This Amount, I Won ‘t Sell for Any Less!

    Chapter 380: Chapter 374 This Amount, I Won ¡®t Sell for Any Less!


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Xie Heng did not continue the same topic. Instead, he switched topics and said,


    ¡°Go and wash up first. I will serve you some porridge.¡±


    He put Zhao Chuchu down beside the water tank so that she could wash her hands. Then, he went to scoop some porridge.


    ¡°The meat has been marinated. Later, when we return in the afternoon, we just need to skewer it and hang it up,¡± said Xie Heng, not forgetting to update Zhao Chuchu on the preserved meat. ¡°I made half of it spicy and the other half non-spicy. There were not enough intestines, so we will need to buy some when we are in town.¡±


    Xie Heng enjoyed this warm country life.


    Even though he did not have authority and power, he lived a very free life. However, such a life would notst for long.


    The Third Prince¡¯s poison had been cured. It was almost time for Xie Jun to be sent to meet him.


    Xie Heng intended for Xie Jun to inherit all of the Third Prince¡¯s power.


    Chuchu had said that the Third Prince would not be able to live for long, even after he was cured of the poison. Every day was a bonus to him.


    It was also time for matters with the Xia n toe to an end.


    Xie Heng really disliked Zhao Chuchu constantly getting involved with those people.


    After they had breakfast, Zhao Chuchu followed Xie Heng to town.


    Coincidentally, Zhao Baotian and Madam Liu were also nning to head to town.


    When the two parties met, Zhao Baotian and his wife subconsciously averted their gazes.


    ¡°They are guilty, it seems¡­¡± Zhao Chuchu teased the two of them internally when she noticed their behavior.


    ¡°Aiya, Chuchu, Da Lang, are you heading to town too? What a coincidence.


    We¡¯re going the same way,¡± Madam Liu greeted them shamelessly while revealing a bright smile. Her intention was clear as day.


    Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng were going to town on the watermill workshop¡¯s cart.


    Madam Liu wanted to hitch a ride!


    ¡°Nope. We¡¯re not going the same way,¡± said Zhao Chuchu as she looked at Madam Liu. ¡°We¡¯re not close to each other.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re all from the same vige. I¡¯m technically your aunt, right? Your cart is empty anyway. There¡¯s no harm in giving us a ride.¡±


    ¡°You?¡± eximed Zhao Chuchu as she sized Madam Liu up.


    Zhao Baotian avoided his gaze, not daring to look at Zhao Chuchu.


    Madam Liu offered, ¡°I could just pay you. Usually, a ride on an ox cart costs one cent. How about I also pay you one cent?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯tck money. Da Lang, let¡¯s get going.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± replied Xie Heng. He drove the cart past them with no intention of stopping.


    ¡°Eh, wait a minute. There is no harm in giving us a ride.¡± Madam Liu called out as she chased after them. She ended up choking on dust.


    She was flustered and exasperated. She stomped her feet and cried out, ¡°Zhao


    Chuchu, Xie Heng, you¡¯d better not need my help in the future.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± said Zhao Baotian as he stopped her. ¡°What did you expect that ungrateful brat to do? Just let her continue to act proud.¡±


    After all, she wouldn¡¯t be able to do so for much longer.


    ¡°Darling, they¡¯re going to town too. Why don¡¯t we go another day?¡± Madam Liu walked beside Zhao Baotian as she whispered, ¡°What if Zhao Chuchu sees us? We¡¯ll be in trouble!¡±


    ¡°Why are you afraid of her? She won¡¯t stay in town for the entire day. Mother allowed us to be out today after I begged her for days. If we cancel the trip today, God knows when we¡¯ll be able toe out again.¡±


    ¡°Alright.


    Madam Liu stopped talking.


    Madam Yang had always been bossy at home. Even Madam Liu did not dare to go against her.


    If they really got into an argument, Madam Liu would be at the shorter end of the stick because she was not as shameless as Madam Yang.


    ¡°They¡¯re going to town on a cart. Perhaps by the time we reach there, they will have returned home. This watermill workshop is really earning a lot. I have been observing them recently. They deliver lots of tofu skins daily. God knows how much they have been earning.¡±


    Zhao Baotian gazed at the watermill workshop from afar. His heart ached. He couldn¡¯t wait to make the watermill workshop his own.


    When the two of them reached the town, they saw the watermill workshop cart at the entrance of the town.


    Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng were not around, but people were loading goods onto the cart.


    Zhao Baotian purposely pretended to pass by to take a look. He discovered that the cart was loaded with fine textiles, white flour, and other luxuries they could not afford.


    Zhao Baotian was very envious.


    However, he did not dare to do anything in broad daylight.


    He felt ecstatic, knowing that he would one day be able to buy anything he wanted without considering their finances like Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°Oh dear, they bought so many things! Where did Xie Heng earn all this money? Could it be that this is all Zhao Chuchu¡¯s earnings? Then, isn¡¯t Xie Heng freeloading off her wealth?¡± Madam Liu whispered to Zhao Baotian.


    He cursed, ¡°What can we do? She is a bitch. She treats outsiders well and does not even bat an eye at us, her rtives. She is practically an animal.¡±


    Zhao Baotian¡¯s imaginary happiness was gone. The reality that took its ce made him feel sick.


    He dragged Madam Liu and left withrge strides. Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng were standing nearby. Zhao Chuchu overheard their entire conversation.


    She smiled and did not do anything.


    She and Xie Heng went to the medical hall.


    The town wasn¡¯t big, so they soon encountered Zhao Baotian and Madam Liu.


    Zhao Baotian furtively red at Zhao Chuchu before he turned his head around and pretended to be searching for a shop, ignoring her.


    Madam Liu was still annoyed at her for refusing to give them a ride just now. Therefore, she also pretended not to recognize her.


    The four of them crossed paths.


    After they moved further away from each other, Zhao Baotian turned around to check on Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng. He noticed that the two of them were walking towards the gate.


    However, Zhao Baotian was cautious. He followed them and made sure that they had left the town with the cart before he went to find the person he was looking for.


    Unbeknownst to Zhao Baotian, Xie Heng left with the cart alone.


    Zhao Chuchu instructed him to wait for her at a spot one mile away from town. On the other hand, she quietly tailed Zhao Baotian.


    She was initially suspicious of Zhao Baotian. Back in the vige, his reaction reeked of guilt.


    When things go wrong, something must be off to cause it.


    She wanted to see what Zhao Baotian and his wife were doing.


    Zhao Baotian and Madam Liu came to a secluded town alley and kept walking until they reached the end.


    The houses here were shorter than others and looked old. All of them seemed on the verge of copse.


    However, these houses were all still upied.


    Zhao Baotian knocked on the door of thest house.


    A suspicious-looking middle-aged man came to open the door. This man seemed to know martial arts.


    Zhao Chuchu furrowed her brows. This man was clearly evil. Could it be that Zhao Baotian intended to engage his service to kill someone?


    ¡°Bro, long time no see. Why did you suddenly decide to pay me a visit?¡± The man seemed to be very familiar with Zhao Baotian. He put his arm around thetter¡¯s shoulder and called him brother.


    ¡°Bro, I need your help. Do you still have some of that?¡± Zhao Baotian did not bother beating around the bush. He went straight to the point.


    The poison he bought from this man tens of years ago helped him to end the lives of Zhao Baolin and his wife without arousing any suspicion.


    Initially, Zhao Baotian did not n to get more poison. However, the leftovers in his possession had spoiled. So, he had to get a new batch.


    ¡°Of course I do. How was it? Was it easy to use?¡±


    ¡°It sure was. Give me the same amount this time. Is the price still the same?¡±


    ¡°So many years have passed. You know I¡¯m a reputable businessman. I can¡¯t go any lower than this figure.¡±


    The man rubbed his thumb and index finger together. He then opened his palm and said, ¡°This amount. I won¡¯t sell for any less.¡±


    Zhao Baotian was so shocked by the price that his facial expression changed drastically. He eximed, ¡°It has gone up by so much?¡±


    ¡°Do you want it or not?¡±


    ¡°I want it!¡±


    Zhao Baotian made his decision and did not bargain.


    Zhao Chuc.hu watched as the man took out a package and passed it to Zhao


    Baotian. Thetter opened the package to inspect its contents and was very


    pleased.


    Zhao Chuchu quietly watched all this.

 Chapter 381 - 375 He Went to Buy Poison

    Chapter 381: Chapter 375 He Went to Buy Poison


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The thing that Zhao Baotian referred to as precious that he bought with five silver pieces was arsenic. However, it was mixed with many impurities, and its effectiveness in killing people had yet to be determined.


    Moreover, the poison that killed Zhao Baotian and his wife was not arsenic.


    After the man collected the money, he revealed a brilliant grin, saying, ¡°Bro, use this sparingly. It will be hard for me to acquire more of this in the future.¡±


    ¡°Bro, don¡¯t worry. I will.¡± Zhao Baotian took out a piece of parchment paper and wrapped the poison up. Then, he wrapped it again with a handkerchief before carefully putting it in his chest pocket.


    The man said, ¡°I would have invited you in for a meal, but I have other business to attend to today and will be heading out soon. Thankfully, you came here sooner. Otherwise, you would have returned empty-handed.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. You go on with your day. We are also rushing home.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I will treat you next time. I owe you a meal.¡±


    ¡°Aye, then we will be on our way.¡±


    After saying this, Zhao Baotian dragged Madam Liu and left.


    The man stared intently at Zhao Baotian and his wife.


    Madam Liu looked back and saw the man smile maliciously at her.


    Madam Liu had goosebumps. She felt as though she was being watched. She subconsciously sped up her pace.


    Zhao Baotian was courting dangerous people.


    Madam Liu¡¯s features were very ordinary, but she was well endowed.


    Many old bachelors regrly drooled at the sight of her.


    Even after she and Zhao Baotian had left him far behind, the man was still staring at her. His gaze alone seemed to strip her naked. It was unsettling.


    Zhao Chuchu quietly followed the couple They then went to a medical hall and bought some medicinal herbs.


    Among the herbs that Zhao Baotian bought, two or three of them had lethal toxicity when used together.


    After that, they bought some other things and returned to the vige.


    Zhao Chuchu rushed to the spot where she and Xie Heng agreed to meet.


    Xie Heng was resting with his eyes closed.


    When he heard movement, he opened his eyes.


    ¡®Zhao Baotian went to buy poison,¡± Zhao Chuchu told Xie Heng. ¡°I don¡¯t know whether Old Man Zhao taught him this or whether this was his own idea.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to scare them? We will know once we try,¡± said Xie Heng. He leaned towards this being Zhao Baotian¡¯s own idea.


    Old Man Zhao could leave people to die, but he wouldn¡¯t actually take the initiative tomit murder.


    Selfish people valued their own lives the most.


    ¡°We will go tonight.¡±


    The mental fortitude of the members of the Zhao n was not so strong as not to fear ghosts.


    Zhao Chuchu had alreadye up with a n.


    When they arrived at the vige, they discovered several carts waiting at the entrance. The driver felt somewhat familiar to Zhao Chuchu. He seemed to be from the Yuan n.


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, finally, you are back.¡± Just as Zhao Chuchu recognized the driver, thetter also spotted her. He quickly leaped off his cart and came up to theirs. He bowed respectfully and said, ¡°I came on behalf of the Yuan n to deliver things you will need for the Spring Festival.¡±


    ¡°It is still a way off till the new year. Why have you delivered these so early?¡± asked Zhao Chuchu as she smiled.


    The driver answered, ¡°Old Madam worried that we would be dyed, so she arranged for me to deliver these goods now. Where should I put them?¡±


    ¡°Follow me.¡± Zhao Chuchu said as she hopped down from the cart. She instructed Xie Heng to send their cart to the watermill workshop while she went to the Xie residence with the driver.


    All five horse carriages were fully loaded. There were textiles, rice, supplements, and many preserved meats from renowned shops in the capital. The carriages contained everything Zhao Chuchu would ever need for the Spring Festival. The Yuan n had prepared everything for her, even things she did not foresee herself using.


    It was currently ck season for the farmers, so the vigers were rtively free. All of them gathered at the Xie residence to join in the fun.


    When they saw so many things being unloaded, they were envious.


    A viger said, ¡°Rumor has it that the Yuan n is the wealthiest n in


    Guangqing Province. Before this, I thought people were just exaggerating the fact. Now I believe them.¡±


    Another viger said, ¡°How much money did the Yuan n spend on all these things? Just now, I heard someone say that there is 100-year-old ginseng on the list. I think even the medical hall in town does not have such a precious item.¡±


    ¡°Chuchu is duly rewarded for her good deeds. She saved one of their members; that¡¯s how she started a good rtionship with them. You should not be envious. If you are capable, you can receive such treatment too.¡±


    ¡°Tsk. Why would you say I¡¯m envious? I¡¯m just admiring the items. I will most likely not be able to afford all these things even if I save up for a lifetime.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu kept quiet and smiled as she listened to the vigers¡¯ discussion.


    This was most likely considered low profile for the Yuan n.


    Previously when she left, the Yuan n prepared even more things for her. After she adamantly refused the gifts, only then did Old Mrs. Yuan agree to give her a small portion of what she originally nned to give.


    However, Zhao Chuchu had a feeling that these would not be thest gifts she received this year.


    The presents from the Du n were most likely being delivered too.


    Zhao Chuchu casually asked, ¡°How¡¯s the Du n doing?


    ¡°Nothing major happened recently. However, ording to the young mistress, Second Miss Du is currently looking for a husband after you healed her face.¡±


    ¡°So soon?¡± Zhao Chuc.hu eximed.


    She pursed her lips together.


    Second Miss Du¡¯s face had just recovered, and she was already looking for a husband? From the looks of it, she was undoubtedly eager to get married.


    ¡°However, First Miss Du made a scene,¡± said the driver, suddenly lowering his voice. He whispered, ¡°Everyone is saying that First Miss Du has her eye on the man betrothed to Second Miss Du. She wants to steal her sister¡¯s future husband.¡±


    Zhao Chuc.hu was speechless.


    ¡°I am not clear about the exact details. However, before I came, the young mistress instructed me to pass you a letter. Just now, I nned to give it to you after I finished moving the goods, so I did not give it to you immediately.¡±


    After the driver said this, he turned around and took a case from the cart. He then passed it to Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu opened it. The letter that Yuan Hui wrote to her was really thick.


    There were at least 20 pages.


    She probably added to this letter whenever she had the time!


    Just then, Xie Heng happened to return. Zhao Chuchu let Xie Heng direct them in unloading the goods. Meanwhile, she took the case and went inside. As expected, Yuan Hui wrote this letter every day that she could. Her letter contained her daily ramblings, her experiences visiting other people¡¯s residences, and even gossip from Guangqing Province.


    Most of the gossip was about the feud between the Xia n and the Kang n, both openly and secretly.


    Although Zhao Chuchu had known about this from Xie Heng for a long while, Yuan Hui had even more details to share.


    To disgrace the Xia n, Kang Liang redeemed a woman from a brothel and brought her back to the Xia residence. Xia Chengxuan¡¯s dignity was trampled on the ground.


    In a fit of rage, the Xia n forced Kang Liang and Xia Chengxuan to get a divorce.


    Initially, Kang Liang did not want to do so. However, unbeknownst why, he agreedter on.


    Now, Xia Chengxuan and Kang Xiuwan have returned to the Xia residence.


    Xia Chenn, rumored to have passed away for many years, came back from the dead, turning the Xia n upside down.


    Due to this, Xia Songquan was so enraged that he was bedridden. ording to the physician, he had a stroke.


    When Yuan Hui was writing this letter to Zhao Chuchu, Xia Chengzhu was already the new n leader of the Xia n.


    This was within expectations. Given how chaotic their situation was, it was normal for the Xia n to reach this point. It was just that it had happened much sooner than Zhao Chuchu had expected.


    As for why the Xia n had not invited her to treat Xia Songquan, Zhao


    Chuchu guessed that this was Xie Heng¡¯s doing.


    Thest thing that Yuan Hui mentioned in her letter was that both the Yuan n and the Qiao n had swiftly decided on the date for her wedding with Qiao Heting. They would be married on the 16th day of the Ninth Month.

 Chapter 382 - 376 They Said That They Died Unjustly

    Chapter 382: Chapter 376 They Said That They Died Unjustly


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Yuan Hui also borated on the issue between the two young mistresses of the Du n.


    She chided Du Yushi for being shameless in hijacking her younger sister¡¯s marriage.


    Yuan Hui implied very subtly that Du Yushi had seduced the man, and they were caught by members of the Du n while in bed together. The Du n could only bite the bullet and change the initial betrothal of the Second Young Mistress to that of the First Young Mistress. Du Yushi¡¯s initial engagement was called off.


    Zhao Chuchu was amazed.


    This was the downside of marrying too many women. They would have too many kids, and the education of the offspring would fall short. Such a disgraceful incident actually urred in a noble n!


    However, Yuan Hui said that Second Miss Du was not that upset. Thetter even felt fortunate that she had been rid of that man. Second Miss Du imed that even if she insisted on getting married to him, she would not have had a happy marriage. If he treated her like this before they were married, who knows how far he would go if they were!


    Zhao Chuchu was surprised by Second Miss Du¡¯s awareness. She had believed that thetter would be wailing her heart out.


    Yuan Hui mentioned that Second Miss Du also benefited from Zhao Chuchu¡¯s fame after getting her face treated. The young maidens who disdained associating with her before began to post her letters. They wanted her help to invite Zhao Chuchu to also treat their faces. However, Second Miss Du did not agree directly. She merely said that she would try asking her.


    Zhao Chuchu could read between the lines. She could imagine how proud an expression Yuan Hui must have had when she was writing this. ¡°She is still such a child,¡± said Zhao Chuchu as sheughed.


    Then, she wrote a letter in reply.


    Compared to Yuan Hui¡¯s eloquence, Zhao Chuchu¡¯s letter was much more straightforward. She only wrote three pages. Once she sealed it in the case, she passed it to the driver.


    Zhao Chuchu invited the drivers to stay for a meal, but they turned down her offer.


    ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Xie. We still need to return as soon as possible, so we won¡¯t trouble you.¡±


    ¡°Since that is the case, then I won¡¯t keep you here.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, you are too kind. So long.¡±


    After the Yuan n carriages left, Xie Heng passed the list of gifts to Zhao Chuchu and said, ¡°The Yuan n has prepared many things for us. What should we do with them?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu nced through the list. She separated the items that they could use now. She kept away the items that were not immediately usable and were difficult to store in her carry-on space. She left Xie Heng to take care of the rest.


    Zhao Chuchu distributed the sweets and cakes to the children at their door. This made them cheer.


    She brought whatever they had more of to the families that they were close to.


    On her way to the Chen residence, Zhao Chuchu discovered the suspicious Zhao


    Baotian.


    ¡°Zhao Baotian, what are you hiding here for?¡± Zhao Chuchu walked over to where he was and dragged him out of his hiding spot.


    Zhao Baotian was caught off guard. Panicked, he stuttered, ¡°You¡­ you¡­ what are you doing? Can¡¯t¡­ can¡¯t I pass by here?¡±


    ¡°Pass by here? Why would you need to hide if you¡¯re just passing by? You can¡¯t fool me. Speak the truth. What are you nning to do?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked sternly.


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu, do not use me. I didn¡¯t offend you in any way. Don¡¯t you spout nonsense here.¡±


    Zhao Baotian turned around and wanted to run away.


    Zhao Chuchu grabbed him by his cor and asked, ¡°If you¡¯re innocent, why are you trying to run away?


    ¡°I told you that I was just passing by. Can¡¯t I drop by to check on Changrong? He¡¯s my nephew. God knows what you told my Second Sis. Now she doesn¡¯t even want to go home. Zhao Chuchu, you said before that matters rted to Changrong are my responsibility too. What do you have against me now?


    Zhao Baotian quickly thought of an excuse to retort Zhao Chuchu.


    Her lips curled up to reveal a mocking smile as she said, ¡°I can¡¯t bear to see you behaving suspiciously and plotting something evil.¡±


    Zhao Baotian yelled, ¡°Since when was I plotting something evil? I know that you hate us, but you shouldn¡¯t use me of every crime under the sky.¡±


    Zhao Chuc.hu stared at him and did not say anything.


    Zhao Baotian felt uneasy and did not dare to look at her.


    Zhao Chuchu pushed him away as she said in a grim tone, ¡°I dreamt of my parentsst night. They told me that they were wronged and had died unjustly. Speaking of which, this was the first time I dreamt of them after they had passed away for so long. Do you know why they suddenly appeared in my dream?


    Upon hearing this, Zhao Baotian¡¯s heart trembled. He shuddered.


    ¡°What¡­ what nonsense are you spouting?¡± His voice was trembling after being scared by Zhao Chuchu. ¡°Your parents died of illness. You must have heard some nonsense to have had such a dream. Moreover, if they were truly wronged, why didn¡¯t they seek you sooner?


    ¡°How should I know? I am also curious about this. Do you know why they came to me in a dream?


    While she talked, Zhao Chuchu looked at Zhao Baotian with a mocking smile.


    Zhao Baotian already had a guilty conscience. Once she looked at him like that, he felt his heart tremble. It was as though she had seen through everything he had done.


    ¡°If you are ill, write yourself a prescription. Don¡¯t act crazy here.¡±


    Zhao Baotian turned around and began to walk away.


    ¡°However, my parents told me that they were murdered. Unfortunately, I woke up before they could tell me who killed them.¡±


    Zhao Baotian tried to keep calm, but his legs shook uncontrobly as he broke out in cold sweat.


    A cold light shed in Zhao Chuchu¡¯s eyes as she stared at him walking away with an awkward gait.


    She was already certain that Zhao Baotian was one of the murderers of Zhao Baolin and his wife.


    Now, she only needed to confirm whether Old Man Zhao was involved.


    ¡°Chuchu, what is the matter?¡±


    Madam Zheng heard themotion outside and came out to take a look. ¡°It is nothing. I just bumped into Zhao Baotian acting suspiciously.¡±


    Madam Zheng looked ahead and frowned slightly, ¡°Recently, he has been wandering around our house Is heing up with some scheme?


    ¡°Most likely so,¡± said Zhao Chuchu. ¡°Where is Grandma Chen?¡±


    ¡°Oh, she went to the fields. She said that she wanted to get rid of the weeds. I couldn¡¯t convince her not to go. Come in first.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu passed the desserts to Madam Zheng and exined, ¡°This is a gift given to me by the Yuan n. Junjun cannot eat too many sweets, so you should take this and share it with your kids.¡±


    ¡°Aiya! You¡¯re being too courteous. You did not need to bring gifts,¡± said


    Madam Zheng as she refused. ¡°You keep them for when Junjun can eat them.¡± ¡°If I keep them any longer, they will spoil. Take them,¡± said Zhao Chuchu.


    When she saw that Madam Zheng did not want to ept her gift, she ced them directly on the table in the main room. ¡°I also gave some to the Chief and the others.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be giving us things all the time. Junjun needs money for his medication, and Da Lang needs money for his studies. You should save up money for their sake,¡± advised Madam Zheng sincerely. ¡°They are the priority.¡±


    ¡°Auntie, don¡¯t worry about it. These can¡¯t be exchanged for money. This is also for Junjun¡¯s own good. He won¡¯t be able to eat this behind our backs. Alright, you don¡¯t need to be so polite. However, do not let Uncle Dashan eat this. He can¡¯t consume them right now.¡±


    ¡°Alright then. Thanks in advance,¡± replied Madam Zheng, no longer refusing.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to cook tonight. Come join us. I was just about to make


    dinner.¡±


    Madam Zheng also did not like to take things from others for free. Whenever Zhao Chuchu gave them food, she would ask her and the Xie brothers to join them for a meal.


    Although her cooking skills were no match for Xie Heng, she was already an excellent cook in Zhao Chuchu¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Alright,¡± answered Zhao Chuchu, not holding back. ¡°I will call Da Lang and Xie Jun overter.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± said Madam Zheng as she walked to the kitchen smiling. She left Zhao Chuchu to her own devices.


    Even though Zhao Baotian had not entered the Chen residence, Zhao Chuchu still checked the entire ce for traces of poison.

 Chapter 383 - 377 More Like They Were Poisoned

    Chapter 383: Chapter 377 More Like They Were Poisoned


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Everything was normal. Zhao Chuchu then checked Chen Dashan and Zhao Changrong¡¯s conditions.


    Due to matters rted to Zhao Zhizhi, Madam Ma subconsciously lowered her head and did not dare to look at Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°Sister Chuchu, my head feels significantly less painful now. Thank you.¡± Zhao Changrong had be more staid and thoughtful after experiencing being abandoned by Old Man Zhao.


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean that I can stop taking medicine?


    He did not want to continue staying with the Chen n and take advantage of them. If word got out, it would affect his mother¡¯s reputation.


    After the incident,pared to his peers, Zhao Changrong was more thoughtful.


    ¡°No. You have to continue your medication to recuperate. If you do not nurse yourselfpletely back to health, you might be stuck with seque. You have been receiving treatment here for a while. There¡¯s no need to rush things now.¡±


    After Zhao Chuchu said this, she nced at Madam Ma and continued, ¡°Your mother has sacrificed a lot for you. Do not let her efforts go to waste. Your living expenses here at the Chen residence are covered by the Zhao n.¡±


    ¡°Then, can we return to the Zhao n?¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Zhao Chuchu answered with a question.


    Zhao Changrong fell silent.


    Ever since he woke up from the blood transfusion, he had not seen Old Man Zhao and the rest of the Zhao n members. In reality, he was very sad about it.


    However, he suppressed his feelings after seeing how dejected and worried Madam Ma was.


    Zhao Changrong could hide his feelings from Madam Ma, but he couldn¡¯t fool Zhao Chuchu. Thetter was well aware of what he was thinking.


    ¡°Are they really determined to divorce my mother?¡± Zhao Changrong asked with a muffled voice. Then, he said to Madam Ma, ¡°Mother, I will follow you wherever you go. I will not stay in the Zhao n. Is that alright? I can work and take care of you.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t help but sigh when she heard what he said.


    How did Zhao Baogen and Madam Ma manage to raise such an endearing son? If Zhao Changrong had been born into a normal family, he might have had even better manners and achievements.


    Madam Ma¡¯s eyes reddened. As she choked up, she said, ¡°I don¡¯t have much, but I am still capable of raising you. I just ask for you to do as I say and be a good boy.¡±


    ¡°Mother¡­¡±


    When Zhao Chuchu saw Zhao Changrong cry, she also felt like tearing up. She advised, ¡°Changrong, do not cry. If you can¡¯t bear even this suffering, then there are more things in the future that might crush you. You need to learn to be less emotional.¡±


    ¡°But I am¡­¡± Changrong began to say, visibly upset.


    ¡°Changrong, I am fine,¡±forted Madam Ma as she quickly wiped away her tears. ¡°Wherever you go, I will follow.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it. Madam Ma, I have something I want to ask you. Come outside with me.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu did not like seeing mother and child hugging and crying, so she called Madam Ma and went outside.


    Madam Maposed herself and tidied up her appearance before following her outside.


    By now, aside from Chen Dashan and his wife, the other members of the Chen n had already left for work.


    Zhao Chuchu brought Madam Ma to a corner of the courtyard. In a low voice, she asked thetter, ¡°I want to ask you about some matters. Can you answer me truthfully?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s hear it,¡± said Madam Ma. She was actually somewhat afraid that Zhao Chuchu would bring up Zhao Zhizhi again.


    She found it difficult to ept that some wandering spirit had possessed her own daughter. However, Zhao Zhizhi¡¯s actions back then were indeed no different from a person who was possessed. Even though Madam Ma was unwilling to believe it emotionally, her mind already thought it to be true.


    ¡°My parents passed away when I was still young. I cannot remember many things from back then. Can you tell me how serious their illnesses were?


    Madam Ma suspiciously looked at Zhao Chuchu and asked, ¡°Are you suspecting me of murdering them?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu said nonchntly, ¡°You don¡¯t have the guts to do so.¡±


    Madam Ma calmed down and recalled the past incident carefully. She said, ¡°Your father caught the flu first. He had been taking medicine for half a month but showed no signs of recovery. Then, your mother fell sick too. They visited the doctor and took medicine but did not get better. Later, your father would always wake up in the middle of the night, frantically looking for water to quench his thirst. Sometimes, he even beat your mother. However, only the members of the Zhao n know about this. Zhao Baotian imed that your father had gone nuts. He warned us not to spread a word about this for fear that our children would have a hard time getting married in the future.¡±


    She continued, ¡°The two old farts even hired an exorcist to perform an exorcism at home. The exorcist shook his head and dered that your parents had gone crazy because of karma they had umted in their past lives. They fell ill because they had to pay back their debts. After the exorcist announced that your parents were beyond saving, the Zhao n stopped providing medicine to them. Their sickness worsened, and they were given only one meal every day. You were too young then, so you probably don¡¯t remember any of this.¡±


    After Madam Ma finished, she paused and wondered whether she should continue recalling the incident.


    ¡°Continue the story,¡± Zhao Chuchu instructed.


    Madam Ma hesitated for a while before she whispered, ¡°Your parents passed away one after another. In both cases, the first person who discovered them was Zhao Baotian. Moreover, your parents were put into coffins right after they died. Zhao Baotian did not allow any of us to pay ourst respects. He imed that they looked frightening. I secretly looked at your mother after she passed away, and she had blood oozing out from her orifices. I was shocked pale.¡±


    ¡°Are there any other details that you want to share?¡±


    Madam Ma concluded, ¡°I furtively asked around, and others told me that patients who died from flu would not bleed from their orifices.¡±


    ¡°If you are not lying to me, they indeed did not die of illness. It sounds more like they were poisoned.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Madam Ma eximed.


    ¡°What happened?¡± asked Madam Zheng as she stuck her head out of the kitchen when she heard the noise.


    ¡°Auntie, it is fine. I was just asking her about Changrong¡¯s condition,¡± said Zhao Chuchu as she casually glossed over it.


    ¡°Oh, alright. Continue with your chat,¡± said Madam Zheng as she went back into the kitchen, not prying any further.


    Madam Ma suppressed her own nervousness. In a trembling voice, she asked, ¡°Chuchu, you are scaring me, right?¡±


    ¡°Why would I scare you out of the blue?¡±


    ¡°Then, do you suspect me of being the culprit?¡±


    ¡°I said that you probably wouldn¡¯t dare to do so. As to who the culprit is, I do not know. Last night, I suddenly dreamt of my parentsing to see me. They told me that they had died miserably, so I came to ask you about it.¡±


    ¡°This, this¡­ were they truly poisoned?¡±


    ¡°Did Zhao Baogen do it?¡±


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be him. Although he is no better than a beast now, he still had a


    conscience back then.¡±


    Madam Ma shook her head. She did not falsely use him even though she hated him.


    At the end of the day, he was still Zhao Changrong¡¯s father. She did not wish for her son to have a father who murdered his own elder brother.


    If that were the case, her son would not be able to hold his head up high for his entire life. This was not what Madam Ma wanted for him.


    ¡°Then, who do you think is the culprit?¡± asked Zhao Chuchu.


    Madam Ma pondered for a moment. Two names crossed her mind. However, this was not a trivial matter that she could gossip about and sow discord about, so she did not dare to speak rashly. She replied, ¡°I also do not know. I truly cannot say for sure.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I understand. You may go back first.¡±


    Madam Ma did not dare to remain any longer. She was afraid that if she continued to listen to Zhao Chuchu speak about this, thetter would suspect her of being the culprit.


    If Zhao Baolin and his wife were actually murdered and Zhao Chuchu was certain that she was the perpetrator, Madam Ma would definitely not live easy.


    Madam Ma did not want to be suspected by Zhao Chuchu.


    After she took a few steps, Madam Ma managed to summon the courage to turn back and ask, ¡°If you find the person who killed your parents, will you kill them directly?¡±

 Chapter 384 - 378 Third Bro, Long Time No See

    Chapter 384: Chapter 378 Third Bro, Long Time No See


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Zhao Chuchu smiled and replied with the question. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± After Madam Ma said this, she turned around and hastened back to the house. She looked like she was fleeing in defeat.


    When Zhao Baolin and his wife passed away, Madam Ma suspected the cause of their deaths before. However, she didn¡¯t dare to voice out her suspicion. She thought that since Old Man Zhao could have his way with Zhao Baolin, she would surely be able to control Zhao Chuchu as well.


    Now that she thought about it, Madam Ma also felt she had overstepped her boundaries and bullied an orphaned young maiden.


    Now, she was facing karma!


    Fortunately, her son was not like her. Otherwise, she would only be able to sit at his grave each day and mourn his early death.


    Zhao Chuchu watched as Madam Ma left and revealed a pensive look.


    Afterward, she went to the kitchen and informed Madam Zheng that she was leaving to get the Xie brothers.


    Xie Heng was practicing the words that Zhao Chuchu taught him.


    She went over to take a look and discovered that he was improving at lightning speed. He had actually picked up the foreign characters reasonably well.


    He could write any character that Zhao Chuchu picked at random.


    It was also indescribably pleasing to see foreign characters written using a calligraphy brush.


    As expected, anything they wrote appeared like art for those with beautiful handwriting.


    ¡°When wee back tonight, I will teach you how to pronounce these characters. The Chen n invited us over for dinner tonight. By the way, we seem to be eating with them very often. Why don¡¯t we bring a few dishes over as well?¡±


    After all, her carry-on space had plenty of food stored away.


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s stomach had been groomed by Xie Heng, so she did not enjoy


    the food stored in her carry-on space as much anymore. However, those dishes were not really bad and were considered good in this era.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Xie Heng agreed. After all, his culinary skills weren¡¯t bad. No matter what dishes they brought over, they could just say that he had made them. No one would suspect Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu took out some shredded chicken and some twice-cooked pork. These two dishes had ingredients that the Xie n could produce.


    After they had reted the dishes, Xie Heng took out a basket and ced the two dishes inside. He then covered them with a clean cloth and went to the Chen residence with Zhao Chuchu.


    As for Xie Jun, they did not need to look for him.


    When it was time to eat, he would be drawn over by the smell of food.


    Due to being asked by Zhao Chuchu in the evening about the death of Zhao Baolin and his wife, Madam Ma did not leave her room when it was time for dinner. It was because she was afraid to meet Zhao Chuchu¡¯s gaze.


    After all, she knew what had transpired back then. However, she had not said anything and had always been bullying Zhao Chuchu all these years.


    She initially believed that after this period of time, she no longer feared Zhao Chuchu as much. In reality, her fear of Zhao Chuchu was already deeply rooted in her soul. It would most likely haunt her for the rest of her days.


    The topics discussed at the dinner table were either about the crops or the matters of the watermill workshop.


    Even though Chen Dashi was exhausted from working at the watermill workshop, he enjoyed every day of it and maintained the ce well. Zhao Chuchu listened to the conversations at the table, but her mind was elsewhere.


    Outside of the Chen residence, a suspicious person appeared again.


    Even though the other party attempted to be stealthy, Zhao Chuchu could tell it was Zhao Baotian.


    Zhao Baotian still had not given up. Was he nning on hiding till they returned home before he applied the poison?


    After Zhao Baotian found a good hiding spot, he did not move anymore.


    It was already freezing at night this time of year.


    Zhao Chuchu wanted to scare Zhao Baotian. She was more than happy to let him wait outside in the cold before she acted.


    After dinner, she stayed at the Chen residence and did not leave, discussing the business of tofu skins with Old Mrs. Chen and Chen Dashi.


    They talked until around midnight.


    Theter it was, the colder it was outside


    Zhao Baotian was already frozen stiff, and shivering. Each time he thought that Zhao Chuchu was about to leave, she stayed longer.


    Zhao Baotian was afraid that if he continued to stay outside, he would be frozen to death.


    He gritted his teeth and waited for another 15 minutes. When he saw that Zhao Chuchu had no intention of leaving, he had no choice but to leave empty-handed.


    Zhao Baotian¡¯s teeth were chattering because he had been standing out in the cold. His body was frozen stiff too.


    Not wanting to alert the others of his presence, he could only curse under his breath. He was enraged.


    Zhao Chuchu bid farewell to Old Mrs. Chen right after Zhao Baotian left.


    ¡°No matter what happens tonight, just ignore it,¡± Zhao Chuc.hu reminded Old Mrs. Chen before she left.


    Old Mrs. Chen had also felt something was off with Zhao Chuchu tonight. However, she did not question her instructions.


    After Zhao Chuchu left, Chen Dashi yawned and asked, ¡°Mother, what do you think Chuchu meant by that?¡±


    ¡°How should I know? These are Chuchu¡¯s personal affairs. Just mind your own business and remember what she instructed.¡±


    ¡°Alright. ¡±


    Chen Dashi thought to himself, ¡°I was just simply asking you a question. I wouldn¡¯t dare pry into Chuchu¡¯s affairs.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng tailed Zhao Baotian.


    From the Chen residence to the Zhao residence, they had to pass by a bridge and a path with no houses on either side. The journey did not take long.


    Old Mrs. Chen told Zhao Chuchu before that the voice of the father of the original owner of her body was simr to that of Old Man Zhao.


    When Zhao Baotian was passing through the uninhabited area, Zhao Chuchu mimicked Old Man Zhao¡¯s voice and called out softly, ¡°Baotian, I¡¯m cold down here. Can you burn me two nkets as an offering?


    Zhao Baotian was scared out of his wits when he heard this voice.


    Zhao Chuchu took the chance to hit the meridian on his leg, making his body numb.


    Zhao Baotian sensed that his leg was suddenly touched by something cold, then he lost control over the lower half of his body.


    He was petrified as he nced at the surroundings with a look of terror. Even his voice changed as he said, ¡°Who is pranking me? Show your face now before I get angry!¡¯


    ¡°Third Bro, did you forget about me?¡± Zhao Chuchu gently sighed and continued, ¡°I¡¯m cold down here. Can youe and keep mepany?


    Xie Heng assisted Zhao Chuchu by fumbling with the dry grass with his hands. Rustling sounds could be heard.


    To Zhao Baotian, the rustling sounded like someone from the underworlding after him.


    He wanted to run away, but he couldn¡¯t move.


    ¡°Third Bro,e and keep mepany, will you? ¡°Third Bro, it¡¯s really cold down here.¡±


    ¡°Third Bro, I miss my daughter. Can we switch ces?


    ¡°Third Bro¡­¡±


    The ghostly calls continued.


    ¡°Help!¡± Zhao Baotian could no longer withstand the stress and called out for help. To his dismay, he actually could not make a sound!


    At the same time, Zhao Chuchu took out a ck trench coat from her carry-on space and put it over Xie Heng¡¯s head. She gestured to him to stand in front of Zhao Baotian.


    Xie Heng was speechless.


    Even after two lifetimes, he had never attempted dressing up as a ghost to frighten others before.


    However, what choice did he have?


    Zhao Chuchu was his beloved darling. He would oblige whatever she asked of him.


    He was even ready to turn Zhao Baotian into a ghost if that would please her.


    Meanwhile, Zhao Baotian was terrified to the point of wetting his own pants.


    He was overwhelmed by fear.


    He recalled the begrudging gaze of Zhao Baotian when thetter died. He also thought of Zhao Chuchu¡¯s dream, where her parents told her that they had died unjustly.


    Could it be that because he nned to kill Zhao Changrong, Zhao Baolin hade back to seek revenge?


    Zhao Baotian had lost the ability to think straight due to fear.


    An even scarier scene appeared right after.


    He saw a man, covered from head to toe, suddenly popping out in front of him. It might be a ghost because the other party was floating in midair.


    ¡°Third Bro, long time no see!¡±

 Chapter 385 - 379 The Dead Have Returned

    Chapter 385: Chapter 379 The Dead Have Returned


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Zhao Baotian¡¯s legs were shaking. They gave way, and he slumped down onto the ground. He stared at ¡°Zhao Baolin¡± before him with a look of terror on his face.


    ¡°Don¡¯te closer, don¡¯te closer¡­¡± Zhao Baotian kept repeating. He wanted to retreat with all his might but couldn¡¯t draw any strength to move.


    ¡°Why were you so cruel as to kill me? Third Bro, I treated you so well.¡± ¡°I am so cold and lonely down here. Come and apany me, won¡¯t you?


    ¡°I am so cold. Third Bro, can you warm me?


    Zhao Baotian felt something cold and slippery wrap around his ankle.


    He wanted to scream for help as his eyes popped wide open, but it was as though something was caught in his throat. He could not utter a sound at all.


    Big Bro had returned.


    Big Bro hade to settle the score with him!


    He was going to die today.


    His mind went nk, save for the thought of Zhao Baolin returning to seek revenge.


    ¡°Zhao Baolin¡± floated over towards him, slowly approaching him.


    Zhao Baotian felt all the blood in his body surge to his brain. His limbs went cold, and he could not stop shivering.


    Just as Xie Heng came up to him, Zhao Baotian could no longer withstand it. His eyes rolled back as he fainted.


    Xie Heng was speechless.


    He kicked Zhao Baotian.


    Thetter remained motionless.


    Zhao Chuchu appeared. With a look of disdain, she pinched her nose, squatted down, and checked to see whether Zhao Baotian was still breathing.


    He was. He had merely fainted.


    Zhao Chuchu took out a blood bag used in acting in her previous life from her carry-on space. She poured blood all over Zhao Baotian¡¯s body. She then fed him a pill that would cause his small intestine excruciating pain every hour.


    ¡°Throw him in front of the Zhao residence,¡± Zhao Chuchu told Xie Heng. ¡°Let us go scare the other members of the Zhao n. We need to let the vige know that the dead have returned.¡±


    Xie Heng nodded his head and carried Zhao Baotian to the Zhao residence.


    Then, Zhao Chuchu took out a loudspeaker that could record audio and recorded this line, ¡°I died miserably. Dad, Mom, avenge me!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu hid the loudspeaker in an osmanthus tree outside the Zhao residence.


    She changed into a set of white clothing and wore white contacts. She stood outside Zhao Baotian¡¯s house and rhythmically knocked on the door.


    Madam Liu thought that Zhao Baotian had returned and rushed to open the door.


    Under the moonlight, her gaze met a pair of white eyes.


    Madam Liu screamed. Her cries reverberated throughout the entire Lengshui Vige.


    Old Man Zhao and Madam Yang were also awakened.


    ¡®Ghost!¡±


    Madam Liu shrieked again.


    Madam Yang came to investigate as she cursed, ¡°You mad woman. Why on earth are you screaming about ghosts in the middle of the night? I should ask


    Baotian to beat you to death!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu ¡°flew¡± over to Madam Yang as she opened the door.


    Madam Yang did not manage to react immediately. She thought her eyes were ying tricks on her.


    ¡°Mom!¡± wailed Zhao Chuchu faintly.


    Madam Yang suddenly jerked, finally making out what was standing in front of her!


    It was a ghost floating in the air with disheveled hair and no pupils! Her eyes opened wide in fear as she stuttered, ¡°Gho¡­ ghost?,¡±


    ¡°Mom, I died miserably.¡±


    ¡°Mom, it is cold down there.¡±


    ¡°Mom, I want to see Chuchu. Where has Chuchu disappeared to?¡±


    Madam Yang was so scared that she tripped over herself as she crawled back into the house, screaming, ¡°There is a ghost! There is a ghost!¡±


    Madam Yang and Madam Liu had voices that were sharp and shrill. When both of them screamed like this, the whole vige was startled awake.


    The members of the Zhao n closest to them quickly lit torches and came over to check on them.


    While Madam Yang was scared out of her wits, Zhao Chuchu applied blood to her eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.


    When the others came rushing over to check on them, a female ghost with blood flowing out of her orifices was floating inside the Zhao residence.


    The line from the loudspeaker kept repeating. It sounded as though it wasing from all directions.


    Such a scene, in addition to the cold wind blowing, made the others subconsciously believe that Zhao Chuchu¡¯s mother had returned. They were all shocked pale. Their strength seemed to be sucked from their bodies, and they could not run even if they wanted to.


    Right then, they saw Zhao Baotian lying in a pool of blood at the entrance. They were certain that this female ghost was truly Xia Chenn.


    When the other vigers came and saw this scene, not only did Zhao Chuchu not run, she even floated around the courtyard and chanted the line along with the loudspeaker. She sessfully created the atmosphere of the appearance of a ghost.


    Even Niu Tongsheng was terrified.


    ¡®Quickly catch her. She is a vengeful ghost,¡± shouted Madam Yang in a trembling voice.


    Once she finished, Zhao Chuchu suddenly appeared before her with a swooshing sound.


    Madam Yang¡¯s vision turned dark, and she immediately lost consciousness.


    ¡°Are you Chenn?¡± asked Niu Tongsheng after mustering his courage.


    Zhao Chuchu ignored him and kept flying around Madam Liu.


    Madam Liu wanted to faint but couldn¡¯t. Such painful torture was tearing apart her mental defenses.


    ¡°It has nothing to do with me. Zhao Baotian was the one who murdered both of you. There is no hatred without cause. I did not do anything. Sis, if you want to kill someone, kill Zhao Baotian. I did not do anything. Please spare me.¡± Once she said this, all the vigers present were stunned.


    Madam Liu continued, ¡°Everything was Zhao Baotian¡¯s doing. I am innocent. Sis, won¡¯t you seek revenge against those who actually murdered you? I really do not know anything.¡±


    Niu Tongsheng drew in a cold breath. What had he just heard?


    At the same time, a rooster suddenly crowed.


    In the eyes of the spectators, the female ghost seemed to have met its nemesis and fled frantically. In the blink of an eye, it disappeared from sight.


    Niu Tongsheng had not even managed to react.


    After leaving, Zhao Chuchu did not go far. Instead, she and Xie Heng changed back into their original attire as fast as they could. They then appeared in front of the Zhao residence as though they had rushed over to check on themotion.


    ¡°What happened?¡± asked Zhao Chuchu with a curious look on her face. ¡°Da


    Lang and I had just got home when we heard themotion.¡±


    As for Madam Liu, right then, she did not know that the female ghost had already disappeared. She was still kowtowing non-stop and begging, ¡°Sis, it was Zhao Baotian who poisoned you and Bro. I only came to know of this afterward. It truly has nothing to do with me. Mom was the one who married off Chuchu to Xie Heng. I did not do anything. Please don¡¯t harm me.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s eyes widened, and she looked shocked as she said, ¡°What is she saying?


    ¡°Chuchu, calm down,¡± said Xie Heng as he grabbed her hand.


    ¡°She said that Zhao Baotian poisoned my parents. I did not mishear her, did I?¡±


    ¡°I also heard her say that.¡±


    ¡°Why would she utter such things out of the blue?¡±


    When Niu Tongsheng heard this, he quickly said, ¡°Chuchu, please wait.¡±


    ¡°No, I cannot wait!¡± said Zhao Chuchu. She quickly stepped forward and pulled Madam Liu up from the ground. She interrogated thetter. ¡°What did you say? Say it again.¡±


    Madam Liu was scared out of her wits by the female ghost. Even now, as she looked at Zhao Chuchu, she had yet to regain herposure. She thought that she was still seeing the female ghost.


    She screamed again in terror, ¡°Sis, it really wasn¡¯t me who murdered you and Bro. It was Zhao Baotian. Oh, right, he still has the poison with him. He was nning to poison Changrong and Chen Dashan and frame you for killing them by performing a blood transfusion. The poison is on his person. You will definitely be able to find it on him now!¡±

 Chapter 386 - 380 Dog Bites Dog, Who Is the Culprit?

    Chapter 386: Chapter 380 Dog Bites Dog, Who Is the Culprit?


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Upon hearing Madam Liu¡¯s confession, Niu Tongsheng acted immediately.


    He cast aside his feeling of fear and called two men over. They were ready to search Zhao Baotian¡¯s body.


    Right then, Old Man Zhao, who had been hiding in the house, dashed forward and stood in front of Zhao Baotian. He red at Madam Liu with bloodshot eyes as he cursed, ¡°Bitch! How dare you use your husband of such a crime? The truth is you hadmitted adultery with another man and were discovered by Zhao Baolin. So, you poisoned him!¡±


    Old Man Zhao continued, ¡°Zhao Baotian still loves you, so he begged me to spare you. For the sake of your two children, I kept quiet about this. Who would have thought that you would repay our kindness with evil now? Chief, this woman is the culprit that killed Zhao Baolin. Beat her to death now! I have wronged Baolin. When I die, I will seek his forgiveness.¡±


    Madam Liu was stunned speechless by Old Man Zhao¡¯s usation.


    Old Man Zhao wiped away his tears as he mumbled, ¡°This is all my fault. I was soft-hearted and allowed this demoness to poison my eldest son. I have wronged Baolin!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was stunned.


    Even she did not know that Old Man Zhao had such acting prowess. He was practically proficient in the art. If he were in the world of her previous life, he would have been a veteran performer!


    His ability to twist the truth made Madam Yang¡¯s ability pale inparison.


    The look he wore as he cried bitterly was as though he was genuinely suffering from guilt!


    ¡°Madam Liu, I could tolerate you for so long for the sake of your children. I thought that you would change for the better. I never imagined that your heart was still so wretched. You even tried to get Baotian killed!¡± Old Man Zhao used Madam Liu as he pointed at her in rage. ¡°Chief, you absolutely cannot allow this snake to remain in the vige.¡±


    Everyone¡¯s attention was shifted due to Old Man Zhao using Madam Liu of infidelity.


    In the tiny Lengshui Vige, there had never been such a huge scandal.


    Madam Liu¡¯s voluptuous figure had always been a hot topic among the men of the vige. Right now, who would be thinking about Zhao Baolin¡¯s murder? Everyone wanted to know who Madam Liu hadmitted adultery with!


    Zhao Chuchu could tell that Old Man Zhao knew how the parents of her original body died.


    He cast aside his own son, who could not provide him value. Such a degree of selfishness was simply stunning.


    He appeared meek and was afraid of Madam Yang. However, it was all just a facade!


    He was the ultimate boss of the Zhao n. Everything was within his control while he yed dumb to take advantage of everyone else.


    Zhao Chuc.humented that she shouldn¡¯t have any preconceptions of Old Man Zhao and ended up belittling him.


    ¡°Nonsense!¡± In a fit of rage, Madam Liu exposed the truth. ¡°Youzy old fart who leeches off others! If it wasn¡¯t because of you forcing Big Bro and Big Sis to earn more, would they have fallen sick? Would Zhao Baotian have found the chance to poison them? The evilest person in this household is you!¡¯


    She continued, ¡°Come at me! I will let everyone know how selfish you are. In the past, when Big Bro and Big Sis were sick, we had the money to treat them. However, this old fart imed we should not waste money and cut off their medication. Zhao Chuchu¡¯s marriage was also proposed by him. He said that Zhao Chuchu would not be worth much if we sold her off. Since the Xie n was indebted to Big Bro, he decided to marry her off to them in exchange for some money. That¡¯s why he forced her to marry Xie Heng.¡±


    She concluded, ¡°All the evil deeds that the Zhao n has ever done were instructed by him. He pretends to be afraid of his wife, but in reality, he has the final say over everything in this household. He is rotten to the core!¡±


    Madam Liu was hysterical as she pointed her finger at Old Man Zhao and cursed nonstop.


    Old Man Zhao was taken aback by Madam Liu¡¯s rambling. All he could retort was calling her ¡°bitch¡± over and over again.


    Zhao Chuchu was happy to see them infighting.


    Niu Tongsheng had never encountered such a scene before. He was unsure of what to do at the moment.


    Old Man Zhao suddenly changed topics and said, ¡°Chuchu, your parents were the victims. I know I have wronged you, but I don¡¯t want to keep making more mistakes. Zhao Baotian and his wife are the murderers who killed your parents. In your opinion, what should we do to them?¡±


    Everyone¡¯s gazended on Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°Chuchu, I know you hate me now, but I do not me vou. This is what I deserve. I kept the truth from you for their sake. I allowed your parents to die miserably. Now that they have returned, I understand it is impossible to keep things secret any longer.¡±


    Old Man Zhao took a step back to progress, attempting to use Zhao Chuchu to deal with Madam Liu.


    However, Xie Heng spoke up and said, ¡°Since you both im to be right, the best solution is to report this to the officials. The government will investigate who is the true culprit.¡±


    When Old Man Zhao heard this, his facial expression changed drastically. He said, ¡°No. If we report this to the officials, how will Changrong and Changgui be treated in the future? The members of our Zhao n will never be able to lift our heads in public.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you want me to avenge my parents¡¯ deaths? Only the truth will be the greatest justice for them. I also agree with what Dang Lang said,¡± imed Zhao Chuchu with a sullen face. ¡°No matter who murdered my parents, they will have to pay with their lives!¡±


    Old Man Zhao quickly said, ¡°This is our Zhao n¡¯s affairs. Xie Heng is merely an outsider¡­¡±


    Zhao Chuchu interrupted him, saying, ¡°What do you mean he¡¯s an outsider? He¡¯s mywfully wedded husband. Logically speaking, the Zhao n is considered an outsider to me. Since all of you agree that my parents were killed, then I have to report this to the officials because this is a homicide!¡±


    ¡°You cannot do this! You have to spare Changrong. You just saved him, don¡¯t you remember?¡±


    ¡°Madam Liu is not Zhao Changrong¡¯s mother. Hermitting evil deeds have nothing to do with him. Moreover, I saved him because I pitied him for still being very young. If the Zhao n forces him to take his own life again, that¡¯s his decision. It has nothing to do with me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a physician!¡±


    ¡°Who said that the physicians must bepassionate? Old Man Zhao, before this, I thought you were a scaredy cat. Now, I finally understand that you are just selfish. Regardless of what you say, since all of you agree that my parents were killed, I have to report this to the officials.¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, you must report this to the officials. Only the government can give your parents justice. Zhao Baotian was the one who murdered them. It had nothing to do with me,¡± Madam Liu said anxiously.


    Zhao Chuchu said in a cold tone, ¡°Aplices are also guilty of the same


    crime. It is not something you can deny on your own!¡±


    Madam Liu gasped.


    ¡°Chuchu, just now, Madam Liu imed that Zhao Baotian had the poison on him. We¡¯d better check his body. Coincidentally, there are many people present here who can bear witness,¡± Xie Heng said inly.


    ¡°Who dares to touch my son? I will fight them to the death! He has already been framed to such an extent. Do you want to force him to his death?¡±


    Old Man Zhao kept standing before Zhao Baotian¡¯s body, guarding him.


    Now, he only had this one son left. No matter what, he had to keep him alive!


    Otherwise, if something happened to Zhao Baotian, who would care for him in the future?


    Zhao Chuchu sneered, saying, ¡°If he is innocent, no one can force him to die.¡±


    As she said this, Zhao Chuchu stepped forward, grabbed Old Man Zhao by the cor, and pulled him out of the way.


    Just as Old Man Zhao attempted to struggle free, Zhao Chuchu grabbed him by the throat and tightened her grip. She threatened. ¡°Try moving, and I will kill you on the spot. You might be involved in my parents¡¯ poisoning, Old Man Zhao!¡±

 Chapter 387 - 381 Who Knows Who Will Be Murdered Next

    Chapter 387: Chapter 381 Who Knows Who Will Be Murdered Next


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Old Man Zhao felt suffocated. This was his first time being so close to death.


    He looked at Zhao Chuchu in terror.


    Right now, there was no warmth in her eyes at all. It was as though she was looking at a dead man.


    ¡°Did you think that I wouldn¡¯t dare touch you?¡± Zhao Chuchu sneered. ¡°Before this, I saw that you were staying in line, so I didn¡¯t bother to settle the score with you! Don¡¯t test me. Whoever dares to get in the way of me finding my father¡¯s murderer is my enemy. I will see to it that they meet their deaths.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t act rashly,¡± uttered Old Man Zhao with difficulty. ¡°Your¡­your father was murdered by Madam Liu. If you want to seek revenge, go after her!¡±


    ¡°Humph. Who are you to im that Madam Liu is the culprit? Are you the magistrate?¡±


    Old Man Zhao threatened. ¡°Zhao Chuchu, even if you have cut ties with us, I am still your father¡¯s father. What you¡¯re doing now is considered heinous treason! You¡¯ll be punished by the heavens if you do so.¡±


    ¡°The heavens should punish selfish people like you! You knew your eldest son died of poison, yet you pretended that you knew nothing. Aren¡¯t you afraid that his spirit will knock on your door in the middle of the night to ask you why you would favor your younger sons over him?¡±


    ¡°All that has nothing to do with me. Zhao Chuchu, don¡¯t you make nderous charges. ¡±


    Zhao Chuchu revealed a cold smile and pushed Old Man Zhao to the side.


    Thetter nearly lost his footing.


    Zhao Chuchu told Niu Tongsheng and the others, ¡°Search Zhao Baotian¡¯s body. The person who imed he ns to poison people shares a bed with him. I don¡¯t believe that she would lie about this.¡±


    Niu Tongsheng made a gesture.


    A few vigers stepped forward and searched Zhao Baotian¡¯s body which was covered in blood. As expected, they found two packets on him.


    ¡°Chuchu, have a look. What are these?¡±


    They passed Zhao Chuchu the two packets.


    Zhao Chuchu only dirtied Zhao Baotian¡¯s clothes with some fake blood, so the packets stored in his chest pocket were still intact.


    Zhao Chuchu opened them and took a sniff. She then looked at Niu Tongsheng and said, ¡°Chief, call the officials over. These two packets contain poison. One of them is arsenic. I have no idea where he got the other packet, but it is very strong poison as well.¡±


    Niu Tongsheng¡¯s facial expression changed drastically as he asked, ¡°Are you certain?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I can identify poisons.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Madam Liu immediately shouted, ¡°I know where he bought it from!¡±


    Niu Tongsheng turned around and looked at her.


    Madam Liu continued, ¡°He told me this personally. As long as Changrong and Dashan both died, the watermill workshop would belong to the Zhao n. Hence, he nned to kill both of them. These two packets of poison were prepared for that purpose.¡±


    ¡°Madam Liu, you adulteress. My third son is honest to a fault and wouldn¡¯t even dare to step on an ant. Evil woman, it is apparent that you wanted to frame him and ced the poison on his person!¡± Old Man Zhao was still struggling till the end.


    Madam Liuughed out loud and said, ¡°I ced it on him? Zhao Baotian brought me along when he went to buy the poison. Why don¡¯t I bring you to ask the seller directly? You can ask him who paid him for the poison.¡±


    ¡°That was under your coercion.¡±


    ¡°Old b*st*rd, you won¡¯t die a peaceful death!¡±


    The two of them kept using each other.


    Zhao Chuchu stared coldly as Old Man Zhao and Madam Liu were at each other¡¯s throats. She didn¡¯t interrupt them.


    On the other hand, Niu Tongsheng grew impatient and roared, ¡°That¡¯s enough!


    We¡¯ll know who is guilty after we make a trip to the county office. Lengshui Vige will not tolerate evil people who attempt homicide and plot schemes against others. Old Man Zhao, you¡¯re Zhao Baotian¡¯s father. You won¡¯t escape this!¡±


    ¡°Niu Tongsheng, don¡¯t you dare report this case to the officials! My surname is


    Zhao. I am not a Niu n member!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu calmly retorted, ¡°Old Man Zhao, the surname of Lengshui Vige is not Zhao. However, the surname of the chief here is Niu.


    She added, ¡°Chief, there¡¯s no need to be polite with them. Everyone in their household are suspects. Let¡¯s seize all of them first. When the sun rises, we¡¯ll send them to the county office. Since they have admitted that my parents died due to poison, I must identify the killer. If not, my parents¡¯ souls will not rest in peace.¡±


    A viger agreed to the side, ¡°What Chuchu said is right. Since she has been exiled from the n, she is unrted to them. She will not be punished for suing her elders in court.¡±


    Another viger said, ¡°We must find the killer as soon as possible. Who knows who will be murdered next?¡±


    ¡°I have long noticed that everyone in the Zhao n was up to no good. To my surprise, the most disgusting of them all is actually Old Man Zhao. Baolin used to be such a hard worker; he gave the n everything he earned. In the end, when he was sick, not only was he not given medication, but he was also poisoned to death!¡±


    ¡°Scum like them should not be allowed in Lengshui Vige. God knows when they will cause us trouble too. We must kick them out of the vige.¡±


    The vigers went on and on.


    They were very emotional about this.


    All of them were ordinary folk. Even though they were self-centered at times and would asionally take advantage of others, they had not done anything evil. In essence, they were all kind people. At the very least, they would nevermit anything atrocious like murder.


    However, Zhao Baotian was different from them. He could ruthlessly poison even his own family members. They could only assume he would have no qualms attacking them when the situation called for it.


    If they identally offended Zhao Baotian, they might be killed without knowing why. How could the vigers possibly allow such dangerous people to stay in the vige?


    Old Man Zhao was shocked when he heard the vigers petitioning to chase them out of Lengshui Vige.


    He was a selfish scaredy cat. He would lose everything once he left the vige. He would surely die if he was chased out.


    Old Man Zhao would never let such a thing happen.


    ¡°Chuchu, I was the one who gave your father life. Although you have already left the n, if anything happens to us, it will have a negative effect on you and Xie Heng¡¯s reputation. After all, your parents passed away so many years ago. Now, you are living the good life. Why don¡¯t we close this chapter, alright?


    Back then, if that incident had not urred, you would not have been married off to Xie Heng and would not have be so incredible. If your parents had not died when you were young, you wouldn¡¯t be here today. You would be working the fields like the rest of us instead. Why don¡¯t you treat this as a test from the heavens?¡±


    Old Man Zhao shamelessly begged Zhao Chuchu to spare him.


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°¡­Old Man Zhao, you truly are not human!¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, this is the truth. You would not benefit if we were all sent to jail, right? Why don¡¯t we pretend that the incident never happened. For us all, it is¡­¡±


    Bang!


    Before Old Man Zhao finished speaking, he fainted and slumped to the ground with a punch from Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu retracted her fist and said expressionlessly, ¡°This kind of person really deserves to die.¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, did you kill him?¡±


    ¡°I would not sully my hands with his blood! Chief, tie them up first. We can discuss things tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Thankfully you did not kill him. I was afraid that in your rage, you would do something that you might regret.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I n to tie them up and arrange for them to be guarded to ensure they will not escape. It is quitete. Go back and rest first. Tomorrow, we will visit the county office first thing in the morning. Don¡¯t overthink things. If your parents were truly wronged, the magistrate will give them justice.¡±


    Please enter the trantion

 Chapter 388 - 382 Living in Malice

    Chapter 388: Chapter 382 Living in Malice


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Zhao Chuchu nodded her head.


    Her emotions were not fluctuating wildly. However, Niu Tongsheng and the other vigers believed she was forcefully suppressing her rage.


    After the Chief finished speaking, the others frantically tried to appease her.


    They even sent her home personally. At the same time, they instructed Xie


    Heng to console her properly.


    Zhao Chuchu was touched when she saw this.


    Even though she staged this entire incident, the vigers¡¯ concern was genuine.


    After the ¡°upset¡± Zhao Chuchu was sent back to the Xie residence, she returned to her usual self.


    She said, ¡°I am going outter.¡±


    Xie Heng asked, ¡°Do you want me to apany you?¡±


    ¡°There is no need for you to do so. I¡¯ll be fine alone.¡±


    She nned to st the graves of Zhao Baolin and his wife to hide signs of them ever being dug up. Otherwise, if the officials from the government discovered anything, it would most likely cause unnecessary trouble. It would then dy them serving justice for her parents.


    ¡°Hmm. Go then. I will boil some hot water for you. Do you want to eat something?¡±


    ¡°No, I am not hungry. I¡¯ll be off.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu did not wait for Xie Heng to answer. She left from the back door of the house.


    Xie Heng softly sighed as he watched her leave.


    He then walked to the kitchen to start up a fire and boil water.


    After Zhao Chuchu reached the cemetery, she carefullyid out and buried miniature bombs.


    These items were not replenishable. Hence, she only acted after making precise calctions.


    She would save as many of these bombs as she could. Who knew if she would need them again in the future?


    These bombs had explosive power. They also did not leave behind any scent or shrapnel. No matter how experienced the government officials were, they could not identify them.


    After her preparations, Zhao Chuchu left and detonated the bombs remotely.


    Although Zhao Baolin and his wife¡¯s graves were some distance away from Lengshui Vige, the sound of such explosions in the night was extremely loud.


    The vigers had yet to fall asleep when they were startled by the massive explosion.


    They had not managed topletely calm down yet from the revtion that the members of the Zhao n had poisoned Zhao Baolin when a frightening sound suddenly came from the mountains.


    Some people who were more perceptive could tell that the sound seemed toe from the graves of Zhao Baolin and his wife.


    This caused the vigers to be unable to fall back to sleep.


    ¡°The sound seems to havee from the yellow mud depression. Weren¡¯t Baolin and his wife buried there?¡±


    ¡°Could the heavens have actually allowed them to return to seek revenge against the members of the Zhao n who poisoned them?¡±


    ¡°I suddenly feel very cold. Are they standing next to me? Baolin, Chenn, we only came to know of this recently. Please don¡¯t me us.¡±


    The frightened vigers put their hands together and started muttering prayers.


    People like Old Mrs. Chen, who had never done anything to offend others throughout their entire lives, were not afraid at all. They even wished that Zhao Baolin and Xia Chenn had actuallye back. At least the dead could seek justice for themselves if they did.


    By the time Old Mrs. Chen brought her daughters-inw to the Xie residence, Zhao Chuchu had already returned.


    ¡°Da Lang, did you hear a frightening sound just now?¡± asked Old Mrs. Chen.


    Xie Heng nodded his head and said, ¡°I heard it. It seems to havee from the yellow mud depression.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It came from there. Chuchu¡¯s parents are buried there. Could it be that¡­¡±


    Old Mrs. Chen stopped herself mid-sentence.


    It was because Zhao Chuchu had emerged from her room.


    ¡°Grandma Chen, what about my parents?¡± asked Zhao Chuchu, feigning ignorance. ¡°Why was there such a loud sound just now? Did the earth dragon flip over?¡±


    This referred to an earthquake.


    Old Mrs. Chen replied, ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem to be so. If it was, there should have been tremors. Chuchu, bizarre incidents have been urring one after another tonight. I believe that because your parents were actually wronged, they might be guided by deities and have returned to seek justice for themselves.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°The sound came from the direction of the yellow mud depression. I am worried about your parents¡¯ graves. Why don¡¯t I ask Uncle Dashi and a few others to go take a look?¡±


    ¡°Now?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s already so dark, and the mountain paths are treacherous. If what you say is true, I also fear something will happen to them. We¡¯d best discuss this in the morning. It is almost dawn anyway, so we¡¯d better y it safe. It won¡¯t be long of a dy.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯d better go check as soon as possible. Your parents were kind people. They probably won¡¯t find fault with us.¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it said that it is easy for those who died unjustly to be vengeful spirits?¡±


    ¡°When a ghost appeared in the Zhao residence, everyone said your mother had returned. She said that she was looking for you. She did not actually kill the members of the Zhao n. It must be that she misses you. She will not harm us.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu fell silent for a moment, seemingly making her decision. She said, ¡°If that is the case, I will follow all of you to check the ce. If anything happens, I can at least hold them back while all of you escape.¡±


    Old Mrs. Chen looked at Xie Heng.


    ¡°Chuchu, you stay at home. I will follow Uncle Dashi to take a look. It is cold tonight. If you catch a cold, wouldn¡¯t that just make things worse?¡± said Xie Heng gently.


    ¡°Yes, what Da Lang says is right. You should stay at home.¡±


    Old Mrs. Chen felt that ces like the cemetery were heavy in Yin energy. Zhao Chuchu was a maiden, so it was best for a man full of Yang energy to go.


    ¡°Alright. Sorry to trouble you,¡± said Zhao Chuchu, full of concern. ¡°Wait a moment. I will give you some things.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu returned to the house and soon came out with two bamboo tubes that were used to send signals in ancient times. She exined, ¡°Huihui helped me to get these. If anything happens, shoot these up into the sky, and I will rush over to help when I see them.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Xie Heng put them away and then left the Xie residence.


    Old Mrs. Chen was worried that Zhao Chuchu would be afraid, so she asked Madam Zheng to stay and keep herpany. She and Madam Liang returned home to look after the children.


    Madam Zhengforted her, saying, ¡°Chuchu, don¡¯t be afraid. Even if the sky falls, some people are taller than us. If your parents were truly murdered, the government would definitely give them justice. You don¡¯t need to feel too sad. Being alive is better than anything else.¡±


    ¡°Auntie, I know. I just find it difficult to ept all this. If the members of the Zhao n were willing to spend a little more money back then to save my parents, I would not be an orphan girl who everyone bullied¡­¡±


    Zhao Chuchu lowered her head. She felt sympathy for the original owner of her body.


    Such an obedient young maiden was orphaned due to the schemes of others and had to live her life facing the malice of others!


    Madam Zheng sighed and said, ¡°You need to let it go. Otherwise, if your parents knew this, they would also feel sad. Chuchu, will you forgive the members of the Zhao n?¡±


    ¡°Forgive? That is the Buddha¡¯s concern. What I need to do is to send them to hell to apologize to my parents on their knees!¡± said Zhao Chuchu in a cold tone. ¡°Whoever advises me to forgive the culprit is my enemy!¡±


    ¡°Hmm, we are all on your side. As children, if we cannot seek justice for even our own parents¡¯ deaths, then what point is there to be human?¡±


    ¡°I agree. No matter who poisoned them, the culprit must die. It is the same for Old Man Zhao.¡±


    ¡°However, it is possible that he won¡¯t die.¡±


    ¡°Then, we will make his life a living hell.¡±


    Most of the time, death was actually a kind of relief.


    Having no control over whether to live or to die was the cruelest form of torture.


    Since she inherited everything from the original owner, this naturally included thetter¡¯s hatred.


    She had many ways to make people linger in endless pain!


    Please enter the trantion

 Chapter 389 - 383 Sue Them

    Chapter 389: Chapter 383 Sue Them


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Zhao Chuchu looked outside. The light from the torches slowly moved toward the direction of the yellow mud depression.


    In the morning, they would be able to seek justice for the parents of the original owner of her body.


    Be it Zhao Baotian or Old Man Zhao, they would pay the price for their actions.


    Even if the government did not give them the death sentence, she would ensure they would suffer painful torture till the end of their lives.


    Xie Heng and the others only returned in the morning.


    They were all covered in dirt and mud.


    Niu Le spoke first, saying, ¡°Chuchu, your parents¡¯ graves were sted open. However, strangely, even though the coffins were exposed, they were undamaged. Da Lang did not allow us to touch them, so we tidied up the surrounding soil. You can discuss with Da Lang how you wish to proceed with this.¡±


    Xie Heng said, ¡°Let¡¯s go to court first. For their graves to suddenly end up like that, it might actually be true that they died unjustly and want to seek justice.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I share the same sentiment. Second Uncle Niu, may I trouble you to take a look at my parents¡¯ graves? Don¡¯t let anyone touch them. I will follow Da Lang and the others to the county office. Oh, by the way, breakfast is ready. Go eat first. All of you have been busy all night.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was very calm. After she said this, she went into the kitchen and emerged with several trays of buns. There were meat and vegetarian options.


    ¡°Did you spend all night making these?¡± asked Niu An.


    ¡°No, Da Lang made them. I merely warmed them up over the steamer. Come and eat.¡±


    The others did not hold back. After a night¡¯s work, they were indeed hungry. They washed their hands and ate the buns.


    While Zhao Chuchu waited for them to finish, she went to find an ox cart. Old Man Zhao and the rest of the Zhao n were tied up and loaded onto it.


    Madam Yang cursed, ¡°Zhao Chuchu, don¡¯t you fear the wrath of the heavens for treating us in such a manner?¡±


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the fact that I would need to pay with my life for murder, I would kill you right now. I will definitely get to the bottom of my parents¡¯ deaths. Whoever murdered them will die a painful death,¡± said Zhao Chuchu in a cold tone. ¡°Madam Yang, it would be best for you to have nothing to do with my parents¡¯ deaths.¡±


    Madam Yang angrily said, ¡°What madness is this? How can you me me for them falling ill? Zhao Chuchu, I have already avoided you as much as possible. Why do you still insist on finding fault with me?¡±


    ¡°You must ask your third son about what he has done. He himself said that he poisoned my parents.¡±


    ¡°He¡­ he has hysteria. I feared being looked down upon, so I never revealed this fact. Your parents died of illness. It had nothing to do with us.¡±


    Madam Yang was still stubborn and reluctant to admit it.


    Yesterday, they had been locked up separately. Madam Yang actually did not know much about what happened after.


    However, she would never admit that Zhao Baolin was poisoned.


    Before this, Zhao Baotian was actually not afraid.


    Now that he was loaded onto the ox cart, he finally began to feel terrified.


    Wouldn¡¯t he be doomed if the government discovered he had administered the poison?


    Zhao Baotian did not want to die; he wanted to live.


    Madam Liu was definitely not going to take the me for him. His only remaining hopey with Old Man Zhao, Madam Yang, and Zhao Baogen.


    Zhao Chuchu seemed to have guessed what he was thinking. She blindfolded him and separated him from Old Man Zhao. She did not give him any chance of colluding with thetter.


    Zhao Baotian was about to lose his mind.


    ¡°Chuchu, I know nothing about your father¡¯s death. Before you were married off, wasn¡¯t I the one who treated you the best in the family? I secretly gave you food. Could it be that you have forgotten about it? How can you treat me like a murderer now?¡±


    Zhao Baotian was like a headless fly, trying his hardest to find a way out for himself.


    Zhao Chuchu found him irritating. She grabbed a handful of dry grass from the side of the road and gagged him.


    ¡°If you have anything to say, wait until we meet the County Magistrate. I do not wish to hear any of your sophistry and nonsense. If I have falsely used you, I will naturally make it up to you.¡±


    ¡°Mmph¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu personally drove the cart. Along with Xie Heng, Niu Tongsheng, and the others, they headed into the county town.


    Old Man Zhao and the rest of the Zhao n members kept squirming all the way, attempting to free themselves from their restraints and escape.


    The knots that Zhao Chuchu tied could not be undone even by Niu An, let alone Old Man Zhao and the others.


    Zhao Chuchu drove the cart very fast. It was so bumpy that those at the back began foaming at the mouth. They almost thought they wouldn¡¯t make it to the county office alive.


    The sound of the drum reached the courtyard of the county office.


    County Magistrate Qiao quickly changed into his official uniform and came to the court.


    Old Man Zhao and the others had already been thrown onto the court floor by Zhao Chuchu and were kneeling.


    When County Magistrate Qiao saw Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng, he was shocked. However, he steeled himself. With a m of his gavel, he asked, ¡°State your name and your case.¡±


    ¡°Lord County Magistrate, I am Zhao Chuchu, a humble housewife from Lengshui Vige. I wish to sue Zhao Dashui and his n for poisoning my parents. Lord County Magistrate, please get to the bottom of this case and give my parents justice,¡± said Zhao Chuchu. She summarized the events of the previous night and even surrendered the two packets of poison that they found on Zhao Baotian.


    County Magistrate Qiao was rmed. He immediately summoned the physician over to validate that these two packets were poison.


    The physician came swiftly. In a short while, he confirmed that one of the packets contained arsenic. As for the other packet, the physician imed he was not knowledgeable enough to know what it was. However, he was certain that two of the medicines mixed into it were fatal poisons.


    Due to Zhao Chuchu¡¯s medicinal skills and high-yield rice seeds, County Magistrate Qiao held her in high regard. He had even asked for her background to be investigated.


    Hence, he knew about her parents passing away while she was still very young.


    However, he never imagined that after so many years, she would suddenly bring her grandfather and other family members tied up to the county office, suing them for murder.


    County Magistrate Qiao was not stupid. However, this was his first time handling such a case, so he was perplexed about where to begin.


    His advisor reminded him, ¡°Officer, Zhao Chuchu has already been disowned from her n. You only need to handle this like a normal case.¡±


    County Magistrate Qiao regained hisposure and ordered the guards to ungag the Zhao n members.


    When Old Man Zhao and the others saw him, they were already shaking. They had no imposing aura at all.


    Only Zhao Baotian seemed rtively calmer than the rest.


    Along the way, he had thought deep and hard. He told himself that he could not lie. Things were not yet hopeless. As long as he handled the situation carefully, he might still be able to make it out alive.


    Zhao Baotian knew that Old Man Zhao would definitely not take the me for him. Right now, his only hope was with Madam Yang.


    He hoped that Madam Yang would help him for his son¡¯s sake. He would definitely burn a lot of paper money for her so that she could live well in the afterlife.


    ¡°Officer, I have been falsely used. Big Bro died of an incurable disease. No one poisoned him. Chuchu herself is ill. She imed she dreamt of her parents and is adamant that we poisoned them. Officer, please settle this matter for us.¡±


    Zhao Baotian kept kowtowing miserably and pathetically.


    Upon hearing this, Old Man Zhao and Madam Yang also spoke.


    ¡°Officer, after we cut ties with Zhao Chuchu, she has always borne hatred against us for past events. She wants to see all of us dead. Zhao Baolin is my son. As a father, how could I possibly poison him? Please investigate this clearly, officer.¡±


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu is sick. She is mental, and her words are not to be trusted.


    Officer, please do not be fooled by her. She wishes to use you to get rid of us. That way, she can seize the fields of the Zhao n and im them as her own.


    Officer, please help us.¡±


    Please enter the trantion

 Chapter 390 - 384 If She Went Down, She Would Take Everyone with Her

    Chapter 390: Chapter 384 If She Went Down, She Would Take Everyone with Her


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Zhao Chuchu watched them nonchntly as they put on an act.


    In truth, this situation was within her expectations.


    Aside from iming that she was ill, what else could they say?


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu and Madam Liu joined forces to frame us. Officer, please help us,¡± said Zhao Baotian as he lowered his forehead to the ground. ¡°Madam Liumitted adultery with another man and was discovered by Big Bro. She was afraid that she would be exposed, so she secretly poisoned him. That is the truth of the matter. Officer, please do not be fooled by them.¡±


    ¡°Presumptuous!¡±


    County Magistrate Qiao mmed down his gavel angrily, startling the members of the Zhao n.


    Madam Liu, who had remained silent all this while, suddenlyughed.


    Madam Liu was very regretful. On the way there, she nned to retract her confession and deny what she had said. Instead, she would insist that Zhao Chuchu had drugged and threatened her.


    She never imagined that at that moment, Zhao Baotian would still want to nder her formitting adultery!


    Madam Liu could not take it anymore.


    If she were going down, she would take everyone with her!


    ¡°Officer, I have something to say,¡± said Madam Liu. County Magistrate Qiaomanded, ¡°Speak!¡±


    Zhao Baotian and the others looked at her.


    The former kept trying to signal her.


    Madam Liu ignored his signal and continued, ¡°I can testify against this. Big Bro and Big Sis were poisoned by my husband, Zhao Baotian. The poison packed in the yellow packet was bought in town. The other poison is a mixture of herbs bought from the medical hall. He told me that he learned how to make this poison from a friend.¡±


    ¡°Madam Liu, shut up!¡± roared Madam Yang.


    [Bang!]


    County Magistrate Qiao chided, ¡°This is the court! It¡¯s not a ce for you to cause a racket. Officials, smack her five times. A more severe punishment will be issued if you repeat this offense.¡±


    Madam Yang was terrified. The officials had alreadye forward to drag her outside.


    Screams followed.


    When Old Man Zhao and the others heard her, they felt afraid.


    After a short while, Madam Yang was dragged back in.


    She no longer had her prior strength. She could only lie motionless on the ground.


    ¡°Detain these people in prison for now. Officials, go to Lengshui Vige to investigate properly,¡± said County Magistrate Qiao. He did not rush to carry out the trial. Zhao Chuchu had yet to submit sufficient evidence.


    After pondering for a bit, County Magistrate Qiao told Zhao Chuchu, ¡°Since you suspect that your parents were poisoned, the coroner will need to exhume their bodies to ascertain this. Otherwise, we can only take your word for it. We cannot use your suspicion as evidence.¡±


    ¡°I understand. If I can seek justice for my parents, I will cooperate with the government.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, very good. I will go prepare to head over to Lengshui Vige.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, officer.¡±


    County Magistrate Qiao turned and entered the inner chambers.


    It had been a long time since a murder case had urred in Yuanjiang County. This would affect his track record, so he would personally make a trip to Lengshui Vige.


    In the evening, Zhao Chuchu returned with the government officers.


    Niu Tongsheng initially wanted to let County Magistrate Qiao rest first. However, thetter wanted to get to the bottom of the case as soon as possible.


    After confirming with the coroner that they could still perform an autopsy, County Magistrate Qiao entered the mountains first.


    Exhuming corpses from coffins was a rare thing. If it were any other person, they would definitely be unwilling to do so.


    The vigers were curious but felt that Zhao Chuchu was disrespecting her parents. They were already dead, and she still wanted to open their coffins and disturb their peace.


    However, no one dared to gossip about her.


    Some of the braver vigers followed County Magistrate Qiao into the mountains.


    The officials had already chased off the vigers in the cemetery. They established a parameter and prohibited the vigers from getting too close.


    The vigers were very curious. All of them craned their necks in an attempt to get a better view of what was happening. However, they did not dare to get any closer after noticing the weapons the officials carried.


    The coroner of Yuanjiang County was old and had lots of experience in the field. Even though he could not identify much helpful information, he could clearly deduce that Zhao Baolin and his wife died of poison.


    After County Magistrate Qiao listened to the coroner¡¯s report, he returned to the vige immediately. He called the vigers over to gather more intel about Zhao Baolin and his wife.


    When the Zhao n head saw that County Magistrate Qiao had personally gone to Lengshui Vige, he suddenly thought of a n.


    He had not been interacting much with the vigers recently, so he did not know much about what happened to Old Man Zhao and his family. He merely exaggerated whatever false rumors he knew.


    ¡°Officer, Old Man Zhao treated Baolin well when thetter was still alive. But on the other hand, Zhao Chuchu often finds fault with him. Moreover, she has medical skills. So perhaps she is framing Old Man Zhao and his family for what happened to Zhao Baolin.¡±


    ¡°Do not speak of anything unrted to the case,¡± warned County Magistrate Qiao as he gave the Zhao n head a cold stare.


    The n head had goosebumps all over his body. He did not dare use Zhao Chuchu anymore. However, he continued to defame her despite feeling scared of the county magistrate.


    As long as the county magistrate had a bad impression of Zhao Chuchu, things would not go smoothly for her in the future.


    When the n head left, he swept a nce toward Zhao Chuchu. His old face was flushed with pride.


    Zhao Chuchu turned around just in time and saw his facial expression.


    She knew right off the bat what he had done.


    However, she was uninterested in teaching him a lesson. After all, this old fart was a nobody in Lengshui Vige now. So his attempt to validate his existence amounted to nothing.


    He might die the very next day!


    County Magistrate Qiao carried out his interrogation until midnight.


    Niu Tongsheng invited him to stay in his home.


    Early the next morning, from what he gleaned, County Magistrate Qiao had essentially confirmed who murdered Zhao Baolin.


    Now, he onlycked the evidence to testify against the culprit.


    Fortunately, after Madam Liu spoke yesterday, County Magistrate Qiao ordered for the person who sold the poison to Zhao Baolin to be captured, along with the medical hall¡¯s shopkeeper and assistant.


    County Magistrate Qiao rushed back to organize his clues and evidence. Soon, he called the trial back into session.


    When faced with the evidence produced by County Magistrate Qiao, Zhao Baotian¡¯s mental defenses could no longer hold.


    He confessed to the poisoning.


    Poisoning his own elder brother was too evil an act. County Magistrate Qiao immediately sentenced him to death by beheading.


    Old Man Zhao, Madam Yang, and Madam Liu knew about the incident but did not report it. As a result, they also received punishments of varying degrees. As for Zhao Baogen and Madam Ma, both of them were not involved.


    However, life would not be easy for them.


    Having such a heinous person who murdered their brother in the family would significantly impact them.


    Their only option would be to move away and start a new life under different names. Otherwise, they would be scorned for life.


    Zhao Changrong would also have a hard time getting a wife in the future. Who would want to be married into such a family if they had better options?


    Zhao Chuchu had long cut ties with them, so she was not affected by this incident.


    The case of Zhao Baolin and his wife dying of poison was concluded after only ten days of interrogation.


    Zhao Baogen vanished the day after the verdict was announced.


    Zhao Chuchu knew that he had left the vige overnight.


    He even abandoned Madam Ma and Zhao Changrong.


    Zhao Baotian¡¯s sons, Zhao Changgui and Zhao Changfu, went from bullies to pitiful orphans ostracized by others.


    The members of the Zhao n refused to take care of Zhao Baotian¡¯s sons because Old Man Zhao and Madam Yang had said that they would cut ties with them. They also pointed at the children and called them the sons of a headless ghost.


    In the end, after Madam Ma consulted Zhao Changrong, she left the Chen residence with him and returned to the Zhao residence. She took on the responsibility of caring for Zhao Changgui and Zhao Changfu.


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s onlyment on her decision was this: ungrateful people would never count their blessings. The sufferings of Madam Ma and Zhao


    Changrong had just begun.

 Chapter 391 - 385 Be Reincarnated Into a Good Family

    Chapter 391: Chapter 385 Be Reincarnated Into a Good Family


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Unlike Zhao Changrong, Zhao Changgui and Zhao Changfu were pampered from a young age.


    They witnessed Zhao Baotian being beheaded, but Madam Ma and Zhao


    Changrong were unaffected by the incident. Not only would they not be grateful for Madam Ma taking care of them, but they might even transfer their hatred toward the mother-son duo.


    Sooner orter, Madam Ma and Zhao Changrong would regret their decision today.


    Of course, Zhao Chuchu would not say anything. This was Madam Ma¡¯s own choice.


    As for whether Zhao Changgui and Zhao Changfu would hate her, she was not concerned about it.


    She would definitely settle the score with Zhao Baotian for murdering the parents of the original owner of her body!


    Otherwise, they would have died unjustly!


    This incident was the topic of discussion in Lengshui Vige for a very long time.


    Now, the members of the Zhao n truly avoided Zhao Chuchu whenever they saw her. They dared not approach her at all. They feared she would be angry at them for Zhao Baolin¡¯s death.


    After Zhao Chuchu finished handling the incident and asked the opinion of the vige elders, she sought help to find the parents of the original owner, a new grave. They then moved their bones and reburied them.


    After burying them, Zhao Chuchu kneeled before their graves and burned paper money. She said, ¡°I have sought justice for your deaths. I hope that you are rewarded for your good deeds and can be reincarnated into a good family. Although I am not truly your daughter, I will live on for her sake. I will make sure you can stand tall in the afterlife.¡±


    A vigermented, ¡°Aye, do you feel the wind getting stronger? There was no wind just a moment ago.¡±


    Another added, ¡°Baolin and his wife must be happy. After all, Chuchu did not let them die in vain.¡±


    ¡°Fortunately, Chuchu is around. Otherwise, Baolin and his wife would have died so unjustly. Who would have imagined that Zhao Baotian was so despicable?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu also felt that the wind around her neck was exceptionally strong after she said what she wanted to say. It was as though Zhao Baolin and his wife were expressing their gratitude.


    Zhao Chuchu kowtowed three times.


    She managed to live by upying this body. These three bows were well deserved.


    Xie Heng, who was beside her, also followed suit.


    After the candles and paper money were burned, Zhao Chuchu put away the offerings.


    Moving graves was a huge deal for the vigers. They all came to help, so Zhao Chuchu had to treat them to a meal. She did not continue to linger on the mountain. She had to return to help Old Mrs. Chen prepare dinner as soon as possible. Otherwise, it would be dark soon now that winter was approaching.


    Old Mrs. Chen and her daughters-inw had always been capable. So when Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng reached home, most of the dishes were already done.


    Aside from them, the women from Niu Tongsheng¡¯s house had also gone to help.


    By the time dinner was over, it was already dark outside. Everyone chatted at the Xie residence for a while and then went back home.


    Zhao Chuchu finally had time to take a nice bath after a busy day.


    The season had now transitioned to winter. It would soon be the end of the year. After the new year, they would need to prepare to move to the capital.


    Before this, she had promised to teach the vigers how to use soybeans to make douchi and soy sauce. She needed to put it on the agenda now.


    The process of making douchi and soy sauce wasplicated. It was not as simple as making tofu and tofu skins.


    Zhao Chuchu was lost in thought.


    Seeing that Zhao Chuchu did note out after such a long time and that there was no movement inside, Xie Heng thought that she had fallen asleep. So he knocked on the bathroom door and said, ¡°Chuchu, have you fallen asleep? It is chilly. Don¡¯t catch a cold.¡±


    Only then did Zhao Chuchu regain her senses. She discovered that the water was already cold.


    Fortunately, she was not afraid of the cold. Otherwise, she would truly catch a cold.


    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t. I will be out in a minute,¡± said Zhao Chuchu as she dressed as fast as possible.


    Xie Heng waited outside with a cape. When Zhao Chuchu came out, he draped it over her shoulders. He said, ¡°If you are tired, go and sleep first. I already warmed the nkets with hot water bottles. If you lie down now, the temperature will be just right.¡±


    Zhao Chuchuughed and asked, ¡°Are you afraid that I will be cold?¡±


    ¡°When winteres, it is easier to catch a cold,¡± said Xie Heng as he patted her head. ¡°Quickly, go lie down.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu initially did not want to trouble Xie Heng. However, she could not bring herself to turn down his good intentions. So, she happily returned to her room and burrowed into her bed.


    When Xie Heng returned to the room after his bath, Zhao Chuchu discussed the matter of douchi and soy sauce with him.


    In reality, Xie Heng had begun to process douchi. However, it took a long time for the beans to be fermented, so they had yet to find out whether or not he had seeded.


    Xie Heng advised, ¡°We will know in the twelfth month. If we seed, then we can ask the Chen n to give it a try too. However, Chuchu, I still propose that we not leave the production of douchi and soy sauce to the vigers in Lengshui Vige. People are selfish by nature. The Chen and Niu ns can be trusted, but I can¡¯t say the same for the other ns.¡±


    ¡°I know. I am only teaching them the technique. It¡¯s up to them whether or not they can sessfully produce it. I have decided to coborate with the Yuan n to produce douchi and soy sauce. I know not to put all my eggs in one basket, but the Chen n has helped us a lot.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu appreciated the Chen n¡¯s help in caring for the original owner and the Xie n. Moreover, the Chen n was kindhearted, so she was willing


    to lend them a hand. If they refused to work hard and could not yield sess, she was not to me for their failure.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine as long as you know what you¡¯re doing.¡±


    Xie Heng did not pursue the topic any further.


    Time flew by. The news of Zhao Baotian being beheaded gradually dropped from the conversations among the vigers. In the blink of an eye, they hade to the end of the year.


    A year had concluded, and a new year wasing. It was a new beginning for all of them.


    Due to Zhao Chuchu, the vigers¡¯ living standards improved by leaps and bounds.


    As such, she received many gifts from the vigers. The Xie n was running out of space to store all the presents they received.


    On top of that, as the new year arrived, more and more strangers frequented Lengshui Vige, intending to visit Zhao Chuchu. They came with all kinds of offerings. These people were patients with the big belly disease. Now that they werepletely cured, they came bearing gifts to thank her.


    Zhao Chuchu tried all sorts of ways to turn down their gifts but to no avail. Some people did not even give her a chance to say no. They left right after leaving the goods at her door. They were very worried that she would return the items to them.


    Zhao Chuchu helplessly said, ¡°There¡¯s so much stuff. We don¡¯t even have space to store them anymore. Why don¡¯t we choose some and send them over to the Gan n? It¡¯s been a while since we visited Grandpa Gan.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Xie Heng agreed while nodding his head. ¡°Stay put. I will pick out some items.¡±


    ¡°Let me help you.¡±


    ¡°You can sit and watch by the side.¡±


    Xie Heng did not need Zhao Chuchu¡¯s help. He had selected many items, and they nned to visit the town tomorrow.


    Zhao Chuchu sighed. ¡°Time really flies. In the blink of an eye, it¡¯s almost the new year. I feel like I have done nothing, and a year has already passed.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true. You have done a lot. Look at Lengshui Vige. It¡¯spletely different now.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. However, it has been a long time since Ist anticipated the arrival of the new year. Oh ya! Should we set off some fireworks on New Year¡¯s Eve?¡±


    ¡°Fireworks?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu exined, ¡°Hmm. They are like firecrackers, but we shoot them into the sky. They will explode in mid-air and are shaped like flowers. The disy is stunning, so they are called fireworks. You have never seen them before, right? This year, I will show you.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I look forward to it.¡±


    ¡°When the timees, we can gather everyone in the vige for some fun.


    That¡¯s the true spirit of celebrating the new year!¡±


    Before the descent of the post-apocalyptic world, fireworks were prohibited everywhere. Zhao Chuchu had only seen fireworks disyed by the government during major events. She had not set off fireworks herself for a long time.


    Please enter the trantion

 Chapter 392 - 386 Beyond Saving

    Chapter 392: Chapter 386 Beyond Saving


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    There were still some fireworks in her carry-on space. They should be enough for her to enjoy herself thoroughly.


    ¡°Alright, whatever you say,¡± Xie Heng replied with a smile. ¡°Why don¡¯t we add some other stuff like ring tossing? That way, everyone can enjoy themselves.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great! Let¡¯s do it on New Year¡¯s Day. Go and discuss this idea with the


    Chief tomorrow. I have other games in mind. Let me exin the rules to you.¡± Since Xie Heng had suggested ying games, she was more than willing to contribute some ideas.


    In her previous life, the New Year was only a holiday away from work. The traditions had long been lost to the annals of history. The reunion was the only thing people from her previous life preserved.


    Zhao Chuchu told Xie Heng all the games that were suitable to be yed in this era. Furthermore, since she had decided to organize an event, she would ensure it was the liveliest event ever. Therefore, she could also enjoy the festivities to the fullest.


    The more she spoke, the less sleepy she was. Instead, she was filled with anticipation about celebrating the Lunar New Year.


    As they received and gave gifts, the Lunar New Year came.


    The watermill workshop rushed out the batches of tofu skins that needed to be delivered in advance. They were closed from the 28th day of the twelfth month to the 10th day of the Lunar New Year.


    After discussing with Xie Heng, Zhao Chuchu gave the vigers who worked at the watermill workshop gifts for the new year. Their wages for thisst month of the year also doubled. This was so everyone could celebrate the new year happily.


    Niu Tongsheng also told the vigers about the fireworks on New Year¡¯s Eve and the events on New Year¡¯s Day.


    As for how much each family paid, it was up to them. They did not force everyone to contribute a certain amount.


    Initially, the members of the Zhao n were nning on not paying. However, they all contributed once they heard that there would be many prizes for the vigers to win on New Year¡¯s Day.


    Zhao Chuchu did not interfere with how Niu Tongsheng carried out these matters.


    The people who were in charge of these funds were chosen unanimously by the vigers. A total of five people were selected. They were in charge of purchasing and procuring the items needed as well as decorating the venue. At the end of the event, they had to publish the ounts of their expenditure and show everyone where the money had been used.


    On New Year¡¯s Eve, every house was ughtering chickens and ducks. There were many people beside the river.


    Zhao Chuchu and Xie Jun carried a basket full of vegetables over to the river to be washed.


    All the spots along the riverbank were initially upied. When the crowd saw Zhao Chuchu, they immediately made space for her. Someone called out, ¡°Over here. Come quickly!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu smiled as she walked over. Since there was not enough space for two people, she instructed Xie Jun, ¡°Junjun, head back first. I don¡¯t need your help here.¡±


    ¡°Sis, I can wash some upstream. The water is so cold. Let¡¯s quickly finish this so that you can go home and warm yourself,¡± said Xie Jun with a look of concern. He was worried that she would catch a cold.


    After he said this, he did not wait for Zhao Chuchu to reply and immediately took a whole bunch of vegetables upstream. She could not even stop him in time.


    Fortunately, the remaining poison in Xie Jun¡¯s body had been eliminated. He was much healthier now and could withstand this cold weather, so Zhao Chuchu allowed him to do as he pleased.


    Zhao Changgui was also at the riverbank.


    When he noticed that Xie Jun had gone upstream, he nced at Zhao Chuchu. Then, after confirming that she was not paying attention and was chatting with the others, he quietly followed Xie Jun.


    Unbeknownst to Zhao Changgui, Zhao Chuchu had noticed him when she arrived at the river. Moreover, even though she appeared to be doing other things, she kept an eye on him.


    She acted right after Zhao Changgui went upstream.


    ¡°Chuchu, where are you going?¡± asked Madam Zheng, who was sitting right beside Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°Zhao Changgui is following Junjun. God knows what he is up to. I am going to check on him.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu announced her intentions to the public, drawing their attention to the boys.


    This brat, Zhao Changgui, needed to be taught a lesson!


    Xie Jun was focused on finishing the task as soon as possible, so he was unaware that someone was following him. He mumbled, ¡°It¡¯s so cold here. I must quickly finish washing everything so that we can warm ourselves at home. If I fall sick again, I will have to trouble Bro and Sis to take care of me. There¡¯s an event happening in the vige tomorrow. I certainly do not want to miss it¡­¡±


    Xie Jun found a spot that was suitable for washing and squatted down.


    When Zhao Changgui saw this, he rushed over, intending to push Xie Jun into the river.


    His father had been beheaded, and his mother was sentenced to be a ve. He needed to make sure that Zhao Chuchu paid for this.


    Behind the boys, Zhao Chuchu kicked a pebble toward them.


    The pebble flew out with lightning speed and hit Zhao Changgui¡¯s knee pit just before he touched Xie Jun.


    Zhao Changgui cried out in pain and lost his bnce. Unable to stop in time, he charged straight into the river.


    The bone-chilling water enveloped him. He choked on water and screamed.


    They were not far away from where the vigers were washing their vegetables. The vigers could see them clearly if they looked upstream. Therefore, they witnessed everything that Zhao Changgui did.


    Zhao Changgui attempted to push Xie Jun into the water without a valid reason. His action caused the vigers to loathe him.


    So when Zhao Changgui was screaming for help, no one saved him.


    A vigermented, ¡°As expected, like father, like son. Zhao Baotian harmed other people, and his son is following in his footsteps. We should definitely stay away from them in the future!¡±


    ¡°Junjun did not offend him. Why is he so evil? He deserves to drown.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s so young, yet his heart is wretched. What will be of him when he grows up? He will be a murderer just like his father!¡±


    The vigers went on and on.


    The river was rather deep. Fortunately, it was winter now, and the water level had receded. The current was also not as swift.


    Zhao Changgui struggled for a bit before he managed to stand up. The water was up to his chest.


    When he heard what the vigers said, he immediately cursed, ¡°If this bitch Zhao Chuchu had not framed my father, you mongrels would not be able to spout such nonsense here as you please. When I grow up, I will kill all of you. It is because all of you didn¡¯t save my father that he is dead now!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    This brat was beyond saving!


    ¡°I killed your father? Then, did my parents deserve to be poisoned by your father? Zhao Changgui, you are so self-centered. You do not know how to differentiate right from wrong. It seems that a person like you will be useless when you grow up. If that is the case, it would be better for you to die right here!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s icy gaze frightened Zhao Changgui.


    He suddenly became meek, no longer acting as fiercely as before.


    He dared not say a word and treaded carefully to the riverbank.


    Zhao Chuchu walked to the riverbank. When Zhao Changgui got closer, she grabbed his head and pressed it into the water. She said, ¡°Junjun did not provoke you, and you wanted to kill him. Remember this feeling of not being able to live or die!¡±


    Zhao Changgui was choking so badly that he could not stop coughing.


    Zhao Chuchu pulled him up and then pressed him down again. She repeated this until Zhao Changgui was so scared that he wailed and begged for mercy, saying, ¡°I was wrong. I won¡¯t do it again in the future. Please let me go¡­¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was unmoved.


    Zhao Changgui thought that he was going to die here.


    Madam Ma rushed over frantically. When she saw Zhao Changgui in such a state, she quickly begged for mercy, saying, ¡°Chuchu, he is still a child. Let him go, please. I will discipline him properly back home.¡±


    When Zhao Chuchu heard this, she nced to the side and saw Madam Ma begging her with a sad look on her face.


    Zhao Chuchu was holding Zhang Changgui as he stood in the river, shivering. He was so cold that his face was pale, and he was drawing deep breaths.


    ¡°You wish to plead for him?¡± asked Zhao Chuchu.


    Madam Ma nodded and said, ¡°After all, he is Changrong¡¯s brother.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, as long as you do not regret it,¡± said Zhao Chuchu. She did not stop


    Madam Ma from bing a saint as she let go of Zhao Changgui.


    Please enter the trantion

 Chapter 393 - 387 Everyone Has Their Own Agenda

    Chapter 393: Chapter 387 Everyone Has Their Own Agenda


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Zhao Changgui lost his bnce and fell into the water again. He choked on a few mouthfuls of water before struggling to stand up.


    Madam Ma quickly went forward to pull him up onto the riverbank.


    She never imagined that Zhao Changgui would direct his anger toward her. However, when he grabbed her hand, he tugged at it.


    [Plop!]


    Before she could react, Madam Ma was dragged into the water.


    ¡°Cough, cough. Save me¡­¡±


    Zhao Chuchu watched as Madam Ma struggled in the water. However, she did not extend her hand to save her.


    Zhao Changgui only focused on climbing onto the riverbank on his own. Hepletely ignored Madam Ma¡¯s predicament as though he were not the one who had dragged her into the water.


    ¡°Aye, karma wille back to bite him.¡± When the people downstream saw this, they quickly ran over to rescue Madam Ma. They chided Changgui, saying, ¡°Changgui, how can you act like this? She is your Second Aunt and is taking care of you now. Who will look after you and your brother if anything happens to her?¡±


    ¡°It is her fault for being useless and falling into the water herself. What does that have to do with me? Moreover, I did not ask her to be nosy and choose to take care of us. If not for her being a bringer of misfortune, would my family end up like this? Would my father end up being beheaded?¡±


    Zhao Changgui did not dare to do anything to Zhao Chuchu. He, on the other hand, had no such reservations about others. He ran his mouth unrestrained, just like Madam Yang did.


    Madam Ma was pulled up onto the riverbank by others. She was so cold that her teeth were chattering. She said, ¡°Zhao Changgui, are you trying to kill me? How can you be so cruel at such a young age?


    ¡°You failed to grab hold of me properly and fell into the water yourself. How is that my fault? Did you think that you could me me for everything just because I have no parents? I am warning you: don¡¯t think that you can bully Madam Ma was enraged to the point of exploding.


    ¡°You¡­you¡­¡±


    ¡°Bleh!¡±


    Zhao Changgui made a face at her and then ran off.


    Madam Ma was furious.


    ¡°You ungrateful brat. Just wait and see.¡±


    Madam Ma was not a kind soul herself.


    It was only because Zhao Changrong had nearly died that she had changed slightly. She chose to care for Zhao Changgui and Zhao Changfu because she subconsciously believed that she could umte good karma for Zhao Changrong by doing so.


    All this while, Zhao Changgui, and his brother had regrly angered her. Her patience had long been worn thin. That day, the former hadpletely ignited her fury.


    She left the crowd behind as she gritted her teeth. Then, hugging herself to stay warm, she ran back home as fast as possible to change so that she would not catch a cold on New Year¡¯s Eve.


    ¡°Without a doubt, Zhao Changgui is Zhao Baotian¡¯s son. He is as evil as his father!¡±


    ¡°Madam Ma has no grudge against him and has been caring for them. Who would have thought they would repay her kindness in such a manner?


    ¡°It is best that we avoid those whose surname is Zhao. Remember not to let your children y with them in the future. Who knows when they will harm someone?


    ¡°This incident was too frightening. Fortunately, it¡¯s almost spring now. Otherwise, Junjun and Madam Ma would have lost their lives.¡±


    The vigers went on and on.


    Zhao Chuchu did not join in the conversation. If Zhao Changgui knew the concept of gratitude, he wouldn¡¯t have failed in differentiating right from wrong.


    Speaking of which, she initially thought that Madam Ma had undergone a drastic transformation and nned to take care of Zhao Changgui and Zhao


    Changfu without asking for anything in return.


    From the looks of it, Madam Ma also had her own agenda.


    Old Man Zhao and the others in their family would most likely not return to Lengshui Vige in the near future.


    However, the Zhao n owned quite a lot ofnd in the vige. Since Zhao Baogen had run away, Madam Ma naturally had to im custody over the remaining three children in the Zhao n so that theirnd would not be snatched away by the members of the extended family.


    The one who would suffer in the future was most likely Zhao Changgui.


    Zhao Chuchu had nearly been deceived by Madam Ma because she had been so caught up with other matters!


    ¡°Junjun, are you alright?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked Xie Jun in a gentle voice.


    ¡°Sis, I¡¯m alright.¡± Xie Jun¡¯s face was as pale as a sheet. He was terrified but pretended to be alright because he did not want Zhao Chuchu to worry about him.


    ¡°Fret not. No one can bully you with me around. You don¡¯t look so good. Go home first. I will wash the rest of the vegetables,¡±forted Zhao Chuchu as she took over the vegetables that Xie Jun had been hugging tightly. ¡°Be a good boy and listen to me.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Xie Jun agreed, and he did not insist on staying here.


    He, too, did not want to fall into the water and fall sick during the Lunar New Year period.


    He still wanted to watch fireworks and join the temple fair organized by the vigers tomorrow.


    After Xie Jun went home, Zhao Chuchu returned to the river to finish her chores.


    Someone asked, ¡°Is Junjun alright?¡±


    ¡°Sigh. The members of the Zhao n are truly wretched. Next time, don¡¯t let Junjun go near the river.¡±


    ¡°If Chuchu didn¡¯t notice Zhao Changgui in time, Junjun would most likely not have survived the cold water with his frail constitution!¡±


    The vigers all expressed their concern for Xie Jun.


    Zhao Chuchu echoed their sentiment half-heartedly. She washed all the vegetables as fast as she could and went home.


    Speaking of which, the 20th day of the twelfth month was the wedding day of Zhao Men and Hu Yiming.


    However, since Zhao Chuchu had too many visitors recently, she was not free to help on their big day.


    Even when Zhao Men visited her maiden family after three days of marriage, Zhao Chuchu was not around. Therefore, she had not been able to treat Hu Yiming.


    Zhao Chuchu was thinking of starting the treatment for Hu Yiming when Zhao Men returned to her maiden family with him for the new year.


    Xie Heng could head to the capital first. Then, she and Xie Jun could catch up with himter.


    Xie Heng was in charge of the reunion dinner. He did not allow Zhao Chuchu to bring out any dishes from her carry-on space. Instead, he prepared a table full of their favorite dishes.


    It had been a long time since Zhao Chuchust had such a scrumptious reunion dinner.


    Xie Jun indulged in the food and did not even lift his head from the bowl.


    Xie Heng had to stop the two of them from finishing everything. Otherwise, they would not have any leftovers to symbolize having a surplus year after year.


    After they finished dinner, Xie Jun went over to y with the kids in the Chen n.


    Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng took the opportunity to hang a Chinese couplet on their door. They might not have time to do so tomorrow when many guests arrive early in the morning.


    The sound of firecrackers could be heard from time to time. The atmosphere was festive.


    Zhao Chuchu told Xie Heng, ¡°I have not experienced such a joyous new year for a long, long time. In my previous life, aside from the reunion, we ditched all the other traditions for traditional festivals. For most people, the new year merely meant rest days away from work.¡±


    Xie Heng had a rough understanding of the future world and their concept of holidays based on Zhao Chuchu¡¯s description.


    He asked, ¡°Aside from the Lunar New Year, were there any other festivals where you could rest?¡±


    ¡°There were. The Qingming Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, and Mid-Autumn


    Festival were the three traditional festivals that we celebrated. Then, on top of that, we had Labor Day and National Day.¡±


    ¡°National Day?¡±


    ¡°It was a day tomemorate the founding of the nation. So, for us, National Day was quite a grand event.¡±


    ¡°It seems interesting. I wonder what traditions you had for the New Year.¡±


    ¡°On New Year¡¯s Eve, we would receive lucky money. On New Year¡¯s Day, we got red packets.¡±


    The Wei Dynasty did not have such a rule. At most, they gave the children snacks to eat. Aside from that, there were no other traditions.


    ¡°Are there any rules to lucky money and red packets?¡±


    ¡°Of course, the more, the better. However, one would give ording to their ability.¡±


    ¡°Are there any other traditions?


    ¡°Other traditions?


    Zhao Chuchu thought about it carefully. Aside from lucky money and red packets, she could not recall any other traditions.


    In many countries, lucky money and red packets were the same thing. There was no difference between the two.


    However, Xie Heng did not know about it, so Zhao Chuchu conned him.


    The Wei Dynasty and the future world had many simrities when it came to Lunar New Year traditions. There were just a few minute differences.


    Of course, no matter how old someone was, they all hoped to receive a red packet during the Lunar New Year. Zhao Chuchu was no exception.

 Chapter 394 - 388 All That He Treasured

    Chapter 394: Chapter 388 All That He Treasured


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Fireworks were rare items.


    Yet, kids like Xie Jun, even people as old as Niu Tongsheng, had never heard of such things.


    Hence, after the vige¡¯s children finished dinner, they all went to the Chen residence and merrily followed Xie Jun back to the Xie residence to await the beginning of the fireworks show.


    Zhao Chuchu had already taken out all of the fireworks they would ignite and arranged them orderly inside the house. These fireworks could be set off for at least an hour.


    Aside from that, there were also small firecrackers for the children to y with, as well as mini fireworks.


    Zhao Chuchu separated these items and distributed them to the boys and girls, respectively. Then she taught them how to y with them.


    Now, the eyes of the children in the vige were all dazzling.


    ¡°Chuchu, didn¡¯t you say that you wanted to wait until midnight to ignite the fireworks? Do you need our help?¡± Niu An and the others arrived shortly.


    ¡°Yes. Uncle Niu, can you help me shift these things to the sun-drying field? It is more spacious, and there is no dry grass around there. It is a suitable ce to set off the fireworks,¡± said Zhao Chuchu as she pointed at the fireworks inside the house.


    ¡°They are so colorful. Chuchu, where did you get these?¡±


    ¡°Oh, these were given to me by the Yuan n when I returned from the capital. They said that these were brought back by sailors who ventured out to sea to the west. They are novelty items.¡±


    ¡°I see. No wonder I have never seen them before.¡±


    ¡°Come, let us move these things over to the field first. We can talk moreter.¡± Others were already encouraging him.


    After all, everyone had had a prosperous year. Therefore, they did not need to worry about whether they would have enough to eat next year or whether the harvest was poor.


    With the aid of Niu An and the others, the fireworks were all swiftly moved to the sun-drying field.


    Zhao Chuchu followed them.


    When she saw the crowd approaching the fireworks with torches, she immediately ordered them to disperse, saying, ¡°Fireworks cannot be too close to the fire. Otherwise, they will explode easily. It can be very dangerous. So whoever is holding a torch, stand further away. It is not yet time to set them aze!¡±


    When the crowd heard this, they hurriedly backed off.


    Even the elders came to enjoy the show wearing thickyers of clothing.


    The light from the torches flickered in the sun-drying field. Then, under Zhao Chuchu¡¯s instruction, Niu An and the others arranged the fireworks in the area.


    By the time theypleted the preparations, it was almost midnight.


    Each household sent someone back to ignite the firecrackers.


    After the firecrackers were set off, Zhao Chuchu set off the fireworks as well.


    The fireworks shot up into the sky and exploded in mid-air. They lit up the night sky and were as gorgeous as flowers.


    The vigers had never seen such beautiful fireworks before. For a moment, they were mesmerized.


    Zhao Chuchu also looked up into the sky at the exploding fireworks. Her smile grew wider and wider.


    Xie Heng walked up beside her and watched the night sky with her, shoulder to shoulder.


    ¡°Although fireworksst only for a short while, they are beautiful. Chuchu, thank you for letting me witness such a great scene,¡± Xie Heng mumbled into her ear.


    Zhao Chuc.hu turned her head and asked Xie Heng with a smile, ¡°Da Lang, do you like it?¡±


    ¡°I like it,¡± Xie Heng answered as he nodded.


    How could he not like it?


    It was a beauty that he had never seen before, just like Zhao Chuchu.


    Her arrival lit up his life like fireworks. Although it was short, it was so dazzling and exciting.


    Xie Heng reached out and embraced Zhao Chuchu.


    The scene before his eyes and the maiden in his embrace were all that he treasured.


    He wondered when the two of them could enjoy fireworks alone!


    Xie Heng was well aware that this was most likely the final moment of serenity for him and Zhao Chuchu.


    After they left Lengshui Vige, they would leave the peaceful farm life behind. But, instead, what awaited them would be endless schemes and conspiracies.


    He had set up the grand stage. Even if he wanted to put a stop to everything now, he couldn¡¯t. His only option was to advance.


    Zhao Chuchu leaned against Xie Heng. She was surrounded by the sound of fireworks cracking and childrenughing. Their lives were peaceful. This was the perfect life for her.


    The fireworks performancested for an hour.


    All the children and the vigers craved more.


    The modified fireworks did not emit a pungent smell of gunpowder and would not cause any pollution. The fragrance emitted was synonymous with springtime. Everyone wished for the fireworks tost forever.


    Someone asked, ¡°Chuchu, are there any fireworks left?¡±


    ¡°There are still some left, but I wish to keep them until the Lantern Festival.¡± ¡°Will we be able to watch fireworks again during the Lantern Festival?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great! Can I ask my maiden family toe over during the Lantern Festival? Fireworks are too rare a sight. I have never seen such a magnificent show before.¡±


    ¡°Of course, you can.¡±


    As soon as Zhao Chuchu said this, all the housewives got really excited. They all made ns for their maiden families toe to the vige.


    Zhao Chuchu was not totally on board with having so many people in the vige, but she did not object to their idea.


    After all, the more, the merrier, especially during festivals. The livelier the ce was, the more it felt like the new year.


    She had never experienced such a festive atmosphere before. However, now that she had finally experienced it, she could testify that the descriptions mentioned on the Inte were urate and not exaggerated.


    The only difference was that she was living in a different era now, and many things had changed.


    Zhao Chuchu found Xie Jun, and they went home with Xie Heng.


    Xie Jun was beyond thrilled. He eximed, ¡°Sis, fireworks are awesome! Can we have that every year? I love it!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu replied, ¡°It depends on your performance. If your brother says that you did well throughout the year, I¡¯ll put on a fireworks disy for you during the Lunar New Year. If not, it is out of the question.¡± She knew that after the new year, Xie Jun would have to focus on learning how to manage a country from Xie Heng, so she did not readily agree to his request like she used to.


    ¡°Is it true?¡± asked Xie Jun as he looked at Xie Heng.


    Xie Heng said, ¡°Hmm. We will do as your Sis said.¡±


    ¡°Yay! But, Bro, you can¡¯t purposely give me a bad review.¡±


    ¡°It depends on your performance.¡±


    Xie Jun was at a loss for words.


    He wailed internally. He had a feeling that Bro would purposely give him a bad review!


    He was very worried.


    Xie Heng saw through Xie Jun¡¯s intentions. However, he did not expose thetter.


    When they reached home, Xie Heng took out the lucky money that he had prepared in the morning.


    The two sets of lucky money were identical. They were wrapped in in-colored wallets.


    ¡°This is lucky money. May your year be happy and peaceful.¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡¯


    Zhao Chuchu smiled. Xie Heng actually prepared lucky money for her.


    It did not matter how much he had prepared. It was the thought that counted.


    Xie Jun was simrly surprised. He said, ¡°Bro, what is lucky money?¡±


    ¡°Lucky money is money that elders give to the younger generation as a blessing of good fortune.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thank you, Bro,¡± said Xie Jun as he hugged his wallet happily. Although he did not know why he only received lucky money now, it did not stop him from being happy. Finally, he dered, ¡°I am going to bed. Bro, Sis, don¡¯t stay up toote.¡±


    He wanted to see how much money he had received, so he was a bit anxious. However, before Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng could say anything, he had already gone into his room.


    Xie Heng said helplessly, ¡°He has been spoiled.¡±


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who spoiled him?¡± said Zhao Chuchu with a smile. She also took her wallet and went to her room.


    Xie Heng followed her.


    After they entered the room and closed the door, Xie Heng took out an item that was carefully wrapped in a handkerchief and passed it to Zhao Chuchu. He said, ¡°This is my new year¡¯s present for you. Have a look and see if you like it.¡±


    ¡°Do I also get a gift?¡± she eximed in surprise.


    ¡°Hmm. Junjun does not get one.¡±


    Zhao Chuc.hu grinned from ear to ear. Xie Heng was indeed smart. He actually knew to prepare her a present. She opened the handkerchief in anticipation.

 Chapter 395 - 389 The Best Gift

    Chapter 395: Chapter 389 The Best Gift


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    A jade hairpiny there. It¡¯s clear and smooth texture told her that it was something extremely valuable.


    ¡°Do you like it?¡± Xie Heng asked.


    Zhao Chuchu nodded. ¡°I do! Can you help me put it on?


    Xie Heng smiled. He picked up the hairpin and tied Zhao Chuchu¡¯s hair with it.


    Just as he had thought, the hairpin suited her very well.


    ¡°Does it look good?¡±


    ¡°It does.¡±


    Xie Heng then pulled Zhao Chuchu to the bronze mirror.


    The jade hairpin now bundled up a part of her hair, giving her another vibe than her usual self.


    Xie Heng had an excellent eye for spotting the best essories.


    Zhao Chuchu loved the present a lot.


    However, she did not prepare any gifts in return. The jades that she had collected were sold to get more resources. There was not a decent gift that she could take out for the man right away.


    Just as she was worried about that, an idea suddenly came to her mind. She didn¡¯t have any jades with her, but she had a lot of electronics.


    Even if there were limited options to recharge the power, she still had a lot of batteries that could be recharged with sr power.


    She quickly took out a tablet with a lot of information stored on it from the space and gave it to Xie Heng.


    ¡°This is what we used to store information from where I came from. It doesn¡¯t take up a lot of space and is easy to carry around. It¡¯s also a good thing to pass the time with.¡±


    Zhao Chuc.hu then booted up the tablet and taught Xie Heng how to use it.


    It was Xie Heng¡¯s first time interacting with an advanced technological product. So naturally, he was extremely curious about it. He also learned that the text Zhao Chuchu used in the future world was almost identical to the one he used, with a couple of tweaks that made it easier to read and write.


    ¡°Oh, right! You can type in the text that you used here. Just change this from


    Simplified Chinese to Traditional Chinese.¡±


    ¡°How do I write on this?¡±


    ¡°Here, do you see this keyboardyout? See these strokes? Just tap on the strokes as if you were writing them. There¡¯s also an option for you to write, but I think that¡¯s slower.¡±


    Xie Heng watched how Zhao Chuchu wrote on the tablet and was once again amazed at how amazing the world she came from was.


    He liked the unique gift a lot.


    After Zhao Chuchu had taught him for a while, he had mastered how to use the tablet and started to discover all its other functions.


    ¡°Is this how you do it? Is this apass? Wait, is this the time?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s thepass. We tell the time differently than you do. Your day is split into 12 hours, but we have 24. So, here, your one hour is two for us.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu then taught Xie Heng the Arabic numerals and how to understand the clock.


    Xie Heng was smart enough to understand them right away.


    After that, he stopped asking questions and started to fiddle with the tablet.


    Zhao Chuchu looked at how excited Xie Heng was and chuckled.


    She didn¡¯t interrupt him after that, as she understood that men loved electronics as much as they loved robots.


    When Xie Heng finally moved his eyes away from the tablet, Zhao Chuchu had already fallen asleep.


    He slowly put the tablet down and walked over to kiss her on the forehead.


    She opened her eyes a little, smiled, and fell back to sleep.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± the man whispered.


    That was the best gift that he had ever received, and he liked it a lot.


    He did not continue to y with the tablet andy down next to Zhao Chuchu. Finally satisfied, he closed his eyes and went to sleep.


    The next morning, Zhao Chuchu was woken up by the sound of crackers.


    Xie Heng had already woken up. Judging by how warm his side was still, she could tell that he had woken up just a short while ago.


    He had put the tablet on top of his pillow, showing how much he treasured it.


    Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t help but chuckle again.


    Unfortunately, she had no protective case in her space, so she couldn¡¯t give one to him.


    Just as she was lost in her own thoughts, Xie Heng came into the room.


    ¡°I was about to wake you up to set some crackers off. Come on, get out of bed if you¡¯re awake.¡± Xie Heng grabbed Zhao Chuchu¡¯s clothes and walked over. ¡°Do you want me to help you put them on?


    ¡°I can do it myself.¡± Zhao Chuchu shook her head. She didn¡¯t want that to turn into something steamy and ruin the New Year¡¯s atmosphere.


    Xie Heng was a little disappointed, but he did not linger inside the room. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll go set some more crackers off. Don¡¯t stay in bed too long.¡±

 Chapter 396 - 389 The Best Gift 2

    Chapter 396: Chapter 389 The Best Gift 2


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Once Xie Heng left, Zhao Chuchu changed her clothes as fast as possible.


    The sound of the firecrackers could be heard outside. Children who always slept in had woken up early for the festive day.


    They were all excited to visit their friends and family so that they could stuff themselves with snacks. That was the biggest reason why children loved the New Year so much.


    A lot of kids came to visit Xie Heng and his family too. Zhao Chuchu could hear Xie Jun giving out snacks to the kids from her room.


    Zhao Chuchu received a lot of New Year gifts, including a variety of amazing snacks.


    Other than that, Zhao Chuchu also took fruit-vored candy from her space that could not be found in that world. The kids loved those the most as they were at a time when their chances of ever eating sugar were slim.


    Although giving out red money packets was not yet a tradition, it was the norm in Zhao Chuchu¡¯s past life. Even after reincarnating, she could not get rid of her own tradition. It was proof that she used to live in another world.


    She had prepared a lot of nickels before the New Year so that she could pack them inside the red packets.


    With the red packets in her hand, she left the room and gave one to all the children. ¡°Here. I wish that you kids will live a healthy and fruitful year.¡±


    The children were all stunned.


    ¡°These are red packets!¡± Xie Jun happily exined. ¡°Adults give them to children. Look! I have one too. Sis said that children who received red packets would be safe and healthy all year round!¡±


    ¡°But, we never received one before¡­¡±


    The children looked at each other worriedly and didn¡¯t take the red packets.


    Zhao Chuchu smiled. ¡°This is just my gift to all of you. It¡¯s bad juju to refuse a red packet during the New Year. It¡¯ll give you bad luck throughout the entire year.¡±


    That was enough to make the children take the red packets right away.


    ¡°Thank you, Sister Chuchu.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s the Happy New Year?¡± Xie Jun frowned.


    ¡°Happy New Year!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t help butugh at how cute the little boy was.


    The kids were excited as they weren¡¯t expecting to receive money on top of all the tasty snacks.


    When they got home, they told their parents that they had received the red packets from Zhao Chuchu.


    The adults were confused, as they had never heard of such a tradition and didn¡¯t know how to respond to it.


    They wanted to return the money, but the children insisted that they could not refuse it and exined why. In the end, the adults gathered and started to discuss what they should do.


    Zhao Chuchu had no clue that her act of trying to reminisce about her past life would be an important matter to the parents of the vige.


    After breakfast, she headed to the sun-drying field with Xie Jun.


    Niu An and the rest were cleaning the field after the fireworks from the night before so that they could prepare for the next event.


    The event was like a fair to them, and they started to call it that.


    Zhao Chuchu also had no idea that the event that suddenly crossed her mind would be a New Year tradition in the future for the Wei Dynasty.


    Zhao Chuchu, the watermill workshop, and the vigers sponsored 50 silver each so Niu An could use the 150 silver to buy everything needed for the festive event.


    Besides poultry and pork, he also bought a cow, some clothes, grains, oil, salts, and other stuff. Anything that the vigers needed was there.


    The vigers all came to help after they had finished their breakfast too.


    With Niu Tongsheng taking the lead, everything went smoothly.


    Naturally, some were petty and tried to steal a couple of things when others weren¡¯t looking, but they were caught.


    Niu Tongsheng waspletely infuriated by that. He threw the money that the family had sponsored back at them and yelled, ¡°Chuchu is the one who sponsored this event the most, but she didn¡¯t even want to take anything! Your family had only sponsored 100 cents, and now you¡¯re trying to steal the leather cloth instead? It¡¯s the New Year today! We should be celebrating! We should be enjoying this day! Yet, here you are with your thieving hands! The things here are prizes for those who participate in the games, not thieves like you lot!¡±


    The family that tried to steal the leather was scolded so badly that they were publicly embarrassed. They ran away as fast as they could.


    Those who wanted to steal things quickly dismissed that idea after that.


    The games that Zhao Chuchu had thought of were simple: a game of Oojami ring toss and javelin throws using bamboo sticks. These were easy games for vigers who had worked most of their lives in the fields.

 Chapter 397 - 389 The Best Gift 3

    Chapter 397: Chapter 389 The Best Gift 3


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    It would be easy for the vigers to win as long as they got the hang of the games.


    For fairness¡¯ sake, everyone only had one chance to y every round. If they didn¡¯t win anything, they could go to the back of the line until all prizes were given away.


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t participate because she would win everything if she did.


    The entire event would be pointless if that happened.


    The fair began a couple of hours before the sun started to set.


    The sun-drying field was filled with people. Almost everyone in Lengshui vige had gathered.


    Even if people didn¡¯t win the game, they would still cheer loudly. The ce had a lively atmosphere.


    Enjoying such an event and atmosphere, Zhao Chuchu was happy too.


    Old Mrs. Chen was extremely lucky in the ring toss game. She managed to win a chicken and had a smile on her face for the rest of the event.


    ¡°Chuchu, why don¡¯t you go and try? Look! I won a hen!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. If I y, you guys won¡¯t be able to win anything. You¡¯re pretty good yourself, Grandma Chen. You actually won a chicken for yourself!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha! I was hoping to win the ten eggs at first, but who knew I would get the hen? You can still try. You can¡¯t line up again if you win something.¡±


    Zhao Chuc.hu still refused to participate.


    There were a lot of other games as well, as there were too many gifts. If there were only one or two games, it would take the entire evening and night before the gifts were all given away.


    Old Mrs. Chen was still excited about winning the ring toss game. Seeing that Zhao Chuchu would not participate, she decided to try her luck with the other games.


    Xie Heng then approached Zhao Chuchu and stood next to her. ¡°This must be the liveliest New Year Lengshui Vige has ever seen. In the past, families would just celebrate on their own. It¡¯s such a rare sight to see everyone gathered in one ce.¡±


    ¡°People need to work together. The truth is that everyone is kind, but their poverty forces them to live like this. That is why they can¡¯t waste their time worrying about other people. If their poverty is solved, a lot of things will change.¡±


    ¡®Yet, that is the hardest thing to achieve.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that difficult. There are always more solutions than problems. Look at them. Their lives are getting better, are they not?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s easy when we only focus on a group of people. It¡¯s different when the scale gets bigger.¡±


    ¡°Then, we take one step at a time. Let¡¯s not hurry and mess things up.¡±


    Xie Heng smiled as he tried to understand her words.


    The New Year passed by in a festive mood.


    Everyone was satisfied with the event.


    Almost all the prizes were given away at the end.


    Niu Tongsheng noticed that Zhao Chuchu and her family did not participate and decided to give the Xie n the remaining prizes that weren¡¯t worth much money.


    Zhao Chuc.hu did not reject the gifts this time.


    ¡°Chuchu, this is the best New Year ever. It¡¯s all thanks to you.¡±


    ¡°Well, you can host another fair next year too. The right prizes can gather and unite the vigers. It¡¯ll also make people trust you more as their chief.¡± ¡°Good idea! We¡¯ll do this again next year!¡± Niu Tongshengughed.


    Even he could tell that the vigers¡¯ attitude toward him had significantly changed. In the past, people feared him. However, now they respected him and trusted him. The difference was so drastic that when he asked the vigers to help him, they would do the tasks as quickly as possible.


    Watching the vige be better than before was delightful for the vige chief.


    The changes happened when he was still the chief. He had already garnered enough sess that he won¡¯t embarrass himself when he reunited with his deceased family in the afterlife.


    The second day of the New Year was when married women returned home to visit their parents.


    Zhao Chuchu had returned home early with Hu Yiming.


    As soon as she settled down, she quickly brought gifts to the Xie n with her husband.


    ¡°Chuchu, Xie Heng, thank you for everything.¡± Zhao Men took the gifts from Hu Yiming and put them on the table. She had tied her hair into a bun that signified that she was a married woman and looked better and healthier than before.


    It wasn¡¯t hard to tell that Hu Yiming had been treating her well even after their marriage.


    ¡°How¡¯s everything at the Hu n?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked with a smile.


    ¡°They treat me very well, and so does my husband. It¡¯s as if I¡¯m still staying at my own home. I¡¯m free and happy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡± Zhao Chuchu could tell that Zhao Men was not lying. Hu Yiming was standing obediently next to his wife, and it was clear that he loved her a lot. ¡°Men, do you remember I wanted to give you a wedding gift? But, unfortunately, I was too busy back then, so I couldn¡¯t give it to you in time.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve already given me a lot. If you give me another gift, I¡¯ll feel very awkward.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu grinned and asked Zhao Men to follow her.


    She had nned to surprise Zhao Men back then, but fate had another n for her, so she never got the chance until now.


    Zhao Men had no idea what was going on. So she asked Hu Yiming to wait for her while she followed Zhao Chuchu to the study room.


    ¡°Men, do you want your husband to recover?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked in a serious tone.


    Zhao Men was stunned at first. ¡°What did you say?


    ¡°What I¡¯m saying is that I can treat your husband. I can turn him back into a normal person instead of him having the mind of a child. Therefore, he can continue to study and take part in the Imperial Examination¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? Can you really treat him?¡± Zhao Men didn¡¯t even wait for Zhao Chuchu to finish and quickly asked.


    Zhao Chuchu looked at Zhao Men. ¡°But, have you ever thought of this? If he recovers, the Hu n might ask for a divorce.¡±

 Chapter 398 - 390 You Could Lose Everything

    Chapter 398: Chapter 390 You Could Lose Everything


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Zhao Men¡¯s expression changed almost instantly. She was so shocked by it that she couldn¡¯t say anything.


    She looked at Zhao Chuchu anxiously as if she were lost.


    Thedy understood that if Hu Yiming had not injured his head, which resulted in his IQ reverting to that of a child now, she would never have had the chance to marry him. The Hu n would never ept ady like her into their family.


    She was nothing more than a vigedy, while the Hu n was a prestigious family. So they would find him a wife from another prestigious family instead. That was the tradition.


    Zhao Chuchu noticed the changes in Zhao Men¡¯s expression and said, ¡°The choice is still yours. You can decide if you want to cure him or not.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you can cure him?¡± Zhao Men finally asked in a shaky voice after a long while. ¡°If you could, will he recover back to before he hurt his head? Will he stop acting like a child? Will he be able to continue to study and participate in the Imperial Examination as Xie Heng did?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he will.¡±


    ¡°Then, please, treat him. He¡¯s a nice guy who deserves to live a better life than


    ¡°But you might lose everything once he recovers.¡±


    ¡°I know, but if there¡¯s a chance for Yiming to recover, I would always choose that, even if that means losing everything that I have. I shall not be that selfish. Yiming deserves a betterdy as his wife than I am.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?


    ¡°Yes, I am.¡±


    Zhao Men had made a decision. Despite the pain in her heart, she still nodded.


    She wanted to live the rest of her life with her husband, but she didn¡¯t want to let him live his life as a child forever, either.


    Because Hu Yiming had been nice to her the whole time, she hoped that he could have a sessful future too.


    ¡°If the Hu n chooses to ask me for a divorce, I will ept it. I don¡¯t have any siblings, anyway. I cane home, stay by their side, and care for them once they are old. Chuchu, please make him better.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu looked at Zhao Men and couldn¡¯t help but pat her head. ¡°You stupid girl¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve made my decision.¡± Zhao Men smiled.


    ¡°Alright. As long as you won¡¯t regret it.¡±


    ¡°I would only regret it if I chose not to cure him because of my selfishness. I¡¯m ready to ept anything thates after that.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll help him.¡±


    Zhao Men smiled, but it was a smile that was uglier than a cry.


    She liked Hu Yiming a lot.


    Even though they weren¡¯t married for long, she could not forget the part of her life where she spent all of her days with him every day.


    Zhao Chuchu knew that Zhao Men wasn¡¯t forcing herself to be kind but that


    she had already thought it through.


    She was indeed a kind girl.


    ¡°A good deed never goes unrewarded,¡± Zhao Chuchu thought.


    The scenario that she had just told Zhao Men was just a presumption.


    If she really treated Hu Yiming, the Hu n would only thank Zhao Men even more. They weren¡¯t the type of family that would chase Zhao Men out so that the cured Hu Yiming could marry someone else.


    As for Hu Yiming, if he did recover and if he didn¡¯t like Zhao Men anymore, he would still not abandon her. She was still legally his wife, and he would show her enough respect.


    However, the love he had for her wasn¡¯t a lie. Hu Yiming loved Zhao Men now and would still love her in the future.


    Unfortunately, time could only tell if Zhao Chuchu was right or not. Ultimately, humans were unpredictable, and no one could tell if Hu Yiming would change.


    When Zhao Men left the room, Hu Yiming could sense that she was in a bad mood.


    That made him worry. He quickly got some food for her and even massaged her shoulders. He was so worried that, like a child, he questioned Zhao


    Chuchu, ¡°Did you bully Men? She was smiling just now! If you did bully her, I wouldn¡¯te here again!¡±


    ¡°N-no! She didn¡¯t!¡± Zhao Men quickly said. ¡°She told me that I might be sick and asked me to take care of my own body.¡±


    ¡°But you don¡¯t look sick.¡±


    ¡°There are illnesses that can¡¯t be seen. She didn¡¯t bully me. Don¡¯t ever say something like this at another person¡¯s home, okay?¡±


    ¡°O-okay. I-I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Hu Yiming apologized like a kid who had made a mistake.


    He looked almost as old as Xie Heng but acted like a three-year-old child. It was weird and pitiful to look at.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. You got angry because you were worried about your wife. Will you continue to protect Men like you just did?¡± Zhao Chuchu smiled.


    Hu Yiming nodded. ¡°I will! I¡¯ll protect her for the rest of my life! Mom told me that Men was the one who would be with me forever! So I won¡¯t hurt her!


    And I like her the most!¡±


    He then hugged Zhao Men¡¯s arm and asked, ¡°Right?¡±


    Zhao Men¡¯s face turned red immediately as she was embarrassed. ¡°We can¡¯t do this here. Can you let me go?


    ¡°No! I like Men the most!¡±


    Zhao Men was rendered speechless.


    Looking at how shy Zhao Men was, Zhao Chuchu took some candies out to divert Hu Yiming¡¯s attention. ¡°Yiming, do you want to try this sweet? They don¡¯t sell this here, and only I have it. Look at how colorful they are.¡±


    That managed to attract Hu Yiming¡¯s attention. He let go of Zhao Men and grabbed the candies while beaming happily.


    Zhao Men quickly let out a sigh of relief.


    After eating one of the candies, Zhao Chuchu asked Zhao Men to take Hu Yiming into Xie Jun¡¯s room.


    ¡°Are we going to start now?¡± Zhao Men asked nervously.


    ¡°Yes. Once I head into the city with Da Lang, I won¡¯t be able toe back here so often. The New Year was yesterday, too, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that. I¡¯m just worried that you¡¯re too busy.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing more important than treating him now. So don¡¯t overthink it.


    Just stay there. I¡¯ll start with some acupuncture.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Zhao Men stepped back and sat down by the chair. She grabbed her hands tightly and held her breath.


    ¡°Men, what is going on?¡± Hu Yiming was a little ufortable.


    ¡°Yiming, do you want to be smarter?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked. ¡°If you be smarter, you¡¯ll be able to protect Men even better.¡±


    ¡°Yes! Can you make me smarter?¡±


    ¡°I can, but you¡¯ll have to do what I say. I¡¯ll put some needles in your head, which might hurt, but you¡¯ll have to endure it, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll endure it!¡±


    ¡°If you endure it, I¡¯ll give you more candy.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Hu Yiming¡¯s eyes widened, and he quicklyy still. ¡°I¡¯m ready!¡¯ Zhao Chuchu chuckled and took her silver needles out.


    The treatment was long, and the acupoints where the needles were inserted would hurt a lot. Hu Yiming was sweating profoundly from the pain, but he could endure it and didn¡¯t even make a noise.


    Even Zhao Chuchu was impressed by Hu Yiming¡¯s will.


    Only his IQ had reverted to that of a three-year-old) but the rest of him was still an adult.


    Zhao Men gulped as the process continued.


    When Zhao Chuchu finally inserted thest needle, Hu Yiming could no longer


    bear the pain and fainted.


    ¡°Yiming¡­¡± Zhao Men was terrified.

 Chapter 399 - 3911 Can Endure It

    Chapter 399: Chapter 3911 Can Endure It


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°He¡¯s fine. It¡¯s already amazing that he could bear with it and only faints now. He¡¯ll wake up once I pull the needles outter. However, he could be fine one day and revert to his child¡¯s mind the next day. Whatever happens, it¡¯s all normal.¡± Zhao Chuchu quickly stopped Zhao Men.


    Zhao Men grabbed Zhao Chuchu¡¯s hands and asked, ¡°He won¡¯t do something that will hurt himself, right?¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t. What I mean is that he will switch between his adult and child selves. So you don¡¯t have to worry too much.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Have I ever lied to you?


    ¡°Alright.


    Zhao Men might look like she felt a little relief after hearing that, but she was still extremely nervous.


    She didn¡¯t know how Hu Yiming would treat her after he had finally recovered.


    ¡°But, we¡¯ll have to continue with the acupuncture every day for the next ten days for him topletely stabilize and fully recover. So, you should head back and tell your grandmother-inw to send him over daily.¡±


    ¡°Does he need to take any medicine?


    ¡°Not for now. Once the acupuncture is over, I¡¯ll give you a prescription for him.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Are you scared?¡±


    ¡°More like conflicted¡­l want him to recover, but I also secretly hope that he stays like this forever. Am I selfish?¡±


    ¡°That is not selfish. It is just how a person would normally feel. No matter what that conflict is, you¡¯ve already made up your mind, right? If you ever run into a situation where you have no idea what to choose, then choose to follow your heart. At least you won¡¯t regret your choicester on.¡±


    ¡°Your words always make so much sense.¡±


    Zhao Men turned to look at Hu Yiming. Needles were spread from his


    shoulders to his head, and his face was ashen. Even after losing consciousness, he was still sweating all over the ce.


    It was a painful sight for her to see. However, if he could recover with the help of acupuncture, she hoped he would endure the pain.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that what I said makes sense. I¡¯m just telling you not to regret your own choice.¡±


    ¡°I know. I won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Men, being too kind is not a good thing, but there is some kindness that will benefit you for the rest of your life.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what will happen in the future anymore. He¡¯s my husband, and all


    I want is for him to get better. That¡¯ll be enough.¡±


    ¡°He will. Believe me.¡±


    After Zhao Chuchu removed the needles, Hu Yiming woke up just as she had said.


    Zhao Men looked at him nervously, only to realize that Hu Yiming was looking at her without the love he had for her before. Instead, his eyes were cold.


    That made her gulp.


    Although she had mentally prepared herself that this could happen, she still couldn¡¯t ept it when it did.


    ¡°Men, I¡¯m fine¡­¡± Hu Yiming said hoarsely, trying tofort Zhao Men as he thought she was worried about him.


    At that moment, his mind was in chaos. It was as if two people were fighting each other inside his head and cracking his head apart.


    ¡°Y -you still recognize me?¡± Zhao Men was shocked.


    ¡°Yes. You¡¯re my wife,¡± Hu Yiming said while trying to endure the intense headache. ¡°I¡¯m not feeling good. Can I sleep first?¡±


    ¡°Are you hurting somewhere?¡± Zhao Men anxiously asked. ¡°Chuchu, can you take a look at him?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do anything. He¡¯ll have to endure this himself.¡± Zhao Chuchu looked at


    Hu Yiming. The effect of the treatment was much better than she had expected.


    Judging from his recovery speed, there was no need to wait ten days for his full recovery. Instead, it would only take about five days.


    ¡°Thank vou¡­¡± Hu Yiming thanked Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t much for me. But will you be able to endure the pain? If you can¡¯t, I can block all your five senses first. The only downside is that the treatment period will be longer.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I can endure this.¡± Hu Yiming refused.


    Despite the chaos inside his head) he could still understand the situation and why he was in so much pain.


    He didn¡¯t have any energy to think about other things. All he wanted was to recover as fast as possible so that the people around him wouldn¡¯t have to worry about him anymore.


    ¡°Men, can you give me some space? I need to be alone for a while¡­¡± Hu Yiming turned to Zhao Men.


    The man in front of Zhao Men was like aplete stranger to her, and she had no idea what to do.


    Yet, she also understood that this was something that she had to go through.


    So, no matter the oue, she was ready to ept it.


    ¡°Okay. Call me if you need anything. I¡¯ll be outside.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Hu Yiming then closed his eyes.


    Whenever he tried to move, it would feel like something was drilling into his head. Only lying still would ease the pain a little.


    However, Zhao Men didn¡¯t know about that and thought that Hu Yiming didn¡¯t like her. So she left the room with a broken heart.


    She tried to keep a calm expression before Zhao Chuchu so that thetter would not notice her reaction.


    Unfortunately for her, Zhao Chuchu had already seen through it.


    ¡°Men, it¡¯s not that he doesn¡¯t want to talk to you. It¡¯s just that he¡¯s in too much pain right now. Don¡¯t think too much about it, or you¡¯ll just make things worse.¡± Zhao Chuchu patted Zhao Men¡¯s shoulder. ¡°He¡¯ll ask you to be with him once he feels a little better.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have tofort me. Whatever he chooses, I can ept it.¡±


    ¡°You silly girl. Don¡¯t keep guessing what other people think. You¡¯ll only hurt yourself like that.¡±


    Zhao Men nodded, but Zhao Chuchu had no idea if she had heard her.


    It was the type of situation where outsiders could not convince Zhao Men.


    Only Hu Yiming could calm her down.


    Since Zhao Men wasn¡¯t in the mood to talk, Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t continue the conversation. Instead, she headed into the kitchen to help Xie Heng cook.


    ¡°Xia Songquan only has a few days more to live,¡± Xie Heng whispered. ¡°Doctors think that he¡¯ll only have 13 days at most.¡±


    ¡°So fast?¡± Zhao Chuchu was surprised. ¡°So, are Xia Chengzhu and Xia Chenn fighting now?


    ¡°They are.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how it should be.¡±


    ¡°People from the Xia n are hurrying over to our vige now. They want you to save Xia Songquan.¡±


    ¡°Did I not scare them enoughst time? So why would they still think I would do it?¡±


    ¡°They think that they can lure you with their inheritance.¡± ¡°I would¡¯ve fallen into their trap if I had taken those silvers.¡±


    ¡°This is theirst option.¡±


    If Zhao Chuchu really epted money from the Xia n, then it would mean that she had acknowledged that she was the granddaughter of Xia Songquan. Not only would she have to pay her respects to him, but Xia Chenn would also be her mother.


    The Xia n¡¯s n showed how greedy they were.


    ¡°Well, whatever. Hu Yiming is recovering faster than I expected. The treatment shouldst five to seven days. So we¡¯ll leave earlier, and they will realize they came all the way here for nothing.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    What Zhao Chuchu meant was to stall the people from the Xia n so that when they arrived at Lengshui Vige, Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng would¡¯ve already been gone.


    The conversation then shifted from the Xia n to Hu Yiming.


    The thing that Xia Songquan did not expect was that the riches he possessed that every person was targeting would be meaningless to Zhao Chuchu, to the point where she felt like she was wasting time.


    He tried all he could to prolong his life, but he didn¡¯t realize that all he did was just expedite his death.

 Chapter 400 - 392 She Can Tell He’s Pretending

    Chapter 400: Chapter 392 She Can Tell He¡¯s Pretending


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    When Hu Yiming woke up again, the sun had already set.


    Zhao Men was finally relieved to see that her husband was okay.


    However, she remembered the scene of how he looked at her coldly just a few hours ago, and that made her a little ufortable, but she quickly dismissed the thought.


    Despite the fact that they had only been married for a short time, she had lived a happy time that she would remember for the rest of her life.


    ¡°Men, my head hurts.¡± Hu Yimings childish expression was something that Zhao Men was familiar with. ¡°Can you pat my head?¡±


    The man then reached his head out and acted childishly like he always did.


    Zhao Men was stunned for a second, but she quickly remembered that Zhao Chuchu had mentioned that Hu Yiming would asionally revert to his childish self and didn¡¯t think much about it.


    ¡°Please?¡± Hu Yiming pleaded.


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Zhao Men smiled and patted the man¡¯s head.


    What she didn¡¯t notice was the quick smile in the man¡¯s eyes.


    As it was already quitete, Madam He noticed that Zhao Men had yet toe home after heading to the Xie n¡¯s house and came to visit.


    ¡°Chuchu, are my daughter and son-inw here?¡± Madam He asked.


    Zhao Chuchu pointed toward Xie Jun¡¯s room. ¡°Yiming got tired, so I let him rest in Junjun¡¯s room. Men should be with him.¡±


    ¡°That daughter of mine¡­If he¡¯s tired, why note back home? How can they use Junjun¡¯s room?¡± Madam He felt awkward, as she was worried that they would do something indecent in another person¡¯s home.


    Zhao Chuchu knew what the woman was thinking andughed awkwardly as well.


    Madam He was overthinking it. It was clear that Zhao Men and Hu Yiming had not done the deed yet.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go take a look.¡± Madam He then quickly walked toward the room.


    Zhao Men had already heard her mother¡¯s voice. She quickly let Hu Yiming put his clothes on. Then, before Madam He could open the door, they came out of the room.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him?¡± Madam He asked worriedly. ¡°Why does he look so pale? Is there something wrong? Should we let Chuchu take a look at him?¡±


    ¡°She already did. It¡¯s nothing big. He just needs to rest more,¡± Zhao Men replied.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay. My head hurts a little, but Chuchu said I need to sleep more.¡± Hu Yiming nodded innocently.


    Madam He then let out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you get Uncle Guitang over and have dinner at my ce? We made a lot of food.¡± Zhao Chuchu smiled.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Madam He asked. ¡°Isn¡¯t it a hassle if we all have dinner here?¡±


    ¡°Not at all. We¡¯ve already made the food anyway. We will have a lot of leftovers if we don¡¯t share them.¡±


    ¡°I see. Then I¡¯ll take you up on your offer. Thank you.¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to thank me for? Aren¡¯t we a family?¡±


    Madam He then returned to get her husband.


    Zhao Chuchu then approached Hu Yiming. However, unlike Zhao Men, she wasn¡¯t that naive and could immediately tell that the man was just putting on an act.


    Hu Yiming must have known the inner struggle that his wife was dealing with and decided to continue to act like a child. He would rather do that than watch Zhao Men worry.


    Zhao Chuchu did not expose him. His reaction was enough to tell her that all the worries were unnecessary. Even after recovering, Hu Yiming still loved Zhao Men.


    The divorce would never happen.


    Zhao Chuchu was happy for Zhao Men.


    After dinner, Zhao Chuchu finally told Zhao Guitang and Madam He about her treatment for Hu Yiming.


    The parents¡¯ reaction was what Zhao Chuchu had expected. They were both worried that Hu Yiming would divorce Zhao Men after he had recovered. But that hesitation onlysted a few seconds, as they also decided to let Zhao Chuchu cure him.


    They were sure that no matter the oue, they didn¡¯t want to live the rest of their lives in regret knowing that they had ruined a young man¡¯s chance.


    Zhao Men then had someone deliver a message to the Hu n, saying that she and Hu Yiming would stay in Lengshui Vige for a while to treat his mind.


    When the Hu n heard that Hu Yiming had a chance to return to normal, the whole family rushed to the vige.


    On the third day of the New Year, Old Mrs. Hu arrived at the Xie n¡¯s house with her son and daughter-inw. They came with a lot of gifts.


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, I heard from Men that you¡¯re going to cure Yiming. We only heard about thisst night. These are gifts from us to show our gratitude,¡± Old Mrs. Hu said as soon as she arrived.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to give me these. Men is my family. Even I want to see her and Yiming live a happy life. I didn¡¯t mention this back then because I wasn¡¯t sure if I could find the herbs I needed. I didn¡¯t want to give you and your family false hope,¡± Zhao Chuchu said. ¡°I could find the herbs all thanks to the Yuan n. He will be able to continue his studies and take the Imperial


    Examination if he recovers. Unfortunately, the sess rate is not 100 percent. But I will try my best.¡±


    ¡°Your willingness to try is enough for us, Mrs. Xie. No matter what the result is, we¡¯ll ept it. Of course, it¡¯s best if he¡¯s lucky enough to be normal again, but if he isn¡¯t that lucky, that is his fate. There¡¯s no way we can me you for that.¡±


    Old Mrs. Hu was a reasonable person. She had many famous doctors look at Hu Yiming in the past and had a lot of false hopes. They were already slowly epting the fact that Hu Yiming might never recover.


    That was why they had stopped asking doctors to look at Hu Yiming for the past few years and let him live a carefree life instead.


    ¡°Although it¡¯s not 100 percent, I¡¯m still 80 percent sure that I can help him.


    The only problem is that the treatment will be painful.¡±


    ¡°As long as he can recover, it¡¯s worth it. Thank you for using so much of your time on him,¡± Madam Zhou said. ¡°But please don¡¯t refuse these gifts.¡±


    ¡°These gifts are not why I¡¯m trying to help him. I¡¯m doing this for Men,¡± Zhao Chuchu said without hiding anything. What she meant was that if Zhao Men had not married Hu Yiming, she would never have done it.


    The people from the Hu n weren¡¯t stupid and understood what thedy meant.


    However, they weren¡¯t angered by that; they understood that humans would always side with those close to them first.


    Other than that, despite growing up in a vige, Zhao Men was a kind, caring, and respectful person. So it was hard for them to hate such a lovelydy.


    They had never even thought of making Hu Yiming divorce Zhao Men if he recovered.


    Marrying a person when his head was injured and divorcing her once he recovered was not something a human should do.


    ¡°Men is a blessing to our family. Even we want them to live happily for the rest of their lives. Also, our family doesn¡¯t allow our men to have concubines. So Men will be Yiming¡¯s only wife,¡± Old Mrs. Hu exined.


    As long as she was alive, she would never let Hu Yiming do bad things to Zhao Men.


    ¡°I¡¯ll trust you, Old Mrs. Hu. The Hu n is, after all, a renowned schr family. However, remember that I might not be able to cure him. Won¡¯t that bring your family another disappointment?¡±

 Chapter 401 - 3931’m not The One Suffering

    Chapter 401: Chapter 3931¡¯m not The One Suffering


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The Hu n repeatedly assured her that they would only feel grateful toward


    Zhao Chuchu and would not hate her if the treatment failed.


    Eventually, if Hu Yiming could not be healed, that would be his fate.


    In the end, Zhao Chuchu refused to ept the gifts the Hu n had prepared.


    After that day, Old Mrs. Hu and her family stayed at Zhao Guitang¡¯s ce for the next few days.


    Hu Yiming had already recovered a while ago, but he still pretended that he would sometimes revert to his childish self.


    Zhao Chuchu still pretended not to notice.


    It wasn¡¯t until thest day that Zhao Men was busy preparing the tofu at home and could not apany Hu Yiming to his treatment.


    Zhao Chuchu finally decided to speak to Hu Yiming. ¡°You¡¯ve already made a full recovery after the first acupuncture session, right? So why did you put on an act for the past few days?¡±


    After a brief moment of silence, Hu Yimings childish and pure expression had vanished, reced by a bitter smile. ¡°I really can¡¯t hide anything from you, can I? But why didn¡¯t you tell them about this and continue to treat me instead?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not the one in pain anyway, and you weren¡¯t even yelling in pain. So why should I tell them?¡± Zhao Chuchu chuckled. ¡°You don¡¯t want to worry Men, am I right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I heard everything that day. You don¡¯t have to worry about me doing anything to harm her. She¡¯s the love of my life. Where she came from doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯ll teach her if she doesn¡¯t know how to read and write. I¡¯ll teach her everything she wants to learn as long as I can.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried that others mightugh at you for marrying a vige girl?¡±


    ¡°Why does that even matter? l i m the one who¡¯s going to live with her, not them. The moment I woke up and recalled everything she had done for me, it made me even more sure that I wanted to be with her forever. She¡¯s kind and worth protecting for my whole life?¡¯


    ¡°Are you sure?


    ¡°You¡¯ve lived through a difficult time where people abandoned you, so you should know better than me which type of person is worth it. Although I¡¯m not as smart as Xie Heng, I still know what I want. Men is the best wife I could ever ask for. She¡¯s a gift to me from heaven.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu studied Hu Yiming for a while before replying, ¡°I¡¯ll remember what you promised me today, and I hope you¡¯ll live by it. However, if I find out that you¡¯ve been mistreating Men one day, I¡¯ll never forgive you. She¡¯s my only cousin.¡±


    Hu Yiming nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will make sure that she lives her life happily. I¡¯m sure she¡¯s the one.¡±


    ¡°That would be the best. Today will be thest acupuncture session. After that, you no longer have to pretend to be a child. Instead, you should find time to tell Men how you feel. She¡¯s such a kind girl that she¡¯d rather sacrifice herself than watch others suffer.¡±


    ¡°I know. I¡¯ll make sure that she won¡¯t feel bad about her decision.¡±


    ¡®Good. Now, lie down.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu knew that Hu Yiming wasn¡¯t lying.


    After the man had lied down and the doctor was about to insert the needle, he suddenly pleaded, ¡°C-can you not put them in that deep? These really hurt¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. You¡¯ll remember the pain. Know that I can turn you back whenever I want to.¡±


    Hu Yiming immediately shut up.


    However, Zhao Chuchu did not insert the needles very deep as he had begged.


    Now that he had fully recovered, he just needed to supplement his body with herbs to make the effect permanent.


    When Zhao Men had finished helping her family, she quickly rushed to the Xie n¡¯s house. The treatment had already concluded by the time she arrived.


    Even if Zhao Chuchu had not inserted the needles deep, Hu Yiming was still in so much pain that his face had turned pale, and his forehead was covered in sweat.


    He didn¡¯t rest and asked his wife to help him back to Zhao Guitang!s ce.


    Before they left, Zhao Chuchu handed the prescription to Zhao Men. ¡°Get these herbs and medicine and have him take them for seven days; the effect willst forever. The only side effect is that he¡¯ll experience headaches asionally.¡±


    ¡°Thank you so much.¡± Zhao Men carefully kept the prescription in her pocket.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Zhao Chuchu waved goodbye to them. After that, she would have to start packing and get rid of everything they wouldn¡¯t be taking with them. They would rarelye back to Lengshui Vige once they had left.


    Their house would be an ancestral house for the Xie n.


    They would also have to ask Niu Tongsheng to help maintain the house once in a while every year.


    What Hu Yiming would do once they got home wasn¡¯t something that Zhao Chuchu was worried about.


    All she needed to know was that he would not mistreat his wife, which was more than enough.


    If fate were nice to him, they would be able to meet him again in the Imperial


    Xie Heng was packing his books in the study room.


    Zhao Chuchu walked in, and the man turned back to look at her. ¡°I¡¯m almost done here. Get some rest. I can handle this on my own.¡±


    She ignored him and walked over to take a look at his books. ¡°Five boxes of books. Who were the people who used to call you poor? Only rich people could afford to buy and own so many books in this era.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what other people think. All I need is you by my side,¡± Xie Heng softly replied. ¡°If you want to help, then help me seal the boxes.¡± Zhao Chuchu stared at the man, who treated her like a child.


    She waved her arm and put all of the boxes into her space.


    ¡°This is the best. We can travel light with this.¡±


    ¡°People will suspect something if we travel light.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to worry about?¡±


    If people targeted them because of the riches they might carry, then those people should not me the couple for burying them in the mountains without anyone ever finding out.


    The limit on Zhao Chuchu i s supernatural power was almost gone. She wasn¡¯t at her strongest yet, but she was still strong enough to destroy anyone who dared to be her enemy.


    Seeing how insistent she was about traveling light, Xie Heng decided to go with it.


    The news about Hu Yiming¡¯s recovery quickly spread throughout the vige.


    When Zhao Guitang saw that his son-inw still treated his daughter the same as before, he felt relieved.


    However, since the family was worried that someplications might ur after the recovery, they had Hu Yiming stay for two more days.


    Before the Hu n left, Old Mrs. Hu visited the Xie n again and gifted them something expensive.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, there¡¯s no denying you¡¯ve saved my son and grandson. You¡¯re our family¡¯s savior. You have to ept these. If you ever need our help, just let us know. We¡¯ll always do whatever we can to help you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Old Mrs. Hu.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank us, Mrs. Xie. It¡¯ste, so we should leave soon. If you ever have the time, visit us with Mr. Xie.¡±


    ¡°We will.¡±


    Old Mrs. Hu smiled and turned to leave.


    Zhao Chuchu took a look at the present. It was light. She opened it and found a normal-looking jade stone inside.


    However, since it was something that Old Mrs. Hu had personally gifted her, she was sure that the jade meant something significant.


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t think much about it and put the jade inside her space. On the twelfth day after the new year, Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng were ready to leave Lengshui Vige.

 Chapter 402 - 394 A Hard Life Ahead of Them

    Chapter 402: Chapter 394 A Hard Life Ahead of Them


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Before they left, Xie Heng gave some of the bean paste he had made to the Chen and Niu ns.


    He even taught them how to make the bean paste.


    ¡°Da Lang, are you sure you can teach us this?¡± Niu Tongsheng was a little flustered. ¡°Isn¡¯t it better if you keep this to yourself? Then, you can use this to make money in the city.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t help me much. I only gave you the recipe, but whether you can replicate it depends on you. Chuchu has already taught the Yuan n how to make this too. So even if you guys try to make a business out of it, it¡¯ll be hard for you topete with them.¡± Xie Heng was honest with the vige chief.


    ¡°All we want to do now is focus on the tofu skin business. We don¡¯t have the time to spend on other stuff.¡± Niu Tongsheng was not that greedy. All he wanted was for the tofu skin business to flourish so that the vige wouldn¡¯t have to worry about money anymore.


    ¡°Da Lang, you and Chuchu must take care of yourselves once you reach the city, okay? Even though most of us can¡¯t read, remember to send messages back here from time to time so that we can know that you¡¯re doing well over there,¡± Old Mrs. Chen said.


    She even made a lot of baked snacks and other condiments for Zhao Chuchu to eat during their trip to the city.


    Zhao Chuchu epted the gift, but the other vigers also gave them many other farewell presents. There were so many that they almost filled their entire horse cart with gifts.


    ¡°Guys, we have a lot of silver with us. It¡¯ll be troublesome for us to travel while taking so many things with us. So, just take the meats back and have a feast next time we return.¡±


    ¡°But, who will know when you guys areing back once you leave? Just take them and eat on your way there.¡±


    ¡°Right? It¡¯s going to be sad once you all have left. But we all know that Da Lang is talented and will ace the Imperial Examination. We can¡¯t have him rot in this vige forever.¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, will you being back during the new year? We¡¯ll prepare an entire pig if youe back.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu looked at the caring vigers. Although quite a lot of them were vicious or scheming, most of them were nice people.


    Having been used to the deadly post-apocalyptic world, she treasured the kindness that the vigers had shown her. She couldn¡¯t help but want to help them more so that they could live a better life.


    ¡°Thank you for everything. As for the new year, I can¡¯t say for sure. We¡¯ll try our best toe back.¡± Zhao Chuchu smiled. ¡°Or, you guys can visit us in the city.¡±


    ¡°But the city is so far away. There¡¯s no way we can go there.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. The furthest we¡¯ve ever been to was the town.¡±


    ¡°I heard that it takes around seven to eight days to reach the city. We won¡¯t have the time.¡±


    Xie Heng looked at the time and said, ¡°It¡¯ste. We should depart soon. My roots are in Lengshui Vige, so I¡¯ll return here eventually. But, before that, I¡¯ll have to trouble everyone to look after my house. I still need a roof over my head when I return here.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Just focus on your studies once you reach the city. I¡¯ll ensure the watermill workshop prospers and have someone send the ount book to the city every month. So you don¡¯t have to worry about the vige either. I¡¯ll ensure everything is well handled,¡± Niu Tongsheng promised.


    ¡°Thank you, Chief.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me.¡± Niu Tongsheng patted Xie Heng¡¯s shoulder. Xie Heng and Zhao Chuchu then entered the horse carriage.


    As they slowly left the vige, Zhao Chuchu pulled open the curtains and peeked her head out. Everyone was standing where they were, watching them leave.


    Zhao Chuchu waved her arms as hard as she could and shouted, ¡°Goodbye!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be waiting for you to return!¡± everyone simultaneously replied.


    ¡°We will!¡±


    The vigers still stood there by the entrance.


    Zhao Chuchu spotted Madam Ma at the back of the crowd.


    Madam Ma was supporting Zhao Changrong and silently watching them leave.


    Maybe she felt that Zhao Chuchu had spotted her, and she waved her hand.


    Zhao Chuchu smiled and pulled her head back into the carriage.


    After what had happened on New Year¡¯s Eve, Zhao Changgui and Zhao Changfu had been living in hell.


    On the other hand, Zhao Changrong had made a good recovery, while Madam Ma was getting more annoyed with Zhao Changgui and Zhao Changfu.


    However, Madam Ma had nowhere to go. That was the only reason she promised to take care of them. That was also the only way to prevent thend of the old Zhao n from being taken away by other n members.


    Ultimately, Niu Tongsheng would also choose to protect them because they were still young.


    However, all of those had nothing to do with Zhao Chuchu.


    She had rarely interacted with Madam Ma ever since she saved Zhao


    Changrong.


    Zhao Chuchu believed that Zhao Changrong was not pure evil and it would be a waste for him to lose his life like that. That was why she decided to save him. ¡°Is it hard to say goodbye?¡± Xie Heng looked at Zhao Chuchu. ¡°We can still go back and stay there for now. We can leave when the autumn exams begin.¡± ¡°No. Your studies are more important.¡± Zhao Chuchu shook her head.


    Lengshui Vige was too rural, and it was hard for Xie Heng to execute his n.


    Xie Jun was also a ticking bomb. If the Great Prince and the others learned of the young boy¡¯s true identity, they could bring trouble to the vige and the vigers.


    Leaving the vige was also a way to protect them.


    ¡°Sis¡­l don¡¯t want to leave. Can we not see them anymore?¡± Xie Jun looked back toward the vige There were still many things he had yet to do with his friends. Leaving so suddenly was too much for him, as he had no idea when he would be able to return.


    ¡°Junjun, life, fateful meetings, death, and goodbyes are the four cycles of life. Just like a party, every rtionship will eventually end. Leaving now is so that you can have a better reunion. You¡¯re already a teenager. Your brother was already very knowledgeable at your age. You can¡¯t fall behind him.¡±


    ¡°I know! I¡¯ll do my best to catch up to him. But he¡¯s too good. It¡¯s difficult to be as good as him.¡±


    Xie Jun nced at his brother.


    Xie Hengughed as he patted the boy¡¯s head. ¡°Everyone has their own talent and purpose. Don¡¯tpare what youck to what other people possess. You just have to learn from me. Don¡¯t think of the other stuff.¡±


    Ultimately, Xie Jun would not be an official like his brother. Instead, the lesson he was going to learn was about the ways of managing a country.


    He was not the weak little boy anymore. His future had infinite possibilities. Xie Heng would only be even stricter with him once they reached the city.


    They headed to the Gan n¡¯s house when they arrived at the county town. They decided to spend the night there before continuing on their journey. The Gan n was thrilled to see them. Old Mrs. Gan even personally prepared a feast for them.


    ¡°It looks like your body has recovered a lot, Grandma Gan. You can still cook!¡± Zhao Chuchuughed. ¡°Could it be that you¡¯re also stricter when you punish the younger people?¡±


    Old Mrs. Gan red at Zhao Chuchu and pretended to be angry. ¡°You brat! Is it hard for you not to crack a joke? I¡¯m going to get angry!¡¯


    ¡°Don¡¯t, Grandma Gan!¡± Zhao Chuchuughed. ¡°I¡¯ll feel bad if I go to the city knowing that you¡¯re angry. So here, let me give you a gift as my apology!¡¯

 Chapter 403 - 395 They can ‘t Do Anything

    Chapter 403: Chapter 395 They can ¡®t Do Anything


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°It all depends if the present is expensive enough for me to forgive you!¡± Old Mrs. Gan said.


    Zhao Chuchu took out a potion vial and gave it to the old woman. ¡°If Grandpa Gan or others identally injure themselves when working outside, like bumping into stuff or falling, just apply this, and the wound will heal in a day.¡±


    ¡°Oh my! This is something amazing! A lot of silver has gone into this, right? I was just joking! I¡¯m already happy enough that you can visit me. There¡¯s no way I can be angry with you! Keep that for yourself.¡± Old Mrs. Gan didn¡¯t even think twice about refusing the present.


    Zhao Chuchu quickly shoved the vial into the old woman¡¯s hand. ¡°This doesn¡¯t cost much. Not every good medicine is made using expensive herbs. It all depends on how you use it. Even the ceramic vial is more expensive.¡±


    ¡°But, you spent time making this. This isn¡¯t something that you can just make instantly.¡±


    ¡°Come on, Grandma Gan. Why are you being like this? I won¡¯t return next time if you don¡¯t take this.¡±


    ¡°You little¡­Fine, I¡¯ll take it.¡±


    After that, Old Mrs. Gan kept reminding Zhao Chuchu to take good care of herself once they arrived in the city.


    The olddy was annoyed because she didn¡¯t have any rtives in the city, or else she could¡¯ve had someone help look after Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Grandma Gan. The Yuan n has already helped us find a ce to stay. We just have to move in once we get there. You don¡¯t have to worry about our financial situation either. The watermill workshop has earned us a lot of silver. Plus, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be able to survive in the city with my medical knowledge.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right! I¡¯ve heard that your mother¡¯s family is the Xia n from the Guanqing Province. Is that true?


    ¡°That¡¯s what they said.¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m being toxic, but Grandpa Gan has told me that even though the Xia n is wealthy, they¡¯ve done many bad things behind everyone¡¯s back. So you¡¯ll have to think it through before going back to them. They might be plotting something.¡±


    ¡°I know. I¡¯ll be careful.¡±


    ¡°Your mom has lived in Lengshui Vige for so long, and they never once came to visit. Now that you¡¯re famous as a doctor, they¡¯ve suddenlye to find you. Even a blind person can see they don¡¯t treat you as their family. They just want to profit from your title as Doctor Miracle.¡±


    ¡°Grandma Gan, many people kept persuading me to return, but why do you think that¡¯s a bad idea?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m old, and I¡¯ve seen a lot of things and people in my life. I had already heard about the Xia n a long time ago. A young master from the Xia n came to Yuanjiang County once, and he was a yer! There¡¯s no way a man like that woulde from a good family with good morals. Money is important. but it¡¯s not worth it if those silver will bring you trouble.¡±


    Old Mrs. Gan was very serious with her words.


    She didn¡¯t want to see Zhao Chuchu get tainted by the Xia n.


    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± Zhao Chuchu assured her so that the olddy wouldn¡¯t worry. ¡°I¡¯ve been living well without the Xia n and can still do the same.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you understand. We can make a living independently, so there¡¯s no need to beg anything from other people. Da Lang is a good boy. He¡¯ll definitely seed in the future. You might even ruin his future if you return to the Xia n. Your mom has already passed, so they can¡¯t do anything if you refuse to be part of their family.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s been my n all along.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t want to be part of the Xia n.


    The original owner¡¯s mother had lived a sad life. Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t want the mother to still get med by other people after she had passed away.


    Since the Xia n had a Xia Chenn now, Zhao Chuchu had the authority to decide who the original owner¡¯s mother was.


    ¡°Then I guess I don¡¯t have to worry about you.¡± Old Mrs. Gan smiled. ¡°Come on.


    Dinner¡¯s ready. Let¡¯s fill our stomachs.¡±


    Old Mrs. Gan then happily treated the three guests to a feast.


    She then continued to talk to Zhao Chuchu for a long time after the meal. However, it wasn¡¯t until Zhao Chuchu managed to persuade her to sleep that the conversation finally ended.


    Xie Heng also headed out after dinner and didn¡¯t return untilte.


    He told the Gan n that he would discuss the tofu skin business with


    Manager Lin, but even Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t know where he really went.


    When he finally returned, Zhao Chuchu was already asleep. She was awakened by the sound of footsteps in her room. ¡°Why are you back sote?¡±


    ¡°I had something to settle. Get some sleep first.¡±


    Xie Heng walked over and made sure Zhao Chuchu was covered by the nket while looking at her gently.


    Zhao Chuchu nodded. She closed her eyes and fell asleep again.


    Xie Heng studied her quietly. He was so satisfied with his life that he felt as if his heart was filled with happiness.


    No matter how tired he was, looking at Zhao Chuc.hu would give him a lot of


    energy.


    Everything he nned and did was not for himself anymore but for their future together.


    Naturally, Zhao Chuchu, who was sleeping soundly, didn¡¯t know what Xie Heng was thinking.


    The next morning, Zhao Chuchu and the other two woke up early to continue their journey to the city.


    Old Mrs. Gan originally nned to have them stay for two more days, but she quickly remembered that they were going to the city for Xie Hengs studies and decided not to do that.


    She even personally sent them off at the county¡¯s entrance.


    ¡°Chuchu, remember toe back and visit me when you are free,¡± Old Mrs. Gan said.


    ¡°I will. Don¡¯t worry, Grandma Gan.¡± Zhao Chuchu promised.


    However, Old Mrs. Gan knew that those who had left Yuanjiang County would rarely return. Instead, they would settle down elsewhere in the end.


    After all, Xie Heng was not someone who should be kept in a small county. He would eventually be a man who held a lot of power, someone the Gan n would not be able to reach.


    After saying their goodbyes, they continued their journey to the city.


    Perhaps it was still too early. Xie Jun was still half asleep. Once they got into the carriage, he leaned on his brother and fell asleep.


    ¡°It looks like we won¡¯t have much chance to return here,¡± Zhao Chuchu said.


    ¡°If you want to, then, once everything is settled, we¡¯lle back to Lengshui Vige. We can buy a hill and nt all the fruits you like to eat. We could nt other stuff too and live the vige life that you love.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t as if Xie Heng had never stood at the top of the food chain.


    However, he was not a man who yearned for a lot of power.


    Contrary to that, he liked the normal life of a viger more.


    There were too many power struggles in the government. Although there were a couple of instances where he enjoyed it, he found most of hispetition too weak and dull.


    ¡°Then, why don¡¯t we go roam the world? Once we get bored, we¡¯ll head back to Lengshui Vige and live the rest of our lives there. How about it?¡±


    ¡°Of course. You take the lead, and I¡¯ll follow.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried that people will say that you¡¯re afraid of your wife?¡± Zhao Chuchuughed.


    ¡°And they are afraid of me. So, you¡¯ll stand on top of them in the end. So, what right do they have to say that?¡± Xie Heng grinned.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t wrong. If we round things off, then that¡¯s pretty much saying everyone¡¯s afraid of me.¡±


    ¡°Round things off? That¡¯s a saying I¡¯ve never heard of.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s more where that came from. If you want, I can teach you every day.¡±


    ¡°It would be my pleasure.¡±


    While Zhao Chuchu was on her way to Guangqing Province, the Xia n finally arrived at Lengshui Vige after a tedious journey.


    Before they could even celebrate, they learned that Zhao Chuchu and the entire Xie n had already left a few days ago.

 Chapter 404 - 396 All Brawn and no Brain

    Chapter 404: Chapter 396 All Brawn and no Brain


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The people from the Xia n were utterly infuriated.


    They wanted to vent their anger at the people of Lengshui Vige, only to realize that they didn¡¯t even have enough men to start a fight with the vigers. So they had no choice but to swallow their pride and chase after Zhao Chuchu.


    As they were still ahead of schedule, Xie Heng wasn¡¯t in a hurry to reach the city. So they decided to take an alternative route and enjoy the scenery on their way there.


    The Xia n chased them without an ounce of rest but still could not find Zhao Chuchu. When they finally arrived at the city, Xia Songquan had already passed away.


    Cries of pain and loss could be heard in the Xia n¡¯s mansion, but it was hard to tell who was really sad or not.


    At that time, Zhao Chuchu was only halfway through her journey to the city and was enjoying some good food with Xie Jun.


    When Xie Heng told Zhao Chuchu about Xia Songquan¡¯s death, she didn¡¯t even blink or stop chewing her food. ¡°Everyone dies eventually. It¡¯s just a matter of when. Being able to live until now, Xia Songquan should be satisfied.¡±


    ¡°The Xia n is inplete chaos now. They are all wondering who will be the next n head.¡±


    ¡°What about Xia Chengzhu?¡±


    ¡°What good can a guy with all brawn and no brain do? Don¡¯t forget there¡¯s Lu Ming too.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s aiming for the spot too?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Now that Xia Songquan is dead, the one who actually controls the entire n now is Lu Ming.¡±


    ¡°This should be interesting. Why don¡¯t we head over to the city earlier? We might be able to catch a show.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was eager to see how arrogant and cruel the Xia n would be.


    ¡°Sure thing.¡± Xie Heng nodded.


    They hastened their journey and headed to the capital of Guangqing Province as fast as they could.


    The day they arrived was also the day of Xia Songquan¡¯s funeral.


    The funeral was extremely extravagant.


    There were so many people that the members of the Xia n were still in the city while the pallbearers were already out of the city gate.


    A lot of citizens were watching from the side.


    Naturally, Zhao Chuchu was among the crowd.


    Xia Chengzhu was walking in front of the casket. He looked sad, but there was not an ounce of emotion in his eyes.


    It made sense, as Xia Songquan would rather believe Lu Ming than his own son. It would be weird for Xia Chengzhu to feel sad that his father had passed away.


    Not only that, but Xia Chengzhu was also the one who expedited Xia Songquan¡¯s death.


    Xia Chenn did not have any expression on her face. Next to her were a few children around the age of Xie Jun. The youngest was around five or six years old.


    The only two who were really saddened by Xia Songquan¡¯s death were Xia


    Chengxuan and Kang Xiuwan.


    Their eyes werepletely red from crying.


    As for Xia Songquan¡¯s concubines and their children, they didn¡¯t even try to pretend that they were sad and had no expressions on their faces.


    That was Xie Jun¡¯s first time in the city. He had little to no knowledge of the Xia n. But it wasn¡¯t hard for such a huge funeral to catch his attention. ¡°Sis, did someone important die? Why are there so many people?¡±


    ¡°They are a big family,¡± Zhao Chuchu simply exined.


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Xie Jun didn¡¯t ask another question after that.


    After a while, the people from the Xia n were finally out of the city.


    That was only when the citizens started to talk among themselves.


    ¡°I heard that Old Mr. Xia died in a fit of rage. The young masters of the Xia n had started to fight for the inheritance before he even passed away.¡±


    ¡°Rich families are always like this. It¡¯s not even rare. You shoulde out more. Even a normal family would fight over the inheritance of a couple of pots and woks.¡±


    ¡°Did you see thedy walking next to Xia Chengzhu? That¡¯s the youngdy of the Xia n who was supposedly dead for a decade, Xia Chenn. But unfortunately, she didn¡¯t die but eloped instead. So the Xia n announced that she died to hide the embarrassing fact.¡±


    ¡°So, she¡¯s back for the inheritance too? What a shamelessdy! How does she even have the courage toe back? If I were Xia Chengzhu, I would¡¯ve chased her out right away.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Xie Heng gently tapped Zhao Chuchu¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s settle down first before we do anything else.¡±


    To him, it was pointless to listen to the citizens¡¯ conversations.


    Zhao Chuchu nodded and grabbed Xie Jun¡¯s hand.


    The Yuan n had already bought a house for them to live in and even filled it


    with everything they needed.


    All they needed to do was move in.


    The house was close to the academy of Guangqing Province and not far from the market. If not for the Yuan n, scoring such an excellent ce to live would be hard for them.


    If Zhao Chuchu had not explicitly refused, the Yuan n would¡¯ve also arranged servants for them.


    ¡°The house is big. The garden is huge too.¡± Zhao Chuchu liked the new house the moment she stepped through the gate.


    No matter the Feng Shui of the house or the decoration, they were all perfect.


    There were also a well and a persimmon tree in the garden. The kitchen was also detached from the main building.


    The house wasn¡¯trge, but it was more than adequate for the three of them.


    The Yuan n even separated two study rooms so that Xie Heng and Xie Jun could each have their own to study in.


    There was also a room for herbs made specifically for Zhao Chuchu. Other than themon herbs, tools for herb processing could also be found inside the room.


    ¡°Sis, which room is mine?¡± Xie Jun asked enthusiastically and had already forgotten about the pain of being separated from his friends.


    ¡°The first room to the left is yours. Next to it is your study room.¡± Zhao Chuchu pointed toward the room.


    ¡°Okay!¡± Xie Jun quickly dragged his stuff into his room and started unpacking.


    Zhao Chuchu wanted to help Xie Heng unpack, but the man refused her offer.


    ¡°If you aren¡¯t tired, why not visit the Yuan n? It won¡¯t take long for Junjun and me to unpack.¡±


    ¡°Well, sure thing, I guess. I¡¯ll be leaving first, then.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu dly epted that.


    She prepared some gifts and quickly headed to the Yuan n¡¯s mansion.


    Zhao Chuchu did notify the Yuan n about their estimated arrival date when they left Lengshui Vige.


    However, they arrived sooner than expected because of Xia Songquan¡¯s death. When Old Mrs. Yuan saw Zhao Chuchu visiting, she jumped happily and quickly asked one of the servants to go and get Yuan Hui.


    Yuan Hui immediately ran up to hug Zhao Chuchu the moment they met. ¡°You¡¯re finally here! I missed you so much!¡±


    ¡°Look at you! Chuchu is tired from the trip. ¡°You¡¯re going to knock her down if you hit her that hard,¡± Old Mrs. Yuan chided her granddaughter,ughing. ¡°Why are you still like a child when you¡¯re already engaged?¡±


    ¡°Grandma, aren¡¯t I always a child to you?¡± Yuan Hui smiled while still hugging


    Zhao Chuchu.


    The hug was so tight that Zhao Chuchu had a hard time breathing. It took her a while to pull away. ¡°Huihui, let me catch my breath.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Sorry! I was too excited!¡± Yuan Huiughed awkwardly. ¡°I thought you said you were going to arrive around early February? Why are you here already?¡±


    ¡°Something happened on our way here. We hastened our speed because we don¡¯t want to get into any trouble.¡± Zhao Chuchu quickly made an excuse and didn¡¯t tell Yuan Hui the truth.


    ¡°Is that so? Oh, right! If you arrived today, then you must¡¯ve run into Xia Songquan¡¯s funeral, right?¡± Yuan Hui asked. ¡°He passed away a couple of days ago. The entire Xia n is in chaos, fighting over the inheritance. That¡¯s why the funeral was postponed until today.¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, I remember you saying that your mother¡¯s name is Xia Chenn, right? Is she still alive?¡± Old Mrs. Yuan suddenly asked.

 Chapter 405 - 397 Had a Child before Marriage

    Chapter 405: Chapter 397 Had a Child before Marriage


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°She already passed away,¡± Zhao Chuchu said without showing any emotions.


    Old Mrs. Yuan nodded.


    ¡°This Xia n sure is¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because they can take advantage of me.¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, you sure lived a hard life.¡±


    ¡°Really? I think I¡¯m pretty lucky.¡± Zhao Chuchu smiled.


    At the very least, she didn¡¯t have much to do with the Xia n.


    The original owner¡¯s parents had died early on, and no one could prove that she carried the blood of the Xia n. As long as she didn¡¯t admit to it, the Xia n couldn¡¯t do anything about it.


    She wasn¡¯t the person who the Xia n could easily threaten.


    Old Mrs. Yuan was surprised by the response but quickly smiled as she understood what thedy meant.


    ¡°Grandma, Chuchu, what are you two talking bout?¡± Yuan Hui asked. ¡°Why does it sound like you two are talking in anothernguage?


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s been a while since the both of youst met. Why don¡¯t you head out and have fun? Don¡¯t worry about this olddy,¡± Old Mrs. Yuan said.


    ¡°Then, we¡¯ll be leaving.¡± That was what Yuan Hui was waiting for her grandmother to say.


    ¡°Go.¡± Old Mrs. Yuan waved her hand.


    Yuan Hui then quickly grabbed Zhao Chuchu¡¯s hand and dragged her out of the mansion.


    Old Mrs. Yuanughed and shook her head.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to be young.¡± She sighed.


    Yuan Hui took Zhao Chuchu to the building she was living in.


    Most of the maids had already been changed.


    Zhao Chuchu could tell that the Yuan n felt differentpared to thest time she was there.


    ¡°Chuchu, there are a lot of rumors in the city about you! They¡¯re all saying that you¡¯re Xia Chenn¡¯s daughter and that you¡¯re unfilial for not treating Xia Songquan¡¯s illness,¡± Yuan Hui said the moment they sat down. ¡°It¡¯s just so annoying to hear that! Does it even make sense for that disgusting and arrogant woman to give birth to such a smart and lovely daughter like you? But before I could even have someone look into it, Xia Chenn¡¯s children were exposed. That was when I learned that Xia Chenn had eloped back in the day and has a couple of children now.¡±


    After a short pause, Yuan Hui continued, ¡°Also, Xia Chenn¡¯s husband is another arrogant prick too, and so is her mother-inw. They are the main reason why the inheritance battle is such a mess for the Xia n. Xia Songquan¡¯s illness worsened because of that.¡±


    ¡°Wait. The family of Xia Chenn¡¯s husband is here too?¡± Zhao Chuchu was caught entirely off guard by that and found it interesting.


    She didn¡¯t even hesitate to think that Xie Heng was the one behind that.


    ¡°Yes! The whole family is here! They are now staying with the Xia n and fighting Xia Chengzhu for the inheritance. The whole n has been fighting even before Xia Songquan could beid to rest. Everyone wants a part of the riches that the Xia n possesses.¡±


    ¡°What about the Kang n?¡±


    ¡°The Kang n have always had their sights on the salt license. It won¡¯t be long before the salt license of the Xia n falls into the Kang n¡¯s hands.¡± ¡°Who knew so many things had happened while I was gone!¡±


    ¡°Even the Ye n is doing really bad now. The vice magistrate has been locked up.¡±


    ¡°Oh? What happened?¡¯


    ¡°An imperialmissioner arrived from the Imperial City. I heard someone report to the emperor saying that the vice magistrate is corrupt and has been taking all that belonged to the citizens.¡±


    ¡°Was Heir Qiao behind it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. He returned to the Imperial City to spend his New Year there.¡±


    ¡°So, what do you think of him?¡±


    Yuan Hui¡¯s face turned red immediately. ¡°He¡¯s really nice. I missed him a lot when he was gone.¡±


    ¡°Is he nice to you?


    ¡°For now, yes.¡±


    ¡°Huihui, Duke Ding is different from the Yuan n. When you finally marry him and move there, remember to be extra careful. The people of the Imperial City will skin you alive if you¡¯re not. The wife to an heir of a noble family is a position that a lot ofdies dream of taking.¡±


    ¡°I know. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve been learning a lot from grandma¡¯s butler. I¡¯m not a smart person, but I¡¯m willing to learn. Even if I can¡¯t be as good as grandma, at the very least I won¡¯t get yed by another person.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡±


    The Yuan n then hosted a feast to wee Zhao Chuchu. They even sent someone to get Xie Heng and Xie Jun over.


    Since Yuan Hui¡¯s two younger brothers were around Xie Jun¡¯s age, the three children immediately became friends and yed together.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot of you, Mr. Xie. Now that I¡¯ve seen you, you sure are as smart as the rumors say.¡± Old Mrs. Yuan grinned when she finally met Xle Heng.


    ¡°Those are just rumors.¡± Xie Heng returned a smile and bowed to greet the olddy. ¡°I¡¯m just a normal schr.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard from Chuchu that you¡¯re here to study. Have you taken care of your admission to the academy?


    ¡°Everything has been settled. Thank you for worrying about me, Old Mrs.


    Yuan.¡±


    ¡°I would love to help you a little, but it looks like you¡¯ve taken care of everything.¡± Old Mrs. Yuanughed. ¡°Chuchu sure has an eye for spotting good men. If you ever need any help from us, just let us know. We still owe you and your family a lot.¡±


    ¡°I will. Thank you, Old Mrs. Yuan.¡±


    ¡°Since there are no men at home, I¡¯ll have to trouble you to entertain this olddy.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing. You¡¯re a woman who can rece thousands of men. The only reason the Yuan n can be so sessful now is all thanks to you. It would be my honor to have a meal with you, Old Mrs. Yuan.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright. Let¡¯s stop with the praises. Just treat the Yuan n as your own home. Chuchu is like my own granddaughter to me now.¡±


    ¡°Really? Then, I¡¯ll call you grandma from now on too!¡± Zhao Chuchu chuckled.


    ¡°You better not chase me away if I visit here often!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha! That would be the best. We¡¯ll be the ones who benefit from that.


    Happy wouldn¡¯t be enough to describe it if you can visit me every day!¡±


    ¡°Deal!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu liked Old Mrs. Yuan a lot.


    Despite her old age, her mind was still clear, and she was extremely smart.


    Being in a good rtionship with Old Mrs. Yuan meant that the Yuan n would also take care of Lengshui Vige.


    Old Mrs. Yuan was so happy to get a talented doctor as her granddaughter that she even ate more than usual.


    To show how serious she was, Old Mrs. Yuan even asked whether Mrs. Yuan was willing to ept Zhao Chuchu as her goddaughter. Once Yuan Hui¡¯s mother agreed, they quickly looked for a day to host a feast to announce that Zhao Chuchu had the full support of the Yuan n.


    When the news of that got out, the one that got affected the most was the Xia n.


    However, Xia Chengzhu knew how strong Zhao Chuchu was and didn¡¯t dare to trouble her.


    On the other hand, Xia Chenn was different.


    She thought that Zhao Chuchu wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything to her in the city.


    Also, since Zhao Chuchu¡¯s mother was ¡°Xia Chenn¡±, she still believed that there was nothing wrong in thinking that Zhao Chuchu was her daughter.


    To her, as long as she had Zhao Chuchu, her brothers wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything.


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu is my daughter before I married you. Remember to say that,¡± Xia Chenn told her husband, Zhang Qun. ¡°If you ruin this, don¡¯t even think of getting a cent from the Xia n.¡±


    Before Zhang Qun could even say anything, his mother, Madam Zhangli¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Are you saying you have a child before marrying my son?¡±


    ¡°Mom, you¡¯re mistaken! Chenn only has me as her husband. Zhao Chuchu kept saying that her mother¡¯s name is Xia Chenn. She¡¯s a talented doctor. If she can be Chenn¡¯s daughter, then we¡¯ll benefit a lot from that,¡± Zhang Qun quickly exined. ¡°Let¡¯s just do what Chenn says if we want to live a better life.¡±

 Chapter 406 - 398 Everyone Wants to Be My Mother (1)

    Chapter 406: Chapter 398 Everyone Wants to Be My Mother (1)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Madam Zhangli was rather unhappy about it.


    But she decided to bare with it because of the fact that the Xia n was quite a well-off family.


    Who didn¡¯t want to live a life of extravagance and luxury? Now, an opportunity to live like that was ced right in front of her. Even if Madam Zhangli wasn¡¯t happy about it, she would definitely deal with it.


    Zhang Qun said, ¡®Zhao Chuchu is not rted to Chenn at all. The only thing is that the name of Zhao Chuchu¡¯s mother is also Xia Chenn. They just happened to have the same name and surname. Mom, think about it. Zhao Chuchu is Doctor Miracle who can even cure the gue.


    ¡°If she became a member of the Zhang n, she would be the cash cow of the Zhang n. Especially if she treats rich people, since they are afraid of death the most, we can ask for any amount we want from them! That¡¯s why, even if Zhao Chuchu isn¡¯t actually Chenn¡¯s daughter, we have to insist that she is!


    ¡°If she dares to disobey us, all we need to do is to coerce her by using two words ¡®filial piety. Even if we don¡¯t get much from the Xia n, we won¡¯t have to worry about money for the rest of our lives if we rely on Zhao Chuchu. We can even force Zhao Chuchu to teach the people of the Zhang n medical knowledge.¡±


    Madam Zhangli was moved by Zhang Qun¡¯s suggestion.


    Indeed, Xia Chenn was married to a man from another n. They wouldn¡¯t be able to get much of the inheritance even if they fought against Xia Chengzhu for it.


    But Zhao Chuchu was different. She¡¯s the goose thatid golden eggs!


    Once the people of the Zhang n learned Zhao Chuchu¡¯s medical knowledge, they could kick Zhao Chuchu out of the n¡­ They would definitely make a


    profit from this!


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go with your n. I won¡¯t intervene with it. However, after Zhao Chuchu acknowledges her rtionship with you, you have to make her start teaching our people. She will only listen to us once we learn her medical knowledge,¡± Madam Zhangli said to Xia Chenn with a serious expression.


    Xia Chenn nodded and said, ¡°Of course, her medical knowledge and skills are worth much more than her as a person.¡±


    ¡°Alright then. I¡¯ll talk to them about it so they don¡¯t give anything away. Essentially, Zhao Chuchu is your daughter. If she dares to not acknowledge that you are her mother, you make a big scene out of it and destroy her with rumors and public opinion from the people of the capital.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Her husband is still studying. If their reputation is destroyed, it will be very difficult for him to be an official in the future.¡±


    ¡°Get rid of that bookworm. He¡¯s worthless, right?¡±


    ¡°No. What if Zhao Chuchu¡¯s husband really passed the exams? Mom, we¡¯re his elders. He¡¯ll have to serve us even if he bes an official.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ But who¡¯s going to pay for his studies?¡±


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu can earn money, right? Chenn said that they had a watermill workshop or something at Lengshui Vige. The tofu skins that you really like recently came from her. The tofu skins are selling too well. They make money from everything that is sold there. We definitely won¡¯t have to pay for that bookworm.¡±


    ¡°Really? Hurry up and acquire that watermill workshop as well. The Zhang n will have all the money that is made from there in the future.¡±


    Madam Zhangli could almost see the mountains of silver and gold in front of her. Her face was filled with greed.


    Xia Chenn noticed that the conversation was bing more and more ridiculous. She reminded them, ¡°Don¡¯t be in such a hurry to coerce Zhao Chuchu. She¡¯s not that easy to deal with. Don¡¯t turn this opportunity into a disaster and end up with nothing.¡±


    ¡°I never let anything I want to escape my hands. Chenn, I¡¯ll say this right now. I¡¯m still the chief of the Zhang n. All the money has to be submitted to our central fund and arranged by me.¡± Madam Zhangli was afraid that Xia Chenn might snatch the control of the n away from her, so she quickly emphasized it.


    Xia Chenn wasn¡¯t interested in something so trivial.


    She was going to fight for the Xia n¡¯s inheritance, which had nothing to do with the Zhang n.


    She could provide for their basic needs, but she wouldn¡¯t let them take those things away from her.


    Of course, Xia Chenn still needed the Zhang n to help her make a big scene right now, so she wouldn¡¯t say what was on her mind. Instead, she vaguely responded to Madam Zhangli.


    Madam Zhangli continued to dream about owning the Xia n¡¯s property as well as Zhao Chuchu as her cash cow. The thought of things not going ording to her n had never crossed her mind.


    She couldn¡¯t wait to find Zhao Chuchu. ¡°Hurry up and settle all these so there won¡¯t be any idents. Chenn, the Zhang n¡¯s wealth is hinging on you now. You have to put in more effort.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to hurry. We can go there on the day when the Yuan n will host the banquet. There¡¯ll be more people there that day, including all the important people in the capital city. There¡¯s no way the Yuan n would fight for Zhao Chuchu as their daughter in front of so many people.¡± Xia Chenn was a lot calmer than Madam Zhangli.


    ¡°We need to discuss this and match our stories so no one can spot any loopholes and speak out for Zhao Chcuhu.¡±


    ¡°Alright. What do you suggest?¡±

 Chapter 407 - 398 Everyone Wants to Be My Mother (2)

    Chapter 407: Chapter 398 Everyone Wants to Be My Mother (2)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Madam Zhangli felt a little impatient.


    Xia Chenn repeated her plot to her again. Only then did she start bing more patient and stop throwing tantrums.


    Zhang Qun was persuaded by Xia Chenn as well.


    After that, Madam Zhangli told her other two sons about what they had nned.


    Xia Chenn and Zhang Qun were the only ones left in the room.


    ¡°Look at your mother. This is the Xia n. Why does she think that it¡¯s the same ce as the Zhang n?¡± Xie Chenn said rather unhappily. ¡°The only reason why I spoke to her so nicely was because of you. Otherwise, I would have chased her out a long time ago.¡±


    ¡°Darling, I¡¯m sorry that you have to endure it, but that¡¯s my mother, after all. She is the one who raised me. It¡¯s my duty to be filial toward her,¡± said Zhang Qun, consoling Xia Chenn. ¡°Would you please bare with her a bit more? ¡°She¡¯s so biased. Can¡¯t you see it? You heard what she said just now. Whatever we manage to acquire, we have to split them and share them with your two useless brothers. You are fine with that, but I¡¯m not.¡±


    ¡°I know that she¡¯s biased, but don¡¯t we need their help right now? After we seed, we¡¯ll think of some other ways, okay?¡±


    ¡°Zhang Qun, if you really want to be with me, you have to listen to me this time!¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay, I¡¯ll listen to you for anything. What do you n to do?¡±


    ¡°Split up the n.¡±


    Zhang Qun¡¯s eyes widened and instinctively refuted, ¡°No no, no. My mother is still alive. We can¡¯t split up the n. Otherwise, people are going to despise me for it.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to keep providing for your two useless brothers? Zhang Qun, we have children. They need to eat and live too. Go and make the money yourself if you can! I am not going to spend my money on those people,¡± Xia Chenn said angrily.


    Zhang Qun didn¡¯t know what to say.


    He thought about it and said softly, ¡°Can we talk about splitting up the nter? You¡¯re the only one who knows how much inheritance the Xia n gives you. They won¡¯t know anything. We¡¯ll hide those. We won¡¯t tell them about everything.


    Xie Chenn felt rage welling up in her chest.


    Zhang Qun listened to her for almost everything, except for issues pertaining to the Zhang n, especially anything rted to Madam Zhangli. His attitude would suddenly be very tough, and he wouldn¡¯t listen to anything she said.


    ¡°Then, we¡¯ll get divorced. You can go and live your life with them,¡± Xie Chenn said angrily as she turned her body away from him.


    Zhang Qun hurriedly hugged her and said, ¡°No, no. Please. I¡¯ll think of a way for splitting up the n, alright?¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to stall for time again?


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not. I can¡¯t just tell them that we want to split up the n out of the blue, right? My mom¡¯s going to break my legs!¡¯


    Xia Chenn thought about it. He was right. Madam Zhangli had the habit of beating people. She might actually break Zhang Qun¡¯s legs for that.


    ¡°I will endure this for at most one more year. If we can¡¯t split up the n, I¡¯ll take the money and run away.¡±


    ¡°What about Zhao Chuchu?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll bring her too. I don¡¯t believe that she can put up with your mother¡¯s attitude.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Please let me think of a way. Give me a bit of time, alright?¡±


    ¡°One year, at most.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    It was the day of the Yuan n¡¯s banquet for Zhao Chuchu.


    All of the influential people in the capital city of Guangqing province were invited.


    Even those who didn¡¯t receive invitations came with gifts.


    Zhao Chuchu had be famous in the capital city as Doctor Miracle. Everyone wanted to know her. Naturally, they wouldn¡¯t miss such a good opportunity.


    Old Mrs. Yuan was feeling very energetic that day.


    All the guests knew that Old Mrs. Yuan was on the verge of death because of her illness previously. However, that day, not only was she much healthier, but she also looked more lively and energetic. She looked a lot younger than she was just a few months ago. The guests were even more convinced about Zhao Chuchu¡¯s medical knowledge and skills!


    Old Mrs. Yuan brought Zhao Chuchu around to greet the guests.


    Not everyone deserved to be introduced by Old Mrs. Yuan. In fact, only a few


    families were worthy of this treatment.


    Otherwise, just greeting the guests alone would tire Zhao Chuchu out.


    After seeing important guests, Old Mrs. Yuan told everyone to take their seats and prepare for the banquet to start.


    At this point, Xia Chenn arrived with people from the Zhang n. They barged into the hall without any exnation.


    Puzzled, the guests looked at Xia Chenn before looking at Old Mrs. Yuan.


    Before Old Mrs. Yuan could say anything, Madam Zhangli said, ¡°Old hag Yuan, you have a granddaughter of your own. Why are you trying to snatch my son¡¯s daughter from us? My daughter-inw gave birth to Zhao Chuchu after 10 months of pregnancy. Do you not feel any shame for doing this?¡±


    Then, Madam Zhangli pushed Xia Chenn forward and said, ¡°Zhao Chuchu! Come out and greet your mother! How can you make such a scene just to acknowledge an outsider as your mother? Don¡¯t you feel sorry for the person who gave birth to you?


    Xia Chenn rubbed her eyes and made them red beforeing near the door. She appeared extremely sad as she looked at Zhao Chuchu. ¡°Chuchu, I know that I was wrong for abandoning you back then, but I was left with no other choice. I¡¯ve always wanted to find you this whole time. I¡¯ve been thinking about you all these years.¡±

 Chapter 408 - 398 Everyone Wants to Be My Mother (3)

    Chapter 408: Chapter 398 Everyone Wants to Be My Mother (3)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Zhao Chuchu was befuddled.


    Were Xia Chenn and the Zhang n alright in their heads?


    Did theye to such an asion to make her feel disgusted by this performance? How could they im to be her mother?


    It seemed that Xia Chenn had forgotten the pain after her wounds had healed. She had decided to be a demon again.


    The guests looked at each other after hearing what the two women from the Zhang n said. They then turned their heads to look at Zhao Chuchu, waiting for her response.


    Zhao Chuchu looked at Xia Chenn and the people of the Zhang n impassively. Her expression didn¡¯t change at all.


    Xia Chenn started to feel nervous from Zhao Chuchu¡¯s indifferent stare. But as she thought about the money and benefits that Zhao Chuchu could bring to her, she forced herself to continue speaking, ¡°I know you hate me, but can you give me a chance to make up to you? I know I did something wrong, and I¡¯ve been living in guilt all these years. I couldn¡¯t stop myself from crying every time I thought about you.¡±


    Zhang Qun added, ¡°Yeah, Chuchu. Your mom often woke up in the middle of the night crying alone because she was thinking about you. She cares about you. But life forced her to make the wrong decision. As your mother, she loves you more than anyone else. Could you give her a chance?¡±


    Old Mrs. Yuan¡¯s face waspletely dark at this point. She wanted to say something to rebuke these clowns, but Zhao Chuchu stopped her.


    Zhao Chuchu smiled and said, ¡°You said that you are my real mother? But my mother died when I was very young. This is in the government records. Oh, perhaps you can go to Yuanjiang County and ask around. The county office has recently finished investigating my parents¡¯ murder case.


    ¡°Not only did the culprit admit his crimes, but the government has also closed the case and determined that my parents were killed after being poisoned. I would like to ask you. Did you climb out of your grave? Did you not die? Did you


    Just pretend to die and run away( It that¡¯s the case, whose body IS In my mother¡¯s coffin? Did you kill someone to rece yourself?¡±


    Xia Chenn¡¯s expression changed a little.


    She didn¡¯t know what happened in Yuanjiang County, so she couldn¡¯t say a single word to respond to Zhao Chuchu¡¯s questioning.


    ¡°Why are you not answering?¡± Zhao Chuchu stared at Xia Chenn.


    Xie Chenn forced herself to calm down and said, ¡°Chuchu, I¡¯m not sure about those things, but I am sure that I gave birth to you¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, then. Can you tell me how long the delivery was when you gave birth to me? Was it a rainy day or a sunny day? Was it during the day or at night?¡±


    Xie Chenn didn¡¯t know about those things.


    Even if she knew Zhao Chuchu¡¯s birthday, she couldn¡¯t remember what that day was like.


    ¡°Can¡¯t answer? You keep saying that you are my mother, yet you don¡¯t even know these details? As a mother, how can you forget about those things? Although my mother¡¯s name is Xia Chenn, she¡¯s definitely not you!¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, are you not afraid of receiving divine retribution for saying such things?¡±


    ¡°Then, tell the god of thunder to strike the thunder down on me! Xia Chenn, as the daughter of the Xia n, not only did you run away with a man, you came to someone else¡¯s n to snatch their daughter. Is that how the great Xia n of the Guangqing Province taught their daughters? Shame on them! They don¡¯t deserve to be called a ¡®big n¡¯!¡±


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu, you unfilial wretch! How dare you talk to your mom like that? Even if you don¡¯t want to acknowledge her, you can¡¯t just cut off a blood bond like that. This is wrong. You will receive divine retribution!¡± Madam Zhangli didn¡¯t expect Zhao Chuchu to be such a capable debater. Thetter had managed to choke Xie Chenn with her questions in almost no time.


    She felt that if she didn¡¯t say something, Zhao Chuchu wouldn¡¯t belong to the Zhang n anymore.


    Madam Zhangli continued, ¡°Regardless of what you said, you can¡¯t twist the truth. Everyone here is looking. Zhao Chuchu doesn¡¯t even want to acknowledge the existence of her own mother! How can a daughter do something like this? Regardless of what happened, she was carried by Zhao Chuchu for 10 months! If your daughter did this to you, will you not feel betraved?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu looked at Madam Zhangli and said, ¡°From which garbage bin did youe?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯te from a¡­¡± Madam Zhangli was enraged. She yelled, ¡°Zhao Chuchu you bitc¡­¡±


    Before she could finish a sentence, a big steamed bun flew in a straight line and entered right into Madam Zhangli¡¯s mouth, making her unable to speak for a while.


    Madam Zhangli was livid. She managed to take out the bun after putting in a lot of effort. Then, she charged forward in an attempt to beat Zhao Chuchu up.


    Zhao Chuchu said coldly, ¡°Today was supposed to be a good day. I didn¡¯t want to do anything violent. But you cheats came to my door trying to scam me. If I don¡¯t do something now, any Tom Dick or Harry would think that they can im to be my mother.¡±


    Right after she said it, the guests saw a blur in front of their eyes. Madam Zhangli then flew straight out of the door horizontally.


    She fell onto the ground with a painful shriek.


    Xie Chenn¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°Zhao Chcuhu! How dare you use violence?¡±


    ¡°You came to my vige and made a big fussst time. I let you off the hook. I thought that you would learn from your mistake, yet today, you came and tried to im to be my mother again. I know why you¡¯re so insistent on iming that I¡¯m your daughter. It¡¯s because I am a doctor now and you can make me your cash cow, am I right? My mother was an orphan. She had no parents.


    She¡¯s not someone that a shameless filth like you can pretend to be.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu slowly stepped toward Xie Chenn, while Xia Chenn staggered backward in fear.


    ¡°Don¡¯te near me. If you dare to use violence against me, you¡¯ll receive divine retribution¡­


    ¡°Is that all you know? Great, I would love to see what divine retribution looks like.¡±

 Chapter 409 - 399 She is the Fake Deal

    Chapter 409: Chapter 399 She is the Fake Deal


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°Help! Zhao Chuchu is killing me!¡¯ Zhao Chuchu¡¯s words instantly destroyed Xie Chenn¡¯sst bit of willpower, so she started screaming.


    Madam Zhangli¡¯s pitiful state made her recall what she had experienced back in Lengshui Vige. The fear she had forgotten came back and started to take over her head.


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s lips curled up as she walked toward Xie Chenn. She grabbed her cor and pulled her over. Then, she said in a voice that only the two of them could hear, ¡°Xia Chenn, I don¡¯t have a very good temper. If you want to die, I can give you a little help. You¡¯re pretty brave for iming to be my mother.¡±


    ¡°You, what are trying to do?¡±


    ¡°Kill you, of course!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t, no, please¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not going to do anything to you now, but I don¡¯t know how you¡¯ll die tonight.¡±


    ¡°Help, help¡­¡±


    Xie Chenn was so scared that she peed on the spot once again.


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    How did someone so cowardly dare to cause trouble?


    She shoved Xia Chenn away with a disgusted expression.


    No one saw what Zhao Chuchu did to her!


    Zhao Chuchu was getting tired of this nonsense, so she decided to put an end to that once and for all.


    To be frank, she didn¡¯t like to kill people if it weren¡¯t for the environment in the post-apocalyptic world.


    Aftering to the Wei dynasty, the only person that she actually killed was Zhao Zhizhi.


    Xia Chenn would be the second one.


    She didn¡¯t have the time to talk to people like her.


    Xia Chenn fell to the ground. She kicked her feet and tried to move awav


    from Zhao Chuchu. ¡°Don¡¯te near me.¡±


    ¡°Are you my mother?¡± Zhao Chuchu said with an eerie smile, ¡°No one is blind here. Do you guys think I look like Xie Chenn?¡±


    The guests could tell how much Zhao Chuchu disliked Xie Chenn and the Zhang n at this point. No one wanted to offend Zhao Chuchu, so they all agreed with her.


    ¡°No way! Ms. Chuchu is beautiful! There¡¯s not a single part of her that looks like Xia Chenn! ¡±


    ¡°What a bunch of shameless pricks! They see that Ms. Chuchu is capable, so they decided to snatch her away. I can¡¯t believe she came from the Xia n.


    What a joke!¡±


    ¡°The Xia n is dying now. Of course, they would want to find a cash cow. Ms.


    Chuchu is the perfect option for them, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°By the way, I remember that Ms. Chenn didn¡¯t look like this. Is this Xia Chenn the fake deal?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah! Ms. Chuchu looks like the Xia Chenn that I knew. This Xia Chenn looks like a shameless crazy woman. She doesn¡¯t look anything like Ms. Chuchu¡¯s mother!¡±


    As the guests spoke, they mentioned Zhao Chuchu¡¯s real mother.


    Xia Chenn was really sensitive about this, which was why she forced the Xia n to sell the original Xia Xiaoxiao away.


    Even after all these years, the one thing that Xie Chenn hated the most was for other people topare her to Xia Xiaoxiao.


    Now that so many people were talking about Xia Xiaoxiao, it triggered Xia Chenn¡¯s greatest fear and fury. She started screaming hysterically, ¡°What do you know! I am the real Xia Chenn! That bitch is the one who pretended to be me! She took away everything that was supposed to belong to me. She¡¯s just


    a¡­¡±


    Xia Chenn didn¡¯t manage to say where Xia Xiaoxiao actually came from.


    Because she suddenly fainted.


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s face remained expressionless.


    Xia Chenn wasn¡¯t dead yet. Zhao Chuchu just froze her blood temporarily using her superpowers.


    Xie Chenn kept twitching on the ground like a dying fitch.


    Zhao Chuchu said coldly, ¡°Still not done? Trying to fake an injury?¡±


    Xie Chenn felt like she was thrown into a pool of ice water. Her body had lost all its strength.


    She looked at Zhao Chuchu in fear.


    Zhao Chuchu was trying to kill her!


    Zhang Qun who had been silent most of the time finally realized what was happening.


    Madam Zhangli who was outside the door hadn¡¯t gotten up yet, while Xia Chenn was lying on the ground.


    He rushed toward and yelled at Zhao Chuchu, ¡°You unfilial daughter! How can you do that to your mother¡­¡±


    Zhao Chuchu kicked Zhang Qun without even looking at him. She said, ¡°Why? Are you a fan of being cheated on? Does Xia Chenn having a daughter out of nowhere make you feel very happy? Zhang Qun, other people might not know what you¡¯re trying to do, and I don¡¯t really care.


    ¡°But everyone in your vige knows when Xia Chenn ran away with you! Before trying to im to be my parents, take a good look in the mirror and see if you¡¯re worthy of doing that! Don¡¯te and bother me again. Otherwise, I will send you to the government and make sure that you¡¯re convinced for swindling! ¡±


    Zhang Qun fell right beside Madam Zhangli. One of his ribs was broken due to the kick.


    ¡°And all of you, do you want me to send you out?¡± Zhao Chuchu looked at the other people from the Zhang n.


    After seeing how ferocious and violent Zhao Chuchu was, how would they dare to say anything? The only thing they wanted was to run faster!


    ¡°Wait. Take these idiots away.¡± Zhao Chuchu stopped them.


    The people of the Zhang n hurriedly turned back. Although they were unwilling, they had no choice but to pick up Xia Chenn, Zhang Qun, and Madam Zhangli before scrambling away.


    Peace had been restored in the Yuan n.


    Zhao Chuchu looked at the guests and said, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry about that. What a stupid way to spoil the mood! Now that this issue is settled, please continue with the dinner.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s normal for those evil people to set their eyes on you, given that you are capable, Ms. Chuchu. But was your mother really the previous Xia Chenn?¡±


    ¡°No. She just happened to be called Xia Chenn as well. I have nothing to do with the Xia n.¡±


    When Xia Chuchu said that, everyone understood her meaning.


    Xie Chenn was probably speaking the truth just now.


    But since Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with the Xia n, no one would be so insensible as to try asking Zhao Chuchu to acknowledge her rtives. They wouldn¡¯t speak to her from some sort of moral high ground.


    The Xia n was falling. It was only a matter of time before they died away.


    They wouldn¡¯t ruin their rtionships with Zhao Chuchu for the Xia n. Anyone could get sick someday. No one wanted to offend Doctor Miracle and possibly cut off their chance to live at some point in the future.


    ¡°Chuchu, I¡¯m sorry about that,¡± Old Mrs. Yuan said. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°They aren¡¯t capable of hurting me. Don¡¯t worry, grandma,¡± Zhao Chuchu said with a smile. ¡°I just feel that they¡¯ve ruined the atmosphere, which is quite a pity.¡±


    ¡°Not at all. You needed to do that. Give them a tough lesson so they won¡¯t dare to think of anything stupid again. But Chuchu, I think you should think about the issue with your mother. I¡¯m afraid that someone will try to use this against Da Lang.¡±


    ¡°I still have the same answer to that. As long as I don¡¯t acknowledge it, no one can do anything to me. Who said that if someone¡¯s surname is Xia, they must have something to do with the Xia n? My mother has been dead a long time ago. The Xia n doesn¡¯t have any proof.¡±


    ¡°Yup. You are right. I just feel that it¡¯s good to prepare in advance.¡±


    ¡°I know that you¡¯re trying to help me. Don¡¯t worry. I got this.¡±


    ¡°Just let me know if you need any help. There¡¯s no need to be polite with us.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    The banquet continued as though nothing had happened.


    Because of this, many ns that had been trying to cook up foolish ns were frightened by Zhao Chuchu¡¯s actions. They didn¡¯t dare to do anything as they feared that Zhao Chuchu would make them suffer for it.


    No one that went against Zhao Chuchu ended up well.


    Zhao Chuchu wasn¡¯t very old, but her methods were far more fierce and fearsome than the others.

 Chapter 410 - 400 Chase Them All Out!

    Chapter 410: Chapter 400 Chase Them All Out!


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    After the incident, Zhao Chuchu became even more famous in Guangqing Province.


    Xia Chenn and Zhang Qun were injured, while Madam Zhangli had a stroke and had been bedridden ever since.


    Even if the Zhang n wanted to seek revenge on Zhao Chuchu, they didn¡¯t have the courage to do so.


    This was exactly what Xia Chengzhu wanted.


    Xia Chenn could no longer disturb him anymore. She couldn¡¯t bother him every day trying to fight him for the Xia n¡¯s inheritance.


    Xie Chenn couldn¡¯t do anything.


    Ever since she returned from the Yuan n that day, every single night, she felt like there was someone standing in front of her bed when she slept. One night, when she woke up, she saw Xia Xiaoxiao standing beside her bed, asking her why she sold her away and caused her to end up in Lengshui Vige.


    Xia Chenn screamed and woke up, only to realize that she was dreaming.


    Zhang Qun was jolted awake. He was feeling rather agitated, and he spoke to Xia Chenn in a rather irritated tone.


    ¡°What are you doing? Why are you acting so suspicious all the time? Are you trying to scare me to death or something?¡±


    ¡°Hubby, I saw Xia Xiaoxiao just now. She came back to find me.¡±


    Xia Chenn hugged Zhang Qun. She was terrified.


    ¡°She is standing right beside our bed.¡±


    ¡°What, Xia Xiaoxiao? Can you stop scaring yourself? What if we wake the others up? They¡¯re going to mock us tomorrow!¡±


    ¡°No, no. Xia Xiaoxiao is standing right in front of our bed. Hubby, can you open the mosquito to take a look, please?¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay, fine. Watch me.¡±


    Zhang Qun suddenly pulled the mosquito away. There was nothing there.


    Just as he was about to speak, Xia Chenn suddenly pushed Zhang Qun away.


    She cowered in a corner of the bed and said, ¡°Don¡¯te here. Don¡¯te here. Xia Xiaoxiao, you shouldn¡¯t have lived in this world. I just did what I should have done. Go look for the others for revenge!¡±


    ¡°Are you insane?¡± Zhang Qun was getting quite angry at this point. There was no one else here. Xia Xiaoxiao was nowhere to be seen.


    ¡°It has nothing to do with me¡­¡±


    Xia Chenn screamed and wailed.


    Zhang Qun didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Everyone in the Xia n was woken up.


    But instead ofing over immediately, they waited until Xia Chengzhu woke up before following him to Xia Chenn¡¯s room.


    Xia Chenn kept waving her hands around as though she was trying to chase something away. She kept mumbling something that no one else could understand.


    ¡°Enough! Xia Chenn, are you done with this nonsense? I can¡¯t believe you would go to such lengths to snatch our things. Are you pretending to be insane now? Do you still remember who you are? If you think that there¡¯s a ghost here, get out and go back to the Zhang n!¡±


    Xia Chengzhu¡¯s voice was stern and loud as he yelled at her.


    Perhaps it was because she heard Xie Chengzhu, Xia Chenn¡¯s sanity started to return to her slowly.


    As she looked at the people who had gathered in her room, she realized what she had just done.


    Although she was afraid, Xia Chenn would never show weakness in front of Xia Chengzhu. She said, ¡°What are all of you doing here? Xia Chengzhu, I am your elder sister. It¡¯s only right for the Xia n to be handed down to me. I can¡¯t believe you would go to such lengths to chase me away!


    ¡°But I¡¯ll tell you. There¡¯s no way for you to chase me out! The Xia n doesn¡¯t belong to you. Old Mr. Xia owed this to me. It¡¯s only right for me to get mypensation. Xia Chengzhu, don¡¯te here and act all high and mighty. I¡¯ll do anything if you piss me off. Don¡¯t regret it when that happens!¡±


    Zhang Qun was trying his best to hide his presence.


    When the siblings of the Xia n quarreled, he had never intervened. He was happy as long as he could live off his wife.


    Xia Chengzhuughed, then he looked at Xia Chenn pitifully. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault that you grew up in the poor countryside, but you shouldn¡¯te out here and make a fool of yourself. What do you mean Zhao Chuchu is your daughter? Aren¡¯t you afraid that her real mother mighte and haunt you at night?


    ¡°Oh, right, I remember now. You were yelling her name and telling her not toe near you. Are you scared? That¡¯s right. You have neither the luck nor the ability to give birth to a child like Zhao Chuchu. If you can¡¯t wake up from your dream, I can ask someone to wake you up with some urine so you can stop living in a fantasy.¡±


    Xia Chengzhu¡¯s words triggered Xia Chenn¡¯s deepest insecurities and anger.


    Xia Chenn lost her cool. She charged forward and gave Xia Chengzhu two ps.


    Xia Chengzhu couldn¡¯t react in time. He only realized he had been attacked when he felt a numbness on his cheeks. He stared at Xia Chenn viciously and said, ¡°How dare you hit me?¡±


    His expression and tone made Xia Chenn feel ufortably scared.


    She backed off instinctively.


    Xia Chengzhu walked closer and closer to her.


    ¡°Who do you think you are? This is the Xia n. Bitch, how dare you hit me?¡±


    Xia Chengzhu pped Xia Chenn with every sentence. He pped her so hard that her face became lopsided.


    Xia Chenn couldn¡¯t believe it. She screamed hysterically, ¡°Xia Chengzhu, how dare you hit me? I¡¯m going to kill you!¡±


    Then, Xia Chenn pounced forward as if she was fighting for her life. She grabbed Xia Chengzhu¡¯s hair and started scratching his face.


    The two siblings became hateful enemies and fought each other.


    They had been unhappy with each other for a long time. Now that the conflict had started, no one could stop them.


    It became a brawl in the end.


    Xia Chenn¡¯s hair was aplete mess, while Xia Chengzhu¡¯s clothes were torn. Both of their faces were bruised and swollen.


    Actually, Xia Chengzhu was in a worse state than Xia Chenn.


    He had been abusing his own body by partying and fooling around over the past few decades. How could his physical fitness possiblypare to Xia Chenn who often worked on the farms?


    In the end, Xia Chenn basically pinned him down on the ground and changed the fight into a one-sided beating.


    If the rest of the people from the Xia n didn¡¯t pull Xia Chenn away, Xia Chengzhu might have been beaten to death by Xia Chenn.


    The Xia n was in aplete mess.


    Xia Chengzhu ordered his servants to throw all of the Zhang n¡¯s belongings out and chased out all members of the Zhang n.


    Everyone from the Zhang n cried and yelled as though it was the end of the world.


    It was easy to live in luxury after living in poverty, but doing the reverse was extremely difficult.


    They had gotten used to life in the Xia n, where every meal was exquisite and there were servants to tend to their every need. There was no way that they could go back to live the life they did before.


    But they were no match for the Xia n¡¯s servants. They were chased out of the Xia n in the middle of the night and became homeless.


    Xia Chenn pointed at Xia Chengzhu¡¯s nose and yelled, ¡°You immoral prick. You have no heart, no principles, and no loyalty! Dad passed away only a short while ago. How can you treat me like this? Xia Chengzhu, you deserve to die! You heartless maniac, evil imbecile, you wait here. I¡¯ll go report you tomorrow!¡±


    ¡°Go, then. If you don¡¯t go, you¡¯re a coward! Xia Chenn, I¡¯ve been putting up with your nonsense for a long time. You¡¯re a shameless bitch who ran away with some outsider. You don¡¯t deserve to return to the Xia n. If dad knew about it, he would have agreed with what I¡¯m doing. You should be a good little wife in the Zhang n. Don¡¯t return to the Xia n and bring shame to this family!¡±


    ¡°You bastard piece of shit, how dare you?¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    Xia Chengzhu sneered, then he waved his arm and signaled at the servants to close the doors.


    Bang!


    The main gates of the Xia n were closed.


    Xia Chenn¡¯s eyes widened. She screamed, ¡°Xie Chengzhu, get out here now!¡± She went forward and banged on the door continuously.


    Under the instruction of Xia Chengzhu, no one in the Xia n answered Xia Chenn.


    The night breeze of early spring was freezing.


    The entire Zhang n shivered in the cold wind.


    Xia Chenn became the target of the entire Zhang n. Other than Zhang


    Qun, everyone was ming her and scolded her, including her own children.

 Chapter 411 - 401 Your Only Option Is Death

    Chapter 411: Chapter 401 Your Only Option Is Death


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°It¡¯s all your fault foring up with such a foolish idea to be the mother of a bastard child. We wouldn¡¯t have ended up like this otherwise. If you like that bastard so much, go be her mother yourself. We don¡¯t know you!¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t live in the Xia n anymore. Before, we had servants to serve us, but now, we¡¯re homeless. It¡¯s all your fault, Xia Chenn!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just a wretch that brings bad luck. You don¡¯t deserve to live a good life. If you just married into the Zhang n as the daughter of the Xia n, you won¡¯t end up like a beggar on the streets now!¡±


    ¡°Letting a woman like you into the house of the Zhang n is the worst thing we could have done. Now, we need to spit out the food that has already entered our mouths. Xia Chenn, if you don¡¯t think of some way to get the Xia n, the Zhang n has no ce for you.¡±


    Xia Chenn nearly fainted from anger. Did she owe them something in her past life and have to repay them in this life?


    What did the property of the Xia n have anything to do with them? How could they behave as if they had every right to own everything in the Xia n?


    The most chilling thing for Xia Chenn was how her own children said that they didn¡¯t know her anymore.


    Especially her eldest son.


    His eldest son was the reason why she ran away with Zhang Qun and relinquished her status as a daughter of the prestigious Xia n.


    Yet now, he was throwing these ungrateful and heartless words at her.


    ¡°Zhang Qun, say something!¡± Xia Chenn tugged her husband forcefully.


    Zhang Qun wore a sullen expression on his face and didn¡¯t say anything.


    Madam Zhangli said in a vicious tone, ¡°Now, we all don¡¯t have a ce to sleep anymore. Hurry up and find a ce for us. If it wasn¡¯t for you, this wouldn¡¯t have happened to me. Xia Chenn, all this crap is because of you. We shouldn¡¯t have let a bad luck carrier like you into the family!¡±


    Xia Chenn was livid. She yelled, ¡°Who is the one who asked me to do this back then? So, all the luxuries and wealth belong to you while any mistake bes my fault? Who do you think you are? What gives you the right toy your hands on the Xia n? I¡¯ll tell you right now. I¡¯ll take back whatever belongs to me in the Xia n, but you can forget about getting a single cent from me!¡±


    ¡°How dare you?¡± If Madam Zhangli could pick herself up right now, she would


    be beating Xia Chenn already.


    ¡°You¡¯re just a bedridden trash now. If I didn¡¯t get a doctor for you at the Xia n, do you think you could still speak to me right now? Old hag, I¡¯ve been putting up with your crap for a long time. I¡¯ll tell you right now. Even if I leave the Xia n, I have my own money. I don¡¯t care about any of you even if you starve to death.¡±


    Xia Chenn turned and walked away after saying that.


    ¡°Stop her!¡± Madam Zhangli said frantically.


    Her second and third sons immediately charged forward and grabbed Xia Chenn. They ignored the fact that Xia Chenn was still their sister-inw and tried to do a body search on her.


    Zhang Qun went forward and shoved his two brothers away. He shouted, ¡°Enough! What are you trying to do? I¡¯m still alive. Are you trying to ruin your sister-inw¡¯s life? I¡¯m telling you, as long as I¡¯m here, I won¡¯t let you bully her!¡±


    ¡°I am your mother! Look at how she¡¯s speaking to me?¡±


    ¡°Mom, how can you me Chenn for everything? She wanted the Zhang n to have a better life, but what do you want her to do when Zhao Chuchu doesn¡¯t want to reason with her at all? Since all of you think she¡¯s the one who made your lives worse, why don¡¯t we split the n right now? In the future, we¡¯ll go our separate ways and do our own things, so we don¡¯t have to bother each other anymore!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not dead yet, and you already want to split up the n? You ungrateful prick!¡±


    ¡°Brother, how could you say that?¡±


    ¡°Did this evil woman seduce and charm you to the point that you don¡¯t even want your mother anymore?¡±


    p!


    Zhang Qun swung his arm and gave him a full-force p.


    The third son of the Zhang n was befuddled.


    Xia Chenn was stunned as well.


    ¡°I¡¯ll repeat one more time. Split up the n!¡±


    Madam Zhangli immediately started wailing, ¡°Why is my life so miserable? I raised my son and took care of him since young, yet he¡¯s abandoning his own mother for a woman! God, please open your eyes and look at this world. A son is abandoning his mother¡­¡±


    Zhang Qun took a deep breath and said, ¡°Mom, you can follow me if you want to.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± Madam Zhangli immediately stopped crying.


    The second and third sons of the Zhang n started calcting in their minds


    when they heard that.


    Xia Chenn clearly had no chance of getting the Xia n¡¯s inheritance while their mother was in such a state. No one knew how much money was needed for Madam Zhangli¡¯s treatment. If they didn¡¯t split up the n, they would need to pay more!


    But if they split up the n, this would be Zhang Qun and Xie Chenn¡¯s problem. They only needed to care about their own lives.


    If Xia Chenn somehow managed to get anything from the Xia n in the future, they could juste back to her again. As long as their mother wasn¡¯t dead, there were many ways for them to leech off Xia Chenn and Zhang Qun.

 Chapter 412 - 401 Your Only Option Is Death (2)

    Chapter 412: Chapter 401 Your Only Option Is Death (2)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Zhang Qun nodded and said, ¡°Yup, I¡¯m serious.¡±


    ¡°Then, what about Xia Chenn?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here. She¡¯s not going to do anything to you.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Then, split the n.¡±


    Xia Chenn said that she had money just now, so Madam Zhangli was thinking she wouldn¡¯t need to use the money she had saved to seek treatment.


    After being chased out of the Xia n, the Zhang n split up.


    In order to get rid of Madam Zhangli who was a burden to them, the second and third sons very generously agreed to give Zhang Qun most of the farnds.


    By the time they were done splitting up the properties in the n, the sky had turned bright.


    The second and third sons of the Zhang n had left, while Xia Chenn was still waiting at the door of the Xia n.


    When the gates opened, she charged into the house again.


    Xia Chengzhu wanted to chase her out, but Xia Chenn sneered, ¡°If you dare to chase me out now, I will let everyone know about the ugly secrets of the Xia n. Let¡¯s see how you¡¯re going to continue being the chief of the Xia n when that happens!¡±


    Xia Chengzhu¡¯s expression turned dark. ¡°Try me!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think that I¡¯m not prepared. I dare to step into this door because I¡¯m not afraid of you trying to kill me. If I die, you won¡¯t be able to stay alive as well. Murderers have to pay with their own lives. I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want to give away the fruits of yourbor, right?¡±


    ¡°You think I don¡¯t dare to kill you?¡±


    ¡°You should know better than me how dad died, right?¡±


    Xia Chenn was actually just bluffing when she said that to Xia Chengzhu. She didn¡¯t realize that she had identally uncovered the truth.


    Xia Chengzhu was shocked. The thought of killing Xia Chenn immediately rose up in his heart.


    ¡°If you didn¡¯te back with those Zhang n people, do you think he would have died from anger? Xia Chenn, I don¡¯t me you for being ignorant because you grew up in the countryside. But I can¡¯t believe that you can continue to be so shortsighted even after returning to the Xia n. You even did something as stupid as running away with an outsider. You are beyond saving. You don¡¯t belong in the Xia n. Now, get out!¡±


    ¡°Okay, great! If you dare to chase me out of the Xia can today, you can expect to see me at the front door of the governing bureau banging on the drums and seeking justice. I¡¯ll ask them to open up dad¡¯s coffin to check his body!¡±


    Xia Chenn learned this tactic from Zhao Chuchu. She remembered Zhao Chuchu saying that after her parents were killed, the government bureau investigated the case and found the murderer.


    Xia Chenn didn¡¯t actually care about how Xia Songquan died.


    She had no feelings for Xia Songquan at all. She definitely wasn¡¯t sad because of his death. She simply wanted the Xia n¡¯s properties.


    However, her statement happened to attack the secret that Xia Chengzhu was most afraid of letting others know.


    ¡°Xia Chenn, are you done?¡± Xia Chengzhu didn¡¯t dare to force Xia Chenn anymore. He was afraid that she might really go to the government bureau and make a big fuss. If she did that, the rest of the Xia n would probably follow suit. If he was unable to suppress the noise, his deeds might actually get exposed.


    ¡°This is the Xia n. From the day that you decided to run away, you no longer belong to the Xia n. You became a member of the Zhang n. I can give you a bit more money because we are siblings, but you can forget about anything more than that!¡±


    ¡°The Xia n were salt merchants. I don¡¯t know how much money we had. All I know is that the Xia n is extremely rich. I¡¯m not going to let this go if you try to dismiss me like a beggar. I¡¯m not a greedy person. All I¡¯m asking from you is to make up for my dowry. I don¡¯t think that¡¯s too much to ask for, right?¡±


    Xia Chengzhu red at Xia Chenn, but Xia Chenn wasn¡¯t afraid at all.


    At this point, she knew she wouldn¡¯t be able to get anything substantial out of the Xia n, so she decided she was going to take whatever she could.


    The Zhang n had disbanded. If she could get arge sum of money from the Xia n, she would be able to live a good life in the future.


    ¡°You ran away. There¡¯s no dowry for that!¡±


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll tell everyone that the Xia n chased me out because you despised me for having grown up in the countryside.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°Our father wouldn¡¯t be able to rest in peace in the afterlife that way. Do you think he¡¯lle back to haunt you?¡±


    Xia Chengzhu clenched his teeth.


    He was vicious and fierce, but he wasn¡¯t intelligent.


    Otherwise, he should have been able to deal with Xia Chenn a long time ago given how foolish she was.


    Lu Ming stood aside and watched. He didn¡¯t say a thing and simply let the two siblings quarrel.


    ¡°Uncle Ming, what do you think?¡± Xia Chengzhu finally remembered the presence of Lu Ming and decided to ask for his opinion.


    ¡°Based on tradition, girls need a dowry when they get married. But Chenn¡­¡±


    Lu Ming stopped his sentence midway.


    ¡°You can speak your mind.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I think Chenn should be given the dowry because that¡¯s what she should have gotten. She was very young and innocent back then. She was swindled by an outsider because she didn¡¯t know how evil people could be. Now, even her children have grown up. Sir, you don¡¯t have many siblings. Just treat it as a way to appreciate your sister.¡±


    Lu Ming knew how Xia Songquan died as well.


    But he wasn¡¯t going to expose Xia Chengzhu because he had his own ns.

 Chapter 413 - 401 The Only Option is Death(3)

    Chapter 413: Chapter 401 The Only Option is Death(3)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    To him, there was nothing wrong with spending some money to get rid of someone like Xia Chenn.


    ¡°Since Uncle Ming thinks so, I¡¯ll give you the standard dowry. But Xia Chenn, remember this. A woman who has married an outsider has no right to the Xia n¡¯s properties!¡±


    ¡°I just want what I deserve.¡±


    Xia Chenn was afraid that she would get nothing in the end, so she decided to take the deal while she still had one.


    She would think of some other ways in the future when she ran out of money!


    Xia Cheng suppressed his rage and handed the matter over to Lu Ming. But no matter what, he couldn¡¯t agree to let Xia Chenn move into the Xia n.


    Because of this, Xia Chengzhu gave Xia Chenn a house that he bought previously for a girl from the brothel. He told her to stay there instead.


    Xia Chenn was fine with it.


    She was fine with anything as long as she didn¡¯t need to return to Zhang Qun¡¯s old home.


    After getting what she wanted, Xia Chenn didn¡¯t continue staying in the Xia n. She wanted to avoid agitating Xia Chengzhu, which might cause her to lose the things that she had obtained.


    She asked to convert all of her dowries into cash, then she brought them away.


    Of course, Xia Chenn wasn¡¯t going to tell Zhang Qun about this. Otherwise, the money would definitely end up in the hands of that old hag, and it would probably be handed to Zhang Qun¡¯s useless brothers.


    After Xia Chenn left, Xia Chengzhu called in one of his loyal subordinates and gave him some instructions.


    How dare she threaten her?


    Now, her only option was death!


    The news of Xia Chenn being chased out of the Xia n quickly reached Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchuughed.


    Xia Chenn was better at seeking death than she had imagined.


    Her poison hadn¡¯t even taken effect yet, but Xia Chenn was going to die at the hands of Xia Chengzhu.


    Every single one from the Xia n was a cold-blooded animal. Their rtionships were as fragile as stic.


    The Xia n was about to fall!


    ¡°Da Lang, what did you do?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. ¡±


    Xie Heng shook his head.


    The people from the Zhang n were seeking death on their own without him doing anything!


    ¡°I¡¯ve prepared this herb based on your instruction. What else do you need me to do?¡± Xie Heng asked. Rather than spending time on those fools, he would rather spend time with Zhao Chuchu in the medicinal room.


    ¡°Nope. That¡¯s all for today. I¡¯m just using these to make skincare pills. All those girls have the same concern. I don¡¯t need to see them one by one and give them individual treatment ns. I can just make the pills and pass them to those girls. ¡±


    ¡°Thank you for working so hard to provide for this family.¡±


    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s okay. Thank you for working so hard to earn the royal court¡¯s certificate of appreciation for me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure, and I don¡¯t feel like it¡¯s hard work at all. Since you don¡¯t need my help here, I¡¯ll go back to the study room first.¡±


    ¡°What date is it today? You¡¯re going to the academy soon, right?¡±


    ¡°16 February. The academy starts teaching from the 22nd.¡±


    ¡°You are knowledgeable enough to be their teacher, yet you still need to go to the academy.¡±


    ¡°Junjun won¡¯t be able to manage the whole country alone. He needs talented people to help him.¡±


    There were a few people in the Qingyang Academy of Guangqing Province that were worth recruiting by Xie Jun.


    At his age, it wasn¡¯t strange for him to enter the academy to study and make friends with them.


    In the next year, he could subtly change the course of their lives so they didn¡¯t repeat the mistakes that they had made in their previous life.


    ¡°I know. I was just joking. Da Lang, we all have our own things to do now.


    When the situation has stabilized, we¡¯ll finally have our freedom.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be too far away.¡±


    ¡°You should go study now to prepare for that day. Although I¡¯m not interested in wealth and luxury, I¡¯ll still be very happy if you can earn a royal court certificate of appreciation for me.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Just wait for me.¡±


    Xie Heng rubbed her head, then he stood up and left the medicinal room.


    Xiie Heng was used to the smell of herbs. He felt slightly uneasy returning to the study room. But that was only temporary. Soon, he focused on the books.


    Making the skincare pills was a veryplicated process.


    In order to maximize the effect of the pills, Zhao Chuchu spent three days making them.


    Zhao Chuchu wanted to make real skincare products, but she realized she couldn¡¯t possibly create a sterile environment that was necessary for making skincare products. Although she had a lot of resources in her carry-on space, all of them were survival-rted. There were very few that had anything to do with skincare or makeup products!


    Zhao Chuchu wasn¡¯t going to sell these skincare pills like any other medicines. She would only give it to the daughters of big ns after diagnosing the problems with their skins.


    Skincare and beauty products were huge markets in any era.


    Skincare pills were targeted specifically at e. It didn¡¯t have other effects.


    The women in big ns tended to spend their whole lives centered around their husbands. It was very normal for their looks to deteriorate with time.


    Naturally, they would try their absolute best to preserve their looks and slow down their aging so their husband would look at them for a while more.


    That was why many women hade to consult Zhao Chuchu and asked her if there were ways to lessen the wrinkles and spots on their faces and whether their skin could be a little whiter. Some women were even daring enough to ask about their private parts.


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t know how to respond.


    In this era, the fate of women didn¡¯t depend on themselves. Their emotions and feelings were all dependent on the man to whom they were married!

 Chapter 414 - 402 Stressed Out (1)

    Chapter 414: Chapter 402 Stressed Out (1)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    All they could do was try everything they could to make themselves virtuous and kind. They would stay beautiful for as long as they could. That was the only way for them to receive love from their husbands and give them the confidence to stand up straight outside.


    Those women who were not loved by their husbands didn¡¯t even dare to speak loudly. They feared that their husbands would despise them when they returned home.


    Sometimes, Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t know what to say to them.


    There was no way anyone could convince Zhao Chuchu to live a life relying on someone else.


    However, they were different from Zhao Chuchu. Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t condone their way of life, but neither did she condemn it. After all, they came frompletely different eras.


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, did you hear what I said?¡± thedy sitting opposite Zhao Chuchu said. Her question disturbed Zhao Chuchu¡¯s train of thought. She asked,


    ¡°There¡¯s no way?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no medicine for this.¡± Zhao Chuchu looked at her and said, ¡°But I can teach you an exercise to do. You will need to do it consistently for a long time.¡±


    Thedy was Mrs. Ge. She was asking Zhao Chuchu whether she could revert her body to a slim and slender state.


    ¡°Will it work?¡±


    ¡°As long as you do it regrly, it will work.¡±


    ¡°Could you please teach me that exercise? Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll pay for the treatment.¡±


    ¡°Yes.


    ¡°Can we start right now?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu shook her head.


    She needed to do some preparation.


    Exercising could not be done without care and caution.


    It could easily hurt someone if it wasn¡¯t done properly.


    Not to mention that Mrs. Ge was quite heavy, to begin with, so she needed to be extra cautious with her.


    Zhao Chuchu was actually capable ofing up with some sort of medicine that could help Mrs. Ge lose weight, but it wasn¡¯t a good solution.


    Zhao Chuchu wanted Mrs. Ge to slim down naturally by using both medicine and exercise. This way, Mrs. Ge would develop healthy living habits, which would reduce the chance of her weight bouncing back up.


    ¡°When?¡±


    ¡°Come back in 10 days.¡±


    ¡°Why so long?¡±


    ¡°Because I need to prepare some tools that we need for the exercise.¡±


    see.¡±


    ¡°Yup. But this is going to be quite tough. Mrs. Ge, are you sure you can push through this training?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure I can.¡±


    Mrs. Ge was very confident.


    But she didn¡¯t know what monstrous training awaited her.


    Upon receiving a confirmation from Zhao Chuchu, Mrs. Ge left, feeling rather satisfied.


    Yuan Hui was there as well. After Mrs. Ge left, Yuan Hui asked Zhao Chuchu,


    ¡°Chuchu, how do you n to help Mrs. Ge slim down?¡±


    ¡°Just five words. Control her mouth and start exercising.¡± Zhao Chuchu turned to look at Yuan Hui, then she asked, ¡°Are you interested as well?¡±


    ¡°Me? But I¡¯m so slim already. Do I need that too?¡±


    ¡°Regardless of whether you are skinny or fat, you can¡¯t go wrong with gaining a bit more strength. What¡¯s so good about being so weak that you can¡¯t even kill a chicken? If you run into a hooligan, you can¡¯t even outrun him to escape.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to teach me kung fu?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m just going to teach you how to be healthier.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was quite bored. She wasn¡¯t in need of money, and she wouldn¡¯t have patientsing to her every day.


    There were a lot of rich people in the capital city, and a good portion of them was overweight.


    Zhao Chuchu came up with the idea of opening up a ce that helped people to exercise. That way, she could have something to do to pass time while watching people suffer from strenuous exercise. Perfect!


    ¡°Really? I want to learn then.¡± Yuan Hui was eager to try.


    Zhao Chuchu smiled at her.


    ¡°Huihui, a promise is a promise. Don¡¯t regret your decisionter.¡±


    ¡°Why would I regret it? I know you¡¯ll never lie to me.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, I won¡¯t lie to you. Well then, let¡¯s find a ce first. By the way, I have been eyeing a few shop locations previously. I wonder if the Yuan n can help me to buy them?¡±


    ¡°You need the Yuan n to do it? Do those shops belong to the Xia n?¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you buy them directly?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to give the Xia n a chance to suck up to me.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Tell me where those locations are. I¡¯ll go ask about themter.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu told Yuan Hui about a few locations.


    Yuan Hui raised her eyebrows and said, ¡°Why are all of these ces in remote locations? You should set up your business in ces where there are more people. The locations that you¡¯ve chosen are so far away. Why would people go there?¡±


    ¡°The quality of the customers is more important for this business, not the quantity.¡±


    ¡°Then, how are you going to run the business?¡±


    ¡°You will know.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t tell her the answer straight away.


    She had only been in the capital city for a while, but she had already started thinking about what to do.


    She couldn¡¯t let Xie Heng get busy with his career alone while she did nothing all day and wasted time.


    ¡°Alright. Which one do you want the most?¡±


    ¡°The one on Changping Street.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get people to enquire about itter. Oh, right. You mentioned that all these shops were sold by the Xia n. Can¡¯t you just get someone to help you buy them? You don¡¯t need to contact the Xia n directly, right?¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I just ask you for help then?¡± Yuan Hui didn¡¯t know how to answer.


    She didn¡¯t think about that!


    Yuan Hui was quite efficient. The next day, she brought the contract for the shop on Changping Street to Zhao Chuchu.

 Chapter 415 - 402 Stressed Out (2)

    Chapter 415: Chapter 402 Stressed Out (2)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    While Zhao Chuchu was preparing to set up her business, something bad finally happened in the Xia n.


    Xia Chenn died.


    She was strangled to death by someone.


    By the time her body was brought to the government bureau, it had already started rotting.


    The government bureau summoned Zhang Qun. Zhang Qun recognized the body and realized it was Xia Chenn. He almost fainted.


    After that, he told the magistrate that Xia Chenn had told him she would go back to the Xia n the previous day. He thought that Xia Chenn stayed the night at the Xia n, so he didn¡¯t search for her.


    However, the magistrate immediately used him of being a suspect and captured him.


    Zhao Chuchu went to see Xia Chenn¡¯s body as well.


    She could immediately tell that the red marks on Xia Chenn¡¯s neck were made after she had already died.


    Xia Chenn¡¯s skull waspletely broken, but no one could tell from the outside.


    The murderer was an expert.


    The coroner wasn¡¯t able to find out the real cause of Xia Chenn¡¯s death.


    Money could motivate anyone to do anything. Zhao Chhu found it quite impressive that Xia Chengzhu was able to find a hitman of this standard.


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s finger moved slightly.


    Blood started seeping out from the back of Xia Chenn¡¯s head.


    The coroner was shocked.


    This reminded him to carefully investigate Xia Chenn¡¯s head. Then, he realized that her skull waspletely broken.


    Zhao Chuchu saw that the coroner had noticed Xia Chenn¡¯s head injury, so she left the scene.


    She was nning topletely overthrow the Xia n. How could she let Xia Chengzhu have his way?


    The Xia n owed this to the original owner¡¯s mother. She had to make the Xia n pay for what they had done.


    Coincidentally, Qiao Heting and the Third Prince of the dynasty were in Guangqing Province as well.


    The Third Prince came to Guangqing Province using the reason of recovering from his illness. The emperor sent several capable guards to follow him.


    Now that there was such a murder case in the capital, the Third Prince went to the government bureau to check it.


    The coroner was submitting the autopsy report to the magistrate. The Third Prince decided to take a look at the report. He noticed that Xia Chenn¡¯s skull was shattered, which made him feel that the case was moreplicated than it seemed. He said, ¡°Magistrate Li, Xia Chenn is just an ordinary woman. She shouldn¡¯t have anything to do with the ouws and the underworld. Why did she die in the hands of someone so powerful?¡±


    ¡°Third Prince, we¡¯re sending out officers to investigate the case as we speak.


    We will have the results very soon. Please give us some time.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to intervene with Guangqing Province¡¯s internal affair, but this is a murder case. I wonder why the culprit did something so vicious. For the sake of the safety of the citizens here, I¡¯ll send two people to help you, Magistrate


    Magistrate Li started to sweat.


    The Third Prince said that he was helping, but it simply meant that he wanted to intervene.


    Yet, because he was a prince, magistrate Li didn¡¯t dare to refuse his offer. He had no choice but to ept his help.


    The Third Prince summoned two men who looked very ordinary.


    After checking the wounds on Xia Chenn, they immediately locked onto the culprit. ¡°Sir, the way Xia Chenn died is very simr to the way Yuan Dongfang kills people. He¡¯s the only man in the underworld who likes to kill people by crushing their skulls.¡±


    ¡°Start investigating the whereabouts of Yuan Dongfang.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Magistrate Li felt like he was just a decoration there.


    The Third Prince managed to find clues just moments after arriving. He kept wiping off his sweat. He was worried that the Third Prince might me him for being incapable.


    ¡°I¡¯m feeling a little exhausted. They will bring over Yuan Dongfang to magistrate Li when they find him. Magistrate Li, please put in a bit more effort and try to find the culprit as soon as possible so this case doesn¡¯t cause panic among the citizens,¡± the Third Prince said as he stood up.


    ¡°Yes, sir. I will follow your teachings carefully. Oh, by the way, Third Prince, I¡¯ve ordered my men to arrange for your lodging tonight. Please have a good rest. I believe the journey here must have been quite exhausting. I will arrange


    for a wee banquet tonight.¡±


    ¡°There is no need to trouble so many people. My body is not very fit, so I can¡¯t really attend functions that are too lively. Magistrate Li should focus on the more important stuff. I just came to Guangqing Province to recover from my illness. There is no need to let too many people know about my presence.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    The Third Prince stood up and left.


    Magistrate Li looked at the Third Prince¡¯s figure as he left the room, feeling rather puzzled.


    Didn¡¯t the rumors say that the Third Prince didn¡¯t have much time left? Did his condition really get better?


    Magistrate Li didn¡¯t know the answer, and he didn¡¯t dare to get people to investigate this, so he could only ponder about it himself.


    ¡°Brother, why did you suddenlye to Guangqing Province? Did someone send you a message? Otherwise, how did you just happen to arrive when Xia Chenns got murdered?¡± Qiao Heting suspected that Xie Heng might have sent a message to him.


    The Third Prince smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯ve been staying in the Imperial City for a long time. It¡¯s getting quite boring there. I came here for a change of ce and to rx. Although I somehow managed to survive, it was only temporary. I would like to see more beautiful sceneries while I still have time.¡±


    ¡°You will be fine, brother.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to console me. I know how my body is. Let¡¯s go. How about we head to the Yuan n? Are you not going to see your fianc¨¦e?¡±


    The Third Prince changed the conversation and said jokingly.


    Qiao Heting blushed a little and said, ¡°Third Brother, please don¡¯t make fun of me.¡±


    ¡°How was that making fun of you? It¡¯spletely normal for people to get married at a certain age! I feel quite regretful that I can¡¯t be like you. If I can, I would definitely want to try getting married.¡±

 Chapter 416 - 402 Stressed Out (3)

    Chapter 416: Chapter 402 Stressed Out (3)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°Third Brother¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about that. We shall head to the Yuan n first.¡±


    The Third Prince stopped the conversation.


    Qiao Heting heaved a sigh of relief.


    The Yuan n waspletely unaware that the Third Prince and Qiao Heting had arrived.


    Upon finding out who he was, Old Mrs. Yuan was bbergasted. She hurriedly instructed the entire n to treat the Third Prince with the utmost respect.


    ¡°Greetings, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that, madam. I¡¯m sorry for visiting so suddenly and disturbing your family.¡±


    The Third Prince was exceptionally polite.


    ¡°No, no. This is no trouble at all. It is the Yuan n¡¯s honor to receive you.


    Please, Your Highness,e in.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    The Third Prince led the way and walked into the Yuan n.


    No one could tell that the Third Prince was ill or weak in any way.


    Old Mrs. Yuan was quite nervous.


    After all, the Third Prince was apletely different kind of guestpared to the merchants that usually visited her. The prince was a member of the royal family!


    If he wanted, he could destroy the entire Yuan n with a singlemand.


    Old Mrs. Yuan was extremely nervous and cautious. She couldn¡¯t afford to make a single mistake.


    The Third Prince said, ¡°Old Mrs. Yuan, there¡¯s no need to be so nervous. My visit today doesn¡¯t carry any purpose or intent. I just thought I coulde here to meet you and the others. If you are so afraid of me, I won¡¯t dare toe into the Yuan n anymore in the future. You¡¯re grandson-inw calls me Third Brother, so you can just treat me as a kid from a younger generation.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do something so disrespectful.¡±


    ¡°Sigh. It seems like I¡¯m not wee here. In that case, I shall take my leave now.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, please stay. Since you¡¯ve said so, I shall not insist on the etiquettes. Please, don¡¯t get angry at me for it.¡±


    ¡°Why would I get angry? The Yuan n is morally upright and often does good deeds for the people. I¡¯ve heard about you all the way from the Imperial City. I admire Old Mrs. Yuan a lot for being able to manage the Yuan n so well. I


    think even the firstdy of the biggest n in the Imperial city might not be able to do something like this.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s too much of a praise, Your Highness. I haven¡¯t done anything special.¡¯


    The conversation between the two of them was so polite that Qiao Heting almost fell asleep.


    He didn¡¯t know that his Third Brother could be so talkative!


    The Third Prince didn¡¯t stay in the Yuan n for too long. He left after less than an hour.


    Mrs. Yuan asked, ¡°Mom, did the Third Prince visit suddenly because of the whole Xia n incident?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t think we can touch the Xia n anymore. Tell everyone to be careful. Don¡¯t go against the Xia n anymore,¡± Old Mrs. Yuan said with a serious expression.


    ¡°Is His Highness¡­¡±


    ¡°Shush, don¡¯t say anything that you shouldn¡¯t say.¡±


    Old Mrs. Yuan warned her daughter-inw.


    The Third Prince had his eyes on the Xia n. So, the Yuan n could not fight against the Third Prince for it.


    If they identally offended the Third Prince, they would be the next in line to get dealt with.


    Old Mrs. Yuan had been the chief of the Yuan n for so many years. She had been through all kinds of challenging situations. Although the appearance of the Third Prince made her feel a little nervous, it wasn¡¯t enough to make her paranoid.


    At the very least, she was certain that the Third Prince didn¡¯t intend to acquire the Yuan n yet.


    ¡°Yes.


    ¡°You can leave now. I need to think about this.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Mrs. Yuan left the room, Old Mrs. Yuan was alone now.


    Old Mrs. Yuan didn¡¯t tell Mrs. Yuan that the Third Prince¡¯s visit to Guangqing Province was probably rted to the crown prince.


    The emperor hadn¡¯t decided on who would be the crown prince yet.


    Although rumors had it that the Third Prince was ill and frail, he lookedpletely normal today. There was a good chance that he intended to fight for that position as well.


    Old Mrs. Yuan didn¡¯t want the Yuan n to be involved in such a convoluted conflict.


    All she wanted was for the Yuan n to continue prospering in peace.


    If they got involved in a conflict like that, even if they stood on the right side, there was a good chance that they would end up like the Xia n.


    Old Mrs. Yuan wasn¡¯t a greedy person. She was fine with maintaining the status quo.


    Her priority right now wasing up with a way to distance themselves from the Third Prince.


    Old Mrs. Yuan was extremely stressed right now. She couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    There wasn¡¯t much nning she could do. They would have to y it by ear!


    She hoped that Xie Heng would be sessful enough in the future to be able to protect the Yuan n.


    Xie Heng wasn¡¯t surprised at all when he saw the Third Prince.


    The Third Prince came because of the message he sent.


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t want the Xia n, so the Third Prince could take it over.


    Although the Xia n was on a downward spiral, one could not deny the sheer size of the n. The Third Prince had many capable individuals under hismand. It might not be a bad thing for the Xia n to be acquired by the Third Prince.


    ¡°Zizhao, we meet again. How are you?¡± the Third Prince asked with a smile.


    ¡°Your Highness,¡± Xie Heng bowed and greeted him. ¡°I¡¯m great. Thank you for asking.¡±


    The Third Prince held Xie Heng¡¯s arm and stopped him from bowing. ¡°There is no one else here, Zizhao. There¡¯s no need for all the formalities. I¡¯ve wanted to see you for a long time time. I didn¡¯t expect this day toe so quickly. Let me thank you for the big gift first.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d you like it.¡±


    ¡°I love it. Zizhao, why are you studying at the Qingyang Academy? Wouldn¡¯t the


    Jiuli Academy be better?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. It feels better.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha.¡±


    It¡¯s rare to see the Third Princeugh so heartily.


    ¡°Zizhao, as always, you do things differently from other people.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s better to follow our hearts.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, right, follow our hearts. But I wonder what kind of heart Zizhao is following?¡±

 Chapter 417 - 403 Could He Be the One We’re Looking For? (1)

    Chapter 417: Chapter 403 Could He Be the One We¡¯re Looking For? (1)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°Nothing special,¡± Xie Heng said with a serious expression. ¡°When I look up at the sky, I want to have a clear conscience.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± The Third Prince patted Xie Heng¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°I look forward to the day when I can meet you in the Imperial City. I hope you won¡¯t let me down. How about the autumn exams? What do you think about it?¡±


    ¡°I will do my best.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great.¡±


    Although the Third Prince looked no different from an ordinary person, his body had been seriously corrupted by the poison. He was far weaker than an average man.


    After the arduous journey from the Imperial City to Guangqing Province, he was getting very exhausted. After meeting Xie Heng and talking to him for about an hour, he returned to his lodging ce with Qiao Heting.


    ¡°Heting, do we still not have any information about my ninth brother?¡± The Third Prince didn¡¯t forget to ask about his brother before lying down.


    Qiao Heting shook his head and said, ¡°Nope.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯s still alive. Keep looking for him,¡± the Third Prince said.


    Qiao Heting hesitated for a moment and said, ¡°Third Brother, why must it be our ninth brother? Maybe he¡­¡±


    ¡°He is my only brother. Before I die, I want to find him, even if it¡¯s just his body. Heting, this has be an obsession at this point.¡± The Third Prince looked into Qiao Heting¡¯s eyes and continued, ¡°An obsession of a lifetime.¡±


    Qiao Heting looked at the Third Prince intently. If this man wasn¡¯t poisoned, he would surely be the crown prince of the Wei Dynasty. He would be a great leader.


    But now, he had to fight against death every day of his life.


    ¡°I know that in the eyes of other people, this obsession seems ridiculous, almostical. Just as you said, perhaps our ninth brother had been dead a long time ago. But I still think there¡¯s hope. I still dream of the day when I can meet him again.¡±


    The Third Prince didn¡¯t really have any feelings for all of his other brothers, but his ninth brother was an exception.


    Qiao Heting was a single child. So, he didn¡¯t understand why the Third Prince felt that way.


    But as long as the Third Prince wanted to do it, Qiao Heting would help him as best as he could.


    ¡°Third Brother, I will try to think of some other ways.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Oh, by the way, you should keep a close watch on the Xia n. Tell Jiang Hong toe to Guangqing Province as soon as he can. This matter cannot be dyed.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s already on his way. He should arrive tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll rest for a bit first. Thank you for helping me with the other matters.¡±


    ¡°No worries.¡±


    Qiao Heting left the Third Prince¡¯s room and closed the door for him.


    Before closing the door, he took a look at the Third Prince who had alreadyid down on the bed. He sighed softly before he left.


    Upon knowing that the Third Prince had arrived in Guangqing Province, Zhao Chuchu instantly realized why he chose toe at this time.


    ¡°Recovering from his illness¡± was obviously just an excuse. Regardless of what he did, the Third Prince¡¯s condition could not be improved.


    But how did the Third Prince know so quickly what was about to happen to the Xia n? Did Xie Heng send a message to him?


    Xie Heng wanted Xie Jun and the Third Prince to meet.


    Zhao Chuc.hu looked toward Xie Jun¡¯s study room.


    One needed to be at least a schr to qualify to study at Qingyang Academy. Xie Jun hadn¡¯t gone for the exams yet, so he had to stay at home for now.


    Their house wasn¡¯t very far from Qingyang Academy, so Xie Heng would return home every night and give Xie Jun lessons. After that, he would give him homework toplete during the day.


    Xie Jun was a very obedient child, and he studied hard every day.


    It was almost as if this was a different child from the kid who climbed up and down all over the ce in Lengshui Vige like a monkey.


    ¡°Chuc.hu, what are you thinking about?¡± Yuan Hui waved her hand in front of her and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Zhao Chuc.hu looked at Yuan Hui and said, ¡°Nothing. I just suddenly thought of a medicinal recipe. By the way, the heir of a noble family came to Guangqing Province. You must feel very happy, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course. How could I not feel happy? Chuchu, do you think the Guangqing Province is going to be very busy now that the Third Prince is here?¡±


    ¡°Why so?¡±


    ¡°Because he is a prince! Wouldn¡¯t the government officials in the areae and send him some gifts?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. The Third Prince has a pretty good reputation. He¡¯s not that kind of person.¡±


    ¡°Right. He has a really good rtionship with Heting. He must be a good person too.¡±


    Zhao Chuc.hu raised her eyebrows and said, ¡°Huihui, you have to remember something. There¡¯s no such thing as a good person in the royal family. That is the mostplicated n in the entire world. Even father and son might fight each other to death under certain circumstances, let alone outsiders! If you continue to think this way, you are going to suffer someday because of it.¡± Yuan Hui hung her head low and stopped speaking upon hearing that.


    ¡°Huihui, I can¡¯t be teaching you everything. You have to do certain things on your own. Regardless of what happens, remember, you must always be cautious about other people!¡±


    ¡°Okay. I got it.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu sighed. She wondered whether it was the right thing for Yuan


    Hui to be married to Qiao Heting if she continued this way.


    She had to find an opportunity to help her mature and grow up.

 Chapter 418 - 403 Could He Be the One We’re Looking For? (2)

    Chapter 418: Chapter 403 Could He Be the One We¡¯re Looking For? (2)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    It seemed that Yuan Hui had already forgotten about the incident at Yuanjiang County!


    ¡°Chuchu, are you very disappointed in me? You feel that I haven¡¯t grown up at all?¡± Yuan Hui seemed to have the same feeling of helplessness as Zhao Chuchu felt. She raised her head up to look at Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°Do you want to hear my honest thought?¡±


    ¡°Yes. ¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am. You need to learn to grow up. You can¡¯t live under someone else¡¯s protection forever. What if you lose that person one day? All that awaits you is death! Think about it. You almost died before. There¡¯s nothing to be afraid of, right?¡±


    ¡°I get that, but I just¡­ I just feel like it¡¯s morally wrong to be always suspecting other people.¡±


    ¡°Suspecting doesn¡¯t hurt anyone. There¡¯s nothing moral about this.¡± In the post-apocalyptic world, people like Yuan Hui were the first to die.


    Being too kind andpassionate wasn¡¯t a good thing.


    ¡°Chuchu, I will try my best to grow up. Could you give me some time?


    ¡°This isn¡¯t about whether I want to give you time or not. The problem is you are going to get married very soon. Huihui, the Imperial City is far moreplicated than Guangqing Province. You are going to meet people who are much scarier than the ones you¡¯ve already met. It is the center of a constant struggle for power, and the conflicts there will be way more intense than anywhere else. You must understand what kind of position Duke Ding is in.¡± Yuan Hui didn¡¯t talk for a long while.


    It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t understand what Zhao Chuchu was talking about.


    It¡¯s just that her character made it impossible for her to behave and think like Zhao Chuchu.


    She was trying her very best to grow up and learn skills to protect herself. But just as Zhao Chuchu said, she didn¡¯t have much time. She was quite anxious about it as well. As a result, she wasn¡¯t really able to learn anything effectively. ¡°The best time to nt a tree is 10 years ago, and the next best option is right now. Learn as much as you can under your grandmother. It¡¯s not toote. Huihui, the best teacher you can have is your grandmother. If you are willing, you can learn from your mother as well.¡±


    Yuan Hui frowned slightly. After going through so much, she vaguely realized that the death of her parents had nothing to do with her stepmother.


    Her stepmother truly loved her and cared for her. However, she had gotten used to going against her stepmother after all these years. She just couldn¡¯t get over what had happened in the past and was unable to have a genuine conversation with her stepmother.


    It¡¯s not that she wasn¡¯t willing to talk to her stepmother. Yuan Hui felt that she had done too many things wrong. On top of that, she kept trying to attack her stepmother with those insensitive words every day¡­


    ¡°Chuchu, have you known all along that she has no ill intentions toward me?¡± Yuan Hui asked softly. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about the past a lot recently. She has never done anything to hurt me. On the contrary, I was the one who kept saying those hateful things. She actually dislikes me deep inside, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just what you think. If she really disliked you, when the Ye n came over and tried to force you to marry their son, she wouldn¡¯t have stood up for you. Huihui, it¡¯s okay for us to be ruthless and fierce, but we cannot be ungrateful. ¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not¡­¡±


    ¡°I know you¡¯re not, but there are some opportunities that onlye once in a lifetime. Now that you are engaged with Heir Qiao and those flies from the Yuan n don¡¯t dare to disturb you anymore, no one would do anything to you even if you be close with your mother.¡±


    ¡°Did she let me do what I did in order to protect me?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. You should ask her.¡± ¡°I¡­ I feel too ashamed to ask her.¡±


    ¡°Silly girl.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu rubbed her head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think so much. There¡¯s no mother in this world that won¡¯t forgive their daughter.¡± ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡±


    Yuan Hui heaved a deep sigh upon hearing that as if she had just lifted a huge burden off her heart.


    Perhaps she could try tomunicate with her stepmother as Zhao Chuchu told her to.


    Yuan Hui didn¡¯t stay for very long at Zhao Chuchu¡¯s ce.


    Zhao Chuchu continued to draw up blueprints for the machinery that she needed. She nned to hire someone to make it for her eventually.


    Xie Heng returned home half an hour earlier than usual.


    ¡°We¡¯re not cooking today. Heir Qiao came to Guangqing Province. He said he¡¯ll be treating us,¡± Xie Heng said to Zhao Chuchu as he entered the room. ¡°Would you like to change your clothes?¡±


    Heir Qiao?


    He meant the Third Prince!


    It seemed that she was right. Xie Heng actually wanted Xie Jun to meet the


    Third Prince.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to change. What about Junjun?


    ¡°Junjun wille with us as well. I¡¯ll go see how he¡¯s doing with his homework,¡± said Xie Heng.


    He then walked toward Xie Jun¡¯s study room.


    By the time Zhao Chuchu came out of her room, Xie Heng and Xie Jun were already waiting for her in the courtyard.


    Ever since Xie Jun¡¯s poison had been neutralized, he had been looking more lively with each passing day. Now that his face was more shy, he seemed to look more handsome as well.


    ¡°Sis, are we going out to eat good food today?¡± Xie Jun was very excited. He said, ¡°Which restaurant has the best food in the capital?¡±

 Chapter 419 - 403 Could He Be the One We’re Looking For (3)

    Chapter 419: Chapter 403 Could He Be the One We¡¯re Looking For (3)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Zhao Chuchuughed. This little glutton!


    ¡®You need to ask your brother about where we¡¯re going to eat. Next time, tell sister Hui to bring you around for food. She knows the capital city better than any of us.¡±


    ¡°Bro, can I?¡±


    Xie Jun looked at Xie Heng earnestly.


    Xie Hengughed and answered, ¡°Of course, as long as you do your homework properly.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I promise! Sis, please tell sister Hui about this.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Xie Jun held Zhao Chuchu¡¯s hand and happily went out of the door.


    Xie Heng frowned slightly when he saw that. He walked forward and grabbed Xie Jun¡¯s hand, then he said, ¡°Walk properly. What if you fall down and pull your sis down?


    Xie Jun pouted his lips. He knew that Xie Heng just didn¡¯t want him to hold Zhao Chuchu¡¯s hand. Humph! Selfish!


    Xie Heng¡¯s expression remained natural.


    The horse carriage had already been prepared. It was parked outside the alley.


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t expect the Third Prince toe and fetch them personally.


    The moment the Third Prince saw Xie Jun, he spaced out for a second. A sense of shock and astonishment shed across his eyes, but he quickly hid those feelings as his expression returned to normal.


    Xie Jun was feeling a little shy because there was someone else present.


    ¡°This is the Third Heir¡­¡±


    ¡°Just call me Third Brother. There¡¯s no need to be so formal.¡±


    The Third Prince interrupted Xie Heng before he finished his sentence.


    ¡°Heir sounds so distant. Mrs. Xie saved my life before.¡±


    Xie Jun looked at Xie Heng and saw him nod his head slightly. So, the boy said, ¡°Third Brother, Brother Qiao, hello.¡±


    ¡°Long time no see, Junjun. Did you grow taller? You look a lot stronger as well,¡± Qiao Heting said with a smile.


    ¡°Brother and Sis treat me really well,¡± Xie Jun said, feeling a little embarrassed. ¡°I also eat a lot.¡±


    The Third Prince looked at Xie Jun. That strange feeling in his heart did not disappear for a really long time. Could this boy be his ninth brother? He wondered about it.


    He had never met a child that could make him feel like this.


    But the Third Prince hid all of these thoughts in his heart and didn¡¯t show it at all.


    He simply asked Xie Jun gently, ¡°You said that you were sick previously. Are you feeling better now?


    Xie Jun wasn¡¯t sure why, but somehow, he felt an inexplicable sense of affection toward the Third Prince.


    He nodded and said, ¡°Yup, sis cured me. She¡¯s a really good doctor.¡±


    The Third Prince smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s great.¡±


    ¡°Third Brother, are you ill as well?¡± Xie Jun asked. He was quite concerned for the Third Prince.


    ¡®Yes. But I have almost fully recovered. I just need to rest for a while more.¡± ¡°You can ask my sis to check it for you. She can even cure the gue.¡±


    Xie Jun¡¯s face was filled with pride. He was proud of Zhao Chuchu¡¯s achievements.


    ¡°I did. Your sis was the one who treated me. I came here today especially to thank her.¡±


    The Third Prince patiently exined to Xie Jun.


    Xie Jun¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Howe I¡¯ve never seen you before? But you seem just like my brother. I can sense that you¡¯re a good person from the first moment I saw you.¡±


    The Third Prince¡¯s smile grew wider. He said, ¡°Mhm, I¡¯ll try my best to be a good person.¡±


    Xie Jun smiled as well. ¡°My sis said good people will be repaid for their kindness one day.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    Xie Jun was mentioning ¡°sis¡± in almost every sentence. Zhao Chuchu felt that this was going to make his brother feel a little upset!


    ¡°Yeah. Good people will be repaid. That¡¯s why I met your sis and my illness was cured by her.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s so good.¡±


    The two of them had a rather meaningless conversation throughout the entire way.


    Qiao Heting thought that maybe it was because Xie Jun reminded the Third Prince of his ninth brother, so he didn¡¯t overthink their interaction. He started talking to Xie Heng about the murder case of Xie Chenn.


    Meanwhile, Zhao Chuchu was forced to join the conversation between the Third Prince and Xie Jun asionally.


    Fortunately, they arrived at the restaurant a short whileter.


    The eagerness to eat something good was written all over Xie Jun¡¯s face.


    The Third Prince looked at him lovingly.


    Regardless of whether this boy was his ninth brother or not, he had decided that he was going to treat Xie Jun like his little brother.


    It was very rare for him to meet a kid that could make him feel so happy.


    Xie Heng didn¡¯t want Xie Jun to eat too much, lest it might give him indigestionter.


    But he couldn¡¯t stop the Third Prince who ordered everything that Xie Jun wanted to try. There was no control at all.


    Xie Heng was quite speechless.


    But he knew how well the Third Prince treated Xie Jun. Such behavior was quite normal. The Third Prince met Xie Jun earlier than he had originally nned. Xie Heng had expected the Third Prince to pamper Xie Jun like this.


    After today, the Third Prince would definitely change his ns.


    It was only a matter of time before Xie Jun¡¯s reimed his status.


    Xie Heng could roughly guess the arrangements that the Third Prince was going to make.


    However, right now, Xie Heng¡¯s circumstances were the same as the Third Prince. They could not show anything on the surface. They had to pretend not to know about it.


    Xie Jun was bought over by the Third Prince¡¯s treat. He was starting to like his new ¡°Third Brother¡± more and more although he didn¡¯t really know who the Third Prince was.


    After returning from the restaurant, Xie Jun kept pestering Zhoa Chuchu and asking her about the Third Prince¡¯s condition.


    Zhao Chuchu answered him patiently.


    Upon learning that the Third Prince¡¯s illness had already been treated and cured, Xie Jun finally felt at ease and went to wash up and prepare for sleep.


    After dusk, Zhao Chuchu spoke to Xie Heng about the meal just now.


    ¡°Blood rtionship is such a magical thing. They didn¡¯t know who each other was, yet there seemed to be something guiding them to move toward each other. The Third Prince has probably started to suspect Xie Jun¡¯s background, I think he¡¯ll start investigating very soon. By the way, how many people know


    that Junjun isn¡¯t actually your brother?¡±

 Chapter 420 - 404 Finally Found You (1)

    Chapter 420: Chapter 404 Finally Found You (1)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Xie Heng said, ¡°Right now, in Lengshui Vige, only my parents know about this, and Sikou Qin is already dead. We can¡¯t hide Junjun¡¯s real identity from the Third Prince. He¡¯s going to find out sooner orter. I think it¡¯s better for him to prepare earlier.¡±


    ¡°I agree. But if they find out that they are brothers and the Third Prince takes Junjun away, will you be upset?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t let the Third Prince take Junjun away. He can know about Junjun¡¯s identity, but no one else can.¡±


    Xie Jun was the future heir of the Wei Dynasty. Xie Heng was determined to be by his side and groom him.


    The Third Prince genuinely cared for Xie Jun, but that didn¡¯t mean that those around him would allow a threat like Xie Jun to exist.


    In the eyes of those people, since the Third Prince¡¯s illness had been cured, then he should be the emperor of the Wei Dynasty.


    Xie Jun¡¯s appearance would make them feel threatened. They would definitely try to eliminate him.


    After all, from their point of view, Xie Jun had the weakest foundation among all of the princes, so he would probably be the easiest one to deal with.


    Xie Heng wasn¡¯t afraid of fighting them, but he couldn¡¯t be sure that there would be no idents.


    To be safe, it was best to keep the fact that the ninth prince was still alive a secret.


    ¡°But will the Third Prince agree to it? I overheard him and Qiao Heting talking about Junjun. He seemed to be quite obsessed with finding his brother.¡±


    ¡°He will agree. He knows the situation in the royal court better than me. He¡¯s probably the least likely person in the world to hurt Junjun and probably the only person who still cares about Junjun other than us.¡±


    ¡°The emperor¡­¡±


    ¡°There was a time when Emperor Yuan¡¯s maiden family was extremely powerful. The emperor felt threatened, and that¡¯s why he drew up so many schemes and contingency ns. However, he wasn¡¯t the one who poisoned the Third Prince. I¡¯m quite sure he still likes the Third Prince a lot.¡±


    ¡°What a fool. He wasn¡¯t capable enough to bnce the powers in the royal court, so heshed out at his own wife and children. No wonder the Wei Dynasty is so cowardly. It¡¯s a miracle that the country hasn¡¯t fallen with a leader like him.¡±


    ¡°He isn¡¯t a great leader. He is quite feeble-minded and often tends to be biased.


    The only good thing is that he retained his fatherly love for the Third Prince. Perhaps it¡¯s because the Third Prince is the first son of the queen. But none of this is important anymore. Since he was willing to poison Junjun back then, he wouldn¡¯t acknowledge Junjun¡¯s real identity.¡±


    ¡°Based on that, its indeed better for Junjun not to reveal his identity. Da Lang, the emperor probably treats the Third Prince so differently because the Third Prince doesn¡¯t have much time left, right? The Third Prince is a son that holds no threat, so why not give him a bit more love? He¡¯ll be able to make a name as a loving father that way.¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, some things cannot be said aloud.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu pouted her lips. Although she had never seen the emperor before, she never had a good impression of the emperor of the Wei Dynasty.


    This emperor had no sense of responsibility. Back when the gue ravaged the nation, the only thing he did was give royal orders to burn all of the infected people alive instead of getting people to think of ways to cure it.


    If a few more gues broke out in the country, the Wei Dynasty would perish without being attacked by anyone else.


    Citizens served as the foundation of a nation. As an emperor, he didn¡¯t even know such a basic concept. How could he possibly be a good leader?


    ¡°Junjun¡¯s identity is very dangerous. That is why I kept dying and avoiding attending the Imperial Examinations. I am not powerful enough to protect


    Junjun yet, so I have to avoid them for now.¡±


    ¡°If not for me, when do you n to take the exams?


    ¡°It will still be the autumn exams next year. However, Chuchu, your presence solved a lot of my problems. At the very least, Junjun will be able to live past 20 years old. I won¡¯t have to watch Junjun die in my arms.¡±


    ¡°Da Lang¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Although this was already the second time that he was living this life, shbacks of what happened still hurt Xie Heng deeply.


    Xie Jun was raised by Xie Heng. How could he severe those emotions so easily?


    That was why he killed all of the people who were involved in Xie Jun¡¯s murder.


    No one knew that he was the one who nned the emperor¡¯s death.


    The emperor wasn¡¯t worthy of being Xie Jun¡¯s father.


    Of course, Xie Jun didn¡¯t know any of this.


    ¡°The ending of this story has been rewritten. The tragedies that happened in my past life won¡¯t be repeated. Da Lang, I trust you. You will be able to realize your ambitions sooner,¡± Zhao Chuchu said as she held Xie Heng¡¯s hand.


    Xie Heng lowered his head and saw Zhao Chuchu¡¯s hand grabbing his hand firmly. A warm feeling welled up in his heart.


    He flipped his hand over and grabbed Zhao Chuchu¡¯s palm. ¡°Chuchu, I¡¯m not upset. I¡¯m just reflecting on what happened. I must have been an extremely kind and generous person in my life before the previous one. Otherwise, why was God so kind toward me and gave me such an opportunity?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you were.¡±


    Xie Heng smiled.


    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, let¡¯s go to bed. I need to head to the academy first thing in the morning. I¡¯ll write down Junjun¡¯s homework now. Please supervise him tomorrow.¡±

 Chapter 421 - 404 Finally Found You (2)

    Chapter 421: Chapter 404 Finally Found You (2)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°Alright. Junjun had a really good time tonight, I think he¡¯s going to feel like crying when he sees the homework that you left him tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not a normal child. He has more responsibilities than anyone else. He has to work harder than normal people Chuchu, don¡¯t pamper him.¡±


    Zhao Chuc.hu didn¡¯t what to respond.


    Since when did she pamper Xie Jun?


    Junjun, good luck.


    The next day¡­


    Just as Zhao Chuchu had expected, after eating breakfast happily, when Xie Jun saw Zhao Chuchu bring over the homework, his expression immediately changed. He looked like he was almost going to cry.


    ¡°I thought my brother might be feeling generous today and let me y for the day. It turns out I¡¯m just dreaming. Wahhh, he must be jealous because I held your hand yesterday. That¡¯s why he¡¯s punishing me.¡± Xie Jun pouted his lips and said, ¡°Sis, my brother gets jealous so easily.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t know how to respond.


    She thought, ¡°Junjun, are you sure it¡¯s good for you to be so precocious?


    He would turn 11 years old this September.


    Although Xie Junined profusely about the homework, he still took the books and returned to his study room obediently.


    Xie Jun was very disciplined when it came to studying. He didn¡¯t need Zhao Chuchu¡¯s supervision.


    On top of that, he was learning how to manage a country. Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t really help him with that. After all, Zhoa Chuchu came from a different era, and many of the theories from that era weren¡¯t applicable now.


    Zhao Chuchu still had to tend to her own business. After telling Xie Heng that she was heading out, she went to the shop that she purchased to check on the renovation progress. She also brought the machine blueprints that she drew the day before to the skilled carpenters that she hired so they could help her build them.


    A short while after Zhao Chuchu left, the Third Prince arrived at their house.


    The Third Prince looked around for a bit outside before knocking on the door.


    Xie Jun came out upon hearing him.


    He remembered what Zhao Chuchu told him. When Xie Heng and Zhao Chuchu weren¡¯t home, he had to ask who was outside the door and identify them before opening the door.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Xie Jun looked out from the gap between the door and the door frame.


    ¡°It¡¯s me, Third Brother.¡± The Third Prince saw Xie Jun from the gap. Hecouldn¡¯t help butugh a little.


    Xie Jun saw that it was the Third Prince, so he opened the door to let him in.


    ¡°Third Brother, why are you here?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that you wereing with your brother yesterday, so I didn¡¯t prepare a first-meeting gift for you. I came here to deliver the gift today.¡±


    The Third Prince passed the box that he was holding to Xie Jun. ¡°Your brother told me that you¡¯re studying, so I got you the four treasures from the study room.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Third Brother.¡± Xie Jun took the gift with a big smile He really liked these items. He said, ¡°But my brother said that I¡¯m not allowed to take other people¡¯s things.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not other people.¡± The Third Prince cut him off and then asked, ¡°Are you the only person at home?


    ¡°Yes, my brother went to the academy, and sis went out for something as well. I¡¯m studying at home alone.¡±


    ¡°Am I disturbing you?


    ¡°No. But Third Brother, my brother left me a lot of homework, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t apany you for very long. He will punish me if I don¡¯tplete my homework.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t really have anything to do right now. How about I do your homework with you? I will look out for your brother.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yup. ¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great. Come with me, Third Brother.¡±


    Perhaps it was because of their blood bond, but Xie Jun seemed to trust the Third Prince unconditionally.


    It was an inexplicable sense of trust and faith, just like how he felt toward Xie Heng.


    The Third Prince looked at Xie Jun with a smile on his face.


    His main objective for going there was to confirm whether Xie Jun was his brother. Although he was about 80 percent sure, he still needed to verify some details.


    Xie Jun led the Third Prince to the study room. He didn¡¯t have his guard up against the Third Prince at all.


    The Third Prince nced at Xie Jun¡¯s homework and realized that everything Xie Jun was learning was rted to managing a country.


    ¡°Has Zizhao been teaching you these things all along?


    ¡°Not just these things. He left me lots of homework. Here, I need to do these as well. ¡±


    Xie Jun showed Third Prince the rest of his homework.


    Vocabry, dictation, poem-writing,position¡­ Xie Jun learned everything that schrs studied. He just had to learn about managing a country in addition to those things.


    The Third Prince thought about what he saw.


    He did aprehensive investigation of Xie Heng¡¯s background. He was very sure that Xie Heng had never left Yuanjiang County before this, and neither did his parents. They definitely did not head north at any point in time. Xie Heng shouldn¡¯t know about Xie Jun¡¯s real identity.


    ¡°Third Brother, what¡¯s wrong? Is there something wrong with the homework that my brother gave me?


    Xie Jun¡¯s voice pulled the Third Prince out of his train of thought.


    The Third Prince shook his head and said, ¡°No, I just feel that your brother is a really talented man.¡±


    ¡°Of course, if my brother wasn¡¯t blindst time, he would have attended the Imperial Examinations a long time ago. He might even be a government official by now.¡±

 Chapter 422 - 4041 Finally Found You (3)

    Chapter 422: Chapter 4041 Finally Found You (3)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard about it. How did Zizhao catch the eye disease?


    ¡°I was sick back then as well. All I remember was that his eyes slowly started going blind. He consulted many doctors, but none of them could cure it.¡±


    The Third Prince eliminated the possibility of Xie Heng pretending to be blind.


    Xie Heng was no ordinary person. The Xie n had been living in Lengshui Vige for generations. There was nothing strange or suspicious about their heritage, and there was no need for Xie Heng to hide like that and dy his development.


    ¡°Hurry up and do your homework. I can teach you if you need help with any of them.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Xie Jun sat down obediently and started focusing on his writing practice.


    The Third Prince sat on a chair beside Xie Jun and looked at him.


    Xie Jun reminded him of his own childhood.


    He sighed, thinking, ¡°Time flies!¡±


    The Third Prince sat all the way until noon. Xie Jun didn¡¯t ask him a single question during that time.


    He looked at Xie Jun¡¯s work. It was quite excellent.


    ¡°Third Brother, are you hungry? I¡¯ll go cook. Can you stay here and eat with me?¡±


    ¡°Junjun, do you know how to cook?¡±


    ¡°Not really. My brother cooks lunch in the morning and stores it forter. I just need to heat it up before eating. Third Brother, this was made in the morning, but we haven¡¯t eaten it before. You won¡¯t mind, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll help you.¡±


    The Third Prince said that he was going to help, but he had actually never done any chores since the day he was born. All he could do was stand beside him and watch.


    He watched Xie Jun start a fire, pour water into the pot, and put it on the stove. He then ce the cooked food on top and put on the lid. He felt a little heartache for some reason.


    ¡°Third Brother, we¡¯ll keep the fire going for a while after the water starts boiling. The food will be heated up in a while. My brother doesn¡¯t use a lot of seasoning in his cooking. I don¡¯t know if you like that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not picky.¡±


    ¡°Alright then.¡±


    Xie Jun squatted down in front of the stove. His mouth never stopped movingthe entire time.


    Most of the time, the Third Prince listened to him talk. He only responded


    asionally.


    There was an inexplicable sense of warmth and coziness in the small kitchen. The Third Prince liked the feeling.


    Even if his gut feeling was wrong and Xie Jun isn¡¯t actually his ninth brother, he would still be willing to treat Xie Jun as his brother and protect him for as long as he could.


    After heating up the food, Xie Jun didn¡¯t need the Third Prince¡¯s help. He carried the food out to the courtyard on his own.


    The two of them sat in the courtyard and ate a simple meal together.


    The Third Prince had never had a meal like this before.


    As a prince, he lived his entire life under strict rules and etiquette. It was rare for him to rx like this.


    ¡°It¡¯s delicious, right?¡± Xie Jun¡¯s cheeks were stuffed full of food, so his words sounded muffled and unclear.


    ¡°Yup, it¡¯s delicious.¡± Compared to Xie Jun, who was basically gobbling down the food, the Third Prince ate in a much more elegant manner. He said, ¡°Eat slowly. I don¡¯t want you to choke.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t slow down. I feel really hungry,¡± Xie Jun answered. Ever since the poison in his body was neutralized, his appetite had been increasing constantly. Now he needed at least three bowls of food every meal. On top of that, he was a foodie. He couldn¡¯t stop eating whenever he saw something good.


    The Third Prince put down his chopsticks and bowl. He then went into the kitchen to get a new pair of utensils. He helped Xie Jun pick out the fish bones before putting the meat into the bowl in front of Xie Jun.


    Come to think of it, the Third Prince had never taken care of anyone like that before. Xie Jun was the first person who received such treatment.


    ¡°Third Brother, you should eat too. I¡¯ll be careful with the fish,¡± Xie Jun said.


    ¡°Otherwise, I¡¯m going to finish all of this alone.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. I¡¯m not hungry.¡±


    The Third Prince felt happy just watching Xie Jun eat like this. But he didn¡¯t forget the reason why he was there.


    After eating, while they were tidying up the table, the Third Prince


    ¡°identally¡± spilled a leftover bowl of soup onto Xie Jun¡¯s shirt.


    ¡°Oh my, I¡¯m really sorry Junjun. I lost my grip on the te and dirtied your clothes. Quickly, go change your clothes so you don¡¯t catch a cold.¡± The Third Prince held Xie Jun¡¯s hand and led him back to his room. He helped Xie Jun find a set of clean clothes from the closet.


    Xie Jun didn¡¯t overthink the ¡°ident.¡± He took off his clothes in front of the Third Prince.


    As Xie Jun was taking off his shirt, the Third Prince felt his heart hanging in the air.


    Soon, he saw the birthmark and scar on Xie Jun¡¯s left scap.


    After searching all over, somehow, his ninth brother hade to him instead.


    That was his ninth brother.


    The Third Prince¡¯s entire body was trembling slightly.


    The scar was a result of his ignorance when he was young. He tried to peel off the birthmark on his brother¡¯s back because he thought it looked ugly.


    He could never forget the painful cries of his little brother back then.


    Now, the pain that he had caused his ninth brother became the crucial evidence that helped him to identify Xie Jun.


    He thought, ¡°Ninth brother, I finally found you!¡¯


    Xie Jun was done changing into a set of new clothes. He realized that the Third Prince had been staring at him the entire time, and his expression wasplicated, to say the least. Xie Jun felt a little nervous. He asked, ¡°Third Brother, are you alright?¡±


    The Third Prince suppressed his emotions as his expression returned to normal. He said, ¡°Nothing, I just feel like despite my age, I¡¯m slower than Junjun at doing chores, which makes me feel a little embarrassed.¡±


    ¡°Third Brother, I could tell immediately that you didn¡¯t grow up in a vige as we did, so it¡¯s not strange that you don¡¯t know how to do chores. Third Brother, you came from Imperial City. Is Imperial City busier and more lively than here?¡± Xie Jun wasn¡¯t suspicious of the Third Prince¡¯s excuse at all.


    The Third Prince felt a stinging pain in his heart. Ninth brother should have grown up in Imperial City. Now it was a ce he had never been to before and looked up to.

 Chapter 423 - 405 Chuchu Is Still Better (1)

    Chapter 423: Chapter 405 Chuchu Is Still Better (1)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°Imperial City is a lot busier than Guangqing Province, but it¡¯s also not as free as Guangqing Province. The more people there are, the more conflicts and fights there will be. When youe to Imperial City in the future, you will start to miss Guangqing Province,¡± the Third Prince said gently.


    Xie Jun replied, ¡°But I still want to go to Imperial City. I always feel like Imperial City is where I belong. I¡¯m sure my brother is going to pass the exams. When that happens, I can go to Imperial City with him and sis. Third Brother, you will be in Imperial City as well when that happens, right? Can you take me to eat good food there?¡±


    ¡°Sure, when I¡¯ve recovered fully, I¡¯ll go to Imperial City and wait for you toe. There¡¯s lots of good food in Imperial City, but I couldn¡¯t taste them back then because of my condition. It will be nice. I can go try different food with you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a promise!¡± Xie Jun¡¯s eyes curled into a crescent as he reached his pinky finger out. ¡°Here, we¡¯ll make a pinkie promise. Third Brother, you can¡¯t go back on your words now.¡±


    A big smile spread across the Third Prince¡¯s eyes. His ninth brother was still as cute as he was when they were young. He hooked his pinky finger onto Xie Jun¡¯s finger and said, ¡°Pinkie promise.¡±


    After confirming that Xie Jun was actually his brother, the Third Prince felt much more rxed.


    But he didn¡¯t stay at the house for too long. About an hourter, he gave an excuse and left.


    The Third Prince didn¡¯t tell anyone about his visit, including Qiao Heting.


    It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t trust Qiao Heting, but he knew very well how his brother got lost back then.


    As for why his brother ended up in Yuanjiang County, the Third Prince felt that perhaps the whole journey to the north was a decoy. It was a ploy to bait everyone to go north. That way, his brother would have a chance to live.


    His father was rmed by the power of his mothers maiden family, so he didn¡¯t allow him to have another brother.


    Sometimes. the Third Prince really hated his father.


    Even the most vicious tiger didn¡¯t eat its own child. Yet this man attempted to murder his own son.


    The emperor poured his love onto the Third Prince. There were many instances when the Third Prince felt like he did it because of his guilty conscience. He was transferring everything that he owed to Xie Jun to the Third Prince instead.


    The Third Prince would never forget the feeling when he carried his own brother in his arms.


    That was his brother.


    After returning to the lodging ce, the guards only knew that he went to the Xie n. They didn¡¯t know what happened in the Xie n at all.


    Qiao Heting was quite worried. He asked, ¡°Third Brother, why didn¡¯t you tell us you were going out? What if¡­¡±


    The Third Prince interrupted him and said, ¡°Heting, I¡¯m no longer that frail man who could be breathing hisst breath at any moment. There¡¯s no need to worry about me. I know my body. How¡¯s the Imperial City situation?


    The Great Prince seemed to have reached a consensus with the Sikou n. He had been going to the Sikou n very frequently recently.


    ¡°Has he given up yet?¡±


    ¡°Yes. He seems to be nning to re-marry the daughter of the Sikou n.¡±


    ¡°Sikou Hua?¡± ¡°No, Sikou Shu.¡± ¡°Sikou Shu?¡±


    ¡°Yes. ¡±


    The Third Prince thought about it.


    ¡°Third Brother, do you think the Great Prince and the Sikou n willbine forces?


    ¡°The Sikou n needs to use the Great Prince¡¯s influence. This coboration will probably work out for them.¡±


    ¡°Then, they would be an even greater threat to us, right?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not a threat to the Great Prince, so they¡¯re not going to do anything to us. As of now, my father has stated outright that he isn¡¯t going to make me the crown prince That means that I won¡¯t be theirpetitor, so they won¡¯t care about me.¡±


    ¡°If you weren¡¯t poisoned, how would they even have a chance?


    ¡°Heting, be careful of what you say.¡± The Third Prince nced at Qiao Heting and said, ¡°This is destiny. We have no choice.¡±


    ¡°But I feel like God is unfair,¡± Qiao Heting said as he frowned.


    The Third Princeughed and replied, ¡°Unfair? No, Heting, God cannot be any fairer to us. Just wait if you don¡¯t believe me.¡±


    Qiao Heting wanted to rebut the Third Prince, but he swallowed the words before speaking them.


    They hadn¡¯t even found their ninth brother yet. What was fair about that?


    The Third Prince and his ninth brother were sons of the queen. By right, one of them should be the crown prince.


    Yet one might now have many years to live while the other was missing. What was fair about that?


    Qiao Heting knew that the Third Prince was obsessed with finding his ninth brother, so he didn¡¯t dare to say it to him. He thought it might trigger his condition.


    Zhao Chuc.hu said that although the poison in his body had been neutralized, his organs had been attacked and corroded by the toxins for far too long. His condition might still re up in the future. If it did, there would be no way to save him. In order to live longer, his mood and emotions were very important. He had to stay calm and not let his emotions fluctuate. ¡°Heting, do you feel like what I said was illogical?¡±


    ¡°Third Brother, I¡­¡±


    ¡°I know what you¡¯re worried about, and I know what I¡¯m doing. Don¡¯t worry, Heting. I cherish my life more than anyone else right now.¡±


    The longer he lived, the longer he could protect his ninth brother. He wanted to give everything that he could to his ninth brother..

 Chapter 424 - 424: Chuchu Is Still Better(2)

    Chapter 424: Chuchu Is Still Better(2)


    I rantor: INY01-?0 SWcuo?????? ealtor: ??????????????? btua10


    It wasn¡¯t his fate to own this dynasty, but he didn¡¯t want it to end up in the hands of the other princes.


    Their mother and their mother¡¯s family owed it to them.


    However, the person he felt was the most threatening was Xie Heng.


    He knew better than anyone else what kind of person Xie Heng was. Not only was he highly capable, but he was also ruthless and at times vicious.


    If Xie Heng knew Xie Jun¡¯s real identity, would he be interested in that position?


    Xie Jun heeded basically everything that Xie Heng said. If he helped his ninth brother be the emperor, his ninth brother might get convinced by Xie Heng to give up the position to Xie Heng instead. If that happened, the Third Prince felt like even if he died, he would never be able to rest in peace.


    ¡°Third Brother, we¡¯re already here in Guangqing Province, so why don¡¯t we ask


    Zhao Chuchu to see if there are ways for you to live a bit longer.¡±


    ¡°Heting, Zhao Chuchu doesn¡¯t owe us anything. She and Ms. Yuan are very good friends. You shouldn¡¯t cause a rift in their friendship because of me. Zhao Chuchu already tried her best. Don¡¯t drag her into this anymore. She¡¯s not the most well-tempered person. You won¡¯t gain anything from provoking her.¡±


    Qiao Heting touched his mouth as he thought about the few times that he interacted with Zhao Chuchu. He did suffer quite a few losses from it.


    ¡°Take note of what¡¯s going on with the Great Prince and Sikou n. You can ignore the rest. I will deal with them.¡± The Third Prince changed the topic of conversation.


    ¡°Alright, don¡¯t worry, Third Brother.¡±


    ¡°Heting, I need some silence right now.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I have some other matters to tend to. Please take care of yourself.¡±


    For some reason, Qiao Heting couldn¡¯t stop nagging and talking when he was with the Third Prince. Even the Third Prince couldn¡¯t stand it sometimes.


    After Qiao Heting left, the Third Prince went to the table. He ground up some ink, lifted his brush pen, and started practicing calligraphy.


    Every time the Third Prince felt happy, he expressed his emotions in this manner instead of showing them in more obvious ways.


    As time went on, most people thought that the Third Prince was simply a


    ughless, emotionless man who lived on medication.


    It was as though he had forgotten how to express emotions because of the suffering that his condition put him through.


    But the Third Prince had a wealth of emotions. He was simply used to hiding them inside his heart.


    He thought, ¡°Ninth brother, forgive me for not being able to tell you who you are just yet. After I¡¯ve arranged everything, I promise I will give you everything that our father owes you¡­¡±


    When Zhao Chuchu returned home, she could immediately tell that someone hade to the house during the day.


    Xie Jun had finished his homework. He was practicing his horse stance in the courtyard.


    When he saw Zhao Chuchu, he didn¡¯t stop his training. Instead, he maintained his stance and greeted her, ¡°Hello, Sis, your back. Third Brother came to see me. He even left me a gift.¡±


    ¡°What did Third Brother give you?


    ¡°A set of the four treasures from the study room. I love it.¡± ¡°Did you thank him?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I even asked him to stay and eat lunch with me.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu felt the corner of her lips twitch a little. She thought, ¡°You just treated your brother to leftovers¡­ Junjun, good job!¡±


    ¡°But I felt a bit sorry that the food was all made in the morning. Sis, Third Brother gave me gifts, so should I treat him to a good meal?¡±


    ¡®Yes, but wait a few more days when it¡¯s your brother¡¯s off day from the academy, then we¡¯ll invite Third Prince over for dinner, alright?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Third Prince came today. Did you do your homework properly? You didn¡¯t just y the whole day, right?¡± ¡°No, Third Brother supervised me doing my work!¡±


    ¡°Did he do anything else?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu thought about it, then asked in another way, ¡°When you were heating up the food for lunch, did you drop any bowls or utensils?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t, but Third Brother messed up.¡± Xie Jun felt a little embarrassed talking about it, he said, ¡°He spilled soup on my clothes.¡±


    Zhao Chuc.hu understood what happened.


    The Third Prince probably came to confirm Xie Jun¡¯s identity. As she had expected, he was suspicious of Xie Jun.


    Zhao Chuchu remembered that there was a birthmark on Xie Jun¡¯s left shoulder de, and there was an old scar there as well.


    The Third Prince probably managed to identify Xie Jun using that.


    Zhao Chuchu found out that she was right when Xie Heng came back that night.


    Xie Heng nodded and answered, ¡°Yes, the Third Prince said before that the scar was left because he tried to peel the birthmark off when he was young and thought that it looked ugly.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°It¡¯s hard to tell that the Third Prince was so naughty when they were young. His brother was so small. Was he not afraid that he might hurt him?¡±


    ¡°Kids don¡¯t know anything, so it¡¯s not strange for them to do anything. I didn¡¯t tell you before, so how did you guess it?¡± Xie Heng asked.


    ¡°The Third Prince came today and dirtied Junjun¡¯s clothes when they ate lunch today. I just happened to see the birthmark and scar on Junjun i s back by ident.


    ¡°The Third Prince came today?¡±


    ¡°Yes..¡±

 Chapter 425 - 425: Chuchu Is Still Better (3)

    Chapter 425: Chuchu Is Still Better (3)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°He¡¯s going to be suspicious of me. My off day ising soon. I want to invite him to have a meal with us at home.¡±


    ¡°What a coincidence. Junjun wants to invite him as well.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great. Let¡¯s invite him using on behalf of Junjun then.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu thought about it and asked, ¡°Will Third Prince suspect that you are trying to steal the position as emperor?


    ¡°As a prince, it¡¯s not strange for him to think so. They are born to be more suspicious of others. I don¡¯t want Third Prince to misunderstand anything, so it¡¯s best to tell him outright.¡±


    ¡°Will he trust you?


    ¡°I will convince him that I¡¯m not interested in being the emperor.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu wasn¡¯t familiar with the power rivalry in the royal court, so she listened to Xie Hung when it came to those things. She didn¡¯t want to be a burden to Xie Heng.


    Four days passed in the blink of an eye.


    During that time, the Third Prince didn¡¯te to the Xie n again.


    The invitation letter to invite him toe to the Xie n for dinner was written personally by Xie Jun.


    The Third Prince wanted to test Xie Heng and see what his intentions were, so he epted the invitation and arrived at the Xie n.


    Qiao Heting wanted to follow him, but the Third Prince rejected his offer.


    Other than himself, the Third Prince didn¡¯t want anyone to know about Xie Jun¡¯s real identity. He didn¡¯t want to bring any danger to Xie Jun.


    The person Third Prince trusted the most was himself.


    Xie Heng didn¡¯t cook. Instead, he asked Zhao Chuc.hu to pull out a decent but still normal table of food from her carry-on space.


    When the Third Prince arrived, the food was ready.


    ¡°Zizhao, did you start preparing in the morning? I heard Junjun say that you are really good at cooking. This definitely proves that he was correct. What a man of many talents.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s high praise, Third Prince. I don¡¯t know if it suits your taste. I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°Definitely not. Zizhao, the thought counts more than anything else. It is the most invaluable gift.¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon, let¡¯s sit down and eat. What¡¯s with all the talking? Isn¡¯t eating more important? Can we carry on with the praises and politeness after we¡¯re done eating?¡± Zhao Chuchu cut their conversation short as she passed two pairs of chopsticks to them.


    Xie Heng turned slightly to look at Zhao Chuchu. His eyes were extremely gentle. He said, ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll listen to you.¡±


    The Third Prince had been paying attention to Xie Heng¡¯s actions the whole time. He realized that Xie Heng¡¯s feelings for Zhao Chuchu were indeed as good as what Qiao Heting described.


    With Zhao Chuchu as his weak spot, Xie Heng was no longer undefeatable. The third Prince didn¡¯t show anything on his face. He picked up the chopsticks and started eating.


    Xie Heng felt a little embarrassed. He said, ¡°Chuchu is always like this. I hope you don¡¯t mind, Third Prince.¡±


    The third Princeughed and said, ¡°Of course not. She is very straightforward and frank. It¡¯s easy tomunicate with people like that. There¡¯s no guesswork involved. ¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I like about her. Sometimes I feel a little sorry for her.¡± ¡°Why so?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s used to being free, but I want to be a government official and achieve my dreams. I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll be able to travel the world with her.¡± ¡°Zizhao, after you be an official, you will have no freedom.¡±


    ¡°I know, but after I achieve my goals, I will choose to retire and return to the countryside.¡±


    ¡°Forgive me for being frank. Once a man has a taste of power, he cannot just give it up.¡±


    The third Prince stared at Xie Heng and said, ¡®Especially for highly talented and capable individuals like you. You¡¯re sure to achieve great things in the royal court.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too early to talk about those things. No matter how good power and authority feel, Chuchu is still better.¡±


    ¡°Zizhao, do you like your woman more than power?


    ¡°I would be lying if I said that I don¡¯t like power. It¡¯s just that Chuchu is more important to me than power.¡±


    The third Prince looked at him in a judgmental manner. He asked, ¡°Are you not afraid that people might use you of being driven by emotions rather than reason?


    ¡°What other people say cannot hurt me, and I don¡¯t care. Third Prince, when you meet a girl you love, you will understand. Sometimes one person can be your entire world.¡±


    ¡°There are far too people who give up their position after achieving sess, so not many of them end up well.¡±


    ¡°I will be one of those who end up well.¡±


    Xie Heng looked at Third Prince right in his eyes. He seemed calm and confident.


    ¡°I stick to what I said before. No matter how good power is, it¡¯s not as good as Chuchu. My ambition is to travel the world with her.¡±


    Momentster, the Third Princeughed and asked, ¡°Zizhao, why did our conversation be so serious suddenly? Mrs. Xie, you heard him. Zizhao was trying to confess his love for you in different ways.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu lowered her head in embarrassment. ¡°Jeez, Da Lang, the Third


    Prince is here. Please don¡¯t embarrass me like this.¡±


    Xie Heng looked at her lovingly and said, ¡°All those things came from my heart. There¡¯s no need to feel embarrassed.¡±


    ¡°How about you don¡¯t go for the exams? Let Junjun study hard, then go for the exams and be a government official when he¡¯s old. I really do want to see the world with you.¡±


    ¡°Wahhh please no, I want to be together with bro and sis. If bro doesn¡¯t study anymore, then I won¡¯t study either.¡± Xie Jun hurriedly expressed his feelings.


    Xie Heng retracted his loving gaze and asked in a serious tone, ¡°Junjun, I have a skill that I can live off of. What do you have? Sis and I can¡¯t provide for you forever. You need to find a path for yourself. You will get married and have your own family in the future. Do you want your brother to worry about your wife and family as well?¡±


    Xie Jun¡¯s face turned red. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. Uhh, can I not get married?¡±


    The Third Prince felt speechless.


    What a silly brother..

 Chapter 426 - 426: A Gigolo Has No Confidence (1)

    Chapter 426: A Gigolo Has No Confidence (1)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°Junjun, how about we extend the timeline a little? If you can still tell me that you don¡¯t want to get married at 20 years old, then I will trust you that really won¡¯t need your brother to help you with your marriage,¡± Zhao Chuchu said, holding back herughter as she spoke.


    ¡°How about you study first? If you still think the same way in 10 years, I¡¯m sure your brother won¡¯t try to restrict you anymore.¡±


    Xie Jun pouted his lips and said, ¡°Sis, I won¡¯t talk about this anymore.¡±


    The Third Prince saw how close they were. He felt fortunate that his brother was adopted by a family like this.


    He asked his men to investigate this earlier that day. Throughout Yuanjiang County, nobody knew that Xie Heng and Xie Jun weren¡¯t real brothers, including the vigers in Lengshui Vige.


    The Third Prince was very grateful to the Xie n for taking care of his brother.


    The Third Prince felt that Xie Heng probably guessed something. Xie Heng said those things on purpose for him to hear.


    After the meal, Xie Heng invited the Third Prince to the study room.


    He got straight to the point. ¡°Your highness, do you know Junjun¡¯s real identity?¡±


    Although he had already guessed it, the Third Prince was still quite shocked.


    He asked curiously, ¡°Zizhao, why do you say that?¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t the first time that I¡¯m interacting with you, your highness. Your attitude toward Junjun is very different, which made me think that you know about Junjun¡¯s real identity.¡±


    ¡°Zizhao, you¡¯re overthinking this. Junjun is such an adorable and well-behaved boy. Nobody would dislike him.¡±


    ¡°He isn¡¯t my real brother. I have thought about helping Junjun find his real family in the past years. But my eyes couldn¡¯t see before, so it was put on hold. Junjun doesn¡¯t know who he really is. He thinks that we are real brothers.¡± ¡°Are you nning to tell Junjun about this?¡±


    ¡°No. Before I can confirm who Junjun¡¯s real parents are, I won¡¯t let him know about it. What if they are evil, murderous people who live in the underworld? That would really hurt Junjun. If Junjun was just a lost kid from an ordinary family, I¡¯m sure they would have gone through great effort and mental suffering in search of him. Regardless of what happened, Junjun should find them and meet them.¡±


    ¡°What if they are neither?¡±


    ¡°If his parents are evil people, I won¡¯t tell Junjun about it. For any other possibilities, I will let him choose. I am just his brother. I can¡¯t be selfish and make all his choices for him.¡±


    ¡°Zizhao, can you tell me what happened when your parents decided to adopt Junjun?


    ¡°I don¡¯t really know about that. I only learned that Junjun isn¡¯t actually my brother when they told me about it before they passed away. They asked me to help him find his real parents if I could.¡±


    ¡°Zizhao, how are you so sure that I know about Junjun¡¯s real identity?¡±


    Xie Heng took out a jade pendant from his pocket. ¡°Junjun was wearing this when my parents adopted Junjun back then. After my eyes recovered, I tried to investigate where this pendant came from. Everyone I asked said that it came from the pce. I think you would know, right?¡±


    The Third Prince¡¯s expression finally changed.


    His gaze toward Xie Heng was no longer gentle. It carried the pressure and fierceness of someone in a position of authority. ¡°Xie Heng, do you know how severe a crime it is to steal from the royal pce?


    ¡°Your highness, there¡¯s no need to scare me. I think you¡¯d know better than me where this pendant came from. I am somewhat clever, but I¡¯m not capable enough to steal from the pce.¡± Xie Heng wasn¡¯t intimidated by the Third Prince at all. His expression remained normal. ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, Junjun is


    probably rted to the royal family. Am I right?¡±


    ¡°Xie Heng, did you say all those things for me to hear?¡±


    ¡®Yes, I hope you don¡¯t be suspicious that I have some ulterior motive. Junjun is my only family now, and he will forever be my brother. I won¡¯t let others hurt him. I won¡¯t hurt him myself either, and I definitely won¡¯t try to use him.¡±


    ¡°But now you¡¯re trying to use me.¡±


    ¡°Your highness, you¡¯re worrying too much. If Junjun¡¯s original lineage is asplicated as I think, once we enter Imperial City, he will be exposed to the evildoers who caused him to part with his parents. All I want is to know these things before that happens instead of passively waiting for people to set Junjun up.¡±


    ¡°Is that not using me?


    ¡°You highness, if that¡¯s what you think, then so be it.¡±


    Xie Heng looked the Third Prince in the eye. He did not back down.


    The two of them stared at each other for a long time. Finally, the Third Prince retracted his fierce gaze. He sighed and said, ¡°Zizhao, you are an extremely meticulous observer. You are right. Junjun is rted to the royal family. He is my brother, the ninth prince of the dynasty.¡±


    When he said that, the Third Prince stared at Xie Heng. He seemed to be trying to observe some sort of emotion on Xie Heng¡¯s face, such as tion or joy.


    But the Third Prince didn¡¯t spot anything.


    Xie Heng was calm andposed as usual.


    ¡°Zizhao, the Xie n saved my brother. I owe you for this. Tell me what you want..¡±

 Chapter 427 - 427: A Gigolo Has No Confidence (2)

    Chapter 427: A Gigolo Has No Confidence (2)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°I want to be the Number One Schr. Can you give me that?¡±


    The Third Prince couldn¡¯t answer that.


    ¡°Your highness, can¡¯t you give me that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t do anything about the Imperial Examination.¡±


    ¡°Junjun is my brother as well. Your highness, you don¡¯t need to worry that I will use Junjun¡¯s rtion to the royal family to do anything. Even if Junjun inherits the position of the emperor, all I can do is help him secure that position.¡±


    ¡°How dare you?!¡±


    ¡°Your highness, you don¡¯t believe that I don¡¯t have ambitions, yet you don¡¯t believe my ambitions. Is that your reason for wanting to kill me?¡±


    The Third Prince took a good look at Xie Heng and asked slowly, ¡°Do you know that if what you said just now gets out there, you would be executed for it?¡±


    Xie Heng looked back at him and said seriously, ¡°Unless you decide to tell someone else, no one will know about this conversation. I genuinely hope that Junjun will be safe and happy. But if someone wants to kill him, I won¡¯t just sit and watch. That is not what a brother should do.¡±


    The Third Prince remained silent.


    After quite a while, he finally said, ¡°Xie Heng, no one can tell what is going to happen in the future. At the very least, you are protecting Junjun right now, and that¡¯s good enough. Rather than suspecting you, I¡¯d rather spend my time thinking about how to eliminate the threats toward Junjun in Imperial City. I hope to see you in Imperial City during the next Imperial Examination.¡±


    Upon saying that, the Third Prince patted Xie Heng¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°No one else shall know about what happened today. I will tell Junjun about his real family at an appropriate time. Until then, I hope that you can help me guard this secret, Zizhao. Oh, right, please keep the pendant. Don¡¯t lose it.¡± Before Xie Heng could reply, the Third Prince left the study room.


    He had said enough.


    If Xie Heng dared to take advantage of Xie Jun, the Third Prince wouldn¡¯t mind making him blind again.


    For now, he couldn¡¯t take his brother away yet. The safest option was for Xie Jun to stay with Xie Heng.


    At least, no one would suspect a powerless student.


    The Third Prince didn¡¯t leave immediately. He went to Xie Jun¡¯s room to watch him do homework.


    A few dayster, a couple came to the Xie n.


    Zhao Chuchu raised her eyebrows and asked, ¡°You are?


    Thedy bowed slightly and introduced herself. ¡°Madam, I am Chang Hong, and this is my husband, Chai Le. We will be servants for the Xie family from today onward. These are our contracts.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu took a look at the contracts. They were death bonds.


    That meant that these two people would be servants of the Xie n until the day they died.


    ¡°Did the Third Prince tell you toe?


    ¡°We belong to the Xie n and only the Xie n from today onward. We are only loyal to the Xie n.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu took a good look at the two of them. They had clearly trained in martial arts.


    The Third Prince probably sent them over to protect Xie Jun.


    ¡°What can you do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m good at needlework and tailoring, while my husband can cook.¡±


    ¡°What about your weapons?


    Chang Hong was startled for a moment.


    Chai Le said, ¡°I¡¯m good at bow and arrow and some concealed weapons. My wife is good with a sword.¡±


    ¡°Stay here for now. I need to wait for my husband to decide whether to let the two of you stay with us.¡±


    ¡°Yes, madam.¡±


    Although the Third Prince sent these two people, Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t know who they were. Naturally, she couldn¡¯t take them in so easily.


    The two of them behaved as though they belonged there. They put down their things and started working.


    Chai Le cooked lunch. Although he wasn¡¯t nearly as good as Xie Heng, it was more than enough for Zhao Chuchu, who was basically cooking poison.


    Xie Heng returned when the sky was almost dark.


    When he saw Chai Le and Chang Hong, he immediately knew what was happening.


    Before Zhao Chuchu said anything, he agreed to let the two of them stay.


    After dusk, Xie Heng exined the situation to Zhao Chuchu. ¡°These two were there since the beginning, so they are absolutely loyal to Junjun.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all I needed to hear,¡± Zhao Chuchu said. ¡°I was thinking about buying a few servants to help out at home. Now we can save that money.¡±


    ¡°Have you opened Ruyi Pavilion yet? Do you need my help with anything?¡±


    ¡°No. Ruyi Pavilion only servesdies, so you can¡¯t really help with anything.¡±


    ¡°Are you only going to sell to women in the future as well?¡±


    ¡°Not really. Oh right, Da Lang, I¡¯m quite free recently. How about I give free consultations at the academy? What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Why do you want to do that suddenly?¡±


    ¡°I was thinking maybe I could help you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all guys in the academy. If you don¡¯t mind¡­¡± Upon saying that, Xie Heng suddenlyughed. ¡°I¡¯ll tell the principal about itter.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu picked up on his iplete sentence and asked, ¡°If I don¡¯t mind what?¡±


    Xie Heng shook his head and said, ¡°I just said it out of habit. I swear.¡±


    The barrier between men and women didn¡¯t mean anything to Zhao Chuchu, not to mention that she was a doctor.¡±


    ¡°I thought you were going to say that I¡¯m a woman, so I should keep a distance from men, especially in a ce like an academy..¡±

 Chapter 428 - 428: A Gigolo Has No Confidence (3)

    Chapter 428: A Gigolo Has No Confidence (3)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°Chuchu, I said something wrong.¡± Xie Heng apologized, ¡°Please don¡¯t mind me.¡±


    Zhao Chuchuughed and asked, ¡°Do you want to beg me for forgiveness?


    Xie Heng put his palms together and said, ¡°I beg you, please don¡¯t mind what I said.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu got even happier. ¡°I am a generous person, so I shall forgive you.¡±


    Xie Heng couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    The next day¡­


    After Xie Heng arrived at the academy, he immediately looked for the principal and told him that Zhao Chuchu wanted toe to the academy to give free consultations as a charitable act.


    The principal was very surprised. ¡°Your wife wants toe over and give free consultations?


    ¡°He said that schrs sit in front of their tables all year long, so it¡¯s verymon for their necks and shoulders to feel unwell.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s all guys in the academy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. She¡¯s a doctor. A doctor does not see gender when treating patients.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, please thank her. I will tell the other teachers about this. By the way, when is she nning toe?


    ¡°If you agree with it, Principal, we can do it tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    The principal happily epted the offer.


    He had been suffering from stiffness in his shoulders and neck. It was a problem that could really hurt sometimes.


    He had consulted many doctors and tried many different medications and treatment ns, but the effects had been marginal.


    He had heard about Doctor Miracle, Zhao Chuchu, but he felt too embarrassed


    to consult her because she was ady.


    Now that Xie Heng suggested it to him spontaneously, it was a great opportunity.


    The principal felt that it was a good thing, but it looked different in the eyes of other students.


    When the news started spreading, those who disliked Xie Heng started making things up.


    ¡°Oh my, I guess we just can¡¯tpare to the great schr Xie. I understand that he needs to suck up to the principal and kiss ass, but I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s bringing out his own wife for this.¡±


    ¡°Welp, some people can¡¯t quite stand on their own and need to be gigolos, isn¡¯t that so? He¡¯s so good at choosing his wife. All he needs to do is to focus on studying, while his wife makes money and provides for him.¡±


    ¡°Hold on, sucking up to the principal is one thing, but I think he¡¯s also nning to make money from us, right? She can just diagnose us with whatever she wants. She can just say we¡¯re ill from all kinds of diseases.


    Imagine how much the medication is going to cost.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen too many of such scams. I advise you guys not to think that this is a ¡®free consultation.¡¯ You might just get ripped off big time.¡±


    Qingyang Academy wasn¡¯t very big. The ssroom blocks were all joined together.


    Since the day Xie Heng entered the academy, these people had been trying to make trouble for him. Yet Xie Heng fought back and humiliated them every single time, which made them resent him even more.


    Now they were trying their best to nder Xie Heng and telling their friends not to get scammed.


    ¡°Zizhao, why don¡¯t you tell them off? Your wife is doing this out of goodwill.


    How can they make things up like that as if it¡¯s such a bad thing?¡±


    ¡°Zizhao, you should stop them as soon as possible. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s only going to get worse.¡±


    ¡°How is it Zizhao¡¯s fault that they¡¯re worse than Zizhao? Can¡¯t they just admit that they¡¯re not as smart as Zizhao? Their hearts are smaller than the eye of a needle. Even if they pass the exams and be government officials, the people aren¡¯t going to live good lives.¡±


    Xie Heng said calmly, ¡°Just let them be. There¡¯s no need to stoop down to their


    ¡°But they¡¯re talking about your wife.¡±


    ¡°My wife wouldn¡¯t care.¡±


    When he said that, the people around him looked at each other. They didn¡¯t understand why Xie Heng wasn¡¯t willing to defend Zhao Chuchu.


    Usually, whenever these people made trouble, Xie Heng wouldn¡¯t let them off the hook so easily.


    Perhaps it was because Xie Heng ignored them that they became more and more brazen.


    In the end, they went to Xie Heng and started talking right to his face.


    ¡°Are you nervous because we exposed your n? You¡¯re such a talker usually. Howe you don¡¯t even dare to rebut us today?¡±


    ¡°Xie Heng, sigh, Xie Heng, I guess after being a gigolo for so long, you¡¯ve lost your confidence.¡±


    ¡°How about I donate some money to you? It¡¯s better than asking your wife all the time, right?¡±


    Xie Heng raised his head to look at them. His cold gaze made them squirm subconsciously.


    ¡°She¡¯sing to give free medical consultations out of goodwill. I don¡¯t need to exin anything to you. If you believe it, then go. Otherwise, stay away. No one is forcing you to do anything. Even if you cannot learn to be a wise sage after studying, you shouldn¡¯t lose your basic decency as a schr. Making up rumors and smearing people makes you no different from hooligans on the streets.¡±


    Xie Heng¡¯s words immediately infuriated those people. ¡°Alright, lees see how good of a doctor your wife is tomorrow. Do you dare to make a bet with me? If your wife can tell whether were sick, then we lose. Otherwise, you crawl around the academy and bark like a dog.¡±


    ¡°What a disgrace!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, you don¡¯t dare to bet with us because you are guilty!¡±


    ¡°I advise you not to test my limits.¡±


    ¡°Xie Heng, tomorrow I¡¯m going to make everyone in the city know what kind of people you and your wife are!¡±


    After that, they didn¡¯t wait for Xie Heng¡¯s response and walked away


    immediately.


    Xie Heng seemed rather anxious. He appeared to be worrying about it the entire day.


    His ssmate tried to console him, but he forced a wry smile and said softly, ¡°It¡¯s fine. My wife said that she could tell if someone is sick from just their pulse unless they somehow force their pulse to stop.¡± Those words quickly got into the ears of the nderers..

 Chapter 429 - 429: You Reap What You Sow (1)

    Chapter 429: You Reap What You Sow (1)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    These nderers kept his words in mind. They decided to wait until Zhao Chuchu arrived the next day so they could mock and taunt her as much as possible.


    They didn¡¯t know anything about medicine and thought they were young and healthy. What illnesses could they possibly have?


    They decided to hide whatever they could and suppress whatever symptoms they felt.


    They were paying attention to Xie Heng the entire afternoon. They realized that Xie Heng seemed like he was feeling guilty. He looked tired and lifeless.


    From the day Xie Heng entered Qingyang Academy, the professor and teachers quickly recognized him as a student of great intelligence and potential. The teachers appreciated his talent. Even his ssmates liked to interact with him. The person who led this whole nder operation, Yu Linjiang, was originally the most valued student at Qingyang Academy. Xie Heng had taken over his ce and made him lose the attention of the professors and teachers. That was why he resented Xie Heng. He tried to plot against him and find ways to humiliate him. Or better yet, chase him out of the academy.


    Now that he finally found an opportunity, he had to do everything within his power to teach Xie Heng a lesson.


    Yu Linjiang didn¡¯t think that Zhao Chuchu was actually the Doctor Miracle that people said she was. He thought that Zhao Chuchu simply got lucky. She happened to treat patients just as the gue was about to get better. That was why people thought she was a great doctor.


    Yu Linjiang wasn¡¯t a native citizen of the capital city. Like most other students, he stayed in the hostel inside the academy.


    After lessons ended in the evening, Xie Heng hurriedly packed up and got ready to leave.


    Yu Linjiang blocked him and said, ¡°Xie Heng, don¡¯t try to hide from us tomorrow and tell your wife not toe. All of Guangqing Province is going to know that you two are scammers fishing for recognition and fame. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s going to affect your chances of bing a government official.¡±


    ¡°Get out of my way,¡± Xie Heng said coldly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare to answer me?


    ¡°My wife is giving free consultation out of goodwill. If you don¡¯t believe her, then don¡¯te. There is no need to nder my wife like this.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about that nonsense. I¡¯m just asking one thing. Do you dare to tell your wife toe as nned tomorrow?


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t owe you anything, and I won¡¯t let her get bullied by people like you.¡±


    Xie Heng was pretending to retreat to advance his n.


    ¡°Hahaha, did you hear that? Our great schr, Xie, is actually nervous, he¡¯s giving such righteous reasons to cancel the whole operation. The professor has already made the arrangements. We¡¯re stopping lessons for the whole day tomorrow. Do you want to change your mind suddenly? Do you have any respect for the professor at all?¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Xie Heng looked livid.


    ¡°Great schr, did we actually guess your n? Does your wife actually not know anything?¡±


    ¡°Sigh, in my opinion, people should try to face reality. Don¡¯t keeping up with schemes and crooked ways to attract attention from our teachers. What¡¯s the point?¡±


    ¡°Xie Heng, if you admit that you¡¯re a coward now, we¡¯ll let this go.¡±


    Xie Heng nced at them and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t get out of my way now, I won¡¯t hold back anymore.¡±


    ¡°Oh my, getting angry now? Why are you angry? Oh right, we exposed you, and you¡¯re feeling guilty now, am I right? I told you! If a kid as young as her can be Doctor Miracle, there would be no difficult illness in the world! So many doctors who have been practicing medicine for decades! They should be able to revive people from the dead!¡±


    Yu Linjiang continued to taunt Xie Heng.


    Xie Heng stopped responding to them. He walked around Yu Linjiang and left the academy at the fastest speed possible.


    Yu Linjiang and his friendsughed, feeling like they¡¯d won.


    They didn¡¯t see that Xie Heng was smiling with his back facing them.


    Yu Linjiang felt like he had just won against Xie Heng. He gathered his friends and left the academy. They went to eat a good meal to celebrate.


    The next day, they would get to see Xie Heng lose everything.


    As long as they suppressed their symptoms, Zhao Chuchu would misjudge their condition. What an easy task.


    Before sleeping, Xie Heng told Zhao Chuchu about what happened at the academy.


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    These people had too much time on their hands.


    ¡°Is it Yu Linjiang? I will check his pulse properly tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°I told them that if they tried to suppress it, you¡¯d be more likely to make mistakes.¡±


    ¡°Suppress it?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu almost spat out her water.


    ¡°Damn, you¡¯re a mean one.¡±


    ¡°They will try to suppress it.¡±


    Xie Heng knew Yu Linjiang too well.


    He was a stubborn and over-confident person. He would do everything he could to set someone up. He definitely wouldn¡¯t suspect what he said.


    After all, Xie Heng told his friends about it. It was overheard by Yu Linjiang¡¯s friends and passed to him.


    ¡°Alright then, I won¡¯t let them down tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°If they say anything stupid, please bear with it for a while. We can get back at themter on.¡±


    ¡°Yup, I know.¡±


    Qingyang Academy¡¯s students were different from the clowns and fools outside. They were all schrs and had proper statuses and ranks. If she beat them up at the academy, she would get in trouble.


    ¡°Have you prepared everything that you need to bring? If not, I can help you pack up.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve prepared everything already. Go to sleep. We need to wake up early to head to the academy tomorrow..¡±

 Chapter 430 - 430: You Reap What You Sow (2)

    Chapter 430: You Reap What You Sow (2)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Xie Heng kissed Zhao Chuchu on her cheek and theny down on the bed.


    Zhao Chuchuy down beside Xie Heng. She waited for Xie Heng to reach his arm out and hug her before closing her eyes, feeling quite satisfied.


    The next day¡­


    Xie Heng woke up early.


    The moment he moved, Zhao Chuchu opened her eyes.


    ¡°You should sleep for a while more,¡± Xie Heng said. ¡°I¡¯m going to check if they¡¯ve made breakfast yet.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ve slept enough.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t sleep in. She woke up with Xie Heng.


    Xie Heng found a set of light clothes that were easy to move in for Zhao Chuchu. It was a set of men¡¯s clothes.


    ¡°Although they all know you¡¯re ady, wearing women¡¯s clothes is still a little inconvenient,¡± Xie Heng exined.


    Zhao Chuchuughed and said, ¡°It¡¯s all the same for me.¡±


    She preferred the clothes of the modern era when going out.


    Unfortunately, she looked really out of ce if she wore them in the vige. Those clothes were often considered weird or even immodest.


    Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng arrived at Qingyang Academy early in the morning. Yu Jianglin and his friends had drunk quite a bit the previous night, so they hadn¡¯t woken up yet.


    Xie Heng took Zhao Chuchu to meet the principal first.


    The principal of Qingyang Academy was very young, only slightly over the age of 30.


    But he was a very knowledgeable, wise man and a famous schr in Guangqing Province.


    After greeting him, Zhao Chuchu immediately got to the point and asked ¡°Principal, do you often feel acute pain in your neck followed by a really bad headache and sometimes vomiting?


    The principal was rather astonished that Zhao Chuchu knew about that. He remembered that he had consulted many doctors before, so it was probably not a secret anymore. It wasn¡¯t too strange for Zhao Chuchu to know about it.


    ¡°Yes, that is right.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu told the principal to give her his hand so she could feel his pulse.


    She then told him about some of his other symptoms.


    These were all small issues that the principal had never told other doctors about before, yet Zhao Chuchu pinpointed every single one of them urately.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to perform acupuncture on you first, then I¡¯ll give you some medication that you need to take for about half a month. Please try to rest more and don¡¯t sleep toote. This should alleviate your symptoms greatly,¡± Zhao Chuchu said as she opened up her medicine box and took out her set of needles. ¡°I¡¯lle back for a return consultation in 15 days.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s going to hurt. Please bear with it.¡± Zhao Chuchu walked toward the principal with the needles in her hand.


    The principalughed and said, ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of pain.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu nodded and said, ¡°Yup, man people say that, but they still can¡¯t take it.¡±


    The principal wasn¡¯t bothered by that. He thought that the pain from acupuncture wasn¡¯t a big deal since he had experienced it before.


    However, the principal soon realized how wrong he was.


    The pain was much worse than the pain he felt when his condition red up.


    He couldn¡¯t help but groan in pain.


    The vice principal and teachers knew that Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng had already gone to the principal. They were on their way to the principal¡¯s office.


    Before they even reached his door, they heard the principal yelling.


    They hurriedly charged into the room, only to see the principal with his shirt off halfway and drooping over his chest. There were needles all over his shoulder.


    The principal was sweating profusely from the pain at this point. He grabbed the chair handles as tightly as he could to prevent himself from going berserk.


    He was in so much pain that he didn¡¯t even have the strength to wave to the vice principal and teachers.


    ¡°Xie Heng, what did you do to the principal? Why is he in so much pain?¡± The vice principal frowned and said, ¡°I hope nothing severe happens.¡±


    Yu Linjiang was dragged up from his bed just moments ago. He arrived in a hurry and said to the vice principal, ¡°Vice principal, I told you that Xie Heng and Zhao Chuchu are both just scammers. I¡¯ve never seen a real doctor make his patient suffer like this during treatment. They¡¯re not curing him! They¡¯re killing him!¡±


    He felt like he had concrete evidence for his usations. He yelled loudly,


    ¡°Someone quick! Come save the principal! What if Zhao Chuchu killed him?


    Capture Xie Heng and Zhao Chuchu and take them to the government bureau!¡±


    Yu Linjiang yelled, yet he stood there without moving.


    Xie Heng looked at him like he was looking at an idiot.


    The principal didn¡¯t call for help himself. What if they went forward out of impulse and actually hurt the principal?


    Everyone knew that Yu Linjiang disliked Xie Heng.


    Nobody was stupid enough to be taken advantage of by him.


    The vice principal saw that the principal didn¡¯t say anything, so he red at Yu


    Linjiang and asked, ¡°What nonsense are you spouting? All of you, get out. Don¡¯t distract Mrs. Xie!¡±


    Yu Liniiang¡¯s exoression changed slightly after the vice principal said that. He tried to argue. ¡°But the principal is in so much pain¡­¡±


    ¡°Get out,¡± the principal said through clenched teeth. ¡°All of you.¡±


    Yu Linjiang couldn¡¯t say anything else.


    Zhao Chuchu looked at him with a mocking smile on her face, which made him feel a little mad.


    In front of his teachers and the principal, Yu Linjiang didn¡¯t dare to say anything else. He left the room with his tail between his legs.


    It must have been Xie Heng who deceived the principal with words. Otherwise, there was no way that the principal would believe a teenage girl could treat his illness.


    As Yu Linjiang thought about his great n, he sneered. He was going to expose the fact that Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t know anything about medicine..

 Chapter 431 - 431: You Reap What You Sow (3)

    Chapter 431: You Reap What You Sow (3)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    To suppress whatever signs of illness he could, he hadn¡¯t gone to the bathroom since the previous night.


    Although he felt extremely ufortable, he forced himself to endure it.


    How else was he supposed to expose Zhao Chuchu as not being a real doctor?


    Thirty minutes felt like an eternity to the principal.


    Every minute felt like a year had passed.


    After the acupuncture procedure, the principal suddenly realized that his neck and shoulders, which were usually very stiff, had loosened significantly. His entire body felt more rxed.


    ¡°I shall go take a shower¡­¡±


    Zhao Chuchu stopped the principal.


    ¡°You cannot shower or get cold for the next four hours. I know that sweat feels grimy and ufortable, but please bear with it for a while.¡±


    The principal liked to be clean, so this was making him quite ufortable.


    He knew that he had to heed the doctor¡¯s advice. He asked his assistant to bring him a towel so he could wipe off the sweat before getting dressed.


    Zhao Chuchu wrote a medicinal recipe for the principal.


    The principal nced at the recipe. It was roughly the same as the ones that the other doctors gave him. There were some slight differences in the portions of the herbs, and there were two additional ingredients.


    ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Xie.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re very wee, principal. My husband is your student. You can just call me Chuchu.¡±


    The principal raised his head and said to the vice principal, ¡°Alright, don¡¯t mind me calling you Chuchu, haha. Qingyun, get ready to let Chuchu do consultations for the students.


    ¡°Are you really alright?¡± the vice principal asked hesitantly.


    The principal nodded and said, ¡°Chuchu is a wonderful doctor. After the acupuncture, I feel a lot better. My neck and shoulders have loosened up significantly.¡±


    The vice principal knew the principal very well. He wasn¡¯t the type who would go against his heart andmend someone without merit.


    The vice principal left with the teachers to assemble the students in preparation for the consultation with Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu burned each of the needles over a fire before putting them away.


    ¡°Principal, I shall go out first. You can¡¯t be exposed to any wind or coldness.


    Please stay in the room for now.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Chuchu.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m quite free at home anyway. Da Lang is a student at Qingyang


    Academy. It is my honor to be able to do something for the academy.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu smiled and exited the room with Xie Heng.


    The principal moved his neck around for a bit. The sore, bloated feeling hadpletely disappeared.


    He hadn¡¯t felt like this in a very long time.


    It seemed like he needed to continue receiving acupuncture.


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t immediately start the consultations with the students. Instead, she moved her tools around and arranged them or checked her medicinal box as if she had a lot of preparation work to do.


    Yu Linjiang had been holding in his urine for so long that he couldn¡¯t open his legs. He wanted to go to the bathroom, but he was afraid that Zhao Chuchu might begin at any time.


    Another 15 minutes passed.


    Zhao Chuchu finally sat down.


    ¡°Let¡¯s begin,¡± Zhao Chuchu said to the teacher who was helping maintain order in the room.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go first.¡± Yu Linjiang put his hand over his dder, which was so full that it was starting to hurt. He walked over in small steps, feeling like his abdomen could explode at any time. It was bing difficult to walk.


    He tried his best to look like there was nothing wrong, but his facial expression had already given everything away.


    A smile shed across Zhao Chuchu¡¯s face, but she quickly hid it.


    ¡°No need to consult me. If you don¡¯t want to die, go to the bathroom and release yourself. Otherwise, no amount of medicine can cure your illness.¡± Zhao Chuchu nced at Yu Linjiang and said, ¡°Holding in your urine will cause you to be unable to urinate normally in the future, and it could increase the chances of terminal illnesses. I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re sacrificing your health to make my husband lose face.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, did you hear that? This woman doesn¡¯t know everything. She¡¯s just spouting nonsense.¡± Yu Linjiang¡¯s heart skipped a beat as Zhao Chuchu exposed him, but he forced himself to continue pretending as he pointed at Zhao


    Chuchu andughed.


    Then he couldn¡¯tugh anymore.


    The extreme pain in his abdomen caused him to crouch down on the ground. He couldn¡¯t even stand up anymore.


    His friends thought that he was just acting for Zhao Chuchu to see, so they didn¡¯t go forward to help him.


    When Yu Linjiang started groaning in pain, they realized that things seemed to be different from what they had imagined.


    Zhao Chuchu looked at Yu Linjiang and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the point? You¡¯re torturing yourself.¡±


    ¡°Help me, it hurts¡­¡± Yu Linjiang couldn¡¯t take it anymore. He started asking Zhao Chuchu for help.


    His face waspletely pale, and there was sweat all over his forehead. He was definitely not acting anymore.


    His friends hurriedly went forward and helped him up. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°It hurts.¡± Yu Linjiang could barely speak at this point. ¡°Save me.¡±


    The teacher started to panic. He frantically asked Zhao Chuchu, ¡°Mrs. Xie, what¡¯s wrong with him?¡±


    ¡°He held in his urine for too long,¡± Zhao Chuchu said. ¡°I can help him with other illnesses, but there¡¯s nothing I can do about this one.¡±


    This didn¡¯t happen because Yu Linjiang had no other choice. This idiot brought it upon himself to humiliate Xie Heng and chase him out of Qingyang Academy.


    ¡°You reap what you sow,¡± she thought.


    ¡°Then what do we do now?¡±


    ¡°Let him urinate.¡±


    Yu Linjiang couldn¡¯t even walk anymore.


    To save himself, he had no choice but to pee himself in front of all his ssmates and teachers.


    Xie Heng stepped forward and stood in front of Zhao Chuchu so the unruly scene wouldn¡¯t corrupt her eyes.


    Yu Linjiang wanted the Earth to swallow him whole as he felt the wetness between his legs.


    He had never imagined that his n to frame Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng would result in humiliating him..

 Chapter 432 - 432: Be Careful of Accidentally Becoming a Father

    Chapter 432: Be Careful of identally Bing a Father


    (1)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    How could the vice principal and the teachers still not understand what was going on?


    Yu Jianglin was once an outstanding student. While they felt sympathetic that their proud student was behaving like this, they felt anger more than pity.


    What was so difficult about admitting that someone else was better than him?


    They couldn¡¯t believe that he thought of such a ploy just to humiliate Xie Heng.


    ¡°Take him back to his dorm room.¡± The vice principal couldn¡¯t bear to look at him. Yu Jianglin had brought shame to all schrs.


    ¡°It hurts, it hurts¡­¡±


    Yu Linjiang¡¯s condition didn¡¯t get any better after peeing himself. He continued to groan.


    ¡°Save me.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t do anything.


    ¡°Since you don¡¯t believe in me as a doctor, why are you asking me to save you? Aren¡¯t you afraid that I might kill you? There is a clinic not too far away from here. I invite you to go there.¡±


    ¡°I was wrong. Please, save me. You¡¯re a doctor. It¡¯s your duty to save people¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut your filthy mouth. Who said that I must save you? I can save whoever I want to save. I didn¡¯t study medicine and be a doctor for your sake. It¡¯s my duty to save people? Why don¡¯t you say that you became like this because of


    ¡°It¡¯s not you. It¡¯s Xie Heng¡¯s fault. If it weren¡¯t for him, I would still be the best student at Qingyang Academy. Xie Heng took away everything from me. If it weren¡¯t for him, I wouldn¡¯t have ended up like this. Xie Heng, did you say those things purposely for me to hear?¡±


    Yu Linjiang finally realized what had happened.


    ¡°Xie Heng, I didn¡¯t know you were such a vicious person. I was just taunting you, and you decided to do this to me. Vice principal, you have to help me. Xie Heng did this to me¡­¡±


    Xie Heng said impassively, ¡°I was talking to my friends. How did the information even end up in your ears? A real man wouldn¡¯t eavesdrop on other people. Yu Linjiang, I have never done you any wrong. Not only did you try to attack me on multiple asions, but now you¡¯re even trying to frame me for ridiculous crimes.¡¯


    He paused for a moment and then said to the vice principal, ¡°Vice Principal, as a student of Qingyang Academy, I ask you to please investigate this matter thoroughly and seek justice for my wife and me.¡±


    ¡°Vice Principal, you can¡¯t listen to Xie Heng¡¯s trickery!¡± Yu Linjiang yelled, ¡°He set me up!¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Xie giving us free consultations was supposed to be a good thing, yet the lot of youpletely ruined it. You have brought shame to Qingyang Academy,¡± the vice principal said angrily. ¡°You, you, and you, tell me what was going on. If I have to find out myself, I will have no choice but to expel all of you from the academy.¡±


    The moment he said that, Yu Linjiang¡¯s friends immediately panicked. They told the vice principal about everything.


    Yu Linjiang¡¯s face turnedpletely pale.


    The other students told the vice principal about what they saw as well.


    The vice principal sneered and asked, ¡°Yu Linjiang, is there anything else that you would like to say? You¡¯ve been studying for so many years. Have you forgotten all about the morals and ethics that you¡¯ve learned? I am absolutely disappointed in you. I can¡¯t believe you¡¯ve be such a selfish and narrow-minded person. You decided to do something like this because of such a petty reason.¡±


    ¡°Vice Principal, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve realized my mistake. I was out of my mind and did something stupid. Please, just give me another chance.¡± Yu Linjiang was starting to get scared. If he got expelled from Qingyang Academy, he would be shamed for life.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you think about the consequence when you did those things?¡± The vice principal¡¯s expression turned cold. ¡°If only you put all that effort into studying, you would be bound to surpass Xie Heng one day. Unfortunately, you decided to go the crooked path.¡¯


    ¡°I have really realized my mistake. Please, vice principal, give me another chance.¡± Yu Linjiang kneeled and kowtowed toward the vice principal, ignoring the pain momentarily.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be seeking forgiveness from me. You should be asking Xie Heng and Mrs. Xie.¡±


    Yu Linjiang went silent for a moment.


    He thought, ¡°Apologize to Xie Heng and Zhao Chuchu?¡±


    There was no way.


    Before Yu Linjiang could say anything, Xie Heng spoke first. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I won¡¯t ept his apology. His hostility toward me wouldn¡¯t disappear because of an apology. Vice Principal, please forgive me for being selfish. I cannot take it when someone tries to bully my wife like this, so I won¡¯t forgive him.¡±


    The vice principal didn¡¯t know what to say to diffuse the situation.


    If his abdomen wasn¡¯t in so much pain, Yu Linjiang would have been jumping up right now. ¡°Xie Heng, did you think I was going to apologize to you? Dream on!¡± he yelled.


    Xie Heng smiled and didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°Take him back to his dorm room so he¡¯ll stop humiliating himself here. I will tell the principal about this. Before he decides what to do with him, he¡¯s not allowed to leave his dorm,¡± the vice principal said fiercely. He then told a teacher to ask for a doctor from a nearby clinic to treat Yu Linjiang.


    Yu Linjiang left the room with the help of his friends. While he was leaving, he continued to yell.. ¡°I will never beg you for anything, Xie Heng! Remember this, you better be careful not to let me get above you! Otherwise, I¡¯ll make you wish that you were dead!¡±

 Chapter 433 - 433: Be Careful of Accidentally Becoming a Father (2)

    Chapter 433: Be Careful of identally Bing a Father (2)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Xie Heng¡¯s expression remained calm. He wasn¡¯t affected by Yu Linjiang¡¯s words at all.


    ¡°Vice Principal, let¡¯s continue. If we waste any more time, we won¡¯t be able to see all the students today.¡±


    The vice principal saw how calm andposed Xie Heng was. It impressed him quite a bit.


    Order was restored, and the students queued up for Zhao Chuchu to examine them.


    Most of the students at Qingyang Academy were quite young. Most of them were diagnosed with small issues due tock of exercise.


    Around halfway through the day, Zhao Chuchu¡¯s expression suddenly became serious.


    The student who was being examined felt his heart skip a beat. He had a bad feeling about this.


    He held his breath and didn¡¯t dare move a finger.


    Zhao Chuchu told him to reach his other hand out after checking his pulse.


    He felt even more disconcerted now.


    His ssmates started to get nervous as well.


    This was the first time that Zhao Chuchu showed such a serious expression.


    ¡°You¡¯re pulse condition is a littleplicated. Can you wait at the side? I¡¯ll examine you again when I¡¯m done with the others,¡± Zhao Chuchu said to the man.


    He asked, ¡°Is it very severe?¡±


    ¡°I can only tell after checking thoroughly. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    The man walked to his side. His fists clenched up silently.


    Zhao Chuchu nced at him. He was wearing the Qingyang Academy uniform, but the shoes he was wearing were very old and worn out. On top of that, his hands looked rather rough. He probably came from a poor family.


    Sometimes, God was quite cruel.


    Not only was this man poor, but he was also ill. There was almost no way for him to live.


    If it were any other doctor, the only thing this guy could do was wait for death. He was lucky that Zhao Chuchu met him.


    The rest of the students had some small illnesses or non-serious conditions. Zhao Chuchu gave them some medicine to help them recover.


    After the consultation session, Zhao Chuchu said to the vice principal, ¡°Schrs and students sit in front of a table all day. It¡¯s verymon for their necks and shoulders to be stiff or feel ufortable. Most of their symptoms are very light, so they don¡¯t need any medication. I know a set of exercises targeted at such problems. How about I teach it to the academy so they can do it every day when they have time?¡±


    ¡°That would be great. Thank you, Mrs. Xie.¡±


    ¡°No worries. I¡¯ll teach my husband when we return home, and then he¡¯ll teach the other students.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu nodded and then signaled to the vice principal for him to sit down as well. She then started on the consultations for the teachers and staff members.


    The teachers were all middle-aged men. Their bodies were clearly not as healthy and strong as the younger folks. Almost all of them had some sort of chronic illness.


    Zhao Chuchu pointed out all of their illnesses, which was extremely impressive for the teachers.


    When it came to thest teacher, the smile on Zhao Chuchu¡¯s face disappeared again.


    The teacher felt his heart skip a beat as well. ¡°Can we speak in private?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    The teacher¡¯s heart started palpitating. He thought that he had some sort of terminal illness, which sapped away all the energy in his body.


    Zhao Chuchu signaled to the student previously to follow them as well.


    The vice principal led them to a garden behind the academy. The garden was located near the rear mountain. There was a gazebo there. No one was there at the time, so it was very quiet.


    The vice principal stopped and stayed a distance away from the gazebo.


    Xie Heng didn¡¯t go near there either.


    Zhao Chuchu went to the gazebo with the teacher. She immediately got straight to the point. ¡°How many children do you have?¡±


    The teacher was startled for a while. He then sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve never had any children. ¡±


    ¡°Have you seen a doctor before?¡±


    ¡°No, but my wife has been taking medication for quite a while now.¡±


    ¡°There is a 90 percent chance that the problem lies in you.¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°The remaining 10 percent is because I haven¡¯t examined your wife before, so


    I¡¯m not sure if she¡¯s infertile as well.¡±


    ¡°Wait, say that again? I¡¯m the reason why we don¡¯t have children?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re infertile.¡±


    No man would admit to such a condition willingly.


    Wouldn¡¯t that mean that he was impotent?


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, you can¡¯t make such baseless ims.¡± The teacher¡¯s expression turned a little angry.


    Zhao Chuchu said calmly, ¡°If you¡¯re so scared of admitting to the condition to the point that you¡¯re suspecting a doctor, you will never have children, even if you soaked your wife in a tub of medicine every day or married someone else. If your wife gets pregnant, you should worry about whether you¡¯re really the child¡¯s father.¡¯


    The teacher stood up in anger. ¡°Nonsense.¡±


    ¡°That was just an analogy. If you don¡¯t want to be a father, that is your choice. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t tell anyone else about this. Protecting the patient¡¯s privacy is one of the fundamental ethical rules of a doctor.¡¯


    The teacher could tell that Zhao Chuchu was serious. He thought about how his wife had been taking medication for a very long time, yet nothing was happening. Moreover, everyone was calling Zhao Chuchu Doctor Miracle. He started to believe what she said..

 Chapter 434 - 434: Be Careful of Accidentally Becoming a Father (3)

    Chapter 434: Be Careful of identally Bing a Father (3)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°You can go home and think about it or get another doctor to check your condition for you. Your student is still waiting there, and he¡¯s actually ill,¡± Zhao Chuchu said. ¡°I need to do a thorough checkup for him as soon as possible so I can decide on the right treatment.¡±


    The teacher wanted to say something else initially, but he heard that his student was actually ill. Furthermore, the way that Zhao Chuchu said it meant that his student¡¯s condition was quite serious. His problem wasn¡¯t an urgent one, but his student might be waiting to get his life saved.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go back and think about it. Mrs. Xie, please keep this a secret.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    The teacher stood up and left the gazebo.


    The vice principal signaled to the student to go over to Zhao Chuchu.


    When he walked into the gazebo, his entire body was tense.


    ¡°Rx, don¡¯t be so nervous. Come, give me your hand, and I¡¯ll check your pulse condition for you again,¡± Zhao Chuchu was only doing this for the show. She was already certain about what illness this man had.


    She pointed at his upper abdomen and asked, ¡°Do you often feel a burning, painful sensation here? Sometimes after eating, not only do you not get better, but it also bes more severe, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± He was shocked. ¡°How did you know?¡±


    ¡°You also feel nausea at random intervals. Do you sometimes have no appetite, your feceses out ck, and you feel extremely weak and fatigued?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mrs. Xie, is my condition very serious?¡±


    ¡°How long has it been?¡±


    ¡°About a year.¡±


    ¡°And have you just been enduring it?¡±


    Zhong Peifeng hung his head low and said, ¡°I¡¯m young. It¡¯ll pass if I endure it for a while.¡¯


    Zhao Chuchu wanted to tell him that this wasn¡¯t something that would pass after a while.


    With the medical knowledge of this era, stomach cancer basically meant death.


    Seeing a doctor wouldn¡¯t help at all.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked. She knew that his name was Zhong Peifeng. He was Xie Heng¡¯s friend.


    ¡°Zhong Peifeng.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Zhong, your illness is already very serious. If you continue to let it develop, you will leave this world before your parents.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu spoke frankly.


    ¡°Do you sometimes vomit with blood in it?¡± ¡°Yes. Mrs. Xie, what illness do I have?¡± ¡°Your stomach is not looking good.¡±


    ¡°Am I dying?¡±


    Zhong Peifeng¡¯s face turned pale. He started trembling slightly.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m here, so you won¡¯t die. Other doctors may not be able to do anything, but I can.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°Why would I lie about this? I often hear my husband talk about you. You¡¯re a pretty good friend of his, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Zizhao often helps me in the academy. He is a good friend.¡±


    ¡°If you want to treat your illness, you should stop studying for a period of time.¡±


    ¡°Stop studying?¡±


    ¡°Continue after you¡¯ve recovered. I¡¯m afraid that you might study at the expense of your body. No amount of medication can cure you if you overexert yourself like this. You only live once, Mr. Zhong. The Imperial Exams happen every three years. Even if you miss this one, you can still attend the next one.


    But life, if you lose it, you¡¯ll never get it back.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, is my condition so serious? Can it really be cured?¡±


    ¡°Are you doubting my abilities as a doctor? You didn¡¯t tell anyone about this, right?¡±


    Zhong Peifeng raised his head and looked at Zhao Chuchu. He couldn¡¯t believe his ears.


    How did she know about that?


    ¡°Curing this illness takes time. It¡¯s not amon cold that only takes a few days and some medication. If you continue to let it develop like this, it¡¯s going to kill you.¡±


    ¡°But my family has poured everything into providing for my studies. I can¡¯t afford the treatment. Never mind, we all have our own destinies. I¡¯ll just make the most out of the time I have left.


    Zhong Peifeng wanted to live but reality forced him to give up.


    He didn¡¯t want topletely exhaust all of his family¡¯s finances on top of the burden that he was already putting on them for studying.


    Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t reprimand him.


    Before the post-apocalyptic world, she had often seen people choosing to stop treatment because theycked a few thousand dors.


    It wasn¡¯t that they didn¡¯t want to live anymore. They had already borrowed everything they could, but it just wasn¡¯t enough. Health was the biggest wealth. This applied to everyone.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to live?¡±


    ¡°I do. I want to live more than anyone else, but I don¡¯t want to see my parents give up everything for me. Mrs. Xie, their life is already difficult as it is. I don¡¯t want them to suffer because of me anymore. If there is a next life, I¡¯ll choose to fulfill my filial duties in my next life.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu could tell that Zhong Peifeng was sincere about what he said.


    He didn¡¯t ask her to save him first and pay for the treatmentter.


    Every single one of Xie Heng¡¯s friends had a very respectable character.


    ¡°I can save you. As for the payment, you can pay me back slowly in the future.


    Just take it as my husband helping his friend.¡±


    Zhong Peifeng was startled by Zhao Chuchu¡¯s suggestion.


    ¡°How can I trouble you for that?¡± Zhong Peifeng asked. He remembered how Zhao Chuchu refused to save Yu Linjiang despite him saying all those things, yet now she was offering to save him for free. ¡°Mrs. Xie, I may not be able to pay you back for the rest of my life, and neither you nor Zizhao owe me anything. I¡¯m d that you¡¯re even willing to make such an offer..¡±

 Chapter 435 - 435: All Good People (1)

    Chapter 435: All Good People (1)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°You still have parents and siblings. Isn¡¯t it better to live? There are so many people out there who would do extremely risky things to stay alive or even just to get a chance to stay alive. Now, there¡¯s an opportunity ced in front of you, but you¡¯re choosing to give it up.¡± Zhao Chuchu looked at him and asked, ¡°Do you think it¡¯s a good thing that you care so little about your life?


    ¡°I¡¯m willing to save you because my husband said that you are a good person. If it was someone like Yu Linjiang, I wouldn¡¯t save him, even if he kneeled and begged me to unless he could convince me with money.¡±


    Zhong Peifeng didn¡¯t say anything for a long while.


    After quite a bit of time, he said softly, ¡°Mrs. Xie, I know you¡¯re doing this for my sake, but if I owe you and Zizhao too much, I wouldn¡¯t know how to face you guys in the future.¡±


    ¡°Why are you so stubborn? Think about it. How sad would your parents be if they had to watch you die before them at such a young age? They sacrificed so much for you. How can you just leave them like this? Isn¡¯t that considered unfilial?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve studied for so many years, yet you¡¯re clearly wiser than me, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    Zhong Peifeng looked genuinely embarrassed.


    ¡°So do you want to be treated or not?¡±


    ¡°Since you have already said all these things to me, if I continue to refuse, I would be a fool who couldn¡¯t tell good from bad. Mrs. Xie, I will never forget what you did for me to save my life. If there¡¯s anything that I can do for you in the future, please let me know. I will do everything in my power to help you and repay you.¡±


    ¡°Okay, just remember that you owe me a favor.¡±


    ¡°But Mrs. Xie, is it possible for me to continue staying at Qingyang Academy?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to do two things at the same time. Your condition is already very severe. I don¡¯t even know how you managed to endure for so long. As long as you stay alive, you can continue studying again whenever you want. But if you die, you¡¯ll have nothing left. Mr. Zhong, you are still so young. I don¡¯t think you¡¯re short of these one or two years, right?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. When will I start the treatment? I¡¯ll tell the principal about it.¡±


    ¡°Any time.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much, Mrs. Xie.¡±


    Zhong Peifeng bowed down low toward Zhao Chuchu to show his gratitude.


    ¡°Alright. If that¡¯s the case, you should go back and prepare. It¡¯s getting quitete. I need to return home with my husband.¡±


    ¡°Goodbye, Mrs. Xie.¡±


    Zhong Peifeng stood in the gazebo and watched as Zhao Chuchu left. Xie Heng walked forward when he saw Zhao Chuchu walking over.


    ¡°Shall we head home?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Xie Heng took over Zhao Chuchu¡¯s medicinal box. He then said to the vice principal, ¡°Vice Principal, please excuse my leave.¡±


    ¡°Okay, take care.¡± The vice principal waved his hand and did not ask any questions.


    Xie Heng and Zhao Chuchu left the academy holding each other¡¯s hands.


    Only then did Zhong Peifeng walk out of the gazebo and go to the vice principal.


    ¡°How are you?¡± the vice principal asked. He was quite concerned for his student. ¡°Mrs. Xie looked very serious. Are you ill with a rare disease?¡±


    ¡°Vice principal, I would like to leave the academy for about a year to treat my illness. Mrs. Xie said that my condition is already very serious. I need to start treatment as soon as possible. Otherwise, I might be in mortal danger.¡±


    The vice principal looked at Zhong Peifeng. Zhong Peifeng had always looked underweight and pale. The vice principal didn¡¯t spot anything out of the ordinary about him. He thought that Zhong Peifeng was just too poor and couldn¡¯t afford food. He even helped him financially in secret several times. He had never imagined that Zhong Peifeng actually had a severe disease. He wondered how Zhong Peifeng endured the pain of an illness like this. No one knew about this for the two years he had been in the academy.


    ¡°If Mrs. Xie said so, she is probably quite confident that she can cure you. Don¡¯t think about it too much. You can always studyter on, but your health cannot wait. If you need money, just let me know,¡± the vice principal said gently.


    ¡°Thank you, Vice Principal.¡± Zhong Peifeng felt a sour feeling in his nose. ¡°Okay, you should tell the principal about this. Hurry up, the faster you start your treatment the better. Disease doesn¡¯t wait for people.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will go right now.¡± Zhong Peifeng bowed and then separated from the vice principal.


    The principal already knew that Zhong Peifeng and another teacher were pulled aside by Zhao Chuchu for a separate consultation. When he saw Zhong Peifeng, he was quite concerned as well. ¡°Peifeng, if you¡¯re sick, you should see treatment. I will leave a spot at the academy for you. Don¡¯t worry.¡± The principal spoke before Zhong Peifeng even said anything, which made Zhong Peifeng feel extremely touched.


    ¡°Thank you so much, Principal. Mrs. Xie said that I will need about one to two years to be cured and recover fully. I¡¯m afraid by then¡­¡±


    ¡°Regardless of what happens, your health is always the most important. You¡¯ve always been a hardworking student. I believe that you¡¯ll be able to make it even after two years. You cannot let your illness drag on. There¡¯s no other ce that you can stay in the capital city, right? You can stay at the academy, but you can¡¯t stay in the dorm room anymore. You should move to my house. There¡¯s a wing room that¡¯s still empty. You can prepare medicine there as well..¡±

 Chapter 436 - 436: Everyone I Encounter Are Good People 2

    Chapter 436: Everyone I Encounter Are Good People 2


    Trantor: Nvoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nvoi-Bo Studio


    Zhong Peifeng¡¯s tears immediately started flowing.


    He knelt and kowtowed to the principal, repeating, ¡°Thank you, Principal. Thank you, Principal.¡¯


    ¡°Silly child. Please stand. Since you are a student of Qingyang Academy, as principal, how could I possibly just sit and watch you suffer? If you truly wish to thank me, then study hard and be an advanced schr. That way, you can make us proud.¡±


    ¡°I will definitely work hard.¡±


    After Zhong Peifeng left the principal¡¯s office, he returned to his dormitory to pack his things.


    After his ssmates learned about this, they all came to help him.


    Without asking him, they squeezed out some money from their own slim wallets, pooled their money together, and gave it to Zhong Peifeng.


    ¡°This is a small token from us. Take it and get well soon. When you recover, we will meet again in Imperial City.¡±


    Zhong Peifeng did not want to ept their money, but they forced it into his hands.


    He choked up as he said, ¡°Thank you all.¡±


    A ssmate said, ¡°No need to thank us. We are all brothers. We can¡¯t do much else aside from this. Don¡¯t think too much about it. Just focus on getting well soon. ¡±


    Another ssmate added, ¡°That¡¯s right. Even the principal has high hopes for you. Don¡¯t let us down when the timees.¡±


    ¡°Who knows? We might need your help in the future. So, if you owe us a favor now, we can ask for your help boldly in the future, right?¡±


    His ssmates chimed in one after another, attempting to loosen up the atmosphere.


    Zhong Peifeng knew that they were saying this intentionally. They had no ns of asking for their money back. Otherwise, why would they lump their cash altogether?


    Zhong Peifeng felt that anything he said now would be meaningless. He could only remember his ssmates who helped him when he needed their help the most. He swore to himself that if he managed to make a name for himself in the future, he would definitely repay them!


    He no longer declined their money, epting his ssmates¡¯ good intentions.


    After that, he moved his luggage to the principal¡¯s courtyard. The book boy had already cleaned out the guest room as he said, ¡°Mr. Zhong, if you need anything, please just let me know.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. This is more than enough,¡± said Zhong Peifeng gratefully. He only needed a ce to stay. He honestly didn¡¯t ask for much.


    Initially, he had nned to return home. However, if he took medicine daily, his family would definitely know and worry. Now that he could continue staying in the capital, he could keep the fact that he was sick from his family.


    In his past life, he must have done many good deeds for him to have encountered so many good people in this life, especially Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng.


    Zhao Chuchu, who was walking back home, suddenly sneezed. She said, ¡°Hmm, it seems that Yu Linjiang is cursing me again. However, Da Lang, your move was sick! How did you know something would happen eventually?¡±


    ¡°I have seen it before,¡± exined Xie Heng with a smile. ¡°Anyway, he is not a good person, so it would be nice if we could keep him from causing trouble in the future.


    ¡°So, you put up with him all this time just so that you can wait for the opportunity to get back at him big time?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, one step at a time.¡±


    ¡°Then, do you know how he will end up in the future?¡±


    ¡°Aside from you, no one can treat him. He will continue to be sick.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu gave a thumbs up.


    Yu Linjiang could only swallow this bitter pill in silence.


    However, he also deserved it.


    Anyone who Xie Heng imed was not a good person would probably be worse than a beast.


    ¡°By the way, Da Lang, Zhong Peifeng¡¯s illness is so severe. Wasn¡¯t his family background not well off? I n to treat him, but have you arranged a ce for him to stay?¡±


    ¡°The principal will make arrangements. We do not need to worry.¡±


    ¡°How do you know?¡±


    ¡°The principal is a good person.¡±


    Unfortunately, the principal had offended Sikou Zhendong. It would not end well for all the members of the Qingyang Academy.


    ¡°If that is the case, I won¡¯t concern myself with it. Come, let¡¯s go to the medical hall to buy medicine.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    ¡°Decocting medicine is too troublesome. I n to make the medicine into pills. That way, it will be convenient for Zhong Peifeng to consume them. He will not need to concoct the medicine each day and cause the entire academy to smell of medicine. If that happens, Yu Linjiang and his gang might make noise. If we are going to help Zhong Peifeng, we will see it to the end.¡±


    Xie Heng nced at Zhao Chuchu from the side. Her confidence made her entire being sparkle in his eyes. Xie Heng could only see her and no one else.


    ¡°Chuchu, you are also a good person.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense. I am not a good person. There are many people who I have not saved. I have always been insulted for not having the morals of a physician.¡± ¡°You yourself know whether or not you should save them or not. You are not wrong for not saving them. No one said that physicians had to save everyone in the world. Physicians are also people. They also hold grudges and repay debts of gratitude. They might repay evil with kindness, depending on the person!¡± ¡°I like you, Da Lang. You speak the truth. I also think that I am correct..¡±

 Chapter 437 - 437: Everyone I Encounter Are Good People 3

    Chapter 437: Everyone I Encounter Are Good People 3


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng¡¯s outlooks on life, morals, and worldview were in sync. If Xie Heng acted like a saint every day and asked her to be broadminded and save everyone, she would sooner orter be driven to death by him. She did not need a saint!


    This was the way to survive that the post-apocalyptic world taught her.


    As they talked, they entered a medical hall.


    Zhao Chuchu named a list of medicinal herbs, but quite a number of them were unavable. She went to almost all the medical halls in the capital but still could not get onest item in the end.


    The owners of the medical halls told her that they had never even heard of that particr medicinal herb before. They suggested that it would be best for her to find another herb to serve as a substitute.


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    If she could find a substitute, would she have needed to visit so many medical halls?


    Left with no choice, Zhao Chuchu could only pay a visit to the Yuan residence and seek their help to find this herb.


    Mrs. Yuan agreed to help her out and asked Zhao Chuchu to stay for dinner. She said, ¡°Since you are already here, you might as well have dinner before you leave. Da Lang is also here, so it would be perfect! Your grandmother has been missing you recently!¡±


    ¡°Godmother, you really don¡¯t have to. I have to rush back home to prepare a bunch of medicinal herbs. They are needed to save someone¡¯s life. I will pay you a visit in a few days once I am free. Don¡¯t tell grandmother that I came.¡±


    Once Mrs. Yuan heard Zhao Chuchu say this, she did not keep thetter here any longer.


    However, she still ordered the servants to pack some dishes from the kitchen for Zhao Chuchu to bring back home.


    After they left the Yuan residence, Xie Heng also said to Zhao Chuchu, ¡°I will also ask people to look into this herb and find it as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°We need it as soon as possible. Otherwise, Zhong Peifeng won¡¯t make it. He does not have much time,¡± said Zhao Chuchu as she sighed.


    It seemed that she still had to use her power.


    Zhong Peifeng¡¯s illness was too severe. She would need to expend a lot of her power. With her current capabilities, she needed to use her power at least three times, and she would most likely pass out each time she finished using it.


    If she could find the herb, she would only need to support the medicinal properties of the medicine with her power and would not need to expend so much of it.


    ¡°Hmm, I know,¡± replied Xie Heng as he nodded.


    By the time they returned to the Xie residence, Chang Hong had already prepared dinner and was waiting for their return.


    Chai Le had reorganized the courtyard and cleared out the flowerbeds. He was just about to ask them what flowers they would like him to nt.


    Zhao Chuchu was not too interested in flowers and botany.


    She felt it would be a waste for the courtyard to be nted with flowers. So, she instructed Chai Le to buy seeds for medicinal herbs and fill the courtyard with them.


    It wasmon to see vegetables being grown in courtyards, but this was the first time Chai Le had seen medicinal herbs being nted.


    However, when he considered that the mistress was a physician, it suddenly felt very normal. After Zhao Chuchu finished her dinner, he properly sought instruction from her before preparing to nt the medicinal herbs.


    Zhao Chuchu was very satisfied with this couple.


    They worked hard and did not talk much. After the Third Prince sent them to the Xie n, their hearts, and minds were with the Xie n.


    People like them were the most useful.


    Chang Hong could not stand being idle. When she saw that Zhao Chuchu was preparing the medicinal herbs, she proactively came forward to help.


    She would learn diligently and not act opinionated if she did not know something.


    Chai Le was rtively rougher around the edges. After helping out for a while, when he noticed that he would not be helping at all, he stopped and did not add to Zhao Chuchu¡¯s workload.


    With Xie Heng and Chang Hong as her two helpers, Zhao Chuchu managed to prepare the medicinal herbs much faster than before.


    Before midnight, they were mostly done. They only needed to concoct the medicine.


    Since they did not have all the medicinal herbs, there was no rush to do so. Zhao Chuchu nned to search for the herb outside of the city tomorrow. What if it had yet to be used as a medicine?


    ¡°Chuchu, you should rest first. The principal and Zhong Peifeng will being over bright and early tomorrow morning,¡± said Xie Heng as he coerced her to bathe. He took the initiative to sort the remaining herbs and store them away properly.


    Zhao Chuchu was more than happy to rx.


    Chang Hong headed into the kitchen to prepare hot water for her.


    If Zhao Chuchu had not turned her down, Chang Hong was even prepared to bathe her.


    Although Zhao Chuchu enjoyed being pampered, she was still not used to being bathed by others.


    Chang Hong did not give up. She said, ¡°My technique is quite good. Madam, you have worked hard the entire day. A nice massage will make you feel much better.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu shook her head and said, ¡°There is no need. I will ask Da Lang to give me a massageter.¡±


    Since she had said so, Chang Hong was not so oblivious as to insist on massaging her.


    Zhao Chuchu soaked herself in the bathtub and recalled the day¡¯s events. Yu Linjiang acting like a buffoon made herugh out loud uncontrobly.


    Xie Heng was truly wicked.


    Schrs cared most about their image.


    Xie Heng had caused Yu Linjiang to lose facepletely. Even if thetter continued to stay in Qingyang Academy, he would probably be traumatized.


    The seque of holding back his urine will probably stay with Yu Linjiang for the rest of his life.


    After all, the medical skill of this era was not so advanced. It was impossible for anyone of this era to treat Yu Linjiang.


    He would sooner ortere to beg her for treatment.


    However, she would not treat him. She would not change her mind even if he threw money at her.


    She did notck money!


    The world did not need more calctive people who ran their mouths like Yu


    Linjiang.. If she helped to treat his condition, it would be considered her loss!

 Chapter 438 - 438: A Little Bit Cruel (1)

    Chapter 438: A Little Bit Cruel (1)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The next day, the principal and Zhong Peifeng came to the Xie residence bright and early.


    Zhao Chuchu and the others were just having breakfast, so they invited them to join in.


    The principal obliged. When Zhong Peifeng saw this, he did not reject their offer.


    The principal kept praising Chang Hong¡¯s cooking to the point that she felt embarrassed.


    ¡°Principal, you are giving me too high praise. This is all I have that is presentable. My other dishes are not up to par. Principal, if you like my food, have some more. My husband told me yesterday that we would have guests early in the morning, so I prepared extra.¡±


    ¡°Haha, then I will oblige and have some more,¡± replied the principal as heughed out loud.


    He did not put on air and was approachable. He did not look like the principal of an academy at all. He was more like an ordinary senior.


    The principal and Xie Jun gobbled up the breakfast that Chang Hong had prepared.


    When the principal saw this, he kindly patted Xie Jun on the head and said, is a blessing to be able to eat well. Junjun will be a person with good fortune in the future.


    ¡°Thank you, Principal,¡± replied Xie Jun with a red face. ¡°Principal, you will also be fortunate.


    ¡°I ept your blessing,¡± said the principal,ughing heartily. ¡°Alright, I heard from your brother that you are studying now. Quickly head back to your studies. When I am done with my check-up, I will have a look at your work.¡±


    Xie Jun began to panic.


    He was panicking more than when Xie Heng inspected his work.


    However, he did not dare to say anything.


    To the side, Zhao Chuchu smiled. No matter which era they were in, having the teacher inspect their work was a psychological trauma for students, even if it wasn¡¯t by their own teacher!


    ¡°Alright, Principal,¡± answered Xie Jun as he obediently headed to his study. However, his face was solemn and tragic, as though he was walking off to his death.


    Xie Heng could only shake his head helplessly.


    Zhao Chuchu invited the principal and Zhong Peifeng to the medicine room.


    She would first perform acupuncture on the principal.


    The principal said, ¡°After you performed acupuncture on me yesterday, I finally managed to get a good night¡¯s sleepst night. I have not slept sofortably until morning for more than a decade. Chuchu, I leave this old problem of mine in your hands!¡±


    ¡°Principal, I guarantee that we can cure your ailment. However, you should also pay attention to your health in the future. Otherwise, it will hurt again.¡±


    ¡°I am no longer young anymore. I will naturally need to take care of myself more.¡±


    ¡°Principal, please take off your clothes. Da Lang, please pass me the medicine box. ¡±


    Xie Heng took the medicine box off the shelf and passed it to Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°This round will be more painful than yesterday¡¯s procedure. Principal, please bear with the pain.¡±


    ¡°I already have my handkerchief ready.¡±


    The principal smiled as he took out a in handkerchief, folded it, and bit down on it.


    ¡°Begin,¡± he said, his words muffled by the handkerchief in his mouth.


    Zhao Chuchu could not helpughing out loud. She said, ¡°Principal, you truly care not for your image.¡±


    The principal replied, ¡°That is the style of old-fashioned schrs. What use is an image? It¡¯s not like I can eat it. As long as I can cure my ailment, I do not mind losing it.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu liked seniors like him.


    Although the principal guaranteed that he would be able to endure the pain, when she actually began the procedure, he could not help snorting in pain.


    Zhao Chuchu was not joking. It was truly more painful than yesterday. It only took a while for him to be covered in sweat. He grabbed the stool he was sitting on firmly.


    Zhong Peifeng watched beside him and began sweating himself.


    After Zhao Chuchu stuck the needles into the principal¡¯s acupoints, she then said to Zhong Peifeng, ¡°Mr. Zhong, please sit over there. Take off your clothes and pull your pants down to this level.¡±


    She gestured to a spot without thinking much.


    On the other hand, Zhong Peifeng¡¯s face was red from embarrassment.


    He had never done such a thing in front of a woman before.


    However, Xie Heng and the principal were both present. Zhong Peifeng felt that he was being too fussy. Zhao Chuchu was a physician. She was merely carrying out her duties.


    Zhong Peifeng managed to convince himself, but his face still remained bright red.


    Zhao Chuchu exined, ¡°I have not managed to get all the medicinal herbs for your medicine yet. I will first apply acupuncture on you. When I have collected all the herbs, you can then begin taking your medicine.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Sorry to trouble you, Mrs. Xie.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu took out another pouch of needles and opened them in front of Zhong Peifeng.


    When Zhong Peifeng saw the needles, he gulped. These needles were longer than the ones used on the principal.


    ¡°Do not panic. It is normal to feel pain,¡± Zhao Chuchuforted him. ¡°You are younger than the principal. Your pain tolerance won¡¯t be worse than his, right?¡±


    The principal and Zhong Peifeng were both speechless.


    She didn¡¯t have to put it that wav!


    As Zhao Chuchu applied acupuncture on Zhong Peifeng, she used her healing power.


    At first, Zhong Peifeng felt pain, but he soon discovered that as the needles punctured into his skin, a faint warmth flowed into his body.


    As the warmth gradually flowed throughout his meridians across his entire body, his whole being began to rx.


    After Zhao Chuchu finished, she felt slightly light-headed.


    ¡°Da Lang, please get me something to eat.¡±


    She needed to replenish her energy. Otherwise, she would not be able to stay awake..

 Chapter 439 - 439: A Little Bit Cruel (2)

    Chapter 439: A Little Bit Cruel (2)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    When Xie Heng saw that her face was pale, he could not help but begin to worry. He immediately went to get her some food.


    After Zhao Chuchu ate a te of snacks, she managed to dispel her difort.


    It just happened that it was about time to remove the principal¡¯s needles.


    The principal was drenched in a cold sweat from top to bottom.


    After all the needles on him were removed, he heaved a long sigh of relief and said, ¡°I almost had to eat my own words for not being able to bear the pain any longer!¡±


    ¡°You will feel much better tomorrow. It will not be as painful as today,¡± said


    Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu teased, ¡°Principal, you also fear pain, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I did not fear pain before, but now I am terrified of it.¡±


    In truth, he had never experienced such pain in all his life. Fortunately, he managed to power through the pain. ¡°Rx, it won¡¯t be as painful tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I trust you. Chuchu, I will step outside then.¡±


    The principal could not stand himself being drenched in sweat. He felt the urge to change into a set of clean clothes.


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    After the principal left, Zhao Chuchu looked toward Zhong Peifeng.


    After using her healing power once, Zhong Peifeng¡¯splexion was visibly rosier than before to the naked eye.


    Xie Heng walked up to her side and softly asked, ¡°Chuchu, are you feeling better? Do you need more food?¡±


    ¡°Are the pork knuckles ready yet?¡± asked Zhao Chuchu. It was the only thing on her mind now. ¡°I also want chicken drumsticks.¡±


    ¡°Just now, Sister Hong was still cooking them. You will still need to wait a bit.


    Why don¡¯t I get you something else to eat?¡±


    ¡°No need. Right now, I only wish to eat meat.¡±


    ¡°I will go take a look.¡±


    Xie Heng got up and went outside.


    Zhong Peifeng wanted to call him to stay. He felt awkward being alone with Zhao Chuchu in the medicine room.


    However, Zhao Chuchu did not speak to him and instead busied herself with the medicinal herbs. This made Zhong Peifeng rx.


    Otherwise, he honestly did not know how he would talk with her with him dressed like this.


    Soon, a fragrance filled the air.


    Xie Heng brought in a big te of zed pork knuckles.


    The pork knuckles were crispy and fragrant. They were fat but not greasy. They looked appetizing.


    Zhao Chuchu immediately ced the medicinal herbs aside and walked over to the table. She eximed, ¡°000, my favorite dish is finally done.¡±


    With a squeeze of her chopsticks, the bone and meat separated. Zhao Chuchu eagerly took a bite. She was satisfied.


    It was too delicious. She loved Chang Hong¡¯s cooking!


    When Xie Heng saw this, he said in a low voice, ¡°Slow down. It is still hot from the wok.¡±


    ¡°I am not afraid of it being too hot,¡± said Zhao Chuchu as she stuffed herself with mouthful after mouthful of meat non-stop.


    Xie Heng separated the pork knuckles that Zhao Chuchu had yet to get to. He allowed them to cool a bit to prevent Zhao Chuchu from burning her tongue from eating too quickly.


    This was the first time Zhong Peifeng had seen such a loving couple.


    His parents also had a good rtionship, but his father would not treat his mother like that.


    With Xie Heng¡¯s cool appearance, Zhong Peifeng never imagined that the former would have such a considerate side and that he would treat Zhao Chuchu like this when they were alone together.


    He saw that Xie Heng only had eyes for Zhao Chuchu. When Zhao Chuchu was by his side, his eyes seemed to sparkle. This waspletely different from when he was in the academy.


    They were all in the same room, but the couple had entered their own world that no one else could get in.


    After Zhao Chuchu ate two zed pork knuckles, she recovered most of her energy.


    She wiped her mouth clean. Then, she got up and came before Zhong Peifeng, saying, ¡°I will remove the needles now.¡± ¡°Alright. Sorry to trouble you, Mrs. Xie.¡±


    ¡°How about it? Do you want some pork knuckles?¡±


    Zhong Peifeng honestly answered, ¡°Yes, I would like to try some.¡±


    ¡°Then keep thinking about them. For the time being, you cannot eat fatty foods. Your diet should consist of in-tasting and nd food. You will also need to avoid many specific types of food.¡±


    Zhong Peifeng was speechless.


    ¡°So, focus on recovering. Once you are well, you can eat and drink however you like.¡±


    Zhong Peifeng did not know how to respond.


    Zhao Chuchuforted him, saying, ¡°The greatest pleasure of being alive is eating good food. Mr. Zhong, please bear with it for the time being.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Mrs. Xie,¡± Zhong Peifeng agreed helplessly.


    The smell of zed pork knuckles kept tempting him.


    Before this, he had no appetite for food at all. Just after Zhao Chuchu performed acupuncture on him, he discovered that his appetite had returned.


    For Zhao Chuchu to let him look but not eat was a little bit cruel.


    Zhong Peifeng had never had pork knuckles before. After all, his family was poor and could not afford such food. All their money had been spent on his studies.


    ¡°I will go and see how the principal is doing,¡± said Zhong Peifeng, finding an excuse to leave in order to not get in Xie Heng and Zhao Chuchu¡¯s way.


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Zhong Peifeng quickly left.


    Zhao Chuchu returned to the table and continued attacking the pork knuckles.


    ¡°Sister Hong¡¯s cooking is delicious. I want to have this tomorrow as well, ¡± muttered Zhao Chuchu. ¡°Da Lang, are you not eating?


    ¡°I am not hungry. You can have them all,¡± replied Xie Heng with a pampering look. ¡°Eat slowly. No one is going to take them from you.. By the way, what happened to you just now?¡±

 Chapter 440 - 440: A Little Bit Cruel (3)

    Chapter 440: A Little Bit Cruel (3)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°Applying acupuncture on two people at the same time is too tiring. My small body cannot handle it. Don¡¯t worry, I can recover just by eating more meat,¡± Zhao Chuchu exined.


    Xie Heng asked, ¡°Why hasn¡¯t this happened before when you did acupuncture?¡±


    ¡°It is different this time. Primarily, it is because Zhong Peifeng¡¯s illness is too severe, so I expended so much energy. Acupuncture is more than just stabbing needles into their bodies and pulling them out. Aiya, Da Lang, please don¡¯t ask so many questions. I know my limits. I will save people while not throwing my own health away. I don¡¯t have the heart of a saint.¡±


    ¡°Then work within your limits. Don¡¯t fall sick yourself from treating other people¡¯s illnesses.¡±


    Xie Heng hated himself for not having abilities like Zhao Chuchu. Otherwise, she would not need to be so tired.


    ¡°If you truly treasure me, why don¡¯t you learn how to make pork knuckles from


    Sister Hong? Next time, you can make them yourself for me to eat.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Xie Heng agreed without any hesitation.


    Zhao Chuchu ate while also feeding him.


    When Xie Heng saw that she was using her own chopsticks to feed him, he happily epted it.


    The two of them cleaned the te of zed pork knuckles.


    The principal and Zhong Peifeng had both gone to Xie Jun¡¯s study and were watching him study.


    Xie Jun was feeling a bit pressured.


    After all, he was being observed by the principal of the academy. For Xie Jun, the principal was an existence that made him even more nervous than Xie Heng.


    The principal initially wanted to give Xie Jun a few pointers. In the end, he discovered that Xie Heng was an even better teacher than he was. Hence, he decided not to say anything.


    The principal did not know that by just sitting there, his presence was like a mountain on Xie Jun¡¯s mind. Thetter felt unnatural no matter what he did.


    Fortunately, Xie Heng came in and invited the principal for tea. Only then did Xie Jun manage to rx.


    Due to Chang Hong¡¯s excellent cooking, the principal did not return to the academy for the day. He stayed in the Xie residence until dinner before returning home.


    When Zhao Chuchu saw that the principal enjoyed the good food so much, she asked Chang Hong to prepare several dishes that the principal could bring back home with him.


    When the principal saw this, he smiled from ear to ear. He happily carried the food boxes back home, not holding back at all.


    Over the subsequent few visits, the principal did not act like this anymore. After his sessions, he would head back in his pnquin. It was also the same


    for Zhong Peifeng.


    However, Zhao Chuchu still did not find the medicinal herb she needed.


    She could only give up ande up with another prescription for Zhong Peifeng.


    It was not that this new prescription was unusable. It was just that its effects would not be as good as the one she initially wanted. However, with her already using her power, the medicinal herbs would just serve as a cover-up.


    Due to being unable to help Zhao Chuchu find the herb, Mrs. Yuan had many expensive supplements delivered.


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°Godmother, what are you doing? I am still so young. Why would I need so many supplements? It would be a waste to leave them here with me.¡±


    ¡°In another two years, you should be having children with Da Lang. If you start taking supplements now to get your body in shape, it will be easier for you to conceive when you want to,¡± said Mrs. Yuan with a smile. ¡°I specifically found these items for you. Please don¡¯t turn down my good intentions.¡±


    ¡°Godmother, why don¡¯t you keep these for Huihui? I truly have no use for them. Have you forgotten that I am a physician? No one knows how to care for their health better than I do.¡±


    ¡°What is the matter? Do you not like my gifts?¡±


    ¡°It is not that I do not like them. It would truly be a waste since I have no use for them. Moreover, these items are so expensive. Even my patients cannot use them. I know you are looking out for me, Godmother, but can you listen to me this once, please?¡±


    ¡°This child¡­¡± said Mrs. Yuan helplessly.


    Since Zhao Chuchu did not want the gifts she brought, she could only ask the servants to take them back to the Yuan residence.


    ¡°By the way, I heard that someone from Qingyang Academy was causing trouble for you?¡± asked Mrs. Yuan, bringing up the matter with Yu Linjiang. ¡°I heard he failed and instead made a fool of himself.¡¯


    Zhao Chuchu answered with a smile, ¡°He deserved it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how it should be. Don¡¯t be soft on those who would hurt you. Otherwise, it would be cruel towards yourself. If anyone else dares to act in such a manner in the future, you can use the name of the Yuan n. If they are not afraid of dying, they can try to cause trouble. The Yuan n will not spare them!¡±


    ¡°They would not dare do anything. It would be too ttering for them for the


    Yuan n to get involved.¡±


    ¡°Everyone should know that you are also a member of the Yuan n.


    Otherwise, every hooligan would disy their displeasure as they pleased.¡± ¡°Thank you, Godmother. I can handle them. By the way, how is Huihui?¡±


    ¡°These past few days, she has been cooped up in her courtyard and has not allowed anyone else to enter. I also do not know what she has been up to. Chuchu, have you spoken to her? Her attitude towards me has changed drastically. She no longer acts like she used to before. She used to have nothing good to sav when she saw me.¡±


    ¡°She understands that you mean her well and knows you truly love her. She was probably awkward before. She can easily ept it now that she has figured things out.¡±


    ¡°Huihui is a kind girl. I can also understand her animosity toward me. Fortunately, that is all in the past now. This is all because of you, Chuchu. You gave the Yuan n another chance at life.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu smiled gently and said, ¡°It must be karma for your good deeds. I just coincidentally happened to save Huihui. Godmother, how is the douchi west discusseding along?¡±


    Mrs. Yuan answered, ¡°The steward just informed me today that they did not manage to make it. They do not know which step went wrong.. If you have the time, could youe over to look and see what¡¯s wrong?¡±

 Chapter 441 - 441: If It Is Not Fated, Don’t Force It (1)

    Chapter 441: If It Is Not Fated, Don¡¯t Force It (1)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°Da Lang is more experienced than I am at making douchi. Why don¡¯t I ask him to take a look to see what the problem is after he returns from the academy? Otherwise, if I went over, I would not be much help since I don¡¯t know much myself.¡±


    ¡°Either way works fine. Then let¡¯s wait for Da Lang to return from the academy. I will instruct someone to bring him over,¡± said Mrs. Yuan as she nodded. ¡°Everyone in the household loved the douchi you gave usst time. Your grandmother is urging me to make more as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°I still have some here. Godmother, take some home with you.¡±


    ¡°There is no need. I was just making small talk with you. I did note to ask you for more.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to be so polite with me. We are family, after all. Wait a moment.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu got up and entered her room. She took out five catties of douchi from her carry-on space and ced them in earthen jars. She then carried them out to give to Mrs. Yuan.


    ¡°Are you actually giving me some? Spare some for yourselves to eat.¡±


    ¡°It is rare for Grandmother to find something she likes. Giving her more is just a disy of my filial piety.¡±


    ¡°You are a good child. Our Yuan n has been blessed to have a goddaughter like you. Now, the Yuan n is riding off your fame. Since this is for your grandmother, I will graciously ept them on her behalf.¡±


    Mrs. Yuan epted the douchi and instructed her maids to take them.


    The two of them exchanged pleasantries for a while longer before she left.


    Zhao Chuc.hu recalled that the kitchen was out of douchi. She then took out another two catties for Chang Hong.


    ¡°I have been so busytely that I forgot to give you the douchi that I had ced in my room. If my godmother had not brought it up today, I would have forgotten about them.¡±


    ¡°Douchi? This is the first time I have seen this. How should I cook this for the best taste? You will need to teach me.¡¯


    Zhao Chuchu exined, ¡°Douchi is considered a seasoning. You can mix it with sesame oil and serve it as a side dish or use it in stir-frying or steaming. There¡¯re plenty of ways to prepare it. You¡¯re excellent at cooking. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll figure out how to incorporate douchi into your cooking in no time. Just to name a few dishes, you can cook douchi with steamed ribs, stir-fried pork belly, stir-fried radish, or baked fish.¡±


    ¡°Sounds interesting. Shall I try cooking some douchi for dinner?


    ¡®Go ahead and be creative.¡±


    ¡°I hope my attempt will not disappoint.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget, the principal had high praise for your cooking.¡± ¡°You¡¯re making me blush. I¡¯ll go ahead and prepare dinner.¡±


    Chang Hong took the douchi and went to the kitchen.


    Xie Jun¡¯s current routine was studying in the morning and practicing martial arts in the afternoon. His instructor was Chai Le.


    Zhao Chuchu was d to have some free time to herself. Her n was to teach Xie Jun some practicalbat tips to steal a march from his rivals in the future after he had mastered basic martial arts.


    She observed Xie Jun¡¯s practice for a while under the eaves before she went to do some work in the medicine room.


    At dusk, the Yuan n sent someone over to inform Zhao Chuchu that Mrs. Yuan had sent someone to pick up Xie Heng from the academy. He was at the douchi workshop now and would not make it back in time for dinner. Therefore, Zhao Chuchu should not wait for him.


    Chang Hong prepared a scrumptious dinner with a table full of douchi-rted dishes. Since Xie Heng was not around, Zhao Chuchu asked Chang Hong and Chai Le to join her for dinner.


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°Leftovers are not tasty. Why don¡¯t the four of us finish everything tonight? It¡¯ll be a waste to keep them until tomorrow.¡± Chai Le declined her offer, saying, ¡°This is not right. We are servants.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    Why were they so stubborn?


    No matter what she and Xie Jun said, Chai Le and Chang Hong refused to sit at a table with them.


    Left with no choice, Zhao Chuchu could only scoop out half of each dish and pass the food to them. She instructed, ¡°You must finish all these. This is an order.¡±


    Chai Le replied helplessly, ¡°Mrs. Xie, there¡¯s no need for you to share your food with us.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to eat it, then just dispose of it.¡± Zhao Chuchu did not say much. She turned around and went back into the dining area.


    Chang Hong quickly replied, ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Xie.¡±


    Zhao Chuc.hu waved her hand as a sign of acknowledgment.


    Xie Jun was already drooling from looking at all the aromatic and delightful dishes.


    ¡°Sis, can we eat now? My stomach has been grumbling.¡±


    ¡°Little glutton, you may eat now.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu could not help but grin.


    Ever since Xie Jun had gotten rid of the poison in his body, his appetite grewrger andrger. Moreover, he had grown visibly taller over the past few months.


    Zhao Chuchu was very generous to him when it came to food. She instructed Chang Hong to prepare three meals a day for Xie Jun diligently.


    Children at his age were growing their physiques. They needed to have sufficient nutrients to thrive.


    When Zhao Chuchu saw Xie Jun devouring the food happily, she felt her appetite had also doubled. In the end, the two of them finished everything on the table.


    ¡°The dishes made by Sister Hong are also super delicious,¡± eximed Xie Jun as he leaned against the chair and rubbed his stomach in satisfaction. ¡°Dishes cooked with douchi go really well with rice.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d that you enjoyed the food.¡±


    Chang Hong smiled radiantly when she heard Xie Jun¡¯s praise.


    ¡°Of course, I enjoyed them. Can we have douchi tomorrow as well?¡±


    ¡°Sure. I can try cooking it in some other ways.¡±


    ¡°Sister Hong is the best!¡±


    Chang Hong¡¯s heart melted when she saw Xie Jun.


    She and Chai Le had been married for quite some years, yet they could not conceive. They visited many physicians but to no avail. Chang Hong felt it was a shame they could not have their own offspring..

 Chapter 442 - 442: If It Is Not Fated, Don’t Force It (2)

    Chapter 442: If It Is Not Fated, Don¡¯t Force It (2)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Having children also depended on fate. After years of no results despite having sought so many physicians, Chang Hong and Chai Le had chosen to leave it up to chance.


    It would be best to have children, but if they could not, they wouldn¡¯t force it. It was fine as long as the two of them could live out their lives peacefully.


    When the Third Prince arranged for them toe to care for Xie Jun, they were more than willing to do so.


    Moreover, Xie Jun was obedient. It was difficult to find someone who disliked him.


    When Zhao Chuchu saw the pampering look on Chang Hong¡¯s face when thetter looked at Xie Jun, she knew that thetter really liked children.


    They had not been with the Xie n for long, and Zhao Chuchu was also busy, so she did not have time to inquire more about their situation.


    Now that she had time to look carefully, Zhao Chuchu noticed that Chang


    Hong¡¯s body had some issues that made it difficult for thetter to conceive.


    Xie Heng had said that in his previous life, the Third Prince had also arranged for this couple to protect Xie Jun and that they were always loyal to him.


    Zhao Chuchu waited for Chang Hong to finish cleaning up before inviting her to the medicine room.


    ¡°Sister Hong, do you like children?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked without beating around the bush. She intentionally asked, ¡°You and Brother Le have been married for quite some years, right? Did you two decide not to have children?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Chang Hong¡¯s smile disappeared as she replied, ¡°In the past, our situation did not allow us to have children. Now, we are not able to have children anymore.¡±


    ¡°You have many old injuries, which affects your chances of getting pregnant.


    You appear healthy, but in reality, your old injuries are still taking hold of your body.¡±


    ¡°I know, but I have tried my best to recover. It might not be my fate to get pregnant. We don¡¯t want to force it.¡±


    Chang Hong and Chai Le used to do the dirty work for the Third Prince in secret. After suffering severe injuries, they stopped working as secret agents. They became an ordinary couple and continued to work for the Third Prince.


    ¡°Then do you still want to have children now?


    Chang Hong was stunned. She looked at Zhao Chuchu in disbelief.


    She had long known that Zhao Chuchu was Doctor Miracle. However, when she finally met Zhao Chuchu, she discovered thetter was so young. She had doubts about thetter¡¯s ability.


    After all, she and Chai Le were living in the north before this.


    ¡°If you wish to have children, I can help you to prepare your body for pregnancy,¡± said Zhao Chuchu. ¡°However, my condition is that both of you must never betray us. Otherwise, I can make you lose everything just like I can make you have children.¡±


    Chang Hong knelt and said, ¡°Chai Le and I are already servants of the Xie n. Our hearts will be with the Xie n for the rest of our lives. If I go against my word today, we will both die miserable deaths!¡±


    ¡°Sister Hong, please get up,¡± said Zhao Chuchu as she helped the former up. ¡°All your problems are old internal injuries. If we want to cure thempletely, we will need at least half a year.¡±


    With her healing power, she could heal Chang Hongpletely immediately.


    Her internal injuries paled into insignificance whenpared to the injuries suffered by Zhao Chuchu¡¯spanions in her previous life.


    However, she did not n to use her powers. She also nned to use this opportunity to observe Chang Hong and Chai Le thoroughly.


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, are you serious?


    ¡°I never lie when I im I can cure someone. If I say I can¡¯t cure a person, there¡¯s an 80% chance I¡¯m lying.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Xie.¡±


    Chang Hong was so emotional that she knelt again.


    Zhao Chuchu was really not used to people constantly kneeling before her. She could only stop her and say, ¡°Sister Hong, if you kneel like this again, consider our deal void.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Mrs. Xie. I am just too emotional.¡±


    ¡°Sit down. Let me check your pulse.¡±


    Only then did Chang Hong remember that Zhao Chuchu had yet to check her pulse. Even so, the former had already urately described her condition. It was apparent that Zhao Chuchu¡¯s medical skills were extraordinary.


    After Zhao Chuchu checked Chang Hong¡¯s pulse, she asked Chang Hong to call


    Chai Le over.


    ¡°But he should be fine, shouldn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°I will only know after I check him. Not being able to conceive is not entirely the woman¡¯s fault.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go call him.¡±


    When Chai Le heard Chang Hong im that Zhao Chuchu could help them have children, he waltzed over without hesitation. He did not act indignant at all.


    Just as Zhao Chuchu suspected, Chai Le¡¯s body also had some issues. However, his condition was better than Chang Hong¡¯s. He should recover within a month or two.


    Zhao Chuchu issued each of them a medical prescription and instructed them on concocting and consuming the medicines. Then, she told Chang Hong, ¡°Sister Hong, it¡¯s not sufficient for you to consume medicine alone. You need to soak in medicinal baths and undergo acupuncture too. We need to unclog the clogged meridians in your body.¡±


    ¡°I will do as you say.¡±


    She was willing to consume medicine for a year as long as she could give birth. Acupuncture was not a problem for her.


    She did not fear even death. How scary could acupuncture be?


    ¡°I have all the herbs needed for the medicinal bath in the house. You can pick them out ording to the prescription.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Xie,¡± said the couple gratefully.


    ¡°That will be all. You can leave now. You can start taking medicinal baths from tomorrow onwards, together with acupuncture. Rest early tonight. Otherwise, Sister Hong, you might be unable to withstand it tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°I will be able to handle it..¡±

 Chapter 443 - 443: If It Is Not Fated, Don’t Force It (3)

    Chapter 443: If It Is Not Fated, Don¡¯t Force It (3)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Zhao Chuchu smiled knowingly and said, ¡°Sister Hong, I think you should refrain from speaking so confidently now. The medicinal bath I¡¯ve prepared for you is not as simple as soaking in water infused with herbs.¡±


    Chang Hong had never seen treatment like this before, so she could not imagine how it would look or feel. She assumed that Zhao Chuchu had tried it on amoner before, and the other party could not withstand it. She was confident that as a martial arts practitioner, she would have no problem enduring the process.


    When Xie Heng came home, Zhao Chuchu had just concluded her work in the medicine room.


    The two talked about what they had done, respectively, and they went to bed early.


    The next day, Zhao Chuchu gave the medicinal herbs to Chang Hong and instructed her to concoct them in the evening for at least two hours.


    Then, Zhao Chuchu went to the Ruyu Center to check its progress.


    Most of the fitness equipment was ready. There were only a few details left to be refined.


    Zhao Chuchu tested the equipment and noticed that they were sturdier than expected.


    She was impressed by the wisdom of these ancient people.


    The craftsmen observed as Zhao Chuchu swung around the rails nimbly, as though not an ounce of energy was required to pull off the stunts.


    The younger craftsmen were interested in ying around the rails like Zhao Chuchu did.


    Zhao Chuchu stopped them and warned, ¡°Do not imitate my moves without guidance. Otherwise, you might get injured. You¡¯re considered lucky if you get a sprain. You might get a fracture if you¡¯re careless.¡±


    A young craftsman argued, ¡°But Mrs. Xie, you make it look so simple.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just from appearances. Come and give it a try. Let¡¯s see how many pull-ups you can do.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu demonstrated how to do a pull-up.


    The young craftsman waspetitive. He felt that this was as simple as ABC.


    Since Zhao Chuchu could do five pull-ups, he could surely do 10.


    However, reality soon pped him in the face.


    He did two pull-ups and reached his limit. He thrust his legs as hard as possible, but his body would not move. The crowdughed at him, saying, ¡°You look just like a frog. It¡¯s unsightly. Mrs. Xie did it gracefully with her legs straight. Are you nning to propel yourself up?


    The young man got down from the bar and admitted defeat without shame. ¡°I was wrong for belittling Mrs. Xie. Please forgive me. But Mrs. Xie, I don¡¯t understand. Why do you want to build all these?¡±


    ¡°This equipment is very useful. They can help strengthen our bodies.¡±


    ¡°But didn¡¯t you say this center will only ept female customers? Whichdy would want to learn such stunts?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure some will enjoy this.¡±


    So many obese women in the world. Everyone desired a slimmer body.


    Thedies could slim down as long as they were willing to exercise and control their diet. They could depend on medicine to lose weight, but even the best treatment would be poisonous if consumed inrge quantities.


    Moreover, there was nothing wrong with the girls having better fitness.


    At the very least, they could defend themselves if their husbands became abusive in the future. They would not foolishly sit there and wait to be punched.


    Not only could thedies get fitter at the Ruyu Center, but they could also learn some basic defense techniques here.


    People of the current era appreciated knowledge and belittled martial arts. The Six Arts of the Schrs were gradually abandoned, namely rites, music, archery, equestrianism, calligraphy, and mathematics. There were not many men who were proficient in martial arts. Therefore, there were many benefits if the girls could master some self-defense techniques.


    The craftsmen could not understand what Zhao Chuchu was thinking.


    They did not attempt to understand her either. They only wanted toplete their duty and get paid.


    Zhao Chuchu took a look around. She was very satisfied with the craftsmen¡¯s aesthetics. The high sry she was paying them had not gone to waste. After she pointed out some small areas that needed to be fixed, she left the Ruyu Center and returned home.


    When she arrived home, Chang Hong had already prepared her medicine.


    Once Zhao Chuchu entered the room, the strong scent of medicine overwhelmed her sense of smell.


    Chang Hong was a considerate person. Without waiting for their neighbors to express theirints, she bought a lot of caramel pastries to give to them and asked for their understanding.


    The families living around the area also knew Doctor Miracle Zhao Chuchu was living here. Even if they were unhappy, they would not disy it. Moreover,


    Chang Hong had even given them food, so they could only tolerate the smell.


    ¡°I can¡¯t let our neighbors have qualms with you because of me, so I took the initiative without seeking your permission. Please forgive my transgression,¡± said Chang Hong when she told Zhao Chuchu about this. She felt very worried that Zhao Chuchu would be unhappy because she had acted on her own.


    Zhao Chuchu smiled and replied, ¡°I don¡¯t care much about such worldly things. Don¡¯t worry, what you did is actually very good. Alright, pour the medicine into the bath. I will go get my medicine box. Remember, do not add cold water.¡±


    ¡°Alright. ¡±


    Chai Le also hurried over to help out.


    Zhao Chuchu brought over her medicine box and asked Chang Hong to strip naked.


    Chang Hong did not hesitate to follow her instructions.


    This was the first time Chai Le had seen his wife fully undressed in front of others. He felt awkward, so he wanted to step outside.


    Zhao Chuchu red at him and asked, ¡°Where do you think you are going? Stay here and look after Sister Hong. I still have other things to do!¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± responded Chai Le as he returned to the room.


    Chang Hong sat in front of Zhao Chuchu. Zhao Chuchu smothered ayer of medicinal oil all over her body and then took out some silver needles. After that, Zhao Chuchu swiftly and urately stabbed them into her acupoints.


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, this level of pain is alright. Chai Le doesn¡¯t need to stay here and look after me, does he? I can manage.¡±


    ¡°Sister Hong, try saying this after you enter the tub.¡±


    Chang Hong fell silent.


    After Zhao Chuchu finished stabbing the needles into Chang Hong¡¯s acupoints, she helped Chang Hong into the bathtub and asked Chang Hong to sit at the center of the tub.


    ¡°Brother Le, look after Sister Hong. Don¡¯t let her fall. She has silver needles all over her acupoints. The depth of the needles is very important.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°Sister Hong, bear with the pain for a while.¡±


    Chang Hong nodded, not thinking much about it.


    Zhao Chuchu stayed for a while. After 10 minutes, Chang Hong began to feel as though something was attempting to burrow into her through her skin. She felt itchy and painful all over her body..

 Chapter 444 - 444: Compensate You for Whatever You Should Have Gotten from the Xia Clan (1)

    Chapter 444: Compensate You for Whatever You Should Have Gotten from the Xia n (1)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Chang Hong¡¯s endurance, which she prided herself on, soon wore thin.


    She felt a bone-chilling cold attacking her. The next moment, she felt as though she was being toasted in an oven. On top of that, she had to endure the insufferable pain from the needles. She was in extreme agony.


    ¡°Keep her in the tub!¡± Zhao Chuchu ordered Chai Le immediately.


    ¡°Stop her from moving around.¡±


    ¡°This is so painful¡­¡± Chang Hong couldn¡¯t help but cry out in pain. She subconsciously wanted to stand up and leave the bathtub.


    ¡°Think of the children you¡¯re going to have and endure the pain,¡± instructed Zhao Chuchu coldly. She added, ¡°If you can¡¯t even bear this suffering, then forget about having children.¡±


    When Chang Hong heard this, she gritted her teeth and put up with the process.


    She told herself, ¡°I¡¯m not even afraid of death. This kind of pain is nothing to be afraid of.¡±


    However, the effect of Zhao Chuchu¡¯s acupuncturebined with the medicinal bath was too strong. In the end, Chang Hong could not withstand the agony and fainted.


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    Chai Le asked anxiously, ¡°Mrs. Xie, what happened to her?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. She fainted but will wake up after a while,¡± Zhao Chuchu exined.


    Chang Hong would soon wake up because it was too painful.


    As expected, she regained her senses in less than 15 minutes.


    ¡°Can you still hold on?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked.


    Right now, Chang Hong was covered in sweat and looked very frail.


    ¡°I think so,¡± she replied in a feeble voice.


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, can¡¯t you seal her senses?


    ¡°I can¡¯t.¡±


    If Zhao Chuchu could, she would have sealed Chang Hong¡¯s senses from the start, saving her from experiencing such extreme agony.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Chang Hong had tofort her husband instead.


    Chai Le wished he could take Chang Hong¡¯s ce and endure the pain on her behalf.


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°It¡¯ll be better after this. Sister Hong, you can do this. Remember, you must soak in the medicinal bath for an hour. I¡¯ll go out first. Brother Le, please take care of her.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I will.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu examined the needles stabbed into Chang Hong¡¯s meridians and ensured that each and every needle was in the correct position. Then, she left the room.


    ¡°Ah Hong, sorry for letting you go through this.¡± Chai Le felt sad when he saw


    Chang Hong suffering in pain. He suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t we stop the treatment and give up having children?¡±


    ¡°No. I like kids, and I want to give birth to one,¡± Chang Hong objected while shaking her head.


    She had always liked children. It was just that her previous status prevented her from revealing her feelings.


    Now, the Third Prince had already made them ordinary citizens. She could marry and have children like regr people, living out her days with her husband until their hair turned gray.


    ¡°But, like this, you will¡­¡±


    ¡°I am not even afraid of dying. This level of pain is nothing. Dear, don¡¯t say such things anymore.¡±


    Chai Le did not speak for a while.


    Only people like them, who had crawled back countless times from death¡¯s door, knew how precious life was.


    He honestly did not wish to see Chang Hong suffer like this.


    If they wanted children, wouldn¡¯t it be the same if they adopted one?


    Chang Hong insisted, so Chai Le dared not say anything else. He did not want to hurt her.


    An hour passed by in a sh.


    Even Chang Hong herself did not know how she managed to bear the pain for so long. For her, this hour felt longer than a year.


    Zhao Chuchu came in, right on time. She asked Chang Hong toe out of the bathtub.


    Chang Hong did not even have the strength to do so.


    When Zhao Chuchu saw this, she said, ¡°Brother Le, please hold on to Sister Hong. I¡¯ll remove the needles, and you can carry her out of the tub.¡±


    ¡°Alright. ¡±


    Chai Le gingerly held Chang Hong up. After all the needles were removed, she did not even have the energy to remain standing.


    Chai Le immediately carried her into his arms, not worrying that his clothes would get wet. He sat her down on a chair, dried her, and clothed her.


    ¡°Sister Hong, do you feel your meridians are less clogged when you breathe?¡± asked Zhao Chuchu while sanitizing her needles.


    Chang Hong tried drawing in a few breaths. Not only did she feel that her meridians were less congested now, but the ache she felt in her stomach whenever she exercised had also lessened.


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, I feel much more rxed.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu exined, ¡°Today, I used strong medicine. You have also been soaked in there for an hour. If you didn¡¯t feel any improvement, I would be unworthy of my title of Doctor Miracle. Fret not. You felt pain when you first started this medicinal bath therapy, but you¡¯ll gradually feel better.¡±


    ¡°Will tomorrow¡¯s bath not be as painful as today¡¯s?¡± asked Chai Le.


    ¡°Hmm, it will be much better. However, for the first three baths, I rmend that Sister Hong take them once every other day.¡±


    ¡°We will follow whatever you instruct, Mrs. Xie.¡±


    ¡°Let Sister Hong stay in bed and rest for today and tomorrow. Don¡¯t let her walk around and catch a cold. Even more so, avoid making her sweat.¡±


    Chang Hong asked, ¡°How is that possible?¡±


    Chai Le said, ¡°You just lie and rest. I will handle the rest of the chores.


    Although my cooking skills are not as good as yours, it is still presentable.


    Mrs. Xie, I hope you and Mr. Xie can bear with it for the time being.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu nodded her head and answered, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Chai Le tucked Chang Hong into bed and then left the room to prepare dinner..

 Chapter 445 - 445: Compensate You for Whatever You Should Have Gotten from the Xia Clan (2)

    Chapter 445: Compensate You for Whatever You Should Have Gotten from the Xia n (2)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Zhao Chuchu sat beside Chang Hong¡¯s bed and said, ¡°Sister Hong, Brother Le treats you very well.¡±


    Chang Hong replied, ¡°You¡¯re right. He treats me well. He¡¯ll prioritize my needs before his. I think the luckiest things that have ever happened to me were encountering him, the Third Prince, and you. The Third Prince gave me a chance to live, Brother Le makes me feel loved, and you enable me to make up for my biggest regret.¡±


    ¡°Helping you is no trouble at all. You¡¯re a kind soul. Of course, I¡¯m willing to help you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure Mr. Xie shares the same sentiment as me and also thinks that meeting you is the best thing that has happened to him.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu burst outughing and did not respond to that.


    Chang Hong said, ¡°Mrs. Xie, why don¡¯t you go on with your day? I¡¯m a servant of the Xie n, but I¡¯m currently lying in bed and not doing my duty. If you stay here to keep mepany, I¡¯ll feel very ashamed of myself.¡±


    ¡°Sister Hong, no need to worry about such things. I¡¯m just curious about the love story between you and Brother Le.¡±


    ¡°There is not much to tell about how we met. We just met each other when we had no one else to rely on.¡±


    Chang Hong seemed unwilling to speak more about their past.


    Zhao Chuchu did not press the matter further.


    It was fine as long as the couple was loyal to Xie Jun.


    Everyone had their secrets.


    ¡°Rest well. I will take my leave.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Xie.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu tucked Chang Hong in and then left the room.


    Xie Heng had just returned from the academy. Once he entered the courtyard, he smelled the strong scent of medicine. He knew that Zhao Chuchu was treating Chang Hong.


    There was a teacher with him.


    This teacher was the infertile one.


    After a few days of deliberations, he decided to let Zhao Chuchu try to cure his infertility.


    He knew that the principal¡¯s condition was improving day by day ever since Zhao Chuchu began treating thetter. The principal¡¯s sore shoulders and neck pain had been greatly relieved. At the very least, the teacher had not seen the book boy massaging the principal¡¯s shoulders anymore.


    ¡°Teacher, please sit for a while. I will go call Chuchu,¡± said Xie Heng as he invited the teacher to his study. Xie Heng poured him some tea before he went to the medicine room to call Zhao Chuchu.


    Right when Xie Heng and the teacher entered the house, Zhao Chuchu noticed the teacher¡¯s arrival.


    However, she did note out of the medicine room to greet them. Instead, she waited for Xie Heng to call her before going to the study with him.


    She greeted, ¡°Teacher.¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, regarding what you saidst time, I thought about it carefully. I want to give it a try. May I know¡­¡±


    After all, this was a matter of pride, so the teacher did not want Xie Heng to know too much.


    ¡°Alright. Teacher, please follow me,¡± said Zhao Chuchu as she invited him to the medicine room.


    ¡°Chuchu, are you sure that the problem lies with me? I wish to bring my wife here tomorrow to let you also check on her. Will you be free?¡± the teacher asked.


    ¡°I can take a look at her. However, it would be best for you toe tomorrow morning. I will be making a trip to the Yuan residence tomorrow afternoon and probably won¡¯t be back that early.¡±


    ¡°Then I will bring her over in the morning¡­ Chuchu, are you certain that I can still have children?¡±


    ¡°Of course. If I were not confident, I would not have advised you to seek treatment.¡±


    ¡°That would be best. Sorry to trouble you then, Chuchu.¡±


    The teacher naturally extended his hand for her to check his pulse.


    ¡°Teacher, I don¡¯t need to check your pulse,¡± said Zhao Chuchu with a smile. She turned around and took a bottle from the rack. She then passed it to him and said, ¡°I knew that you woulde. I have already made the medicine for you to save you from embarrassment. You only need to take it back and consume it. ¡±


    The teacher eximed, ¡°There¡¯s no decoction to be done?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu shook her head and exined, ¡°Nope. I have made the herbs into pills. It¡¯s easier for you to take home.¡±


    The teacher was very happy as he praised, ¡°You¡¯re such a considerate child. How much are the consultation fee and the medicine?


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to pay me any consultation fee. Pay me five silver for the medicine.¡± Zhao Chuchu did not want the teacher to feel that he was indebted to her, so she charged him just like she would with most patients.


    The teacher took out a pouch and passed it to Zhao Chuchu.


    She felt the pouch with her hand and estimated that there was at least 20 silver in it.


    The school fee of Qingyang Academy was not high, so the stipend received by the teachers would most likely not be a lot either. These 20 pieces of silver were most likely two or three months¡¯ worth of the teacher¡¯s sry.


    Zhao Chuchu did not return the pouch to him, instead keeping it.


    ¡°You should consume two pills three times a day with meals. This bottle contains half a month¡¯s supply. After you finish consuming them,e back to see me,¡± said Zhao Chuchu as she instructed him on how to consume the pills. She also told him about things to look out for and possible side effects that he might experience.


    The teacher paid close attention andmitted everything to memory. After he had repeatedly confirmed that he had remembered her instructions correctly, he took the medicine and left the medicine room.


    He had initially nned to head home, but Xie Heng asked him to stay for dinner, so he obliged and left after dinner.


    Before they went to bed, Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng discussed the day¡¯s matters as always.


    ¡°Yu Linjiang came to beg you?¡± When Zhao Chuchu heard this name, she immediately sat up and asked, ¡°Has he finally realized that no one can save him?¡±

 Chapter 446 - 446: Compensate You for Whatever You Should Have Gotten from the Xia Clan (3)

    Chapter 446: Compensate You for Whatever You Should Have Gotten from the Xia n (3)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°Hmm. I have turned him down,¡± Xie Heng nodded as he replied. ¡°Chuchu, do you want to save him?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu raised her eyebrows and said, ¡°What makes you think so? Is it not obvious enough that I¡¯m rejoicing at his misfortune? Unless it rains blood, I¡¯ll never save him.¡±


    Yu Linjiang was narrow-minded. He tried all sorts of ways to kick Xie Heng out of Qingyang Academy just because thetter was more talented than him. He even ndered Xie Heng.


    If Yu Linjiang¡¯s target were an ordinary schr, he would most likely have seeded in his evil n. The poor schr would not have a chance to flourish in life.


    It was because the imperial court paid close attention to a schr¡¯s reputation when the former considered whether or not to hire them.


    Usually, a person with a bad reputation would never have a bright future.


    Therefore, even if Zhao Chuchu were to bear the hatred of many people, she would never treat Yu Linjiang.


    Yu Linjiang was in his current predicament because of his own doing. She and Xie Heng had not tricked or forced him.


    Would he have fallen to his current state if he was not malicious?


    ¡°Even if it rains blood, you do not need to save him. If a person who is less than a beast lives for too long, they will eventually harm others. We might as well do good and prevent him from bing a nuisance.¡±


    ¡°Alright.


    Zhao Chuchu agreed wholeheartedly with Xie Heng.


    She did not mind what other people said about her. Her mental fortitude was strong enough that no argument could tear her down!


    Zhao Chuchu exined, ¡°Yu Linjiangs scandal is already known throughout the capital. He has no other tricks to induce rumors to attack me. I have never been afraid of him. Moreover, Junjun never leaves the house, and you don¡¯t mind these things. No matter how he tries to guilt-trip me, it is useless.¡±


    She even left Madam Yang and the others of her n to die. Who was Yu Linjiang to her?


    If she were afraid, filial piety would have suffocated her.


    Xie Heng said, ¡°Such a thing won¡¯t happen. By the way, the Third Prince has gotten his hands on most of the Xia n¡¯s shops and fields.¡±


    ¡°So soon?


    ¡°He has many capable people working under him. Taking over the Xia n is not a difficult task for them.¡±


    ¡°Now that you mention it, the fall of anyrge n always begins with infighting. The infighting in the Xia n was so bad that the only reason they managed tost until now was because of the good karma umted by their ancestors.¡±


    ¡°No matter how much good karma their ancestors umted, it was not enough to cover for the wicked deeds of their descendants. Chuchu, do you truly have no interest in the property of the Xia n?¡±


    ¡°None.¡±


    She did not want to have any association with the Xia n. It would be an insult to the original owner of her body and her mother.


    As long as the Xia n ceased to exist, no one could bring up the origins of the mother of the original owner of her body. After all, there would be no evidence to back up such a im.


    The mother of the original owner of her body must have hated the Xia n. Otherwise, why would she have never mentioned them to others?


    She would undoubtedly rejoice that the Xia n had met such an end.


    This was the least Zhao Chuchu could do for her.


    Zhao Chuchu exined, ¡°If I took their property, someone would definitely find out, and they might use it against you in the future after you be an official. Xia Xiaoxiao has passed away for so many years. I don¡¯t want others to point fingers at her anymore. She deserves some peace in the underworld.¡±


    ¡°Alright. ¡±


    ¡°Da Lang, do you think I am foolish for giving up so many things?


    ¡°No, it is right to follow your heart. It ismendable that you can give up so many luxuries for her. Not everyone can resist such temptations.¡±


    Even though the Xia n was declining, they were salt merchants. They possessed wealth that ordinary people could not umte even if they did not eat and drink for ten lifetimes.


    Even Xie Heng was tempted to get a share of the Xia n¡¯s inheritance.


    However, he would not get involved since Zhao Chuchu did not want to have anything to do with them.


    Xie Heng got out of bed and pulled out a square box from underneath Zhao Chuchu¡¯s makeup table.


    Since Zhao Chuchu seldom dressed up, she did not even realize a box was hidden there.


    Xie Heng carried the box over and said, ¡°This is topensate for your loss.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu did not understand what he meant by that.


    Xie Heng gestured to her to open the box.


    When she opened the box, her eyes lit up.


    The box was full of banknotes. Every single banknote was worth 10,000 taels. Zhao Chuchu counted the notes, and there were 52 notes in total) equivalent to 520,000 taels.


    She was at a loss for words.


    Xie Heng was a hidden millionaire!


    He could casually take out bank notes worth a few hundred thousand.


    She wondered how many more treasures he had kept hidden from her.


    ¡°Da Lang, how much do you have, actually?¡± Zhao Chuchu counted the bank notes twice before she raised her head to look at Xie Heng.


    Xie Heng replied frankly, ¡°I have no idea either.¡±


    After he was reborn, he got involved in trading. He was not sure exactly how much money he had, but he was confident that in terms of wealth, the Xia n paled into insignificancepared to him.


    Zhao Chuchu eximed, ¡°I feel like I don¡¯t have to do anything anymore for the rest of my life. I can also be a rich retiree.¡±


    She put away the bank notes while grinning from ear to ear. She said, ¡°It¡¯ll be better if these bank notes are exchanged for silver. After all, the bank might go bankrupt one day.¡± ¡°This bank will never go bankrupt.¡±


    ¡°Is the bank yours too?¡±


    ¡°Yes. ¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was so shocked that she was speechless.


    Now, she could really be a couch potato that did nothing.


    ¡°There are some things left to be settled in the bank. When it¡¯s ready, I¡¯ll hand over the bank to you, too,¡± said Xie Heng. ¡°I willpensate you for whatever you should have gotten from the Xia n.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu did notck money. However, she really liked Xie Heng¡¯s willingness to give her everything he owned.


    She was also not stingy in expressing her emotions. She hugged him and gave him a loud peck..

 Chapter 447 - 447: Don’t Let Him Die (1)

    Chapter 447: Don¡¯t Let Him Die (1)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Xie Heng was momentarily stunned, but he soon took the initiative and gave Zhao Chuchu a passionate French kiss.


    However, he stopped just before he lost control and went all the way with her.


    ¡°I¡¯m going out for a while,¡± said Xie Heng with uneven breath. He left as soon as he finished speaking.


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s heart raced as she hugged her nket tightly.


    She couldn¡¯t help but grin widely while staring at Xie Heng¡¯s silhouette.


    Xie Heng stood outside for about 30 minutes before he went back into the room. His impulses had been suppressed, and he was calm now.


    ¡°Rest early.¡± He sat beside Zhao Chuchu¡¯s bed and asked, ¡°Haven¡¯t you been busy with a lot of things recently?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I have been.¡± Zhao Chuchu happily kept the bank notes in her carry-on space and said, ¡°I¡¯m carrying a lot of treasures with me, so I¡¯m not sleepy now.¡±


    Xie Heng revealed a pampering smile as he promised, ¡°You¡¯ll have more in the future.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried that I might run away with your money?


    ¡°Will you bring me along?


    ¡°Since I¡¯m running away, why would I bring you along with me?¡±


    ¡°Then, I will run away with you.¡±


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s cheating.¡±


    ¡°I will follow you wherever you go. You can¡¯t run away from me.¡±


    Zhao Chuc.hu sighed, pretending like she was left with no choice. She poked Xie Heng¡¯s cheek and said, ¡°Then, I have to bring you along with me when I run away.¡±


    Xie Heng raised his hand and caught Zhao Chuchu¡¯s hand that was poking him. He replied, ¡°If you bring me along, you don¡¯t have to worry about food.


    Moreover, I can protect you and travel around the world with you.¡±


    ¡°That sounds tempting.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to consider bringing me along?


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll consider it.¡±


    Xie Hengughed while shaking his head. He caressed Zhao Chuchu¡¯s head and suggested, ¡°Alright. Why don¡¯t you consider it after you have a good night¡¯s sleep?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Let¡¯s sleep together.¡±


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s sleep together.¡±


    The next day, the principal and Zhong Peifeng left after Zhao Chuchu treated them.


    Zhao Chuchu went back to her room and shut all the doors and windows.


    She took out aptop from her carry-on space and designed a promotional poster with lightning speed. Then, she connected theptop to a printer and printed out 1000 copies of the promotional poster.


    Even though she was reputed in the capital, the Ruyu Center was the first of its kind in the Wei Dynasty. She should not skimp on marketing. Otherwise, people would not know what kind of services the center offered.


    Zhao Chuchu did not give out the promotional posters right away. Instead, she made a trip to the broker house first with the intention of getting a few extra helpers.


    At the start, she would surely be the only coach in the Ruyu Center. Therefore, she needed to find a few helpers with suitable physiques and attitudes. She would make use of her time here to train them into responsible coaches. After that, the center would be able to function normally even when she was not around.


    The broker house was not far away from the Xie n¡¯s residence. It only took her a 15 -minute walk to reach there.


    The broker was a smart man. Even though he did not know Zhao Chuchu personally, he recognized her at a nce. He had made a point of recognizing the faces of all the high-profile people in the city to avoid offending them unintentionally.


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, are you here to pick out a servant? There are a few neers. Do you want to have a look at them?¡± As soon as Zhao Chuchu stepped into the broker house, the broker weed her with a bright smile while rubbing his hands together.


    ¡°Bring them over and show me?¡¯


    ¡°Alright. Have a seat, Mrs. Xie. I¡¯ll bring them over immediately.¡±


    The broker invited Zhao Chuchu to sit. He served her tea and snacks before he went to bring the neers over.


    There were a total of 25 people consisting of both men and women, young and old.


    When they saw how young Zhao Chuchu was, most of them straightened their backs with the hope of being chosen by her.


    In their opinion, Zhao Chuchu was young, so it would be easier for them to control her and they could live their servant lives leisurely. Therefore, all of them wished to be picked by her.


    Zhao Chuc.hu was well aware of what they were thinking.


    Of course, she would not do as they wished.


    Buying a servant like them would only invite trouble upon herself.


    She would not waste money on them.


    Zhao Chuchu scanned the crowd and chose two men in their early twenties.


    She also picked a teenage girl who looked ordinary with her dark skin.


    The girl was very surprised that she was chosen.


    She was so stunned that she didn¡¯t even hear the broker asking her toe forward.


    Those who were jealous of the girl took the opportunity to say all kinds of things about the girl to Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°Madam, I am more capable than her. I can do all sorts of chores like cooking and chopping firewood.¡±


    ¡°That girl is retarded. She does everything slower than others. Madam, if you buy her, she will only cause trouble for you back home. Why don¡¯t you buy me?


    I am cheap and obedient. I am also much more intelligent than she is.¡±


    ¡°She is a bringer of misfortune who killed her parents. Madam, please consider it carefully. Don¡¯t let her bring misfortune to your family after you buy her.¡±


    The other servants continued ndering her.


    When Zhao Chuchu heard all this, she frowned.


    The other servants believed that Zhao Chuchu was beginning to dislike the girl after hearing what they said. Hence, they ndered her even more.. The only fact they left out was that she was a demon reincarnated that was specifically out to harm people!

 Chapter 448 - 448: Don’t Let Him Die (2)

    Chapter 448: Don¡¯t Let Him Die (2)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The young girl was overwhelmed by what they said. She stood there with her head down, fidgeting her fingers. She retorted softly, ¡°I am not a bringer of misfortune. I did not kill my parents¡­¡±


    Not only did the other servants beside her not stop, but they alsoughed even louder and said, ¡°Did you hear that? This girl imed that her parents were not killed by her. If that was the case, why did her grandparents sell her off? For bringers of misfortune like her, you will have bad luck just by standing next to her.¡±


    Once someone said that, the people around the young girl immediately stepped away, leaving her standing alone.


    When the broker saw that Zhao Chuchu¡¯s expression had turned ugly, he immediately shouted angrily, ¡°What are all of you doing? Do you want to be chased out of the broker house? Where do you think you are right now? How dare you act so presumptuously in front of our guest. Silence, all of you! Otherwise, don¡¯t me me for being rough! You do this every day. Will maggots grow in your mouths if you don¡¯t spout nonsense?


    The crowd fell silent. However, they did not cease their disdain toward the young girl.


    Zhao Chuchu asked, ¡°What is her situation?


    Before the broker could speak, someone interrupted him, saying, ¡°When she was born, her mother nearly died giving birth to her andter fell ill. On the day of her birth, her father broke his leg. Madam, don¡¯t you think that she is a bringer of misfortune?


    ¡°I heard that in her vige, it did not end well for anyone who approached her. Due to this, her grandparents decided to sell her off. I slept beside her before. When I woke up, my knee was swollen. Don¡¯t you think that everyone around her ended up being cursed?¡±


    ¡°Madam, anyone else is better than that retard. Will you not consider changing her for someone among us?


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    She initially did not n to say anything. However, this group of people had truly gone too far. Many of them were bullying a young maiden.


    At a nce, one could tell that the young girl was not the troublemaking type. They targeted the little girl like that so that they could snatch her chance of being chosen by Zhao Chuchu!


    However, even if these people were given to Zhao Chuchu for free, she would not want them.


    Aside from causing trouble, they were also the kind of shallow-sighted people who would offend many people.


    She smiled and said to the woman who spoke earlier, ¡°Isn¡¯t it normal for women to haveplications during childbirth? You appear to have had children yourself. Why are you harsher than other people¡¯s mothers-inw? If a father knew that their child was born, in their excitement, idents could happen. What does that have to do with her?


    ¡°It is said that it is always women who make things difficult for other women. I can now say that I have seen it firsthand. As for you, you even me her when you got up at night and bumped into things when you weren¡¯t looking carefully. Will you also me the floor for being too hard when you can¡¯t shit? You really know how to justify yourself.¡±


    She continued, ¡°Last of all, why should I choose gossipers like all of you? Do you think I¡¯m worried that my family affairs will not be made public? All of you are mothers. Why do you treat your children like treasures but others like trash?


    ¡°You dare make things difficult for this young girl. You embarrass her just because the two of you don¡¯t see eye to eye. All of you bully the good and fear the evil. Your thoughts are vicious. I wonder which unfortunate soul will end up buying you bringers of misfortune!¡±


    All the people went silent after being scolded by Zhao Chuchu. They all had ugly expressions.


    As for the young girl, when she heard Zhao Chuchu say all that, she looked up at thetter in disbelief.


    Zhao Chuchu was the first person who stood up for her and helped her to


    refute usations thrown at her.


    The young girl felt that her gloomy world seemed to have been ripped apart and a beam of sunlight started shining on her.


    ¡°You,e over here.¡±


    Zhao Chuc.hu gestured to the young girl.


    The young girl hopped towards her and greeted, ¡°Hello, Madam.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Wait at the side first,¡± replied Zhao Chuchu while nodding her head in acknowledgment. She then asked the broker, ¡°Do you have other servants?¡± The broker was ashamed because of what his neers had said.


    He did not dare to say anything to Zhao Chuchu. Fortunately, she spoke first.


    He quickly replied, ¡°We have, but I fear that you will not be able to handle them. They are not ordinary people.¡±


    ¡°Bring them all. I want to see all of them. I will decide that for myself.¡± ¡°Alright.


    The broker brought those who were not chosen back to the backyard and scolded them loudly, ¡°Who do you think you are? Your ve contracts are in my hands and you¡¯ll live the rest of your days as ves! How dare you spout nonsense in front of my noble guest? Just you wait and see how I¡¯ll punish all of you. Did you think that you¡¯re lords and nobledies?¡±


    All the servants kept quiet.


    The broker continued, ¡°All of you, just wait and see. Those who spoke the loudest just now will get the heaviest punishment. You¡¯re now in a broker house. You don¡¯t have a say here. Know your ce! Otherwise, I¡¯ll sell all of you to the mines, and you¡¯ll have no chance of being a free man ever again..¡±

 Chapter 449 - 449: Don’t Let Him Die (3)

    Chapter 449: Don¡¯t Let Him Die (3)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    One of the servants pleaded) ¡°Boss, we were wrong. We only wanted to sell


    ourselves sooner so that you would not need to suffer losses. Please understand. We didn¡¯t have any other intentions.¡±


    The brokerughed coldly and said, ¡°If no one buys you in 10 days, then you will be heading to the mines!¡±


    As he said that, the broker instructed someone to watch over them. He then went to bring other servants for Zhao Chuchu to inspect.


    There were a total of three of them. They did not seem very old, around theirte twenties to early thirties. All of them had toned physiques. They must be practitioners.


    They remained motionless under Zhao Chuchu¡¯s scrutiny. It was as though they werepletely ignoring her.


    If the Ruyu Center was open to men as well, they would be prime candidates. Unfortunately, the center would only be open to women. Big muscr men like them would not be allowed in.


    No young maiden would dare toe with such men at the center.


    This era was different from the future. In the vige, people were not particr about the segregation of the sexes. However, it was different in the capital.


    Only young maidens fromrge ns could afford toe to the Ruyu Center. They would be even more reluctant for men to be present there.


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°Forget it. Broker, help me keep an eye on any suitable candidates. If you encounter any female neers that are around the same age as this girl, let me know. I¡¯ll make another trip here.¡±


    ¡°Tsk. If you cannot afford us, why pretend to be rich?¡±


    The broker had yet to reply when the man in the middle mocked Zhao Chuchu openly.


    ¡°A young girl like you cannot afford us three brothers. Do you know who we are? Are you even worthy of being protected by us?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu remained silent.


    She then picked up her ears and asked, ¡°What did I hear just now? Did you question my worth? The three of you good-for-nothings have sold yourselves as ves to the broker house. Between us, who is unworthy? You have already reached this point. Why do you still act so aloof? Do you think that you are worthy of me saving you from this ce? What a joke.¡±


    The man had not imagined that Zhao Chuchu would be so eloquent. He was immediately enraged. He retorted, ¡°Bitch, what did you say¡­¡±


    Smack!


    The man was pped loudly before he could finish speaking.


    He didn¡¯t even see clearly how Zhao Chuchu managed to p him. She was already back in her seat.


    He covered his reddened cheek and stared at Zhao Chuchu in disbelief. He eximed, ¡°You dare to p me?


    ¡°Your mouth stinks. You need a good p as a wake-up call. Who do you think you are to be putting on airs in front of me?¡± Zhao Chuchu coldly snorted. ¡°Are you dissatisfied? If you are, try hitting me. Why are you just standing there? Are you afraid of me? So, you are a coward, after all.¡±


    ¡°Bitch, I will teach you a lesson¡­¡±


    Before the man could finish his sentence, he was kicked by Zhao Chuchu. He flew backward and fell to the ground, unable to get up for a long while.


    She looked at the other two men and challenged them, saying, ¡°What do you think? Your brother has been beaten up by me. Do you two want to attack me together?¡±


    Stunned, the two men exchanged nces. They did not dare to act recklessly after witnessing the misery of theirpanion.


    One of them said, ¡°Madam, are you joking with us? I don¡¯t know him well.¡±


    The other man added, ¡°Madam, if I¡¯m lucky enough to be bought by you, I¡¯ll surely be very loyal to you.¡±


    Worried that Zhao Chuchu might take out her anger on them too, the two men were eager to rify that they were not close with the man who had been beaten up.


    She walked up to the man on the ground and teased, ¡°This is how much your friendships are worth. I thought you were important to them. Do you still think that I¡¯m unworthy to redeem you? I don¡¯t want weaklings like you who can¡¯t take a hit from me, even if they are free.¡±


    The man coughed up blood.


    Zhao Chuchu threw five pieces of silver to the broker and said, ¡°Find a physician for him. Don¡¯t let him die.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, five pieces of silver is enough to buy him,¡± the broker reminded her softly.


    ¡°Buy him? I wouldn¡¯t want him to sully my home,¡± said Zhao Chuchu as she snorted.


    That man scolded and struck women without reason. If they weren¡¯t at the broker house, she would have let him suffer 10 times more than he was now.


    The brokerughed sheepishly and did not say anymore.


    The man was humiliated by Zhao Chuchu. His anger could not be quenched.


    However, he was not as skilled as she was. Even if he was angry, he could not do anything about it. He could not defeat her.


    Zhao Chuchu sat back down again and said, ¡°Do not let this kind of trash in my sight ever again. He is an eyesore!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mrs. Xie,¡± replied the broker as he quickly gave orders for the man to be taken away.


    Initially, Zhao Chuchu nned to redeem the three of them.


    After all, they looked fit. If she put some effort into training them, they would master her skills in no time.


    After the Ruyu Center gained its poprity, she was thinking of opening a gym for men.


    However, since one of them had already been beaten to a pulp by her, there was no need for her to consider them now.


    Zhao Chuchu turned to look at the three people she had chosen and asked, ¡°Are all of you willing to follow me? I am a very reasonable person. I prefer to take your views into consideration. If you don¡¯t want me to buy you, I will not force you. I do not want you to work half-heartedly.¡±


    ¡°We are willing!¡± answered the three of them in unison.


    Based on what happened just now, it was apparent to them that Zhao Chuchu was a reasonable person..

 Chapter 450 - 450: Let Me Warn You Beforehand (1)

    Chapter 450: Let Me Warn You Beforehand (1)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    It was especially so for the young girl.


    Ever since her parents passed away, everyone around her treated her with malice.


    They kept telling her that she had killed her parents and that she was a bringer of misfortune.


    But at that moment, someone finally stood up for her and rebuked those people. She was not the cause of her parents¡¯ death.


    She promised herself that she would definitely work hard in the future. She would not let her owner regret purchasing her.


    ¡°Just these three,¡± said Zhao Chuchu. She did not know what the young girl was thinking about. With a wave of her hand, she bought them all.


    She didn¡¯t even bargain with the broker. This made thetter really happy. He then quickly brought the ve contracts over.


    After Zhao Chuchu paid for them, he handed her the contracts.


    She also gave the broker some money and said, ¡°Please help me settle matters on the government side.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Mrs. Xie. Don¡¯t worry. I will settle them soon. If we have any new servants, I will inform you immediately.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, sorry to trouble you,¡± said Zhao Chuchu as she nodded her head.


    She then turned to the three of them and said, ¡°Follow me.¡±


    The two men were called Zhang Changfu and Lu Zhiming. The young maiden did not have a name. Everyone called her San Niu.


    Only after Zhao Chuchu left did the rest of the servants know that she was the famous Doctor Miracle.


    They regretted their actions so much.


    If they had not offended her and hadn¡¯t been redeemed by her instead, their lives would be much better.


    If they followed Zhao Chuchu and learned some medical skills from her, they could feed themselves for a lifetime.


    Unfortunately, they had missed the opportunity to do so. There was no use regretting it.


    They begged the broker to choose and send a few of them to Zhao Chuchu again. They promised that they would never speak so rudely again.


    The brokerughed coldly and said, ¡°Even the likes of you wish to be servants of the Xie n? Stop dreaming. Don¡¯t make me be an eyesore for Mrs. Xie. If anyone is willing to buy you, you should be grateful. You don¡¯t have the right to choose.¡±


    He continued, ¡°Let me make it clear to all of you. If no one buys you in another half a month, I will have no choice but to send you to the mines. After all, the broker house will not let you eat and stay for free. That would be throwing money away. If you do not wish to go to the mines, wise up next time!¡±


    They immediately shut up.


    The mines were not a ce for ordinary folks like them. Those who were sent there were criminals serving their sentences. If they went there, wouldn¡¯t they be bullied to death? Even though they would be servants if they sold themselves, at least they would not need to work day and night in the mines or be beaten up when they were careless!


    The broker snorted coldly. He then turned and left. He still had to make a trip to the government offices and prepare the documentation for the three people Zhao Chuchu had bought.


    All servants who were registered with the government would be reported and recaptured once they ran away. Things would not end well for ves who escaped!


    Zhao Chuchu was not worried that these three people would run away.


    When she picked her servants, she made sure to choose honest men with good attitudes.


    She would never ept people like those in the broker house who enjoyed bullying San Niu even if they were given to her for free.


    Zhao Chuchu brought the three of them back to the Xie n. She assigned


    Zhang Changfu and Lu Zhiming to be under Chai Le. She told Chai Le, ¡°Brother Le, these two men will report to you from now on. Please teach them some martial arts. When the Ruyu Center is open, they will be in charge of guarding the ce at night.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Mrs. Xie. Do not worry. I will educate them properly.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡± ¡°No worries. I¡¯m just doing my duty.¡±


    Zhao Chuc.hu nodded. She then tilted her head sideways and instructed San Niu, ¡°Follow me.¡±


    San Niu followed behind Zhao Chuchu timidly. The former was very nervous.


    Zhao Chuchu gestured for her to close the door of the medicine room. She then said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to be afraid. I don¡¯t eat people.¡±


    San Niu knelt down immediately and pledged her loyalty to Zhao Chuchu, saying, ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Xie, for redeeming me. I will do my very best to serve you from now on.¡±


    ¡°Please get up. The Xie n is not strict about rules. Just do your work honestly and I will not mistreat you.¡±


    ¡°I will definitely not let you down, Mrs. Xie.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Since you have joined the Xie n, why don¡¯t I give you a proper name? Is it okay for you to give up the name San Niu?¡±


    ¡°I will do whatever you say.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ You shall be called Jixiang from now on. How about that?¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Xie, for giving me the name Jixiang. I like it very much.¡±


    San Niu was now Jixiang. Jixiang¡¯s eyes turned slightly red. Everyone said that she was a bringer of misfortune, but Mrs. Xie had given her the name Jixiang which meant good fortune. Mrs. Xie was truly a good person!


    ¡°Alright. Go and find Sister Hong. Do whatever she assigns you to do.¡±


    ¡°Yes, madam.¡±


    Jixiang left the room at the speed of light. She was worried that Zhao Chuchu might be disappointed in her if she showed any signs ofziness.


    Zhao Chuc.hu couldn¡¯t help but shake her head. She would leave her be for the time being.


    After Chang Hong learned about Jixiang¡¯s background, she also took good care of thetter..

 Chapter 451 - 451: Let Me Warn You Beforehand (2)

    Chapter 451: Let Me Warn You Beforehand (2)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Jixiang had not experienced warmth from the people around her for a long time. Therefore, she was touched by Chang Hong¡¯s kind gestures. She decided that aside from being loyal to Zhao Chuchu, she would repay Chang Hong with kindness as well.


    There were not many people in the Xie residence, with only three masters in the household. Jixiang got used to her new lifestyle very quickly.


    After lunch, Zhao Chuchu distributed the promotional posters, which she had printed, to Chang Hong and the others. She instructed, ¡°Take these. Go to ces like banks, textile shops, and beauty salons, wheredies from noble families frequent, and give these out to them.¡±


    Chang Hong and Chai Le were literate. They were astonished when they saw so many identical and intricately designed promotional posters.


    How long did it take for Zhao Chuchu to draw so many posters? What kind of pigments did she use for the colors to be so bright?


    Zhao Chuchu noticed their astonishment, but she kept quiet. The paper she used for her printing was from this era, so they would not be able to pinpoint any abnormalities.


    As for how she managed to produce so many identical posters, she would let them keep guessing.


    Chang Hong and Chai Le knew when to keep quiet, so they did not pursue the topic, either.


    Zhao Chuchu reminded them, ¡°Oh, right. Men, you do not need to distribute the posters so as to avoid frightening thedies. You¡¯ll be in charge of helping Sister Hong and Jixiang carry them.¡±


    Giving out posters was considered a novel advertising technique in the current era. Moreover, the promotional posters made by Zhao Chuchu were unique. Therefore, it only took one afternoon for all thedies of noble families to catch wind of the news about the Ruyu Center. It was a ce specialized fordies, and it could make them prettier.


    Everydy desired beauty!


    Furthermore, Zhao Chuchu was the boss of the Ruyu Center.


    Her ability to save youngdies from the torment of pimples had long been known by everyone in the city.


    The Ruyu Center had yet to officially open, and many people had already sent their maids toe and check the center out.


    Zhao Chuchu had already taught Chang Hong what to say when exining things to the maids.


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s exnation was easy to remember. Therefore, even if the maids were confused by what they heard, they could memorize the script and recite it to their masters.


    The interest of more people was piqued, especially the young maidens who were fatter.


    Due to the era they were in, the education that women received was catered to pleasing men. Hence, exquisite and beautiful figures were also sought after by women.


    However, they rarely went outdoors and did not have an active lifestyle.


    Therefore, it was easy for them to gain weight even if they did not eat much.


    Now that they could do something about this, who wouldn¡¯t want to make a change?


    They waited eagerly for the opening of the Ruyu Center.


    The Yuan n invited lion dancers and an acting troupe to celebrate on opening day. The initially secluded Ruyu Center became extremely lively.


    Mrs. Ge was the first to show up. She said, ¡°Mrs. Xie, your Ruyu Center is finally open. It was not an easy wait. By the way,st time, didn¡¯t you im that you could make me slim again? How are you going to do so?¡±


    ¡°It is very simple. You just need to spend two hours every day at the Ruyu Center. I will teach you how to bring your weight down. However, Mrs. Ge, you can¡¯t achieve results just by doing nothing. You will need to follow my instructions. For you, it will be very difficult.¡± Zhao Chuchu asked, ¡°Will you be able to cope?


    ¡°As long as I can return to my former figure, I am willing to suffer any hardship. I have tried to lose weight back home before, but whenever I began to see results, I immediately regained my lost weight once I ate. Sigh. I don¡¯t know what went wrong.¡±


    ¡°Just dieting and not eating is not good for you. Your period must have been thrown into shambles, right?¡±


    ¡°Huh, how did you know?¡±


    ¡°I naturally know. However, Mrs. Ge, you do not need to worry. Now that you havee to the Ruyu Center, such things will not happen anymore.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, I trust you the most. By the way, I saw on your poster that you have Bronze Tier, Silver Tier, Gold Tier, and tinum Tier in the Ruyu Center. What is that about?¡±


    ¡°If you spend one piece of silver, you will be at the Bronze Tier. You will reach the Silver Tier with 10 pieces of silver. 100 pieces of silver will get you to the Gold Tier, and 1,000 pieces of silver will get you to the tinum Tier. The more money you spend, the better the treatment you will get at the Ruyu Center.¡±


    ¡°Could you exin it to me in detail?¡±


    Zhao Chuc.hu exined the tiers to her in detail. The tiers she came up with were basically membership tiers in her previous world.


    However, Zhao Chuchu was very generous. She gave members better privileges starting from the Silver Tier upwards.


    Mrs. Ge understood. She took out a banknote for 1,000 pieces of silver without any hesitation and said, ¡°Then, I will take the tinum Tier.¡±


    The sooner she bought it, the sooner she could enjoy its benefits. After all, Mrs. Ge saw that the tinum Tier was limited to 10 people. If she missed this opportunity to sign up for that tier, she would most likely never get the chance to do so again.


    The Ge n was not as rich as the Yuan n, but they definitely did notck funds!


    Mrs. Ge became Zhao Chuchu¡¯s first tinum Tier member.


    Mrs. Ge entered the Ruyu Center with a satisfied smile, ready to check out exactly what sort of ce it was..

 Chapter 452 - 452: Let Me Warn You Beforehand (3)

    Chapter 452: Let Me Warn You Beforehand (3)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    When Mrs. Ge saw strange machines inside, she was confused.


    She did not know what they were for.


    After walking around, she still did not understand how these things would make her slimmer.


    However, Mrs. Ge was in love with the room which had a full-length wall mirror installed. She could clearly see her whole body in it. Moreover, the mirror showed a much clearer image than the bronze mirror she used at home did.


    ¡°Where did Mrs. Xie order such a huge mirror? I also want one.¡± A woman who came inter whispered softly to her friends and said, ¡°Then, I can change into beautiful dresses every day to admire myself. Wouldn¡¯t that be wonderful?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we ask Mrs. Xieter? This Ruyu Center seems really interesting.¡±


    Anotherdy dered, ¡°I have decided. I will visit the Ruyu Center every day in the future. Even the capital does not have such interesting ces reserved only for women. This center is certainly more fun than other ces. I can also get out of the house every day and avoid listening to my mother¡¯s nagging.¡± Thedies chatted with each other in excitement.


    When Zhao Chuchu, who was standing outside the room, overheard their conversations, she smiled and thought to herself, ¡°I hope you¡¯ll still think the same way after two days of training!¡¯


    Exercising was never an easy task, especially for thosedies who were used to a luxurious lifestyle. They would definitely dreading here again. Nope.


    They might give up on the first day, crying and begging to leave the session. However, she would definitely keep her word when doing business. She said that she would not offer them refunds. Therefore, even if they were unwilling, she would tie them up and bring them here.


    There was no turning back for them!


    Xie Heng had said that there would be turmoil throughout thend in the future. If women could not defend themselves in such a chaotic world, they would bembs waiting to be ughtered.


    Since Zhao Chuchu had taken their money, she would make sure that they at least built the stamina required to escape.


    Otherwise, how could these women, who seldom left the house, have the strength to flee for their lives?


    On the first day of business for the Ruyu Center, Mrs. Ge was the only tinum Tier member. There were eight Gold Tier members, five Silver Tier members, and one Bronze Tier member.


    Initially, Madam Yuan and Yuan Hui nned to support Zhao Chuchu¡¯s business by signing up for the tinum Tier. However, Zhao Chuchu turned


    down their offer.


    She told them, ¡°You¡¯re my family members. If you want to learn anything, I¡¯ll teach you in private. You don¡¯t need to pay.¡±


    Madam Yuan argued, saying, ¡°It is not the same. The Ruyu Center has just opened. How could we take advantage of you by not paying for your service?


    ¡°I don¡¯t like what you are saying. Godmother, why are you treating me like a stranger?


    ¡°Look at you, child. How can you say such things? I am just helping you.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to. Trust me. With Mrs. Ge around, people wille looking for me soon.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was confident that she could get Mrs. Ge back into shape within two months.


    With Mrs. Ge as her living advertisement, she was not afraid of the Ruyu Center having no customers.


    When Madam Yuan saw Zhao Chuchu insisting, she changed her mind about signing up for the tinum Tier.


    For now, Zhao Chuchu was the only coach in the Ruyu Center. On the center¡¯s first day of business, she was exceptionally busy and had no time to do anything else. Therefore, all the center¡¯s programs would only start from the second day onwards.


    Zhao Chuchu had already ordered custom-made clothing. The members of the Bronze Tier and Silver Tier could choose whether or not they wanted to buy the clothing. On the other hand, the Gold Tier members were given one set of that clothing for free, while the tinum Tier members were given two sets.


    She had adapted these custom-made clothes from the sportswear of the future. Aside from that, she also made sports underwear. Zhao Chuchu had sought many seamstresses and tried out many different types of fabric to create this sportswear. Of course, the end result was not as good as that of the future. However, it was far better than letting them exercise in their normal clothing.


    Initially, Mrs. Ge and the other women could not ept wearing sports underwear. Zhao Chuchu graciously wore it for them to see. Only then did they discover that this embarrassingly small piece of clothing looked better than their dudous when worn!


    The seamstresses rushed to produce 20 sets of those clothing overnight. All of them were soon snatched up by Mrs. Ge and the otherdies.


    Zhao Chuc.hu offered a suggestion, saying, ¡°This is too tight. It is not suitable to be worn daily. It is not good for your breasts. If you like this type of small clothing, after weplete the beginner course, I can arrange for you to be measured so that more sets can be made for you.¡±


    Ady confessed, ¡°Sure. Wearing this makes my breasts appear firmer and perkier, just like how they looked before I had children. It is really nice to look at.¡±


    Another woman said, ¡°Mrs. Xie, please help me order a few more sets. I also want to buy more.¡±


    ¡°Me as well. Don¡¯t forget me, Mrs. Xie.¡±


    The women piled on, adding more and more orders.


    Zhao Chuchu interrupted them, saying, ¡°We can discuss this after we end the lesson. For now, go change your clothes and follow me to the room with the mirror. I will first teach you some fundamentals. However, let me warn you beforehand. If you want to quit now, you still can do so.


    ¡°Once we begin, I absolutely will not allow anyone to quit halfway. Even if I have to tie you up with rope, I will drag you here. Think carefully. During ss, I will not be so reasonable. Even if you can¡¯t take it, you have to grit your teeth and endure it until you copse.¡±


    Someone asked softly, ¡°Won¡¯t that kill us?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu replied, ¡°I am a physician. Who can take your life when you are with me? I know what your limits are at a nce. Alright, change your clothes. We will begin soon. Everyone, there is no backing out.. In one or two months, you will see the changes in your bodies!¡±

 Chapter 453 - 453: Let’s See Whether You Can Stand It (1)

    Chapter 453: Let¡¯s See Whether You Can Stand It (1)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The women did not dy and changed their clothes very quickly.


    In order to help set the mood, Zhao Chuchu had specifically spent arge sum of money to hire luthiers. She arranged a set of scores for ssics and fast-tempo songs that had been in cirction centuries before the post-apocalyptic world for the luthiers to practice exclusively at the Ruyu Center.


    Zhao Chuc.hu took the women to the training room and began teaching them, starting with the fundamental warm-up exercises.


    The women were pampered all year round. Be it their physical fitness or other aspects, they could not keep up with Zhao Chuchu at all. Hence, she had to take things step by step. She could not immediately start them off with high-intensity training. They would get injured easily if she did so.


    Zhao Chuchu demonstrated the movements and asked them to learn by mimicking her. The women found it interesting and followed along. However, in their hearts, they had their doubts. How could such simple movements help them lose weight?


    Could Zhao Chuchu be tricking them?


    Some people felt as though they were being cheated. They asked, ¡°Mrs. Xie, will it actually be useful if we do these movements every day? It is not even as tiring as taking a stroll in my garden.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Mrs. Xie. We didn¡¯t pay you to have fun only. We really want to make ourselves fitter and appear younger.¡±


    ¡°We have already paid you. We came primarily because of your fame. Mrs. Xie, please don¡¯t toy with us like this.¡±


    The women began to pile on oneint after another.


    Faced with their suspicions, Zhao Chuchu did not get angry. Instead, she smiled and exined, ¡°You may express whatever judgment you have for now. I hope you¡¯ll not ask for a break after we finish this set of warm-ups and 15 minutes of dance.¡±


    Thedies looked at each other, unsure of whether or not they should continue.


    Mrs. Ge encouraged them, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s follow Mrs. Xie¡¯s instructions. Think of the concubines your husbands have at home. We can¡¯t let those vixens attract all the attention of our men! Don¡¯t you realize how much effort those vixens put in to keep themselves young? As the head wives, we can¡¯t fall behind in our self-care routines!¡±


    Thedies stoppedining upon hearing Mrs. Ge¡¯s words. They followed Zhao Chuchu¡¯s tempo and warmed up their bodies.


    After the warm-up session ended, they felt that it was just a piece of cake. All of them were confident that they couldst the next 15 minutes.


    Zhao Chuchu knew what they were thinking. She said, ¡°Next, I¡¯ll demonstrate a few basic moves. Watch my steps and remember them. After that, I¡¯ll ask the luthiers to y the music, and we¡¯ll dance to the song using the moves we learn. All of you, pay attention to me.¡±


    She had checked their pulses when they signed up for the membership. Based on their health conditions, she came up with a few basic calorie-burning movements that were within their capabilities.


    Only after their bodies were used to exercising would she gradually increase the intensity of their workouts. Then, depending on their health conditions, she woulde up with personalized training routines for each of them.


    Ladies like Mrs. Ge all came from rtively wealthy families. They had some basics in arts and dance. Therefore, they quickly mastered the steps demonstrated by Zhao Chuchu.


    When Zhao Chuchu noticed that, she instructed the luthiers to y a moderately-paced song and officially began the training session.


    At the start, Mrs. Ge and the otherdies managed to follow the rhythm effortlessly. However,ter, they slowly realized that they were getting tired. Some of them couldn¡¯t even catch their breaths.


    When these seemingly simple movements were joined together, they became very taxing.


    While Zhao Chuchu was leading the dance in front, she was also observing the participants¡¯ movements via the mirror. She made a mental note of the steps each person did wrongly. After the song ended, she would correct them one by one.


    In the end, thedies could barely move. All of them gasped for air, unable to follow through the song. They had no energy to continue dancing.


    The song felt like an eternity for them. They were eagerly anticipating the luthiers finishing the song.


    When the luthiers finished ying theirst note, thedies couldn¡¯t care less about their image as they slumped to the ground.


    ¡°Uh, that was too tiring. I cannot move anymore.¡±


    ¡°It seemed so easy. Why is it that my legs felt so heavy at the end? I need someone to carry me.¡±


    ¡°Say no more. I felt as though my heart would stop beating at any given moment. Mrs. Xie, why is it so tiring?


    ¡®Yeah. When we first learned the movements, they were not tiring, but now, even my waist hurts.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu did not even break a sweat. She exined, ¡°That¡¯s because your movements were sloppy. I noticed all your mistakes in the mirror. Moreover, we have only danced for half the song, and you are already exhausted. I will correct your movements one by one now. Meanwhile, the rest of you will watch from the side.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu first called Mrs. Ge forward. Due to being too fat, none of thetter¡¯s movements were correct.


    This set of movements that Zhao Chuchu had arranged was quite suitable for people of Mrs. Ge¡¯s physique. It was not too intense but could still achieve the effect of burning fat. As long as the movements were done properly, they would not hurt their knees as well..

 Chapter 454 - 454: Let’s See Whether You Can Stand It (2)

    Chapter 454: Let¡¯s See Whether You Can Stand It (2)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    As Mrs. Ge was being corrected by Zhao Chuchu, she bared her teeth and said, ¡°Mrs. Xie, it is a little bit painful.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu assured her, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know how far I should push you. Remember this posture. It¡¯s okay if you can¡¯t do it correctly in the beginning. Take it slowly, and you¡¯ll gradually improve.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try my best,¡± said Mrs. Ge with a dejected face.


    By the time Zhao Chuchu finished correcting everyone¡¯s movements, an hour had already passed.


    She gave them some time to practice on their own, then she rallied them together for a second round of dance.


    She stood in the front and led the dance again.


    Thedies were all used to living luxurious lifestyles with everything prepared for them.


    For them, following that dance choreographed by Zhao Chuchu was more torturing than climbing up the mountains to visit the temple.


    When the song finished ying, everyone was so exhausted that they couldn¡¯t speak.


    Zhao Chuchu instructed, saying, ¡°Lees have a short break. We¡¯ll dance another round after the break and that will be all for today.¡±


    Someone eximed, ¡°There¡¯s another round? Mrs. Xie, you¡¯re joking with us, right?¡±


    Anotherdy added, ¡°Mrs. Xie, I really can¡¯t move anymore. This is more tiring than giving birth.¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s enough for today. I¡¯m so tired now. I wonder whether or not I¡¯ll be able to get up tomorrow.¡±


    Thediesined non-stop.


    Zhao Chuchu insisted, ¡°No. You need to dance another round. Considering that you¡¯re not fit yet, I didn¡¯t force all of you to dance for 30 minutes straight. You haven¡¯t reached your limits. You need to move your bodies! You must put in more effort if you want to be prettier. Very few women are innately beautiful.


    Most women are gorgeous because they work hard to maintain their figures.¡±


    A woman retorted, ¡°But I really can¡¯t move another inch. My legs are not mine anymore?¡¯


    ¡°I still have many other matters to attend to at home. Shall we stop here today?¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, we didn¡¯t spend money toe here and be tortured.¡±


    Thest statement made Zhao Chuchuugh. She asked, ¡°So, are you willing to spend money on your husband¡¯s concubines just to have them provoke your anger? I am making you suffer in order to make you be a better person. The concubines make you angry and cause you to look worse.¡±


    She added, ¡°Besides, I warned you before we started. Once we start, you cannot drop out of the program no matter what. Even if you don¡¯te to the center,


    I¡¯ll visit your home personally to drag you here. Oh right! Don¡¯t you feel assured that just because you have a lot of guards at home, I¡¯ll not be able to force you toe here. No one can stop me!¡±


    Ady pleaded, ¡°Mrs. Xie, don¡¯t we get to choose whether or not we want toe here? We are not asking you to refund us our money. I¡¯m truly terrified ofing to this Ruyu Center again. It¡¯s too tiring. I can¡¯t handle this stress.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t say no now. When you don¡¯t feel likeing, think about this. Instead of bing a grumpy wife at home, why don¡¯t you try to change yourself? Trust me. If you persevere, you will fall in love with exercising. It¡¯s simr to shopping for pretty clothes and essories. It will make you happy.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ ¡±


    Zhao Chuc.hu interrupted thedy, saying, ¡°No buts! Alright, everyone, stand up! Regte your breathing. We¡¯ll dance onest time. Whoever refuses to move, I will make them stay, and they will get a personal lesson from me!¡±


    Getting a personal lesson from Zhao Chuchu sounded way too frightening for thedies.


    Even those who initially nned to lie down or disobey her order stood up immediately.


    Their limbs were like jelly now. Yet, Zhao Chuchu showed no sign of tiredness.


    If they wanted to leave the Ruyu Center today, they had to obey her order. Otherwise, they might not be able to leave this room forever!


    ¡°Start the music!¡±


    As the music began, Mrs. Ge and the rest of thedies gritted their teeth and followed Zhao Chuchu¡¯s movements. All of them had ugly expressions on their faces.


    Even though their rhythm was a mess, they did not dare to stop. They feared being detained by Zhao Chuchu.


    The more readily they paid at the start, the more they wanted to run away now.


    Unfortunately, it seemed that they would not have the opportunity to do so.


    After the third set ended, the women were truly drenched in sweat. The exquisite makeup on their faces was ruined, and they could barely maintain their breathing.


    ¡°I feel so tired¡­¡± someone breathed out loud.


    Zhao Chuchu replied, ¡°It¡¯s normal to feel tired. However, think of the main reason you came here. You hope to be prettier, right? Being fat doesn¡¯t make you ugly, but being overweight makes you prone to all kinds of diseases. The Ruyu Center will not turn all of you into hemp stalks. Instead, I will help you to achieve the optimal weight suitable for your age.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, will we be able to get up tomorrow?


    ¡°Of course, you will. So, next, follow me in cooling down. As long as you cool down properly, it can help alleviate your soreness. Later, I will also give all of you a free medicine bag for your baths. I guarantee that you will feel refreshed when you get up tomorrow. You will not end up unable to walk..¡±

 Chapter 455 - 455: Let’s See Whether You Can Stand It (3)

    Chapter 455: Let¡¯s See Whether You Can Stand It (3)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°Then, let us begin. My legs are so sore that I can barely stand.¡±


    ¡°Alright. ¡±


    As usual, Zhao Chuchu gave a demonstration and then corrected their movements and the force they exerted. Once they did everything properly, she asked them to maintain their poses for a certain amount of time.


    They took half an hour toplete a whole set of full-body stretches as she taught them.


    After that, Zhao Chuchu taught them some simple massaging techniques. To their surprise, they discovered that their soreness had been greatly alleviated.


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, we should have trusted you.¡±


    ¡°I wille tomorrow. After two months, I will definitely show that vixen at home how beautiful I can be!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I will definitely not lose to those vixens.¡± The women cheered themselves on.


    Zhao Chuchu sighed internally when she heard their words.


    However, she couldn¡¯t change their mindsets in a short amount of time.


    After all, in the current era, women were born to find husbands and have children. Their lives would revolve around their husbands, and they were even asked to be magnanimous. They were brainwashed to believe that men having many wives and concubines was normal. As head wives, they could not get jealous!


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t believe that she could single-handedly change this situation.


    All she could do was to slowly influence them so that eventually, they would have a paradigm shift that women should be beautiful for themselves and not for men.


    When women had confidence in their beauty and stopped pleasing men, men would insteade knocking on their doors.


    To put it bluntly, most men preferred to be trampled on.


    They disregarded women who treated them well. The more the women ignored them, the more the men desired them.


    Zhao Chuchu could only let thedies slowly change their mindsets through her subtle influences.


    She still had plenty of time with them, so she was not in a rush to transform them.


    She would stay in the capital for another year or so. Therefore, she would most likely be able to influence manydies.


    Her target was not to instigate thedies into starting a women¡¯s liberation movement. Instead, she wanted them to understand that there was no need for them to tter anyone. They should desire change for themselves.


    The Ruyu Center also had a bathhouse.


    After the women finished exercising, they could take a good bath there. Zhao Chuchu had prepared fragrant soaps and shampoos for them.


    The fragrant soaps were not items taken out from her carry-on space. Instead, she had them custom-made to fit thedies¡¯ preferences.


    She concocted the shampoo herself. It was made with pure medicinal herbs and was free of any chemicals. It also came with different scents. It could nourish the users¡¯ hair. The more thedies used her shampoo, the better their hair would be. The shampoo could also prevent hair loss.


    It was a product best fit for women of Mrs. Ge¡¯s age.


    The bathhouse was also designed by Zhao Chuchu. It had many shower cubicles. When the women emerged from the bathhouse smelling wonderful. they fell in love with the Ruyu Center¡¯s fragrant soap and shampoo.


    Mrs. Ge was the first to ask, saying, ¡°Mrs. Xie, are the Ruyu Center¡¯s fragrant soaps and shampoos for sale? I want to buy some to use back home.¡±


    ¡°Of course, you can buy them,¡± said Zhao Chuchu. She knew that thedies would love them, so she had a lot of stock prepared.


    She would not let the opportunity to sell merchandise slip past her. When her merchandise became popr, this would be a huge market for her.


    A woman ordered, ¡°Give me two pieces of fragrant soap and two bottles of shampoo. I want the mint-scented shampoo. It¡¯s so refreshing.¡±


    Another woman added, ¡°I want five pieces of fragrant soap and five bottles of shampoo. The scents I want are mint, jasmine, citrus, cherry blossoms, and osmanthus.¡±


    ¡°Leave me some! You should not buy too much. Other people want them too!¡±


    At first, some of the women were debating whether or not they should buy the products. When they saw that everyone else was rushing to purchase the products, they did not hold back as well.


    Zhao Chuchu smiled and said, ¡°Ladies, you do not need to rush. Take your time. I have made enough for all of you to buy what you need.¡±


    Chang Hong and Jixiang had alsoe to help in the Ruyu Center today.


    When they saw the situation, they quickly came forward to help out.


    Chang Hong was in charge of taking orders while Jixiang went to collect the stock.


    Back in the broker house, Jixiang appeared dim-witted. However, after being in the Xie residence for a few days, she slowly began to smile and became much more agile.


    What surprised Zhao Chuchu the most was that Jixiangs memory was very good.


    She merely listened to Mrs. Ge and the other women¡¯s orders without taking notes, and she managed to prepare their orders perfectly.


    She was illiterate, but she arranged their items ording to their orders, making it easier for Chang Hong to double-check them.


    After exercising, the women looked rosy. Mrs. Ge and the other women were very happy. They returned home satisfied, carrying their purchases as well as the medicine bag given by Zhao Chuchu for free.


    Only then did Zhao Chuchu ask Jixiang, ¡°Just now, while I was teaching them, I noticed that you were watching at the side for a long time. How much have you learned?¡±


    Jixiang was stunned. She asked, ¡°Mrs. Xie, do I have to learn the movements as well?¡±


    ¡°Of course, we will have more people than just these members in the future. I will need someone who can help me. Jixiang, are you willing to be that person?


    ¡°Can¡­ can I?¡±


    Jixiang had a look of disbelief. Could she teach thosedies?


    Wasn¡¯t that something that only a teacher could do?


    She was illiterate and was a vige girl.. How could she possibly be a teacher?

 Chapter 456 - 456: Everything Is Predetermined (1)

    Chapter 456: Everything Is Predetermined (1)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Zhao Chuchu patted Jixiang on the shoulder and said, ¡°Everyone is good at different things. You have to believe in yourself that you can do it.¡±


    ¡°However, Mrs. Xie, I am illiterate,¡± Jixiang said softly. ¡°The women will not trust me.¡±


    ¡°Then, you should start learning now. Do you know when the best time is to nt a tree?


    Jixiang shook her head.


    ¡°The best time was 10 years ago. The next best time is now. You have a good memory. If you put in some effort, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to master it.¡±


    ¡°Can I actually do it?¡±


    ¡°You can.¡±


    Jixiang felt as though she had hit the jackpot. She felt that everything was so surreal.


    Ever since her parents died, everyone scolded her for being a bringer of misfortune and that her parents had umted eight lifetimes¡¯ worth of bad luck to have given birth to her.


    However, she now encountered such good fortune that she had never dared to imagine.


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, will you teach me?¡± Jixiang mustered her courage and asked.


    Zhao Chuc.huughed and said, ¡°Of course. Or do you prefer to teach yourself? Since I have exined so much, I will certainly not leave you to your own devices. However, the process will be very tough. Can you persevere? I won¡¯t allow my student to give up halfway.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, rest assured, I will definitely do my best to learn from you. I will not let you down. It is just that I am not so bright, so I will be slow in learning. Mrs. Xie, please bear with me. I will practice slowly and consistently until I am good at it,¡± Jixiang assured Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°I believe you. I chose you from so many people back at the broker house. My eye for talent is pretty good.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your trust, Mrs. Xie. I promise that I will not disappoint you.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I will see the results, not what you promise. Jixiang, I have given you the opportunity. If you cannot seize it, you can me no one but yourself.¡± ¡°Hmm, I understand,¡± replied Jixiang as she began to choke up.


    Even if she had to risk her life, she would learn the movements properly. She would firmly seize this chance to change her fate.


    Over the next few days, Jixiang and Chang Hong helped out in the Ruyu Center during the day. At night, after theypleted their chores at home, Jixiang practiced what Zhao Chuchu had taught her during the day while learning how to read and write from Chang Hong.


    Zhao Chuchu was well aware of how hardworking she was.


    Zhao Chuchu told Xie Heng, ¡°Jixiang is very motivated. I didn¡¯t make a wrong choice in choosing her. If she continues to work hard and learn from me, she will be able to take charge of the Ruyu Center six months from now.¡±


    Xie Heng replied, ¡°You have good eyes. Naturally, the people you picked are good too. However, Jixiang alone will highly unlikely be enough to shoulder all the responsibilities at the Ruyu Center. I have been keeping an eye out for any suitable women. When I find one, I will bring her to you.¡±


    ¡°I want women who can endure hardships. They should have a good attitude and are not gossipers.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I know.¡±


    ¡°Oh right! How¡¯s Yu Linjiang now?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked as she suddenly thought of this person. ¡°He has left the academy.¡±


    ¡°In that case, in the future¡­¡¯


    ¡°There is no future to speak of,¡± Xie Heng casually said. Zhao Chuchu understood what he was implying.


    She did not continue discussing the topic.


    After the Third Prince came to see Xie Jun that day, he never appeared again.


    The former was reclusive. If Zhao Chuchu had not asionally heard the news about him from Xie Heng, she would have thought that he had already returned to Imperial City.


    This was also the same for Qiao Heting!


    Zhao Chuchu had no idea what they were up to.


    As long as the Third Prince had no intention of hurting Xie Jun, she was fine with whatever he was scheming.


    If he nned to harm Xie Jun, she could easily kill him without being noticed.


    ¡°Did the Third Prince meet up with you recently? Did he mention anything about Junjun?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked Xie Heng.


    Xie Heng shook his head and replied, ¡°Nope. The Third Prince announced to the public that he is here for recuperation. If he travels around frequently, he might attract a lot of unnecessary trouble to himself. Therefore, under normal circumstances, he will not leave his residence. With Qiao Heting around, he¡¯s safe.¡±


    ¡°The Great Prince has not made any moves?


    ¡°The Third Prince has left behind many matters for the Great Prince and the others to busy themselves with. Within this year, they won¡¯t have the time to cause trouble.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a shame.¡±


    The Third Prince was such a good man, but he was not fated to live long. Otherwise, he would be a wise ruler.


    She was already doing all that she could to extend the Third Prince¡¯s life.


    If she had been reborn a year earlier, she might have been able to make the Third Prince live until he was 50 or 60, presuming that there were no idents.


    ¡®Everything is predetermined. Chuchu, you have already done your best,¡± Xie Hengforted Zhao Chuchu.


    In reality, Xie Heng hoped that the Third Prince would live a long life. In that case, he could leave the Imperial City with Xie Jun and Zhao Chuchu, and they could live a quiet farm life as she wished.


    As for Xie Jun¡¯s background, he would let Xie Jun decide for himself once he told him..

 Chapter 457 - 457: Everything Is Predetermined (2)

    Chapter 457: Everything Is Predetermined (2)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    If Xie Jun insisted on going back to the imperial family after knowing the truth, Xie Heng would respect his choice. However, he would not follow Xie Jun and join the imperial court.


    Unfortunately, this was not an option for them at that moment since the Third Prince would not live long enough to be the emperor. Xie Heng could not bear to see the Wei Dynasty go downhill under the leadership of the evil Great Prince.


    He was once the grand secretary. Regardless of what happened, he would not let the Wei Dynasty fall to such a pathetic state.


    The Great Prince and the other princes could never amount to the Third Prince in every aspect.


    Zhao Chuchumented, ¡°That¡¯s right. Everything is predetermined.¡±


    The endings for some people truly could not be changed.


    Her carry-on space was just a portable warehouse. She did not possess items like the Fountain of Youth.


    Her healing power was not omnipotent.


    ¡°Alright. Don¡¯t think too much about it. Don¡¯t you need to go to the Ruyu Center early tomorrow to teach Jixiang? Rest early then,¡± said Xie Heng as he patted her head. ¡°Be it for Junjun or the Third Prince, you have already done what you can.¡±


    ¡°I am not vexed because I can¡¯t save their lives. If it wasn¡¯t for me, the Third Prince would not have been able to live for so long. Right now, every day for him is a day that I managed to seize back for him. I just feel that as humans, we are helpless when faced with many things. That is all.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t feel so mncholic. Even if the sky copses on us, I will still be there to hold it up for you. As long as I don¡¯t fall, you will definitely be safe.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡®Quickly go to sleep then,¡± said Xie Heng as he tapped her nose.


    Zhao Chuchu cast a nce at him and asked, ¡°Are you taking advantage of me?¡±


    ¡°Will you allow me to do so?


    ¡°What if I say no?


    ¡°I will not ept no as an answer.¡±


    ¡°Then, why did you ask?¡±


    ¡°Go to sleep,¡± Xie Heng coerced Zhao Chuchu.


    With a flick of his finger, the candles were extinguished.


    Zhao Chuchu could only burrow into the nkets.


    Xie Heng alsoy down on the bed and then embraced Zhao Chuchu. She habitually found afortable position and soon fell asleep.


    As Xie Heng listened to her steady breathing, he closed his eyes and smiled. He also fell asleep.


    The next morning, Zhao Chuchu woke up before Xie Heng did.


    Jixiang was already practicing the steps Zhao Chuchu had taught her yesterday in the courtyard. She did all the steps perfectly.


    When she saw Zhao Chuchu emerge from her room, she stopped practicing and greeted her, ¡°Mrs. Xie, good morning. I have prepared breakfast. Should I serve it to you now?


    Recently, Chang Hong was undergoing her medicinal bath treatment and acupuncture. Therefore, Jixiang took over the responsibility of doing all the house chores. She forbade Chang Hong from doing them.


    Because of this, Chang Hong treated Jixiang very well too. She practically treated Jixiang as her own younger sister.


    Chang Hong was also awake at this time.


    Herplexion looked much better than before. Her pulse also indicated that she was getting healthier.


    Even though Chang Hong currently sat out from intensive tasks and chores that came in contact with cold water, she still insisted on following Zhao Chuchu to the Ruyu Center. She helped out with easier tasks whenever she could.


    Chang Hong said that she wouldn¡¯t feel right if she stayed idle.


    Zhao Chuchu let her be.


    The three of them headed to the Ruyu Center after breakfast.


    Usually, Mrs. Ge and the other women came to the center at three in the afternoon.


    Zhao Chuchu and the others went in the morning to tidy up the center. Zhao


    Chuchu also taught Jixiang about the theory regarding fitness and nutrition.


    The fitness movements were not difficult for Jixiang. However, the theory about nutrition was a challenge for her because she was illiterate and could not take notes. She could only memorize all this knowledge by asking Zhao Chuchu repeatedly.


    Although her method was very crude, this was the best that she could do before she learned how to read and write.


    Zhao Chuc.hu repeated the points over and over again without showing any sign of impatience.


    On the side, Chang Hong jotted down what she said.


    When they returned home, she would teach Jixiang to recognize the characters she jotted down.


    The three of them each had their own tasks, and theyplemented each other well.


    Due to Mrs. Ge and the other members promoting the fragrant soaps and shampoos from the Ruyu Center, in just a few days, these products had be hotmodities among thedies in the city.


    The remaining stock had all been sold.


    Everyone else who wanted the products had to wait for Zhao Chuchu to produce more.


    After so many days, Mrs. Ge and the other members were used to dancing with Zhao Chuc.hu daily. They had yet to slim down, but to their surprise, they felt more energetico Besides, they were addicted to the feeling of being drenched in sweat after exercising.


    They had already begun to gradually fall in love with such training.


    Most importantly, they felt that their movements had be much nimbler. They also did not run out of breath and became tired after walking around at home so easily.


    Although they were exhausted from the training every day, once they had their medicinal bath back home, not only could they have a good night¡¯s sleep, but they would not feel sore the next day when they got up as well.


    Many of the womenfolk who were close to them were beginning to considering to the Ruyu Center.


    Hence, for the past two days, the number of people who came to make inquiries had increased. More than a dozen women had signed up to be members..

 Chapter 458 - 458: Everything Is Predetermined (3)

    Chapter 458: Everything Is Predetermined (3)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Zhao Chuchu still did not teach the women how to use the equipment and primarily focused on aerobics. Once their stamina had improved, she would start training them using the equipment.


    Everyone¡¯s physical condition was different and required different equipment.


    Mrs. Ge had be Zhao Chuchu¡¯s number-one fan. Whatever Zhao Chuchu said, she would treat it as gospel and follow.


    This was especially so for her diet. She strictly kept to the diet n that Zhao Chuchu had set for her, not eating even the slightest bit more. No matter how much she wanted to eat, she managed to keep her gluttony in check.


    Zhao Chuchu was very impressed with her.


    Prior to this, Mrs. Ge was famous for being a foodie.


    Now she had stopped visiting restaurants. She even lost interest in checking out the jewelry shops and makeup stores. Her favorite activity now wasing to the Ruyu Center.


    She even arrived at the center before three o¡¯clock.


    The moment she entered, she asked Zhao Chuchu, ¡°Mrs. Xie, I want to ask you something. Can olddies who are in their 50se to the Ruyu Center?¡± Confused, Zhao Chuchu repeated, ¡°Olddies who are in their 50s?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I¡¯m talking about my mom. She is also a foodie like me, and she is also very fat now. The physicians have asked her to control her diet. They told her that if she continues to gain weight, her body will suffer. I am thinking of bringing her to the center and asking her to join our training sessions.¡±


    ¡°Of course, she cane. However, she can¡¯t dance like all of you. After all, she is an elder. Never mind. Just bring her over. I will check her condition, and we can decide on what to do next.¡±


    If Old Mrs. Zheng was too fat, she would have to control her food intake and lose some weight through dieting first.


    Unlike young people, the elderly could not dance and hop around. It was especially so for olddies from wealthy families.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Mrs. Ge immediately called out, ¡°Mom,e on in. Mrs. Xie says you cane too.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    If she had already brought her mother over, why did she have to ask?


    Mrs. Ge¡¯s maiden surname was Zheng. She and her mother, Old Mrs. Zheng, looked very simr. Both of them had kind-looking eyes and blessed looks.


    ¡°Wee, Old Mrs. Zheng,¡± Zhao Chuchu greeted.


    ¡°Aye, Mrs. Xie, you do not need to be so polite. I am old but do not like to miss out on things. I also want to join in on what the youngsters are up to. I hope Mrs. Xie won¡¯t mind,¡± Old Mrs. Zheng said as she chuckled.


    Zhao Chuchu replied, ¡°Old Mrs. Zheng, you are being too kind. For you to havee to the Ruyu Center means that you trust me. How could I possibly turn you away?


    In truth, Old Mrs. Zheng was even fatter than Mrs. Ge.


    Slim elderly women were a rare sight. Seniors like Old Mrs. Zheng most likely had high blood sugar, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol levels.


    Zhao Chuchu checked her pulse. As expected, Old Mrs. Zheng had hypertension and obesity.


    Because of this, Zhao Chuchu could not engage Old Mrs. Zheng in high-intensity training. She nned to alter thetter¡¯s diet first. When her weight was under control, only then would Zhao Chuchu teach her some exercises suitable for older people.


    At that point, Old Mrs. Zheng could strengthen her body while losing weight. She could kill two birds with one stone.


    Zhao Chuchu told Old Mrs. Zheng about her n.


    Old Mrs. Zheng eximed, ¡°Can eating help me to lose weight?¡±


    ¡°It depends on what you eat and how you eat. However, you have to listen to me,¡± Zhao Chuchu exined while nodding her head. ¡°Speaking of which, it will be a hardship for you, Old Mrs. Zheng.¡±


    ¡°I can handle any hardship.¡±


    ¡°Then what about temptation?


    ¡°Temptation¡­ I can handle a little bit, maybe?¡±


    Old Mrs. Zheng cutely gestured.


    Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t help butugh aloud. She then coldly said, ¡°No.¡± Old Mrs. Zheng¡¯s smile disappeared. ¡°Why not? Not even a little?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, you might not like what I will make you eat.¡±


    Old Mrs. Zheng was definitely a meat eater who could not enjoy a meal without meat.


    If she had to eat light meals and in food, she would rather die now.


    Hence, Zhao Chuchu said that it would be a hardship for her.


    ¡°Old Mrs. Zheng, it would be best if you could ensure that you are not too fat when you are older. It is not good for your body and can make you susceptible to various diseases. You do not need to slim down until you are as thin as a bamboo pole. You just need to reach a suitable body weight.¡±


    ¡°I will try.¡±


    Old Mrs. Zheng was actually moved.


    She was truly too fat. Even walking had be cumbersome for her.


    She even needed to rest every few steps when walking in her garden. For Old


    Mrs. Zheng, that was not a good experience.


    However, she couldn¡¯t resist the temptation of gourmet food.


    She felt sinful after every meal. However, she would continue doing so the next time as well. She was the same as most women who wanted to lose weight but could not do so.


    ¡°There is no point trying if you are not serious about it,¡± Zhao Chuchu said as she shook her head. ¡°Old Mrs. Zheng, if you really want to lose weight, you must follow my instructions to the letter. Otherwise, you will continue to be like this or get even fatter.¡±


    Old Mrs. Zheng was in a dilemma.


    She looked at Mrs. Ge.


    Mrs. Ge said, ¡°Mom, you better listen to Mrs. Xie. Don¡¯t you want to y with your great-grandchildren? If you want to, you must keep your body fit. Otherwise, your dream will be crushed if you can¡¯t even carry them.¡±


    Old Mrs. Zheng fell silent.


    Zhao Chuchu did not rush her to make a decision now.


    She suggested, ¡°Old Mrs. Zheng, why don¡¯t you stay here this afternoon and have a look at what Mrs. Ge and the rest of thedies do?¡±


    Her suggestion was exactly what Old Mrs. Zheng had in mind, so she agreed to it without hesitation..

 Chapter 459 - 459: Practically a Living Hell (1)

    Chapter 459: Practically a Living Hell (1)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Aerobics appeared easy and interesting when watching other people doing it.


    Old Mrs. Zheng also thought so.


    After spending two hours in the Ruyu Center, Old Mrs. Zheng decided to live more youthfully and treat herself better. Only then could she be fit enough to carry her great-grandchildren in the future.


    Zhao Chuchu determined a strict diet n for Old Mrs. Zheng based on her body¡¯s condition.


    ¡°Old Mrs. Zheng, is there anyone around you who you will listen to?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked. Old Mrs. Zheng¡¯s character was rather childlike. If no one could handle her, this diet n would be a waste of time.


    Mrs. Ge immediately pulled out a mammy from behind Old Mrs. Zheng and said, ¡°Mrs. Xie, you can leave it to Mammy Li. She can handle my mother.¡±


    Mammy Li bowed and asked, ¡°Mrs. Xie, what are your orders?¡±


    ¡°You can just tell me. It is the same,¡± Old Mrs. Zheng said hurriedly.


    Mrs. Ge said, ¡°My mother likes to snack in secret. Only Mammy Li can keep an eye on her.¡±


    Old Mrs. Zheng retorted, ¡°What do you mean snack in secret? How can you expose me like that?¡±


    Mrs. Ge responded, ¡°Before this, those physicians instructed you countless times to eat fewer sweets. When have you ever listened to them?¡±


    Old Mrs. Zheng felt guilty.


    When Zhao Chuchu saw this exchange, she passed the diet n she had written to Mammy Li and instructed, ¡°Mammy Li, you can prepare Old Mrs. Zheng¡¯s meals ording to this n. Aside from that, she can asionally eat some of the snacks I listed at the very bottom, but only in small quantities.¡± Mammy Li inspected the list carefully, asking Zhao Chuchu about parts she did not quite understand.


    Zhao Chuchu exined everything to her patiently.


    Once Old Mrs. Zheng heard this, she immediately regretted her decision. She said, ¡°Mrs. Xie, why don¡¯t we forget about this? Eating every day like this will kill me.¡±


    ¡°Old Mrs. Zheng, the rule of the Ruyu Center is that you cannot quit once you start.¡±


    ¡°What about if I forfeit my money?¡±


    ¡°It is still the same.¡±


    Could she do that?


    Old Mrs. Zheng pped her thigh in regret.


    She did not even have the chance to regret her decision before she stepped out of the Ruvu Center.


    Zhao Chuchu instructed Mammy Li again, saying, ¡°You must be strict. Do not let Old Mrs. Zheng eat anything aside from what is listed in the n.¡± Old Mrs. Zheng had been pampered all her life. All her ailments were due to wealth. In a few years, she would suffer the consequences.


    Mrs. Ge was straightforward. Her rtionship with Zhao Chuchu was quite good, so Zhao Chuchu took this situation as helping a friend¡¯s mother to recuperate.


    Mammy Li promised, ¡°Mrs. Xie, don¡¯t worry. I will definitely monitor Old Mrs. Zheng properly.¡±


    Old Mrs. Zheng sighed. Once she thought about not being able to eat sweets in the future, she felt as though there was nothing to look forward to in life.


    Zhao Chuchu could not help but smile.


    Old Mrs. Zheng was too cute.


    After Old Mrs. Zheng and Mrs. Ge left, Zhao Chuchu was in no hurry to return home. She continued teaching Jixiang at the Ruyu Center.


    Jixiang practiced very diligently.


    Chang Hong was a martial arts practitioner. Even listening to the side, she felt that she had learned a lot.


    Chang Hong clearly knew that Zhao Chuchu¡¯s capabilities were not limited to this.


    Sometimes she also felt that she was very fortunate to be a servant of the Xie n. Otherwise, how could she possiblye in contact with such things?


    Usually, physicians were very stingy when it came to sharing their knowledge with their disciples, let alone teaching outsiders.


    However, Zhao Chuchu was not like that.


    She would dly share her knowledge with others.


    When the poorer folk came to her for treatment, she would also teach them how to take care of their external injuries. If the patients could not afford medicine, she would teach them where to find the herbs to use.


    Of course, this was limited to simple external injuries. Zhao Chuchu would still advise them to seek physicians if their injuries were too severe and that they should not simply use medicine without instruction.


    Sometimes she would direct them to physicians with good medical ethics in the capital.


    Zhao Chuchu had a good reputation in the capital now. The other physicians respected her very much.


    ¡°Sister Hong, what are you thinking about?¡± While she was spacing out, Jixiang waved her hand in front of Chang Hong¡¯s face and said, ¡°Mrs. Xie said that we are heading home.¡±


    ¡°Oh, alright,¡± Chang Hong replied as she snapped back to reality.


    The three of them locked up the Ruyu Center and slowly headed back to the Xie family¡¯s residence.


    The rays of the setting sun hit the weathered walls of the buildings around them, giving off an indescribable peaceful vibe.


    Zhao Chuchu enjoyed this atmosphere very much.


    In her previous life, she had been killing to survive for too long. She had forgotten what it was like to walk in the sunset.


    Zhao Chuchu saw who the owner of the stall was. She then pushed Jixiang toward Chang Hong and said, ¡°You and Sister Hong head back first. I will go over and buy it myself.¡¯


    As she said this, she did not wait for Jixiang to respond and headed over to the stall.


    Chang Hong had an indifferent expression as she dragged Jixiang and walked away without turning back.


    ¡°Sister Hong, are we not waiting for Mrs. Xie?¡±


    ¡°There is no need to do so. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Otherwise, Jixiang would be a burden for Mrs. Xie..

 Chapter 460 - 460: Practically a Living Hell (2)

    Chapter 460: Practically a Living Hell (2)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Chang Hong was different from Jixiang. She had once lived a life of assassinations and bloodshed. Her sense of danger was far sharper than Jixiang¡¯s.


    The owner of the stall was an assassin just like she was in the past.


    ¡°Owner, how are you selling these stuffed pies?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked, feigning ignorance. She walked up to the stall and said, ¡°I did not see you here yesterday. Have you just arrived in the capital? Your pies smell wonderful.¡±


    ¡°A meat pie is three cents. A vegetarian pie is one cent. Which one would you like?¡± the owner asked with a simple smile.


    A woman next to the owner squatted down, seemingly starting a fire.


    Zhao Chuchu smiled gently and said, ¡°Give me 10 of each.¡±


    In the next moment, sparks filled her vision and two swords stabbed out at her simultaneously.


    Zhao Chuchu turned her body and evaded this sudden attack. She swiftly retreated a few steps and steadied herself.


    ¡°Do you know what I hate the most?¡±


    Her two assants did not answer her. Instead, they stabbed at her again, their swordsmanship swift and vicious.


    ¡°The thing I hate the most is when people interrupt me when I want to eat.¡±


    After she said that, the two assassins did not have any chance of retaliating. It turned into Zhao Chuchu dominating the fight.


    In less than 10 minutes, her attackers were lying on the ground. They did not even have the strength to retaliate.


    ¡°Make me those pies!¡± Zhao Chuchu ordered as she seized their swords.


    ¡°Otherwise, I will cripple you.¡±


    These two assassins never imagined that their assassination would fail and that they would be forced to carry out their cover-up job.


    It was not that they did not put up a fight. Zhao Chuchu was really bizarre. She did not give them the opportunity to take their own lives or escape.


    Not every assassin was so stubborn. If they could live, who would want to die?


    Both of them had been pummeled by Zhao Chuchu to the point that no one could make out their original appearances. They were forced to bite the bullet and make the pies for Zhao Chuchu.


    They took the opportunity to poison the stuffed pies, believing that Zhao Chuchu would not notice.


    Instead, Zhao Chuchu stuffed the pies into their mouths and forced them to swallow them.


    They did know how other assassins ended up after encountering Zhao Chuchu. They only knew that right now, they were probably the most aggrieved assassins.


    This was practically a living hell.


    ¡°You dare y with poison in front of me? Don¡¯t you know who I am?¡± Zhao Chuchu mocked. ¡°Spit it out. Who sent you here? If you tell me, I will be generous and not kill you. However, if you remain silent, guess how many pieces of flesh I can cut from your bodies before you die? Rx, I will be very gentle.¡±


    They trembled when they heard her say that.


    They did not believe that she was joking.


    Just thinking about being sliced up piece by piece was terrifying.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know,¡± they answered. Their work ethic made them slightly stubborn. ¡°If you want to kill us, just do it. Spare us the nonsense.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t believe me, do you?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked.


    As she smiled, she swung down her sword.


    A thin piece of the man¡¯s shoulder was sliced off, and he bled profusely.


    After that, she sliced him another time.


    The man cried out in pain.


    The woman watched beside him, her body shivering.


    ¡°I will cut you up just like that. My strokes will be very even. Do you want to try it?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked as she smiled like a little devil. ¡°I guarantee that you will not die too swiftly or painlessly.¡±


    The man was covered in a cold sweat as well.


    Zhao Chuchu also used her healing power, turning his blood into fine icicles that pierced into his wound. The man felt like dying from the pain.


    ¡°Huh? You won¡¯t talk?¡±


    ¡°I will talk. I will talk. A man of average height came looking for us. His face was covered, so I did not get a good look at his appearance.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all just nonsense.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu pped him so hard that he spun around on the spot.


    ¡°Of course, I know someone found you to kill me. It couldn¡¯t have been a ghost. I am warning you. Don¡¯t y tricks with me. Otherwise, I will kill her first.¡¯ Zhao Chuchu pointed her sword at the woman.


    ¡°The person who came to see us was a man from the capital. His left ear is missing a corner.¡±


    The man pointed at his earlobe.


    ¡°I really do not know anything else.¡±


    If they had known that Zhao Chuchu would be so difficult to deal with, they would not have taken up this job, even if they were beaten to death.


    Who would have thought that a physician would have such terrifying skills?


    However, this person was very patient. Until now, he was still hiding in ambush.


    She was their target, so they had no intention of attacking Chang Hong and Jixiang.


    After Zhao Chuchu got the information she wanted, she tied the two of them up tightly and brought them to the government office.


    In the end, the officials at the government office were shocked when they saw these two assassins.


    After carefully identifying them for a long time, the officials determined that the two were criminals on the imperial court¡¯s most wanted criminal list.


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, you have done a great service to the government,¡± said the sheriff gratefully. ¡°The imperial court has been after these two for a very long time.. Who would have thought that they would be captured by you?¡±

 Chapter 461 - 461: Practically a Living Hell (3)

    Chapter 461: Practically a Living Hell (3)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    She had merely brought her assassins to the governing bureau to turn them in.


    She was in a good moodtely, so she did not want to stain her hands with blood.


    Regardless of how she managed to capture them, the sheriff was very grateful to her. He also told her that their bounty was worth 1,000 taels.


    Zhao Chuchu was very satisfied with this small amount of additional funds. She had earned 1,000 taels from wanting to eat stuffed pies. This was a gift from the heavens.


    Zhao Chuchu hoped that such things would happen to her more frequently.


    As for the person who had remained hidden in the shadows, she was not anxious to find him.


    If she wanted to find him, that person had nowhere to run. After all, she had already marked him with her power. She would be able to pursue him to the ends of the earth.


    News of Zhao Chuchu¡¯s attempted assassination soon reached the Third Prince.


    His gentle appearance suddenly turned sullen.


    When Qiao Heting saw this, he knew that the former was enraged.


    ¡°Third Brother, maybe this is just a misunderstanding¡­¡±


    ¡°A misunderstanding? I have been sick for so long that they seem to have forgotten who I am.¡±


    All of them imed that they did things for his own good, yet all of them were in it for their own benefit.


    He was merely there to treat his illness and they could not wait to kill Zhao Chuchu to prevent her from influencing the grand scheme of things. ¡°Third Brother, I will discuss this matter properly with Imperial City.¡±


    ¡°Kill them.¡±


    The Third Prince¡¯s expression was calm. It was as though he was talking about a trivial matter.


    Qiao Heting was stunned.


    ¡°Eliminate all who disobey my orders.¡±


    Otherwise, when he died, wouldn¡¯t all of them take advantage of his ninth brother?


    He would not let that happen.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Qiao Heting replied after a while.


    ¡°Tell them that there will never be a next time.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± Qiao Heting responded. He left quickly.


    The Third Prince dipped his brush in ink. His brush flew across the surface of the paper.


    A scene of a hunt filled with killing intent quickly appeared on the paper.


    If Qiao Heting was still present, he would have certainly known that the person who had ordered Zhao Chuchu¡¯s assassination had triggered the Third Prince¡¯s bottom line.


    The Third Prince calmed down. He then burned the drawing.


    He walked to the window and looked up at the sky, which had already turned dark. There was a dark look in his eyes.


    There were too many viinous individuals in the imperial court. There was especially no shortage of opportunists.


    Before this, when they knew that he did not have long to live, they pretended to obey him but defied him in secret.


    Now that he was rumored to have been cured, they began to curry his favor again.


    However, he did not need all of this.


    All he wanted was to protect his poor brother.


    His ninth brother was so dependent on Zhao Chuchu. If she died, how great of an impact would that be on him?


    The Third Prince only hoped that before his brother truly stepped into this whirlpool, he could live a carefree and happy life.


    Whoever dared to touch Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng was basically dering war against him.


    The Third Prince did not mind going all out against them and paying with his own life.


    He wondered which side would yield first.


    Not long after Qiao Heting left, Xie Heng came over.


    ¡°I did not mean for this to happen. I will make it up to you,¡± the Third Prince said. He knew why Xie Heng hade, so he first expressed his stance. ¡°For me, my ninth brother¡¯s family is my family.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Your Highness,¡± Xie Heng said as he saluted with his fists. ¡°I am but a humble schr. I am powerless to contend with those who have authority. I just want to be able to protect my wife.¡± ¡°Zizhao, rest assured, there won¡¯t be a next time.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for understanding, Your Highness.¡±


    In truth, the Third Prince was an intelligent person. Even though he did not have Xie Heng¡¯s foresight, he knew that Xie Heng was definitely not an ordinary person.


    Otherwise, how could Xie Heng have coincidentally visited Imperial City ande to find him when the Xia n was in distress?


    ¡°If there is a next time, I will personally take action. I draw the line at when Chuchu gets involved,¡± Xie Heng said with a straight face.


    ¡°Alright,¡± the Third Prince said as he nodded his head. He then took out a letter and passed it to Xie Heng, saying, ¡°Zizhao, take a look at this.¡±


    Xie Heng took the letter and read it swiftly. He revealed a mocking smile and said, ¡°Some people truly dare to dream.¡±


    They were looking for someone to impersonate Xie Jun.


    Xie Heng had to admit that it was quite a fantastic idea. He wondered who came up with it.


    ¡°Your Highness, what do you n to do?¡±


    ¡°I will naturally fan the mes,¡± the Third Prince answered with a faint smile. He added, ¡°It just so happens that I can eliminate some people in the process.¡± He would pave the way for his ninth brother.


    Xie Heng did not pursue the matter further. He roughly guessed what the Third


    Prince wanted to do.


    However, Xie Heng did not trust the Third Princepletely.


    In his many years as an official in his previous life, the mostmon sight was the fickleness of people¡¯s hearts, especially those of the imperial family.


    He was not worried that the Third Prince would harm Xie Jun. Instead, he was concerned about the people around the Third Prince. They would not necessarily be of the same mind as thetter. People were selfish, and everyone had their own agendas.


    Hence, Xie Heng also had his own ns in mind.


    Who didn¡¯t want prosperity and wealth from serving the emperor?


    How many people spent their entire lives in pursuit of ascending to the top and honoring their ancestors?


    After Xie Heng left the Third Prince¡¯s residence, he did not immediately return to the Xie family residence.


    It was almost midnight before Zhao Chuchu saw Xie Heng..

 Chapter 462 - 462: Don’t Disappoint Mrs. Xie

    Chapter 462: Don¡¯t Disappoint Mrs. Xie


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°You are backte,¡± Zhao Chuchu said. ¡°Did you go to meet the Third Prince?¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Xie Heng replied. He did not hide it from Zhao Chuchu. He said, ¡°The people around him stuck their noses out. He should keep them in line.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of him suspecting you if you just go looking for him out of the blue?¡±


    ¡°I will not back down on matters regarding you. Let him suspect me if he wants to.¡±


    Xie Heng was not concerned.


    If the Third Prince became estranged from Xie Heng over this, it meant Xie Heng had to see him even more.


    However, based on Xie Heng¡¯s understanding of the Third Prince, thetter would not resort to that.


    The more Xie Heng stood up for Zhao Chuchu, the more the Third Prince would trust him.


    A man with weaknesses was not a difficult man to deal with.


    ¡°Are you hungry?¡± Zhao Chuchu knew that the matter that day was rted to the Third Prince. However, she did not believe that he ordered her assassination, so she quickly switched topics.


    ¡°I am not hungry. It is gettingte. I will bathe first. I have something to tell youter,¡± Xie Heng said. He knew that Zhao Chuchu was busy recently. They had very little time to talk to each other. Their only time to interact was at night before they fell asleep.


    However, after an entire day, his body smelled, and he felt very ufortable.


    ¡°Hmm, go and bathe,¡± Zhao Chuchu said as she nodded.


    After around 15 minutes, Xie Heng came out from his bath.


    Zhao Chuchu looked up in surprise and asked, ¡°You finished so quickly?¡±


    Prior to this, Xie Heng would bathe for more than half an hour. Was there a war going on now that he needed to shower so quickly?


    ¡°The sooner I finish sharing, the sooner you can rest,¡± Xie Heng exined as he came to the bed and sat down. ¡°Xia Chengxuan and Kang Xiuwan are having a hard time right now. After the downfall of the Xia n, the Kang n did not spare them.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu replied, ¡°But Kang Xiuwan is a daughter of the Kang n, no? Has Kang Liang lost all of his humanity? Does he treat even his own daughter poorly?¡±


    ¡°The Kang n is not satisfied that they did not manage to reap any benefits from the Xia n. They can only vent their frustrations on the mother and daughter. I knew you and Kang Xiuwan had quite a good rtionship, so I thought I¡¯d bring it up. You can decide whether or not you want to help them.¡± ¡°In truth, in the beginning, I really did not like Xia Chengxuan. However, until the very end, she did not expose me to the Xia n. Although I was not affected, I remember this debt of gratitude. Where are they now? I will check on themter.¡±


    ¡°They are in Liu Vige in the eastern suburbs. The Kang n has a vi there.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    There was no harm in her helping them.


    At least, Kang Xiuwan was worthy of her help.


    When Xie Heng saw that Zhao Chuchu had made her decision, he did not continue discussing this topic.


    ¡°By the way, Da Lang, have your ssmates learned the set of moves that I taught you?¡±


    ¡°They have learned it. The principal has also stipted that everyone should practice one set every morning and evening. This is to prevent them from only focusing on studying and forgetting to take care of their physical fitness.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    ¡°These are for you.¡±


    Xie Heng got up and brought over a few ve contracts.


    ¡°I found the people you asked me to find. They will be sent over to the Ruyu Center tomorrow. They are all girls who are unwee in their own families and were sold to get money for their brothers¡¯ dowries. They can take hardships and are hardworking and obedient.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu nced at the names on the ve contracts. They were basically the same as Jixiang before this. They were allbeled as X girl or Y maiden. They were not even given proper names.


    That was how this era was. The poorer the family, the lower the standing the women in the family had.


    In the eyes of many parents, girls were money-losing goods.


    If they could be exchanged for some benefits for the family, their parents would not hesitate to sell them off.


    Nothing was more important than the two balls between the legs of their sons. What they desired was the passing down of their lineage.


    Zhao Chuchu could not change this deep-rooted idea in the society of this era. She could only start influencing those around her gradually.


    If she had sufficient influence one day, she would try her hardest to improve the standing of women in society.


    This would be a long road full of hardships. It would not be an easy path to trod.


    The next day, shortly after Zhao Chuchu arrived at the Ruyu Center, the girls were sent over.


    When the girls saw Zhao Chuchu, they were very nervous. They did not know where to ce their hands and feet. They merely stood there with their heads lowered, their bodies slightly shivering.


    ¡°Since you havee to the Ruyu Center, you do not need to fear me. As long as you do your jobs and do not cause trouble, I am an easy person to be around,¡± Zhao Chuchu told the girls. ¡°However, there is one thing that you need to know. The people I hate the most are those whomit petty theft and cannot control their mouths.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t do so,¡± they all answered anxiously.


    Zhao Chuchu nodded and said, ¡°Hmm, I believe that you are all good girls. Hence, I am willing to let you stay at the Ruyu Center.¡± ¡°Mrs. Xie, don¡¯t worry. I can do everything. You only need to feed me.¡±


    ¡°I can do chores like fetching water and chopping wood.¡±


    ¡°I can cook and clean.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I can plow the fields and nt crops.¡±


    The girls quickly listed out what skills they had. They feared Zhao Chuchu would not want them if they answered too slowly.


    If they weren¡¯t sold to old men to be concubines, they would be sold to brothels to be prostitutes. Of course, they would rather work hard in the Ruyu Center than choose the former. At least there, they would still have their dignity.


    ¡°You do not need to do all of that. Naturally, other people will do these things. Remember this. I bought all of you to work for the Ruyu Center, not to handle chores,¡± Zhao Chuchu said with a straight face. ¡°As for what you need to do, Jixiang will tell you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mrs. Xie.¡±


    ¡°By the way, your names need to be changed,¡± Zhao Chuchu said. She then pointed at them and said, ¡°Your names will be Chuntao, Xiahe, Qiuju, and Donn moving forward.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for giving us names, Mrs. Xie.¡±


    The four young maidens subconsciously kneeled.


    Zhao Chuchu stopped them and said, ¡°Here, you do not need to kneel. Rather than use such gestures to show your respect to me, I would prefer that you serve under Jixiang properly.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mrs. Xie.¡±


    They finally lowered their guard. They could finally live peaceful lives.


    Zhao Chuchu put Chang Hong in charge of the four maidens.


    Zhao Chuchu needed to guide Jixiang, so she let Chang Hong teach the maidens the rules of the Ruyu Center.


    The maidens were very appreciative of this opportunity that spared them from being sold to the brothel. Therefore, they paid close attention to Chang Hong¡¯s instructions.


    Although they did not understand many things, they knew how to ask questions.


    Zhao Chuchu was very satisfied with their attitudes.


    Asking when they did not understand was better than pretending to understand when they didn¡¯t.


    At noon, Zhao Chuchu put Jixiang and Chang Hong in charge of the Ruyu Center while she went to visit Xia Chengxuan and Kang Xiuwan.


    Jixiang was shocked. She asked, ¡°Mrs. Xie, how can I handle the center alone? The womene to the center for you.¡±


    ¡°That is why you need to perform well today. Let them know that you are just as good as me. Jixiang, I believe in you,¡± Zhao Chuchu said encouragingly as she patted Jixiang on the shoulder. Before Jixiang had any chance of backing out, Zhao Chuchu turned and left.


    Jixiang was at a loss for words.


    She looked at Chang Hong and asked, ¡°Sister Hong, what should I do? I can¡¯t do this.¡±


    Chang Hong encouraged her, saying, ¡°Since Mrs. Xie said that you can do this, you can. Don¡¯t disappoint her.¡±


    She was aware that Zhao Chuchu¡¯s purpose for building Jixiang up was so that thetter could one day help her manage the Ruyu Center.


    With Zhao Chuchu¡¯s capabilities, she would do greater things and not be trapped there forever.


    This was Jixiang¡¯s chance to change her fate. Chang Hong wondered whether or not Jixiang could seize this opportunity and shine.


    ¡°But they¡­¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Mrs. Xie tell you to show them that you are just as good as her?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°You can. Don¡¯t disappoint her..¡±

 Chapter 463 - 463: Without Prejudice

    Chapter 463: Without Prejudice


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Jixiang still had no confidence in herself. She asked, ¡°What if I mess things up? Those women are all from renowned families. I am worried that I will cause trouble for Mrs. Xie.¡¯


    Chang Hong sighed. She then grabbed hold of Jixiang¡¯s shoulders and looked her in the eye. She said in a serious tone, ¡°Mrs. Xie trusts you. Hence, you should do your best toplete this task. Jixiang, not all women have such opportunities. If you don¡¯t seize this chance, you might regret it for the rest of your life.¡±


    She continued, ¡°You just need to teach them, right? You can just teach them the way that you were taught. Once you start doing it, you will discover that it was actually not as difficult as you imagined.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Jixiang looked down and fell silent.


    After a while, she looked up with a look of resolution. She asked, ¡°In that case, Sister Hong, can you secretly give me some hintster?¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Chang Hong agreed while nodding her head.


    When the time came, she might not be in the training room.


    Since Zhao Chuchu intended to build Jixiang up, they had to let go and let Jixiang take the first step on her own. Otherwise, she would never learn to be independent.


    In the past, Chang Hong also did not dare to kill people. However, when she was left with no other choice, she could only grind her teeth and take up her knife. Otherwise, she would have been the one who died.


    Fortunately, she could now also live like an ordinary person. She was truly grateful to Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu was not aware of the conversation between Chang Hong and Jixiang after she left the Ruyu Center.


    She left the city and headed to Liu Vige in the eastern suburbs. She wanted to visit Xia Chengxuan and Kang Xiuwan.


    It had been a while since theyst met. Zhao Chuchu never imagined that they would be treated so poorly by the Kang n.


    Zhao Chuchu was not very familiar with the capital of Guangqing Province. She found her way by asking directions as she traveled.


    Liu Vige was some distance away from the Guangqing Province. Even with Zhao Chuchu¡¯s horse galloping all the way, it took almost an hour to get there.


    When Zhao Chuchu arrived at Liu Vige, she was speechless.


    This ce was even poorer than Lengshui Vige. The Kang n actually sent them to such a ce.


    The Kang n imed to have sent the mother-and-daughter duo to a vi. However, along the way, Zhao Chuchu did not see any vi. There were only farmhouses in this area.


    She dismounted and walked toward the vige while guiding her horse.


    When the children ying at the vige¡¯s entrance saw her, they stared at her horse curiously.


    One of the children summoned the courage to ask, ¡°Beautiful sister, may I touch your horse?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu beamed and said, ¡°You may, but don¡¯t hurt it.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± The child was overjoyed. He approached the horse gingerly and gently touched it. Satisfied, he eximed, ¡°It looks so handsome!¡±


    When the other children saw this, they also looked at Zhao Chuchu with puppy eyes filled with anticipation.


    ¡°You may all touch it,¡± Zhao Chuchu dered generously.


    The children cheered as they came forward to touch the horse they had been very curious about.


    After all of them had their turn, Zhao Chuchu asked, ¡°I¡¯m looking for someone. Can you help me?¡±


    ¡°Sister, who are you looking for?¡± asked the child who had spoken first.


    ¡°Where are the members of the Kang n?¡± ¡°Are you talking about the mother and daughter from the main family?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Where are they staying?¡±


    ¡°Sister, I believe it would be better for you to not go looking for them. They are not good people.¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡±


    ¡°I heard theymitted adultery.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was shocked.


    The Kang n must have spread rumors about Xia Chengxuan and Kang Xiuwan. Otherwise, the people in Liu Vige would not dare to say such things about them.


    To be rid of Xia Chengxuan, Kang Liang didn¡¯t even care about his image anymore.


    He was even willing to bebeled as a cuckold.


    ¡°Have they done anything indecent since they arrived in this vige?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked as she suppressed her rage. In a gentle tone, she said, ¡°Don¡¯t believe everything you hear.¡±


    ¡°They haven¡¯t. The sister even gave me sweets. However, my mother said that she was up to no good, so I did not dare ept them.¡±


    ¡°She gave me snacks. I was afraid they were poisoned, so I did not take them.¡±


    ¡°I was also offered snacks. My mother saw her giving them to me and scolded me.¡±


    The children went on and on.


    Zhao Chuchu was at a loss for words.


    Kang Liang¡¯s actions were no different than killing Xia Chengxuan and Kang Xiuwan.


    Zhao Chuchu took a deep breath and lectured the children calmly, ¡°Everything you said was rumors. You did not witness themmitting crimes, did you? In that case, the rumors might not be true. Besides, they would need to pay the price if they killed you. Why would they poison you for no reason?¡±


    She continued, ¡°Even poison requires money, and buying ites with risk. They would need to have gone crazy to do such things against children as young as you. In the future, do not believe everything you hear. You must learn to see with your own eyes, understand? If I looked down on all of you because you grew up in the vige and did not let you approach my horse, wouldn¡¯t all of you be sad?¡±


    She concluded, ¡°Of course, you would. That is because you did not do anything yet I looked down on you with prejudice. Do you think that is right? It is not. If you are not certain about something, don¡¯t simplye to conclusions, understand?¡±


    ¡°Does that mean we should not listen to the adults?¡± a child asked.


    Zhao Chuchu smiled gently and said, ¡°Know when to do so. For example, if it is for your own safety, you must listen to the adults. As for other things, you need to judge for yourselves. You can be kind, but don¡¯t be overly naive, understand? You can be wary of people, but don¡¯t harm others.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± the children responded. They seemed confused.


    Zhao Chuchu did not n to say any more to them. She asked, ¡°If you do not want to bring me to them yourselves, can you point me in the right direction? That way, your parents won¡¯t me you.¡±


    ¡°Sister, you are a good person. I will take you there,¡± the child who had first spoken up said and stepped forward. ¡°Sister, follow me.¡±


    Xia Chengxuan¡¯s house was a distance away from the vige. The isted, old house stood at the foot of the mountain.


    Zhao Chuchu frowned.


    The Kang n putting Xia Chengxuan and Kang Xiuwan in such a deserted ce was practically giving opportunities to the hooligans in the vige to bully them.


    The child led Zhao Chuchu to the vicinity of the house. He pointed at it and said, ¡°Sister, that¡¯s the house. Can you go over on your own?¡± ¡°I can. Thank you,¡± Zhao Chuchu responded as she patted his head.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee,¡± the child replied and ran away.


    Zhao Chuchu scanned her surroundings. Xia Chengxuan and Kang Xiuwan were very unfortunate to be rted to a scum like Kang Liang.


    Just as she was about to step forward, she heard the sound of someone coughinging from the house.


    ¡°Wanwan, are you alright?¡± Xia Chengxuan asked anxiously. ¡°Didn¡¯t you take your medicine just now? Why is your illness getting worse instead? Mammy Liu, can you bring a physician over?¡±


    An old woman snorted, ¡°I have asked a physician toe over. Miss Kang is at fault for being too weak. Mr. Kang has instructed us to stay in the vige unless there¡¯s an emergency. Mrs. Kang, don¡¯t make my job any harder. My entire family is dependent on the Kang n.¡±


    ¡°But Wanwan is already so ill. How can shest if this continues? If the Kang n mes you, I will shoulder the me alone. Mammy Liu, please help me,¡± Xia Chengxuan begged.


    ¡°I cannot do that. I have done all I can. The rest is up to the will of heaven. Mrs. Kang, you only have yourself to me for being in this predicament. Why did you have to defy Mr. Kang? If you didn¡¯t, he wouldn¡¯t have sent you here. Drop the thought of getting a physician. Just follow Mr. Kang¡¯s orders and stay here.¡±


    ¡°If you won¡¯t go, I will go.¡±


    ¡°Without Mr. Kang¡¯s permission, you cannot take one step out of the vige,


    Mrs. Kang.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ Get out of my way!¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Kang, please do not force my hand. I am used to hardbor. Don¡¯t me me if I identally hurt you.¡±


    The two women bickered back and forth.


    Zhao Chuchu secured her horse and quickly walked toward the house..

 Chapter 464 - 464: I’d Like to See for Myself

    Chapter 464: I¡¯d Like to See for Myself


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    When Zhao Chuchu entered the courtyard, she saw Mammy Liu blocking in front of Xia Chengxuan, forbidding thetter to take one step out of the house.


    ¡°Mrs. Kang, don¡¯t make things difficult for me.¡±


    Mammy Liu¡¯s attitude was vile. She wasn¡¯t taking Xia Chengxuan seriously at all.


    Xia Chengxuan tried to force her way past Mammy Liu, but thetter pushed her back violently.


    She was caught off guard. Just as she was about to fall over, Zhao Chuchu dashed forward and caught her.


    ¡°Are servants nowadays so incredible that they look down on their masters?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked after she helped Xia Chengxuan steady herself. She cast a cold stare at Mammy Liu and said, ¡°You don¡¯t act like a servant. You are clearly acting like you are the master.¡±


    ¡°Who are you? Who let you in? Do you know where you are? Stupid girl, get lost! Otherwise, I won¡¯t hold back!¡± Mammy Liu yelled angrily.


    ¡°What are you going to do? I¡¯d like to see for myself!¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Kang, are you going to defy Mr. Kang to the end and be the cause of your daughter¡¯s death?¡±


    When Xia Chengxuan saw Zhao Chuchu, she was surprised. She did not even hear what Mammy Liu said. She asked Zhao Chuchu, ¡°Why have youe here?¡±


    ¡°I came to see how both of you were doing,¡± Zhao Chuchu said. ¡°I never imagined that the Kang n would treat both of you so cruelly.¡±


    When Mammy Liu saw that Zhao Chuchu and Xia Chengxuan knew each other, she immediately scolded her. ¡°Bitch, I am talking to you¡­ Ah!¡±


    Before she could finish her sentence, her words were reced by a cry of pain.


    Zhao Chuchu scoffed and asked, ¡°Do you think I am a pushover like Mrs. Kang? Old hag, if you are tired of living, just say so. I can help send you to the next life.


    ¡°You dare to hit me? Do you know who I am?¡± Mammy Liu asked as she covered her face. With angry eyes, she yelled, ¡°You seek your own death!¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that so? Who are you? I, Zhao Chuchu, have not heard of you before.


    Why don¡¯t you tell me who you are so that I can get to know you?¡±


    ¡°Who did you say you were?¡±


    Mammy Liu¡¯s expression changed drastically.


    ¡°I am Zhao Chuchu. You are not old enough to have gone deaf. How can your hearing be so bad?¡± ¡°Are you the Zhao Chuchu who is also known as Doctor Miracle?¡±


    ¡°Is there another?¡±


    Mammy Liu suddenly fell silent.


    ¡°Miss Zhao, I am sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, wait a minute. I have a husband. Why are you calling me Miss?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu did not like Mammy Liu, so she was finding fault with thetter.


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, I am sorry. I did not recognize you. I have offended you. Please forgive me.¡±


    After learning about Zhao Chuchu¡¯s identity, Mammy Liu¡¯s attitude immediately changed.


    She could not afford to offend Zhao Chuchu. She might need her help one day.


    Zhao Chuchu cast her a nce and then looked at Xia Chengxuan. She said,


    ¡°Just now, I overheard that Wanwan is sick. Is that true?¡±


    When Xia Chengxuan heard that, she pulled Zhao Chuchu into the house immediately. She begged, ¡°Wanwan caught the flu a few days ago, and she has not recovered. She has been coughing really badly. Chuchu, I beg you, please save Wanwan considering that I have never caused you any trouble in the past.


    She is my only child.¡±


    Xia Chengxuan broke into tears while speaking.


    If she had known earlier that Kang Liang was so cruel, she wouldn¡¯t have married him.


    Because of her mistake, her daughter now had to suffer.


    Kang Liang was essentially a brute.


    Zhao Chuchuforted her, saying, ¡°Calm down. I¡¯ll have a look.¡±


    She approached Kang Xiuwan, who was lying on the bed.


    Kang Xiuwan was severely ill. Her face was as pale as a sheet. She was lying on the bed feebly.


    She struggled to get up when she saw Zhao Chuchu entering the room.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t move around.¡± Zhao Chuchu stopped her from getting up. ¡°Let me check your body. Lie down.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu sat down and checked Kang Xiuwan¡¯s pulse. Her brows furrowed as she examined the girl¡¯s condition..

 Chapter 465 - 465: Go Back and Make Things Difficult for Them

    Chapter 465: Go Back and Make Things Difficult for Them


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    When Xia Chengxuan saw that, she became anxious. She did not dare to coerce Zhao Chuchu. She could only pace around to the side.


    After a long while, Zhao Chuchu put down Xia Chengxuan¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Initially, she only had a minor illness. However, the dy of her treatment has caused it to be serious. Luckily, I came over. Otherwise, Wanwan¡¯s body would most likely have been ruined.¡±


    ¡°Then, Chuchu, can you treat her?¡± Xia Chengxuan asked worriedly. ¡°She¡¯ll be fine, right? Your medical skills are so incredible. You can definitely cure her, right?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu nodded and said, ¡°I can treat her. However, looking at your current condition¡­ How could the Kang n treat both of you like this?¡±


    ¡°With the Xia n gone, the Kang n could not wait to get rid of us. It was no surprise that Kang Liang could stoop to doing such a thing, ¡± Xia Chengxuan said as she smiled bitterly. She then looked at Kang Xiuwan and said, ¡°Wanwan has suffered a lot.¡¯


    ¡°Mother, I am fine,¡± Kang Xiuwan said. ¡°I actually quite like this ce. Although it is not as luxurious as the Kang residence, at least we are far away from those people.¡±


    ¡°But your illness has worsened to this state¡­¡±


    ¡°If it is my fate. I cannot me others. However, there is always a way out.


    Chuchu hase now.¡±


    Kang Xiuwan was very thankful that she didn¡¯t listen to her mother¡¯s advice in the past. She even stopped her mother from tipping Zhao Chuchu¡¯s whereabouts off to the Xia n. If they had done so, she could only await death now.


    Since they had not done so, she was not destined to die yet.


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°Alright. Don¡¯t think too much. Do you have a brush and a piece of paper? I¡¯ll write down a prescription for you.¡±


    Xia Chengxuan left quickly to get a brush and paper.


    Zhao Chuchu told Kang Xiuwan, ¡°You became like this because of me. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll not let you live in agony for the rest of your life.¡±


    Kang Xiuwan replied, ¡°It¡¯s scary to be ndered, but I¡¯m even more frightened to be involved in scheming all the time. Liu Vige is a nice ce. Even though everyone here is wed in some way, they are better than those hyenas in the Kang n.¡±


    ¡°What do you n to do after this?¡±


    ¡°My needlework is still passable. Worstes to worst, I will embroider handkerchiefs with my mother. We will find a way to survive. Thank you foring to see me. If it wasn¡¯t for you, I would probably have died here.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think too much. Other physicians might be helpless against your illness, but I am different from them. When your mother returns with your medicine, you just need to take it on time. In a few days, you will be as fit as a fiddle.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you n on returning to the capital? Are you staying in Liu Vige?¡±


    ¡°Giving us a ce to stay in Liu Vige is already considered charity from the Kang n. There is no ce in the capital for me and my mother. Many people in the Kang n want us dead. Too many people have their eyes on the position of head wife and first daughter.¡±


    Kang Xiuwan felt wronged to be left here.


    However, her current outlook on life was simple. Staying alive was all she asked for. She didn¡¯t want to think too much about other things.


    Zhao Chuchu snickered and replied, ¡°Charity? They are clearly trying to force you to end your lives. Rumors about both of you have spread across the entire vige. Can you live good lives here? Rather than allow those people to live carefree, why don¡¯t you go back to the capital and make things difficult for them?¡±


    She continued, ¡°They made your lives miserable. Hence, you should make sure that they feel ufortable. Things have already reached this point. Can there be a worse situation than this? I suggest that you leave Liu Vige. If anything happens, it will be toote to regret it then.¡±


    Be it the bachelors, married men or widowed men, all of them had their eyes on Kang Xiuwan.


    Kang Xiuwan was beautiful, and she originated from the Kang n. Even though she was despised by the Kang n now, for people in Liu Vige, marrying her was equivalent to striking the jackpot.


    Even if the Kang n just gave them a tiny morsel as a wedding gift, it was enough for them to live an easy life for the rest of their days.


    If that happened and the mother and daughter encountered problems, they would be without aid..

 Chapter 466 - 466: Annoyance

    Chapter 466: Annoyance


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Kang Xiuwan lowered her head and remained silent.


    Zhao Chuchu noticed it and took out the pouch containing the silver needles she always carried. ¡°Let¡¯s think about thoseter. Let¡¯s get you some treatment first to ease the difort. Please remove your top.¡±


    It took Kang Xiuwan a lot of effort to lower her dress down to her waist. Zhao Chuchu¡¯s acupuncture was fast and precise. It didn¡¯t take long for her to insert the needles into the acupoint.


    ¡°Chuchu, I¡¯ve been thinking, what can I do if I return to the city?¡± Kang Xiuwan asked in a depressed tone. ¡°I never had to worry about anything with the Kang n. Now I¡¯ve realized I don¡¯t know anything. Even if I return, I don¡¯t have anything. That person will never care for us. He would even find a way to torture us. I feel like we¡¯re at a dead end. We can only stay in Liu Vige. Only now I know how important it is to be at least good at something.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s never toote to learn something new. It¡¯s better than doing nothing, right?¡± Zhao Chuchu sat down on the bed. ¡°If you are okay with it, I have a ce for you to go.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t cause you any more trouble. You¡¯ve already helped me so much, and I can¡¯t even repay your kindness. Even if we are sisters, I can¡¯t do that to you. Xia n is in the wrong too, and I¡¯m still part of it.¡±


    ¡°If you keep saying things like that, I¡¯ll leave.¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, that¡¯s not what I mean. I just don¡¯t want to rely on you all the time.¡± Kang Xiuwan paused before letting out a sigh. ¡°Although I don¡¯t see him as my father, I still understand him. He has always resorted to despicable methods to solve his problem. Mr. Xie has to take part in the Provincial Examination next year. It¡¯s better if you don¡¯t involve yourself with the Kang n. I don¡¯t want to ruin Mr. Xie¡¯s chance.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu smiled and didn¡¯t say anything.


    The Kang n wasn¡¯t as big as the Xia n, so she was never worried to begin with. The Kang n also offended many people by trying to take over the Xia n. The n was eventually foiled. The Third Prince benefited from it in the end. There was nothing left for the Kang n.


    If the Kang n tried to stir up something again, they could be the Third Prince¡¯s next target.


    ¡°Chuchu, I¡¯ve always had a question to ask you,¡± Kang Xiuwan said after a short silence. ¡°Have you ever hated the Xia n?¡±


    As the original owner never learned about who she actually was, Zhao Chuchu could not tell what her reaction to it would be.


    In the end, Zhao Chuchu told Kang Xiuwan how she personally felt instead. ¡°Not at all. I¡¯d only hate them if I actually cared about them. They are strangers to me. My feeling for them is more like seeing poop on the road. It¡¯s just something annoying to see.¡±


    ¡°My mother¡­¡±


    ¡°The real culprits are the people who pushed your mother into that situation. Your mother was still young. What could she do? When the whole world is evil, those who don¡¯t follow suit are the kind people.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu had heard from Xie Heng that Xia Chengxuan had never done anything bad to the original owner¡¯s mother.


    That was why Zhao Chuchu did not have any ill feelings toward Xia Chengxuan. The woman was just used and not the type of person who would trample over other people.


    ¡°But, I still feel sorry for you,¡± Kang Xiuwan honestly said.


    Despite how good Zhao Chuchu¡¯s life was, it didn¡¯t cover up the fact that she lived a tragic life in the past. The Xia n owed Zhao Chuchu a lot for that.


    ¡°How did the Kang n even have such a kind girl like you? It¡¯s really hard for you to keep such a pure heart despite growing up in such an environment. Wanwan, you can be kind, but don¡¯t be too kind. There¡¯s a fine line between the two. Don¡¯t ever let anyone step over that line. Otherwise, you¡¯ll be devoured by them.¡±


    ¡°I know. I will never forget,¡± Kang Xiuwan replied.


    In the end, Kang Xiuwan did not ept Zhao Chuchu¡¯s proposal to return to the city.


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t continue to persuade her.


    After the acupuncture sessions, Kang Xiuwan was already feeling better.


    Zhao Chuchu helped Kang Xiuwan put her dress back on before leaving to find Mammy Liu to prepare a meal.


    Mammy Liu went to work right away without a single grunt. All her arrogance before was nowhere to be seen.


    However, even an hour after the meal, Xia Chengxuan had yet to return..

 Chapter 467 - 467: Deaf or Dumb

    Chapter 467: Deaf or Dumb


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°Do you have to go into the city to get medicine here?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked Mammy Liu.


    ¡°Not at all. There¡¯s a town less than two miles from here,¡± Mammy Liu quickly replied. ¡°We usually go there for medicine. Maybe she doesn¡¯t walk as fast as we do so she¡¯s taking longer toe back.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu red at Mammy Liu. ¡°Are you sure you didn¡¯t notify anyone about this?¡±


    ¡°Miss, I didn¡¯t do anything. There¡¯s no way I have the guts to do that.¡± Mammy Liu got nervous immediately. ¡°The only reason I don¡¯t like them is that they have a bad reputation.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve never even met them before this. What do you know about them?¡±


    ¡°Everyone from the Kang n is saying the same thing. There¡¯s no way they would make it up, right?¡±


    ¡°Are you serious? You aren¡¯t that dumb, are you? How can you still go around believing everything other people say despite your age? The mother and daughter never offended you, not even once, so why are you treating them so harshly? Is someone ordering you to do that?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I just don¡¯t like them.¡± Mammy Liu stuttered. ¡°No one is ordering me to do anything. I¡¯ve never even left this ce.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Zhao Chuchu scoffed. ¡°I¡¯m known for not having any patience. You bettere clean. If I find out that you¡¯ve been lying, I can¡¯t say for sure what I¡¯ll do to you.¡¯


    Mammy Liu immediately lowered her head to avoid Zhao Chuchu¡¯s stare as a chill ran down her spine.


    However, Zhao Chuchu did not move her sight away from the woman.


    ¡°Are you still going to hide it?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked without any emotion in her voice. ¡°Do you really want to have a taste of what I¡¯ll do?¡±


    ¡°1¡­ I really didn¡¯t notify anyone, but¡­ someone came and learned that she has left the vige.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say anything?¡±


    ¡°My task is to watch over them. They¡¯re not my responsibility once they leave the vige. I even tried to stop her.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, right. So you¡¯ve been lying to me, huh?¡±


    Mammy Liu gulped and was too afraid to even make a sound.


    ¡°Chuchu, can you help me find my mom?¡± Kang Xiuwan¡¯s voice could be heard from inside the house.


    ¡°Of course. Don¡¯t worry too much.¡± Zhao Chuchu immediately agreed to help.


    She was also interested to see what the Kang n was nning.


    Despite what happened, Zhao Chuchu was not worried that something would happen to Xia Chengxuan.


    She could guess that the Kang n was just trying to see how important Xia Chengxuan and Kang Xiuwan were to her. They would not bring any harm to the mother.


    ¡°If anything happens to Wanwan when Ie back, you can be sure that I¡¯ll take your life,¡± Zhao Chuchu warned Mammy Liu. ¡°You better not do anything stupid. ¡±


    ¡°D¡­ don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ll make sure nothing happens to her.¡± Mammy Liu quickly promised, worrying that Zhao Chuchu would actually kill her on the spot if she didn¡¯t reply right away.


    Zhao Chuchu then left on a horse.


    The town was close. She reached it in no time. After asking around, she confirmed her suspicion that Xia Chengxuan had never arrived in town.


    The only other exnation was that Xia Chengxuan had been forcefully brought back to the city.


    Zhao Chuchu returned to the Liu Vige and said to Kang Xiuwan, ¡°Your mother should be back in the city by now. Do you want toe with me? She will be worried about you when I meet with her.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Kang Xiuwan didn¡¯t even hesitate.


    Her mother was all that Kang Xiuwan had left. She wouldn¡¯t want anything to happen to Xia Chengxuan.


    To reach the city as fast as possible, Zhao Chuchu had Kang Xiuwan ride with her.


    Since Kang Xiuwan was sick to begin with, the ride only made her feel worse.


    Fortunately, they arrived just in time before the city gates were closed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you back first. You can¡¯t do anything in this state. It¡¯ll only take a few minutes for me to ask about your mother.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Please take me back to the Kang n.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you can handle it?¡±


    ¡°I can.¡± Kang Xiuwan nodded to show that she still had strength left.


    Zhao Chuchu decided to not talk Kang Xiuwan out of it and took her to the Kang n.


    It was as if the Kang n was already expecting Kang Xiuwan to return. The doorkeeper was not surprised to see her. ¡°Third Young Mistress, Mr. Kang has been waiting for you,¡± he said and paused before turning toward Zhao Chuchu. ¡°Mr. Kang also said to invite whoever returns with the Third Young Mistress.¡± With a cold expression, Kang Xiuwan asked, ¡°Where¡¯s my mom?¡±


    ¡°Apologies, Third Young Mistress. Even I don¡¯t know where she is. Please ask Mr. Kang about that.¡± The doorkeeper sounded polite, but he was one of the people who thought lowly of Kang Xiuwan.


    Kang Xiuwan was furious, but Zhao Chuchu stopped her from doing anything rash. ¡°Let¡¯s head in. There¡¯s nothing more important than your mom¡¯s safety.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Kang Xiuwan nodded.


    She wanted to walk into the mansion with her head held high but couldn¡¯t because she was sick. She had to rely on Zhao Chuchu to walk.


    As the servants of the Kang n walked by, they greeted her without any manners. It was clear they didn¡¯t think highly of her either.


    ¡°Is this how they always treat you?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked.


    Kang Xiuwan smiled bitterly. ¡°It wasn¡¯t as bad in the past since the Xia n is still my mother¡¯s family. No matter how much they dislike me, they won¡¯t show it too much. Now that the Xia n has fallen, the Kang n has no reason to be scared of me anymore. It¡¯s natural for them to act toward me like that since they don¡¯t have to hide their real feelings anymore.¡±


    Although Zhao Chuchu had asked that, she knew the answer. There was no doubt that Kang Xiuwan was Kang Liang¡¯s daughter. Their faces were enough to prove that.


    Kang Xiuwan guided Zhao Chuchu to the front hall, but they were stopped from entering.


    ¡°Apologies, but Mr. Kang is attending to a guest inside. Please wait here,¡± the middle-aged butler said without any expression. ¡°No one can help you if Mr.


    Kang gets angry.¡±


    ¡°How long do we have to wait?¡± Kang Xiuwan asked while holding her anger in.


    ¡°How would I know? Mr. Kang never tells me stuff like that.¡±


    Kang Xiuwan was so angry that she almost couldn¡¯t stand straight.


    ¡°Also, please don¡¯t bring strangers back. The Kang n is not an inn. You¡¯ll have to suffer if Mr. Kang finds out.¡± The butler shifted his attention toward Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu waspletely speechless, wondering if the butler was stupid or uninformed.


    The only reason the Kang n forcefully took Xia Chengxuan back was to lure Zhao Chuchu to the Kang n. She was surprised he was trying to chase her out when they had tried so hard.


    Zhao Chuchu scoffed, ¡°I¡¯ve never actually seen a person acting like a snob until today. This is something refreshing. Why don¡¯t you be a good snob and move out of the way? Oh, wait. Snobs aren¡¯t supposed to be nice, huh?¡±


    ¡°Who are you calling a snob?¡± the butler roared.


    ¡°Who else? Are you deaf or dumb?¡± Zhao Chuchu¡¯s expression turned serious. ¡°Your doorkeeper told us that your Mr. Kang ordered him to invite any guests who returned with Wanwan. Did you not get the memo or are you trying to defy his order? Or could it be that you¡¯re trying to embarrass him?¡±


    The butler waspletely stunned by that. All he could do was point at Zhao Chuchu. Not a single word came to his mind.


    Zhao Chuchu moved her attention away from the butler to the front hall. ¡°Mr.. Kang, is this how you treat your guests? I heard that the Kang n is one of the biggest families in Guangqing Province, but I guess even such a prominent family has no manners, huh?¡±

 Chapter 468 - 468: Don ‘t Force Me to Resort to Violence

    Chapter 468: Don ¡®t Force Me to Resort to Violence


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°Who is making a ruckus out there? This is the property of the Kang n!¡± A loud voice was heard from inside the building as soon as Zhao Chuchu finished her sentence insulting the head of the Kang n.


    Kang Xiuwan didn¡¯t think twice to reach her arm out to stop Zhao Chuchu from going forward.


    A few secondster, Kang Liang walked out of the house.


    He stood on the tform under the overhang and looked at Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°What a rudedy! Who are you? Did your parents never teach you to be quiet around other people¡¯s property?¡± Kang Liang roared and turned to Kang Xiuwan. ¡°And you! Kang Xiuwan! Where is your greeting to your father? Where are your manners? That disgraceful Xia n blood in you is showing, bitch!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was first rendered speechless and then she started to p mockingly. ¡°Mr. Xia, you sure are something. Your ability to make things up is amazing. Aren¡¯t you supposed to know why am I here? You¡¯ve done so many despicable things, yet we are the ones without manners. What does that make you? Oh, right. I¡¯ve never learned to back off, by the way. I always remember those who tried to mess with me. If you want me to help you, then dream on.¡± Kang Liang waspletely stunned by Zhao Chuchu.


    Thedy red at him and scoffed. ¡°Where¡¯s Wanwan¡¯s mother? We know she¡¯s here.¡±


    ¡°Is that how you speak to someone older than you?¡± Kang Liang yelled angrily.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s how it is. Get used to it.¡± Zhao Chuchu shrugged.


    ¡°You!¡±


    ¡°You what?¡±


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu! Don¡¯t you dare think that you can do whatever you want here just because you are a great doctor! This is the Kang n, not the Xia n!


    Mind your manners!¡±


    Kang Liang pped his hands. About a dozen yard guards quickly surrounded Zhao Chuchu and Kang Xiuwan.


    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Kang Xiuwan could not believe what her father had just done. ¡°Are you trying to threaten Chuchu?¡±


    ¡°You lured Zhao Chuchu here just as I expected you would. You, bring the Third Young Mistress to meet with her mother,¡± Kang Liang ordered. ¡°Remember, don¡¯t let her go anywhere else. We don¡¯t want her to run into our esteemed guest and ruin his mood.¡±


    The two guards closest to Kang Xiuwan immediately stood forward and tried to take her away.


    Kang Liang was clearly trying to cause a misunderstanding between the twodies, and Zhao Chuchu immediately saw through it.


    Zhao Chuchu knew that Kang Xiuwan had nothing to do with Kang Liang bringing Xia Chengxuan back.


    That was why when the yard guards approached Kang Xiuwan, Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t hesitate to kick them back.


    ¡°Trying to take her? You¡¯ll have to go through me first.¡± Zhao Chuchu dragged Kang Xiuwan behind her. ¡°I have a responsibility to protect my patient as a doctor. I won¡¯t sit still and watch you do anything that might harm her.¡±


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu, this is the Kang n! Mind your manners! This is not a ce where you can be arrogant!¡±


    It was as if Kang Liang had forgotten that Zhao Chuchu was famous for being arrogant in Guangqing Province.


    He thought he didn¡¯t have to worry about the Yuan n because he had a


    connection with someone from Imperial City. The biggest reason for his confidence was that the person had more authority than the Duke¡¯s n, which was backing the Yuan n.


    ¡°Take Zhao Chuchu down!¡± Kang Liang ordered.


    Zhao Chuchu had already overheard the conversation between Kang Liang and his guest inside the main hall. She was their target all along. They needed her to treat the guest¡¯s illness, but the guest didn¡¯t want other people to learn about the illness. That was why they had nned to subdue her instead.


    Xie Heng was nothing more than a schr to them, so they weren¡¯t worried about retaliation from him.


    They were also sure that they could take down a vigedy easily.


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t hold back against Kang Liang¡¯s guards.


    While protecting Kang Xiuwan behind her, she took down all the guards in a matter of seconds.


    Kang Liang could not believe none of his yard guards managed to touch Zhao Chuchu and were now all lying on the ground groaning in pain.


    ¡°Do you want to have a taste too, Mr. Kang?¡± Zhao Chuchu grinned. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I still know how to pull my punches.¡±


    Kang Liang immediately took a step back.


    Zhao Chuchu red at him. ¡°Speak! Where is Wanwan¡¯s mother? Are you going to answer me, or do you want me to beat it out of you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about! How dare you act all arrogant when you barged into my house! I¡¯m going to report you to the officials!¡±


    ¡°Suit yourself! But you better don¡¯t me me if the Kang n falls because of this. Do you want the entire city to learn about what you¡¯ve done to your wife and daughter?¡±


    ¡°What I do with my family is my business! Who are you to mock me?¡±


    ¡°Oh? I¡¯m pretty sure that there¡¯s a rumor in the city, right? Do you think I¡¯m overstepping my boundaries here now? Do you really think that you now control Guangqing Province because the Xia n has fallen? Are you going to ignore the Yuan n just like that?¡±


    ¡°Are you threatening me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just telling the truth. It¡¯s up to you. Of course, you can try and offend me and see what the Yuan n will do to you.¡±


    Suddenly, a cough could be heard from inside the house, and it interrupted


    Kang Liang.


    Kang Liang red at thedy and quickly went back inside.


    Zhao Chuchu could hear the man inside telling Kang Liang, ¡°Enough. Don¡¯t anger her too much.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m worried that she won¡¯t treat you.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a human. There¡¯s bound to be something that she wants. She¡¯s young too. She¡¯ll be easy to control.¡± ¡°Then what should we do?¡±


    ¡°Let her in. I¡¯ll personally talk to her.¡±


    After a moment of hesitation, Kang Liang nodded. ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Kang Liang quickly returned with an arrogant expression. ¡°Zhao Chuchu,e with me. Someone wants to meet you.¡±


    As he said that, he scanned Zhao Chuchu again. He could tell that Zhao Chuchu was beautiful from the moment he met her, but he was now even more certain of that.


    Kang Liang was extremely annoyed. He had nned to have two of his daughters marry his guest so the guest would officially be his backer.


    If Zhao Chuchu were to enter, then his daughters would never have the chance to impress the guest.


    Regardless of his opinion, he could not go against his guest¡¯s wishes.


    ¡°Hurry up ande with me,¡± Kang Liang ordered.


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t move and turned to Kang Xiuwan. ¡°Where is your mother? Let¡¯s head there now. Don¡¯t worry. No one will be able to stop me.¡±


    Kang Xiuwan was still a little worried as they were on the Kang n¡¯s property.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Zhao Chuchu assured Kang Xiuwan as if she had read thedy¡¯s thoughts. ¡°No one can stop me.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Kang Xiuwan finally steeled her heart. She understood that there was no point in her being hesitant. Zhao Chuchu had already gone out of her way to help her. If she hesitated, she would be disrespecting Zhao Chuchu¡¯s generosity.


    Kang Liang waspletely infuriated when he saw Zhao Chuchu was going to ignore him.


    ¡°Halt! Are you deaf?¡±

 Chapter 469 - 469: I’m Going to Ignore You

    Chapter 469: I¡¯m Going to Ignore You


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    If Zhao Chuchu entered, then his daughters would never have the chance to impress the guest.


    Regardless of his opinion, he could not go against his guest¡¯s wishes.


    ¡°Hurry up ande with me,¡± Kang Liang ordered.


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t move and turned to Kang Xiuwan. ¡°Where is your mother?


    Let¡¯s head there now. Don¡¯t worry. No one will be able to stop me.¡±


    Kang Xiuwan was still a little worried as they were on the property of the Kang n.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Zhao Chuchu assured Kang Xiuwan as if she had read thedy¡¯s thoughts. ¡°No one can stop me.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Kang Xiuwan finally steeled her heart. She understood that there was no point in her being hesitant. Zhao Chuchu had already gone out of her way to help her. If she hesitated, she would be disrespecting Zhao Chuchu¡¯s generosity.


    Kang Liang waspletely infuriated when he saw Zhao Chuchu was really going to ignore him.


    ¡°Halt! Are you deaf?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu and Kang Xiuwan still ignored Kang Liang.


    ¡°Kang Xiuwan! You ungrateful child!¡± Kang Liang roared. ¡°How dare you ignore me! ording to our familyw, I¡¯ll have to beat you until your half-dead! Let¡¯s see how you act up after that! Stop her!¡±


    Kang Xiuwan stopped walking and turned around. ¡°You said that mom and I aren¡¯t a part of the Kang n anymore on the day you sent us to the Liu Vige. You were the one who threw us away, so who are you to say that I¡¯m ungrateful?¡±


    Perhaps because she was next to Zhao Chuchu, or because she was pushed into a corner, Kang Xiuwan yelled back at her father for the first time in her life.


    Kang Liang could not react to that as he had never thought that she would raise her voice against him.


    ¡°Even if you beat me to half-dead, I¡¯m still going to say it! You¡¯re not fit to be a father or a husband!¡± Kang Xiuwan was letting everything out. ¡°Other than torturing my mom for the past few years, what else have you done for her? Is all you can think of money? Although you married her because of your family, she was innocent in all of this! You didn¡¯t have the guts to go against your parents, so you expressed all your frustration on my mom instead! What did she do wrong? She risked her life to give birth, and you have never even once fulfilled your duty as her husband!¡±


    Kang Xiuwan gasped for air before she continued. ¡°I have so many siblings. I know it¡¯s a good thing to have many people in a family, but how far can you take your bias? I¡¯m still your daughter! I¡¯ve learned everything I was supposed to, but have you everplimented me? No! Not even once! Now that the Xia n is gone, the first thing you do is sideline us! You chased us out, sent us to Liu Vige, and spread rumors about us! I even wonder if I¡¯m actually your daughter! I was never important to you!¡±


    Kang Xiuwan almost fainted from getting all worked up. Thankfully, Zhao Chuchu was quick to react and helped her stand.


    ¡°Calm down. You¡¯re going to make your body worse,¡± Zhao Chuchu said.


    As she leaned on Zhao Chuchu, Kang Xiuwan still red at her father. ¡°Are my mom and I less than servants to you? How much do you hate us to want to kill us? Why did you even marry her?¡±


    ¡°You bastard! How dare you yell at your father! This is outrageous! I¡¯m going to kill you today!¡± Kang Liang was so angry that he had lost his reasoning.


    He was at the top of the Kang n and had be the n head by marrying Xia Chengxuan. He was used to having everyone obey him. Not a single person had ever yelled back at him.


    Since his daughter did that to him while an esteemed guest was just feet away from them, all he could think of was killing her.


    He had other daughters, so he was never worried about losing one.


    ¡°What are you all standing there for? Bring her to me! Do you have to wait for my order to move? Why do I even pay you guys?¡± Kang Liang scolded his yard guards.


    The yard guards quickly surrounded Zhao Chuchu and Kang Xiuwan again.


    ¡°Miss, please don¡¯t fight back. We¡¯ll be as gentle as we can.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind us! Come!¡± Zhao Chuchu scoffed.


    She wasn¡¯t scared of the Kang n.


    As for the esteemed guest, no matter how important or powerful he was, he still needed her help.


    The Kang n was nothing to her.


    Not only that, but the Third Prince had been eyeing the Kang n as well. The n had always been the Third Prince¡¯s prey.


    Although Zhao Chuchu did not know who the guest inside the main hall was, the one thing she was sure of was that the Third Prince was above him..

 Chapter 470 - 470: I’m Going to Ignore You 2

    Chapter 470: I¡¯m Going to Ignore You 2


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Challenged by Zhao Chuchu, the yard guards quickly moved forward.


    Zhao Chuchu looked at them with disgust in her eyes. ¡°Aren¡¯t you guys even embarrassed by how weak you all are?¡±


    As she finished her sentence, she kicked and sent all the guards flying back.


    The yard guards were taken down in almost an instant.


    Zhao Chuchu then turned to look at Kang Liang and grinned. ¡°Mr. Kang, are you going to try and stop me again? You¡¯re the one who invited me, so stop with these childish acts. If you haven¡¯t heard, I¡¯m really not that good at anything other than saving and killing people. Do you want to try it out?¡±


    ¡°You dare?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to be afraid of? You were the one who tried to attack me first. So if you die, they¡¯ll just rule it as self-defense.¡±


    ¡°You! Zhao Chuchu, your arrogance will bite you back one day! Let¡¯s see how long you can keep this up! If you dare to take Xia Chengxuan and Kang Xiuwan out, I¡¯ll make you regret it!¡±


    ¡°You can try.¡± Zhao Chuchu scoffed and left with Kang Xiuwan.


    Kang Liang¡¯s expression was as dark as it could get. He stared at the backs of the twodies with killing intent.


    He then remembered that his esteemed guest was still inside the front hall, and a chill ran down his spine.


    It was impossible for him to get Zhao Chuchu to meet the guest now. So he had no choice but to steel his heart before returning to the front hall.


    The guest inside the front hall was a young man who was just a little older than the Third Prince. He was well-dressed and had a handsome face, but his eyes reflected his personality, which was deceiving, and it was hard to stare into his eyesfortably.


    ¡°Looks like you aren¡¯t in full control of the Kang n. Look at how twodies managed to push you into a corner. What an embarrassment.¡± The man did not hide his sarcasm. ¡°Mr. Kang, tell me, how do you expect me to trust you with my matters?¡±


    Cold sweat filled Kang Liang¡¯s forehead when he heard that. ¡°That traitorous daughter of mine hates me and is acting all high and mighty because Zhao Chuchu is with her. You still need Zhao Chuchu to treat you. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t do anything to her. We wouldn¡¯t want her to refuse to treat you.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Are you sure that¡¯s the case?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Well, whatever. If you can¡¯t handle this, then don¡¯t even think of working for me again! Did they head toward the backyard? I¡¯ll go and meet her personally.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Kang Liang then quickly guided his guest to the backyard.


    By then, Zhao Chuchu and Kang Xiuwan had already located where Xia Chengxuan was.


    Two muscr female guards were posted outside the room that Xia Chengxuan was locked in.


    ¡°This is not a ce you can enter, Third Young Mistress. Please go back, or else we¡¯ll have to resort to violence,¡± one of the guards said as she reached out to stop Kang Xiuwan. They even tried to push her back.


    Zhao Chuchu quickly pulled Kang Xiuwan behind her and stood in front of the two female guards.


    They then tried to push Zhao Chuchu, but she didn¡¯t move.


    They again, and she remained standing where she was.


    Zhao Chuchu chuckled. ¡°Did you two have your lunch yet? How can you be so weak not to have the strength to push a weak girl like me?¡±


    She then reached her arm out and pushed both of them, sending them stumbling back, and they had to struggle not to fall.


    They looked at Zhao Chuchu with fear in their eyes.


    Zhao Chuchu then supported Kang Xiuwan as they moved toward the door. ¡°Be good dogs and stay there unless you want to have a taste of my fist.¡±


    With that warning, the two guards immediately stopped moving. They could only watch as Zhao Chuchu and Kang Xiuwan entered the room.


    ¡°H-hurry up and inform Mr. Kang!¡± one of the guards quickly said. ¡°I¡¯ll stay here and make sure they don¡¯t leave.¡±


    ¡°All right! I¡¯ll be right back!¡± The other one quickly left.


    Zhao Chuchu heard that but paid no attention to it.


    In the room, Xia Chengxuan was tied up and left to lie on the floor. Her mouth was stuffed with a white cloth.


    When she saw Zhao Chuchu and her daughtering in, she tried to shout something as she struggled.


    ¡°Mom!¡± Kang Xiuwan was terrified. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Stay here. I¡¯ll free her.¡± Zhao Chuchu stopped Kang Xiuwan from moving forward and quickly removed the white cloth from Xia Chengxuan¡¯s mouth before untying the woman. After helping her up, she asked, ¡°Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?¡±


    ¡°My whole body is numb. I can¡¯t muster any strength¡­¡± Xia Chengxuan had a sense of relief the moment she saw Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu then helped Xia Chengxuan to a chair and massaged the woman¡¯s legs.


    ¡°How did you two find me? I went to get the medicine for Wanwan, but the moment I left Liu Vige, someone attacked me from behind. It wasn¡¯t until I arrived here that I found out it was Kang Liang¡¯s idea! That bastard! How blind was I to marry such a man?¡±


    ¡°Chuchu went out to find you since you had been out for a long time. She quickly guessed that our n had done something and immediately came back here with me. Did he do anything to you?¡±


    ¡°They just left me here after kidnapping me. They didn¡¯t do anything other than that. I¡¯m really sorry, Chuchu. I keep dragging you into this mess because I¡¯m too weak to do anything¡­.¡±

 Chapter 471 - 471: I’ll Ignore You 3

    Chapter 471: I¡¯ll Ignore You 3


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me. We¡¯re rted by blood, after all. Just think of me as helping family out,¡± Zhao Chuchu said.


    Xia Chengxuan was stunned for a second before realizing what Zhao Chuchu had said. ¡°A-are you admitting that you are¡­¡±


    ¡°The Xia n is gone now. What difference does it make now? Since I must help both of you, I must have a reason.¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, I¡­ I don¡¯t know what to say. We¡¯ve never helped you, and yet¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll stop helping you if you keep bbering like this.¡±


    Xia Chengxuan immediately shut her mouth.


    ¡°Are you feeling better now? Can you walk? Lees leave if you can.¡±


    ¡°Kang Liang has a lot of guards with him. It¡¯ll be hard for us to leave together. Why don¡¯t you go first? I¡¯m still the madam of this n, after all. They won¡¯t treat me too harshly. I can¡¯t drag you into this any further than I¡¯ve already done.¡±


    ¡°Do you really think I¡¯ll be here right now if I¡¯m afraid of the Kang n?¡±


    ¡°Mom! This is not the time to say that. Chuchu has already helped us this much. Anything you say will only make her ufortable.¡±


    Xia Chengxuan lowered her head and let out a sigh.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Zhao Chuchu went to support Kang Xiuwan and turned to the woman. ¡°Do you need me to support you too?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right. I can walk on my own.¡± Xia Chengxuan stood up.


    Although she still couldn¡¯t feel all of her legs yet, she could walk now.


    ¡°None of you can leave without Mr. Kang¡¯s approval.¡± The guard outside quickly stopped them when she saw Zhao Chuchu helping them leave. ¡°Ma¡¯am, please don¡¯t trouble me too much.¡±


    ¡°You all are the ones that are troubling her, and yet, you want her to sympathize with you lot? Who do you think you are?¡± Zhao Chuchu coldly said.


    ¡°Move, or else I¡¯ll make you move by force!¡±


    The guard wanted to stop Zhao Chuchu, but she didn¡¯t have the guts to do so when faced with the pressure exerted by thedy.


    Zhao Chuchu quickly led the mother and daughter out of the backyard. The guard followed them. She didn¡¯t do anything, but she couldn¡¯t let them leave either.


    When they were in the hallway, Zhao Chuchu raised a brow.


    The next second, a man quickly approached them and almost ran into Zhao


    Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu quickly wrapped her arm around Kang Xiuwan¡¯s waist and turned to avoid the man.


    The man could not stop and almost ran into a pir in the hallway. Fortunately for him, he had practiced martial arts and was able to avoid running face-first into it.


    A hint of anger could be seen in his eyes for a second before it disappeared. Then, after calming himself down, he was ready to talk to Zhao Chuchu.


    Yet, when he finally saw her face, his face was full of surprise, and he could only stare at her.


    Zhao Chuc.hu sighed. Her first impression of the man was that he was disgusting.


    The original owner¡¯s body was still 14 years old, and she was sure that he was in his early twenties. Yet he was staring at ady without intending to hide his lust for her in his eyes. He was pretty much a pervert.


    Zhao Chuchu could not ept the fact that a grown man would actually look at a young girl and have lustful thoughts about her.


    ¡°Apologies, miss. I almost ran into you because I was in a hurry. Are you okay?¡± the man politely asked as he tried to show he was a man of culture.


    If Zhao Chuchu were a teenagedy who had yet to learn about how terrifying the adult world could be, she would¡¯ve been tricked by the mask the man had


    put on.


    However, Zhao Chuchu was not that kind ofdy.


    She could immediately tell that the man was just another hypocrite.


    She could also tell the man had a problem with his sexual functions, clearly caused by his indulgence in sexual activities.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Zhao Chuchu put Kang Xiuwan down. She didn¡¯t even look at the man and was ready to leave


    The man then reached his arm out to block her path. ¡°Let¡¯s take you to a doctor. I don¡¯t want to have identally hurt you.¡±


    Zhao Chuc.hu looked at the man disgustingly.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you being too brazen?¡± she thought. ¡°Are you waiting here for me just to bring me to see a doctor?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Please let us through,¡± Zhao Chuchu said without changing her expression.


    The man was even more excited, as that was his first time meeting ady who would talk to him in such a manner.


    He couldn¡¯t help but admit how different Doctor Miracle was from others.


    He had immediately lost all interest in the daughters of the Kang n. Instead, all his attention had shifted toward Zhao Chuchu.


    The man wanted thedy to be his¡ªboth her heart and body.


    To him, the young and gorgeous Doctor Miracle was just too attractive.


    Having Zhao Chuchu as his woman was worth more than marrying the daughter of a prominent family.


    In the end, humans were bound to get sick, and they would have to ask Zhao Chuchu to heal them. That would mean that the patients would have to owe him a favor if Zhao Chuchu were to be his wife.


    The more he thought about it, the more excited he got.


    Zhao Chuchu sighed as she gripped her fists tightly.


    ¡°What kind of a pervert is he? Is that all he can think of?¡± she scolded in her head.


    Zhao Chuchu then thought of Sikou Qin and realized that the man in front of her looked like him. She began to wonder if the man was from the Sikou n.


    And she was right. The man was the eldest son of the Sikou n..

 Chapter 472 - 472: Don ‘t Mess with Me 1

    Chapter 472: Don ¡®t Mess with Me 1


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Sikou Ming had lived an easy life ever since he was born. He was what everyone would call a person born with a silver spoon.


    He even got married at a young age and had four children. One or two of them were the children of his concubines too.


    Now, Sikou Ming had his eyes on Zhao Chuchu, and all he could think of was making her his woman. But unfortunately, his mind wasn¡¯t in the right state to see that Zhao Chuchu was giving him the cold treatment, and he still tried to court her. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, how about I treat you to a meal as my apology?


    ¡°Sir, we aren¡¯t even acquainted, and I¡¯ve said that I¡¯m fine. You didn¡¯t watch where you were going, and that¡¯s your problem, but don¡¯t treat me like I¡¯m dumb too. I¡¯m busy. Please don¡¯t waste my time anymore,¡± Zhao Chuchu coldly replied.


    Sikou Ming was stunned.


    It was most likely because he had not expected that Zhao Chuchu would call him an idiot.


    On the other hand, Zhao Chuchu did not have the patience to talk to him.


    She was scared that she couldn¡¯t control her strength and would kill him.


    There were always men who thought any woman would fall for them just because they were rich.


    Xia Chengxuan was extremely worried about Zhao Chuchu, as she could tell that the man was from the Imperial City.


    Although she didn¡¯t know who he was, the fact that he could move freely around in the Kang n¡¯s manor meant that he was not an ordinary citizen. Zhao Chuchu could be in trouble if she were to offend him. That was what Xia Chengxuan had thought.


    However, Zhao Chuchu could not care less.


    ¡°Is this how you speak all the time?¡± Sikou Ming finally regained his sense. Not only did he not get angry, he even found Zhao Chuchu¡¯s personality even more intriguing.


    He was used to women being obedient toward him, and not a single one of them had treated him the other way around.


    Her attitude also increased his desire for her. It made him want her to obey him even more.


    Zhao Chuchu pretended not to hear his question and turned to leave.


    Sikou Ming quickly chased after her. ¡°It seems like I have yet to ask for your name?¡¯


    Zhao Chuc.hu stopped and turned around. ¡°Did your parents not teach you that asking ady for her name is disrespectful? If you aren¡¯t going to use your eyes, you should consider donating them to a blind person. Can you not see that I¡¯m married?¡±


    Sikou Ming¡¯s expression finally changed, and his tone became cold. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that you¡¯ll be in trouble for speaking to me like this?¡±


    ¡°Why? Who are you to me? And isn¡¯t it clear enough that I find you disgusting? Am I supposed to go along with you? Also, where are your manners? Are you trying to harass ady in broad daylight?¡±


    Sikou Ming¡¯s eye twitched, as he wasn¡¯t expecting Zhao Chuchu to be so hard to get.


    ¡°Do you know who I am?


    ¡°What does that have to do with me? As you can see, I have a husband. So please stop getting in my way.¡±


    ¡°Oh? I¡¯m from the Imperial City. The farthest you¡¯ve been from your vige is probably the capital of the Guangqing Province, right? Are you not interested in the Imperial City? You can be on top of the food chain there.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the person who can get you there.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re telling me to stop being the official wife of a schr and be a lowly lover for you? Why don¡¯t you use your head a little? Could your head be empty?¡±


    ¡°The more you speak to me like this, the more attractive you are.¡±


    ¡°Are you a masochist?¡±


    There was no response from Sikou Ming.


    ¡°No? Then, why are you looking to be humiliated?¡±


    Still silence.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care who you are. Just stay away from me. If you don¡¯t want people to know about your hidden illness, you better not tick me off.¡±


    Sikou Ming¡¯s expressionpletely changed the moment she said that. The gentlemanly manner that he tried so hard to keep waspletely gone. Instead, only anger could be seen in his eyes.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± He gritted his teeth. ¡°I dare you to say it!¡¯


    Zhao Chuchu grinned. ¡°Am I wrong? I shouldn¡¯t be. I¡¯m pretty confident in my skills.¡±


    ¡°You!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of you. But if you are that good, you better kill me fast. If you¡¯re going to try something and I don¡¯t die, you¡¯ll wish that you go to hell instead.¡±


    ¡°Are you threatening me?


    ¡°I¡¯m just telling you the truth. You can try if you don¡¯t believe me. This is


    Guangqing Province, not the Imperial City. This ce is too far away for you to do anything here.¡±


    Different expressions could be seen in the man¡¯s eyes in a matter of seconds.


    He red angrily at thedy.


    Zhao Chuchu looked back at him nonchntly. She had no intention of backing down.


    ¡°Wow! Just, wow!¡± Sikou Ming finally opened his mouth after a few seconds of silence. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t regret this.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not the one who will regret this. Kang Liang went through so many problems to lure me here because of you, right? To be honest, if you had juste to me and asked for help, it¡¯s not something that money could not solve. But, with how Kang Liang treats me, I¡¯m pretty sure you aren¡¯t any better than him either..¡±

 Chapter 473 - 473: Don ‘t Mess with Me 2

    Chapter 473: Don ¡®t Mess with Me 2


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°What did you say?


    ¡°What I¡¯m saying is that Kang Liang is trying to sell me out so that he can get on your good side, but I¡¯m not the type of person who would just let anyone do whatever they want with me. Think about it¡ªisn¡¯t he trying to make you owe him something? Remember what I said? This could¡¯ve been solved with money if not for what happened today.¡±


    ¡°Then, what about now?


    ¡°Well, your luck has just run out. You¡¯ll have to find another doctor to help you.¡±


    ¡°How are you so confident that you can walk out of this ce? With just a single order, I can ensure you¡¯ll never leave here.¡±


    ¡°Then, do you think I can be kept here if I want to leave and that no one can stop me?


    As Zhao Chuchu finished her sentence, she threw a punch at one of the stone fences by the hallway.


    When she pulled her hand back, a hole could be seen in the fence.


    ¡°So, let me ask you this. Do you think this stone fence or your head is sturdier?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked with a smile on her face as if she wasn¡¯t the person who had just broken a stone fence with her bare fist.


    The color drained from Sikou Ming¡¯s face, and he took a few steps back, worrying that Zhao Chuchu would actually punch him.


    His urge and lust for her were also gone as if they had been shattered by the punch.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like to make enemies, but if anyone tries to mess with me, I¡¯ll never let them go easily. The Kang n is now my enemy. So if you really want to get that illness of yours cured, you better get as far away from the Kang n as you can. That¡¯s all I can say to you.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu then turned and left.


    Sikou Ming stood there without moving even after Zhao Chuc.hu and the other two people were out of sight. All he could think of was the scene where Zhao Chuchu smashed the stone fence with a smile on her face.


    After a while, he recalled what Zhao Chuchu had said. He had embarrassed himself, and he med that on the Kang n.


    There was no way that Kang Liang could have known that he would not only not trick Zhao Chuchu but instead be the victim.


    As the Empress was from the Sikou n, Sikou Ming could do whatever he wanted in the Imperial City. He was just a yboy, and a stupid one at that. If not, he would never have had so many children at such a young age.


    Seeing how he kept indulging himself in women, it was clear that he wasn¡¯t one who was good at using his head.


    Just a warning, and Zhao Chuc.hu was able to scare him so much.


    Since Kang Liang was told to wait for Sikou Ming, he didn¡¯t follow his guest.


    That was why he was so shocked to see Zhao Chuchu and the other twoe out unharmed.


    It wasn¡¯t until Zhao Chuchu was about to leave the mansion that he finally shouted, ¡°Stop right there! You two aren¡¯t allowed to leave this ce without my permission!¡±


    Xia Chengxuan immediately stopped.


    Kang Liang scoffed. ¡°What? Are you scared? If you are, then why are you trying to leave? Come back, or I¡¯ll divorce you!¡¯


    ¡°Fine.¡± Xia Chengxuan had already thought about it after being kidnapped by the Kang n. She didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with Kang Liang anymore.


    Even if her life became difficult, it would be enough for her if she could live a safe life with her daughter.


    Now that the Xia n was gone, she no longer had power in the Kang n. As a result, she couldn¡¯t live her life as she did anymore.


    She wouldn¡¯t be able to protect her daughter if she couldn¡¯t stand up for herself.


    There was no way she could trust Kang Liang anymore. She was sure that he could be cruel enough to push his own daughter into hell if he needed to.


    ¡°Divorce. Let¡¯s do it.¡± Xia Chengxuan turned around and red at Kang Liang. ¡°I don¡¯t need anything from you other than letting Wanwane with me.¡±


    Kang Liang thought he had misheard his wife.


    He could not believe that Xia Chengxuan would agree to it.


    ¡°What? Did you find yourself another man in Liu Vige? You sure are a whore!¡±


    ¡°Shut it! Are you still a human? How can you say something like that?¡± Xia Chengxuan was so angry that her whole body was trembling. ¡°Even if I¡¯ve done something wrong in my life, I¡¯ve never done anything wrong to you! God is going to punish you for this!¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you didn¡¯t find another man out there? So then, why do you want to divorce me? You bitch! You¡¯ll die without a man¡­


    Kang Liang could not finish his sentence.


    He held his burning cheek and looked at Xia Chengxuan unbelievably.


    ¡°How dare you hit me?


    ¡°Because you deserve it!¡±


    Xia Chengxuan was extremely terrified, but she still did it. She knew she had to hold on, even if it meant getting beaten to death by Kang Liang. She didn¡¯t want to lose the courage that took her a lot to muster up.


    Before Kang Liang could even react, she took the chance to p him another time.


    ¡°These two ps are for Wanwan. Kang Liang, you¡¯ve failed as a human being.


    You¡¯re just an animal!¡± Xia Chengxuan roared.. ¡°You¡¯ll definitely go to hell!¡±

 Chapter 474 - 474: Don ‘t Mess with Me 3

    Chapter 474: Don ¡®t Mess with Me 3


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°Is that how you want to y this? Fine, you bitch! I¡¯ll kill you today!¡± Kang Liang¡¯s eyes werepletely red, as if he was going to eat Xia Chengxuan alive. He raised his hand to try to hit her.


    Xia Chengxuan stood there with her eyes closed, waiting for the man¡¯s p tond.


    Yet, even after a few seconds, she didn¡¯t feel any pain.


    When she opened her eyes, Zhao Chuchu was standing next to her. The youngdy had stopped Kang Liang by gripping his wrist tightly. No matter how hard Kang Liang tried to move, his arm would not budge.


    ¡°I am not dead yet, and you¡¯re already trying to hit the people I care about? And in front of me at that? Do you think they have no one supporting them now?¡± Zhao Chuchu scoffed. ¡°You know what I hate the most? Men who would actually hit a woman. It looks like you¡¯ve chosen hell this time.¡±


    After saying that, Zhao Chuchu raised her leg and kicked Kang Liang in the chest.


    Kang Liang flew back as he screamed in pain. He was thrown so far back that he hit the door frame that led into the front hall before falling heavily to the ground.


    Everyone was shocked by what they had just seen.


    Zhao Chuchu then moved forward and stepped on Kang Liang¡¯s chest. ¡°What a great man you are. To think that you would try to hit her. Do you think that you can control women however you want? It looks like I¡¯ll have to let you taste what it¡¯s like to be beaten into a pulp by a woman.¡±


    After that, punches rained on Kang Liang¡¯s face.


    Kang Liang could not even fight back. All he could do was yell in pain.


    It didn¡¯t take long for bruises to cover his face to the point where he was unrecognizable.


    Zhao Chuchu then got up and pped the dust off her hands. ¡°Someone get us a pen and paper!¡¯


    Her voice snapped the servants of the Kang n out of their disbelief. Not a single person dared to oppose Zhao Chuchu, and one of them quickly went into the study room to get the things she had requested.


    Zhao Chuchu then put the things in front of Kang Liang and ordered, ¡°I want a divorce letter, now!¡±


    ¡°I will never write it!¡± Kang Liang replied in a muffled voice. ¡°Just you wait! I¡¯ll get you back for this!¡±


    ¡°Oh? Still refusing, are we?¡± Zhao Chuchu cracked her fist. ¡°Do you want to give this a try again?


    Kang Liang¡¯s body trembled as he could still feel the pain from the punches.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t write the divorce letter now, tomorrow will be your funeral!¡± Zhao Chuchu gently pped the man¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m a woman of my word. Do you think you¡¯re the only one with someone backing you up?


    Normal means would not be enough to handle someone like Kang Liang, and Zhao Chuc.hu knew that.


    Zhao Chuchu was just threatening the man. She would not kill him on the spot.


    That would mean other people would have something over Xie Heng and Xie Jun, and she would not want that to happen.


    If she really wanted Kang Liang dead, she would do it secretly without anyone learning about it.


    Kang Liang was finally intimidated. He could not believe that a teenager like her would actually be that vicious.


    He didn¡¯t even have the chance to fight back.


    ¡°Are you going to write it or not? Or are you already prepared to die?¡± Zhao Chuchu acted as if she was going to kill him.


    Kang Liang fell for it and thought Zhao Chuchu would do it. He was so terrified that his face was ashen. ¡°I-I¡¯ll write it!¡±


    He picked up the pen with trembling hands and wrote as Zhao Chuchu had instructed.


    ¡°Is the list of wedding gifts still with you?¡± Zhao Chuchu then asked Xia


    Chengxuan.


    Xia Chengxuan was stunned for a second.


    ¡°The Kang n has no right to possess those now. Since you¡¯re divorced from him, it¡¯s only natural that you can get them back. Don¡¯t tell me that you will leave those here so that he can give them to his other children.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I still have them.¡±


    Even if Xia Chengxuan were stupid, she would still know that Zhao Chuchu was doing that for her sake.


    If she could get the wedding gifts back, her daughter and she could live afortable life in Guangqing Province.


    She quickly went to get the list out.


    Kang Liang eventuallypleted the divorce letter under pressure.


    Zhao Chuc.hu then threw the list at him. ¡°Get everything on this list out now. Rece those that you don¡¯t have now with money! There¡¯s no way such a huge family can¡¯t pay up, right?¡±


    The only reason the Kang and Xia ns agreed to the marriage between Kang Liang and Xia Chengxuan was for their profit. So when Xia Chengxuan married Kang Liang, the Xia n prepared a lot of wedding gifts to not embarrass themselves.


    Other than the usual money and gems, there were alsond deeds. After that, Zhao Chuchu asked the Yuan n to help move all of the items out of the Kang n.


    The sun was already rising when they were finally done with everything.


    Kang Liang waspletely exhausted. He had been forced to move around non-stop and didn¡¯t even have time to attend to his bruises.


    Zhao Chuchu had finally left after what seemed like years to him, but his hell did not end yet as he had to deal with Sikou Ming next.


    Kang Liang was inplete disarray. He had never felt so tired in his life before.


    Yet he didn¡¯t dare to express his dissatisfaction in front of Sikou Ming. On the contrary, he had to do his best to attend to Sikou Ming, as he didn¡¯t want to make his guest feel like he was ignoring him.


    ¡°Kang Liang, what trick are you ying? Did you invite me here to watch you try to hit a woman and get your ass kicked by anotherdy? Why didn¡¯t you tell me that Zhao Chuchu is trained in martial arts? You even didn¡¯t try to stop me when I went to look for her? Was your n to make me owe you a favor all along?¡± Sikou Ming coldly asked.


    Kang Liang was dumbfounded.


    Everything was supposed to go ording to his n, but it had deviated into a scenario where he was trying to trick Sikou Ming.


    He couldn¡¯t help but wonder what had happened in the backyard.


    Unfortunately for him, he had no way of finding out and could only try to exin himself. ¡°Sir, I think there¡¯s been a misunderstanding. I¡¯ll never try to do that. I didn¡¯t know Zhao Chuchu was trained in martial arts either¡­.¡±

 Chapter 475 - 475: Your Wish Might Come True 1

    Chapter 475: Your Wish Might Come True 1


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Kang Liang had no idea what had happened just a few minutes ago and could only try to exin himself. ¡°You must be mistaken! I never tried to trick you! I didn¡¯t know Zhao Chuchu could do martial arts, either! Did she offend you in some way?


    He was trying to see if he could get any information out of Sikou Ming.


    It was hard to tell whether Sikou Ming was smiling when he replied, ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Kang Liang could feel a chill down his spine.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, sir. I¡¯ll make sure that Zhao Chuchu will treat you.¡±


    ¡°Get lost, you stupid piece of trash!¡±


    If Kang Liang had not mentioned that, Sikou Ming would not have gotten even more furious.


    The man from the Imperial City kicked Kang Liang in his chest.


    The head of the Kang n almost passed out from that.


    He found it hard to breathe and was lying on the floor, grasping his chest.


    Sikou Ming then left furiously, leaving Kang Liang looking at his guest dumbfoundedly.


    He had no idea why Sikou Ming would be so infuriated.


    He quickly chased after his guest and asked, ¡°Sir, I think you misunderstood something! Please give us a chance to exin!¡±


    ¡°Get lost, or tomorrow will be your funeral!¡± said Sikou Ming coldly as he turned around.


    Another chill could be felt down Kang Liang¡¯s spine, and he stood there.


    Sikou Ming scoffed and left.


    Kang Liang lost his wealth and was hurt on the same day. He was angry as well. He started to ask around and finally got to ask the two women guarding Xia Chengxuan¡¯s room. He was able to calm that anger a little after beating them until they were half dead.


    His hatred toward Zhao Chuchu skyrocketed. Not just her but Xia Chengxuan and Kang Xiuwan as well.


    On the other hand, Xia Chengxuan and her daughter had moved into one of the mansions that were given to the Kang n as part of the wedding gifts.


    With the help of the Yuan n, they were able to settle down quickly.


    ¡°Madam Xian, do you need anything else?¡± asked the butler of the Yuan n.


    ¡°My madam has told me to take care of anything you or your daughter need.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, but we should be fine now. Oh, can I trouble you to find one or two trustworthy servants?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll be easy. I¡¯ll have theme here in a couple of days.¡±


    ¡°Thank you so much.¡±


    Since Xia Chengxuan had gotten her money back, she could give the butler some silver as a tip.


    After receiving the tip, the butler acted even faster.


    ¡°Chuchu, thank you. If not for you, we wouldn¡¯t have a ce to stay now.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. But don¡¯t expect people to help you forever. You¡¯ll have to stand up for yourself. The Kang n won¡¯t just let this slide. You¡¯ll have to be careful.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°Since you two have settled down, I¡¯ll head back first.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you have lunch first before heading back?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll pass. I¡¯m way too tired, and I need my sleep. You two should get some rest, too,¡± Zhao Chuchu replied as she yawned.


    The truth was that she wasn¡¯t as exhausted as she portrayed herself to be.


    But, after running around for the whole day, she just wanted to lie down and rest.


    ¡°I understand. Thank you for today.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll leave first.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu waved her hand and left Xia Chengxuan¡¯s house.


    After getting her wedding gift back, Xia Chengxuan and her daughter could now livefortably without worrying about money in Guangqing Province.


    However, the words of Zhao Chuchu humiliating the Kang n had already spread throughout the capital.


    The Kang n¡¯s reputation suffered as a result.


    Most of the women sided with Zhao Chuchu, while men mainly criticized her actions.


    ¡°If I have a rtive like Zhao Chuchu, my inws would definitely treat me better. Zhao Chuchu sure is amazing! Even the Kang n can¡¯t do anything to her.¡±


    ¡°Heck! Who wants a barbaric woman like that? What right does she have to interfere with another familys business?


    ¡°Do you think you can get her if you want to? There¡¯s no way such a talenteddy would fall for a man like you. Stop dreaming! You¡¯re not even worth her time to look at!¡±


    ¡°That Xie Heng is just a schr too! Marrying such ady would just ruin his future! What if she¡¯s talented? What use is there if she can¡¯t help her husband seed? She¡¯ll just get abandoned.¡±


    ¡°What a joke! You¡¯re now saying that she will stop her man from seeding because you can¡¯t be as good as her? If you¡¯re so good, why don¡¯t you let your wife live a better life then?¡±


    Because of that, the women and the men of the capital started to argue.


    Yet, Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng didn¡¯t even pay attention to that.


    When Zhao Chuchu returned home, Xie Jun was studying in the garden.


    When he saw Zhao Chuchu, the boy quickly put his book down and ran toward her. ¡°Sis, where were you? Did something happen? Why didn¡¯t you notify us that you would note homest night? I was worried that you had left bro!


    Please don¡¯t leave him! He still needs his wife!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    ¡°Young man, you¡¯re overthinking things. I already told your brother.. Did he not tell you?

 Chapter 476 - 476: Your Wish Might Come True 2

    Chapter 476: Your Wish Might Come True 2


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°He didn¡¯te backst night either. I thought he was with you.¡±


    ¡°He wasn¡¯t. He should be attending to something now. Don¡¯t worry. Continue with your studies. I need to get some sleep.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Rest well.¡± Xie Jun quickly moved to the side.


    Zhao Chuchu patted the boy¡¯s head and smiled. ¡®Good boy.¡±


    Xie Jun smiled back at her.


    After a quick shower, Zhao Chuchu sank into her bed and fell asleep.


    The sun had already set when she finally woke up.


    She could hear Xie Heng¡¯s voice. He was now in the kitchen, preparing dinner for her.


    Zhao Chuchu touched her belly and realized she was famished. She quickly jumped out of bed.


    ¡°Da Lang, what are you making? It smells so good that it woke me up from my dream!¡± Zhao Chuchu¡¯s voice could be heard before she even entered the kitchen.


    With his sleeves rolled up, Xie Heng was cooking in front of the stove.


    Hearing her voice, he turned around. ¡°I¡¯m making your favorite steamed chicken. It¡¯s almost done. Just wait a little while longer.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu almost could not stop her saliva from dripping.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Zhao Chuchu sat down in front of the stove to help Xie Heng maintain the fire. ¡°Why did youe back from the academy?


    ¡°I guess you didn¡¯t get something good to eat yesterday since you didn¡¯te


    back,¡± Xie Heng replied. ¡°How were things?


    ¡°Huh? Word about it should have spread by now. Did you not hear about it?¡± ¡°Nope. I came back as soon as ss ended. I didn¡¯t stop by the marketce.¡±


    ¡°I forced Kang Liang to divorce Xia Chengxuan. Many people are calling me out for being a busybody and interfering with their family problems.¡±


    ¡°Just do whatever you want. You don¡¯t have to care about what they say.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right! I met someone!¡±


    Xie Heng looked at her. ¡°Sikou Ming?¡±


    ¡°How did you know?¡± Zhao Chuchu was surprised for a second, but that surprise quickly disappeared. She realized that it wasn¡¯t hard for Xie Heng to learn about it.


    ¡°I knew the moment he left the Imperial City. He¡¯s here to look for you,¡± Xie


    Heng exined. ¡°He has a hidden illness and has been looking for a cure.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Zhao Chuc.huughed. ¡°Wait! Do you know if those children are really his or not?¡±


    ¡°Why are you asking that?¡± Xie Heng sighed speechlessly.


    ¡°Since he has lost his ability to do that at such a young age, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising that he could have one or two children that aren¡¯t his.¡±


    ¡°Well, surprisingly, those children are his.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Zhao Chuchu was a little disappointed.


    She was also surprised that Sikou Ming had such a talent for reproducing.


    ¡°Why do you sound disappointed?¡±


    ¡°Because I hope the Sikou n will be extinguished with this generation.¡±


    Xie Hengughed. ¡°You better watch what you wish for. It mighte true.¡±


    ¡°Really? Sikou Ming has been bothering me the whole day.¡±


    The smile on Xie Heng¡¯s face disappeared instantly. ¡°At the Kang n¡¯s mansion?


    ¡°Uh-huh. He even continued to hit on me and invite me out.¡±


    Xie Heng tightened his grip on the wok¡¯s handle but didn¡¯t show his reaction on his face.


    ¡°What did you say to him?¡±


    ¡°I scolded him. I scolded him so badly that he couldn¡¯t even fight back. But, Da


    Lang, I didn¡¯t cause you any trouble, did I?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu even put on a cute act by blinking her eyes repeatedly as she asked that.


    Xie Heng shook his head. ¡°No. That won¡¯t be a problem to me?¡¯


    In his head, he noted down another item in his list of reasons to get back at the Sikou n.


    He had to keep Sikou Ming alive for now.


    He wouldn¡¯t want Sikou Ming to die far away from his home as Sikou Qin did.


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault that he bothered you like that. You don¡¯t have to worry about it. It¡¯s not something that I can¡¯t handle.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡±


    ¡°Go get the bowls and chopsticks. The chicken is done.¡±


    Xie Heng changed the topic.


    Beingpletely attracted by the tasty dish in front of her, Zhao Chuchu decided to think about how to deal with Sikou Mingter.


    ¡°Junjun! Dinnertime!¡± Zhao Chuchu yelled as she set the table up.


    ¡°Coming!¡± Xie Jun replied as he dashed out of his room. ¡°Oh! Bro made something good again!¡¯ ¡°Where¡¯s Sister Hong?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not back yet.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu still didn¡¯t know how it was for Jixiang at the Ruyu Center. She wanted to ask Chang Hong about it.


    Chang Hong and Jixiang finally returned home when the moon was high in the sky, as the three ate their dinner.


    ¡°Why are you two sote?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked. ¡°You should¡¯vee home right away once it¡¯s over. Ruyu Center doesn¡¯t open until thiste.¡±


    She would never want overtime to be a thing in ancient times too.


    ¡°Jixiang felt that there were parts that she didn¡¯t do well, so she asked me to help her. Unfortunately, time just passed, and we didn¡¯t realize it,¡± Chang Hong exined.


    ¡°Then, have you guys eaten yet?¡±


    ¡°We got something to eat on our way back.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu looked at Jixiang and saw that her hair was still drenched from sweat.


    ¡°How was it, Jixiang?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked. ¡°Still nervous?¡±


    ¡°Extremely¡­ I was scared of making a mistake, and I was worried that they wouldn¡¯t like me. Thankfully, they were very generous and didn¡¯t put too much pressure on me. But I still feel like I can do better. I just don¡¯t want to mess my sses up.¡±


    ¡°You have to have more confidence in yourself. If you can¡¯t do that, how do you expect other people to believe in you?


    ¡°But wouldn¡¯t it be bad for them if I made a mistake?¡±


    ¡°I approve of all the things you¡¯ve learned. I¡¯ve made sure you¡¯ve learned the right thing. You won¡¯t make a mistake if you don¡¯t get nervous or anxious. You¡¯re doing well, Jixiang. Have more confidence in your abilities. I still need you to help me a lot in the future. Don¡¯t disappoint me.¡± She then patted Jixiang¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You¡¯ll do just fine.¡±


    Jixiang started to sob after hearing how much Zhao Chuchu trusted her.


    At that point, Jixiang would willingly go to hell for Zhao Chuchu.


    No one could encourage her and give her confidence like Zhao Chuchu had just done.


    Jixiang felt she had found her reason to live and her life goal from Zhao


    Chuchu.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to learn everything! I won¡¯t disappoint you!¡¯


    ¡°I believe you. Alright, tell me what happened during sses at the Ruyu Center. Then, I can help you find the parts where you can improve.¡±


    Jixiang wasn¡¯t that anxious anymore.


    She then told Zhao Chuchu everything that had happened in the past two days in detail.


    Zhao Chuc.hu then started to point out a few parts that Jixiang needed to fix, but most of them weren¡¯t serious at all.


    Zhao Chuc.hu was pleasantly surprised by Jixiang¡¯s ability.


    She had much more potential than Zhao Chuchu had expected.


    Zhao Chuchu then praised Jixiang again to boost her morale and confidence even more.


    After dismissing Jixiang, Zhao Chuchu returned to her room.


    Xie Heng was sitting on the bed while reading a book..

 Chapter 477 - 477: He’s Just A Joke 1

    Chapter 477: He¡¯s Just A Joke 1


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked with a smile as she approached Xie Heng and sat beside him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to leave the capital city for a few days in two days.¡± Xie Heng rested his hand on her shoulder. ¡°If you need anything, just contact the Third Heir. With him around, neither the Kang n nor Sikou Ming can do anything to stop you.¡±


    ¡°I was never scared of them to begin with. But where are you going?


    ¡°There¡¯s something I have to take care of. Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s not something troublesome.¡±


    It was clear that Xie Heng didn¡¯t want to delve into it, so Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t ask any more about it.


    ¡°Wait, so Sikou Ming¡¯s real intention here in the Guangqing Province is to go after the Third Prince?


    ¡®Even though Sikou Qin is dead, the Sikou n is already on the same boat as the Great Prince. Looking for treatment from you is just an excuse. Sikou Ming is actually here to keep an eye on the Third Prince.¡±


    ¡°Why does it sound like the Sikou n has a hand in everything now?


    Fortunately for them, Xie Jun was still going through puberty and didn¡¯t look anything like the Third Prince yet. It would¡¯ve been very troublesome if he did.


    Sikou Ming was able to enter the pce freely with his authority and was familiar with the people inside. There was a high chance that he would be able to recognize Xie Jun if he looked simr to the Third Prince.


    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t be so wary of the Third Prince if they really had a hand in everything. So you don¡¯t have to worry about this. Simply do what you have to and what you want to do. Leave the rest to me.¡±


    ¡°But Sikou Ming will definitelye for you after this.¡±


    ¡°I know. That is why I have to take care of him first. You stayed up the whole night yesterday. You should get more rest.¡±


    Xie Heng stopped and pointed toward the room.


    The two of them had shared a bed for a while now.


    Although Xie Heng had been very gentlemanly, he still had difficulty keeping his urges under control in front of thedy he loved.


    He was a normal man, after all. It was impossible for him not to yearn for her.


    It took Xie Heng two lives to finally meet ady like Zhao Chuchu who could move his heart like that. He didn¡¯t want to inflict any sadness or pain on her.


    On the other hand, Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t think too much of that.


    All she could think of was Sikou Ming.


    ¡°Da Lang, did something happen between you and Sikou Ming?¡±


    Xie Heng smiled and replied with a question. ¡°He¡¯s not Sikou Zhengdong¡¯s actual son. What do you think of that?¡±


    ¡°I see. It looks like there is a lot between the both of you, huh?¡± Zhao Chuchu immediately understood what he meant.


    Xie Heng had married Sikou Qin in his past life. Although he technically did not adopt the Sikou family name from the marriage, Sikou Zhendong had nned to use his position as a government official. Because of that, Sikou Zhendong poured a lot of resources into him.


    That had threatened Sikou Ming¡¯s position in the n, and it was natural that he would do everything to threaten Xie Heng.


    ¡°He¡¯s just a joke in the end,¡± Xie Heng calmly said. ¡°He was never capable of doing anything. But, of course, Sikou Zhendong is greatly affected by Sikou


    Qin¡¯s death. He only has one daughter, after all.¡±


    ¡°I really want to watch them fight among themselves. How unfortunate.¡± ¡°I have a n for that. It¡¯ll happen sooner orter. But, for now, they still need each other, so they won¡¯t bear their fangs at each other yet. There are a lot of dirty things going around in the Imperial City. You won¡¯t be able to live such a carefree life once we are there. So, do whatever you want to do here.¡±


    ¡°I know, but I¡¯m not scared either. Da Lang, do you trust me?


    ¡°Of course I do.¡±


    ¡°But, there¡¯s still a lot of time before that. Let¡¯s talk about itter. Let¡¯s get some rest.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu pulled the nket over herself. She was always happy when she was with Xie Heng.


    Xie Heng looked at how defenseless Zhao Chuchu was in front of him and smiled.


    He knew it wasn¡¯t easy for her to be at ease in front of another person. And yet, she was willing to trust himpletely.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Zhao Chuchu noticed that Xie Heng was staring at her.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s been days since west met. I just want to look at you more,¡± Xie


    Heng gently replied..

 Chapter 478 - 478: Lost the Chance to Stand on Top 1

    Chapter 478: Lost the Chance to Stand on Top 1


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    ¡°Then, do you want a photo of me with you?


    ¡°A photo?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s something like a portrait but more realistic than a portrait.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu then took a Proid out of her space. She wanted to take a photo right away, but then she realized that they were both on the bed, and the picture would lead to some indecent thoughts, even when they hadn¡¯t done anything yet.


    ¡°Come. Let¡¯s go over there.¡± Zhao Chuchu jumped off the bed and dragged Xie


    Heng to the partition. ¡°Look over here.¡±


    Zhao Chuc.hu leaned her head on Xie Heng¡¯s head and pointed at the Proid.


    ¡°Smile.¡±


    After a click, the Proid started to print the photo.


    Before Xie Heng could even react to it, the photo had already been printed.


    Zhao Chuchu looked at it and couldn¡¯t help butugh again.


    ¡°Da Lang, look at how awkward your smile is.¡±


    She found it funny that, despite how good-looking Xie Heng was, the photo could not capture that.


    Xie Heng was surprised at how detailed the photo was and didn¡¯t even realize how he looked.


    He took the photo and looked at Zhao Chuchu. ¡°Even the best artist wouldn¡¯t be able to draw a portrait with such uracy! And this only came out in just a few seconds! This is amazing!¡± He waspletely amazed by the product.


    ¡°This is nothingpared to what we have back there.¡± Zhao Chuchu took the photo back. ¡°This is ugly. Let¡¯s take another one.¡±


    Xie Heng quickly stopped her. ¡°Isn¡¯t this a consumable item? One is enough.


    Let¡¯s not waste it. Also, wouldn¡¯t it be a problem if we identally dropped it?¡±


    ¡°But¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with how I look. You¡¯re more important here.¡±


    He didn¡¯t want the photo to look at him.


    Zhao Chuc.hu looked exactly the same in the photo. Her expression was captured in such detail that she appeared to be alive.


    Xie Heng couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he could draw such a good picture.


    It was a better portrait than any of the art drawn by a master artist.


    ¡°I like it a lot.¡± Xie Heng carefully kept the photo. ¡°Keep that thing for next time.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu knew that he was doing that for her.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. It doesn¡¯t matter if we use all of it.¡±


    ¡°No. Shouldn¡¯t we use it to record all of our trips in the future?


    Zhao Chuc.hu was stunned at first beforeughing. ¡°You really understood how to use this right away, huh?¡±


    ¡°So, you use this to record all the happy moments?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Back where I was, our parents would use this to record their children¡¯s growth from the day we were born.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s nice.¡±


    Xie Heng had never been to her world, but he understood from Zhao Chuchu¡¯s words that it was a world that the Wei Dynasty could never reach, even if they rode on their fastest horse. It was a world where everything had far surpassed the one he was living in.


    Even after hearing how desperate it was to live in that world, he would still want to travel there.


    ¡°Do you like it? You can have it.¡± Zhao Chuchu handed the Proid to Xie Heng.


    ¡°You¡¯re giving it to me?¡± Xie Heng was caught by surprise.


    ¡°Uh-huh. Take it. It¡¯s easy to use. Just do what I did.¡± Zhao Chuchu nodded.


    Xie Heng took the Proid from her carefully. He could not stop smiling.


    ¡°Thank you. I like it a lot.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡± Zhao Chuchu was also happy to see how excited he was.


    The man carefully checked the Proid in his hand. It only took Zhao Chuchu a few minutes of exining for Xie Heng to fully understand how to use it, and he proceeded to take a photo of her.


    The moment that he had captured was perfect, and he liked it a lot. So he put the new photo with the previous one.


    Since it was alreadyte, Xie Heng kept the Proid inside a box before lying on the bed with Zhao Chuchu.


    Xie Heng woke up early the next day before the sun was even up.


    Zhao Chuchu was woken up by him. She opened her eyes and asked, ¡°Are you leaving so early?¡±


    ¡°I have to head to the academy first. Get some more sleep. The sun isn¡¯t even up yet.¡± Xie Heng quickly dressed and walked to the bed to pat her head. ¡°I¡¯ll prepare breakfast before I leave.¡±


    Since Zhao Chuchu was still tired, she quickly fell back to sleep from his warm touch.


    Xie Heng looked at her sleeping soundly and felt unexinable satisfaction inside him. He was reluctant to leave.


    He was thankful for the photos of her. He could take it out and look at it when he missed her. Even though it wasn¡¯t as good as looking at her actual face, it was enough to hold back his yearning for her.


    Zhao Chuchu turned around and had her back toward him.


    Xie Heng chuckled and got up to leave the room.


    When Zhao Chuchu woke up again, Xie Heng was already long gone.


    Xie Jun was already studying alone in the garden, and the breakfast was still


    warm on the stove..

 Chapter 479 - 479: You Lost A Chance to Succeed 2

    Chapter 479: You Lost A Chance to Seed 2


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Since Chang Hong and Jixiang had gone to Ruyu Center, Chai Le was the only one there.


    ¡°Sis!¡± Xie Jun noticed her and greeted her.


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m studying!¡¯


    Xie Jun then turned his attention back to his book.


    The boy was yful when it was time for him to y, but he was also very self-conscious and worked very hard when it came to his studies. As a result, Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng never had to worry about him.


    Xie Jun was extremely smart as well. He could always master everything he learned right away.


    Even the principal of his academy kept praising him for that and had faith that the little boy would seed when he grew up.


    When Zhao Chuchu heard that, all she could think of was that the boy would definitely seed since he would be the one who would lead the entire


    Wei Dynasty.


    Xie Heng also spent a lot of time and effort raising Xie Jun.


    Everything the little boy had learned had to do with ruling a country.


    After having her breakfast, Zhao Chuchu nned to head to Ruyu Center. But, before she could even leave, Sikou Ming suddenly came.


    ¡°Mrs. Xie.¡± Sikou Ming¡¯s attitude was much moreposed than the day before. ¡°I¡¯m here to apologize. I shouldn¡¯t have believed what that man said. Please forgive me for my rudeness.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu frowned a little.


    Chai Le stepped up, ready to chase Sikou Ming out, but Zhao Chuchu stopped him.


    ¡°Sir, my husband isn¡¯t home now. If you need anything, pleasee back when he¡¯s home. We don¡¯t want to start any rumors, do we?¡± Zhao Chuchu


    said. ¡°I¡¯ll need my husband to be present to treat some illness.¡±


    Sikou Ming was speechless and quickly signaled something to his servant.


    The servant quickly brought up a box. ¡°Mrs. Xie, this is a gift from my master. There are more if you¡¯re able to cure our master.¡±


    The servant then opened the box and showed Zhao Chuchu the expensive essories inside.


    Zhao Chuchu sighed. She realized she was wrong about the situation.


    He was the type of person who would never change, as it was already rooted in his personality.


    She wondered if Sikou Ming thought that he would be able to impress her with those gems and essories.


    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing? I¡¯ve already told you that my husband is not home. If you keep doing this, I¡¯ll have to report you.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, I¡¯m really here to get treated. Are you going to refuse a patient?¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Then, I¡¯ll have to get my neighbors over as witnesses when I treat you. I don¡¯t want this to bring me trouble.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to know better than me where your illness is?¡± Zhao Chuchu sighed.


    Sikou Ming¡¯s mood was immediately ruined.


    He was a man and would never allow his dignity to be stepped on like that, especially when he was the eldest son of a duke family.


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, I¡¯m genuinely here to seek treatment. Do you really have to humiliate me like this?¡±


    ¡°If you think you¡¯re humiliated, you should wait until my husband returns. He¡¯s a schr and is known to keep his word. He¡¯ll never talk about your illness. But I can¡¯t guarantee you that my neighbors will do the same. After all, there are many of them. I can stop one from talking, but I can never stop all of them from doing that.¡±


    Sikou Ming red at Zhao Chuchu as if he was trying to see what she wanted from her expression.


    He found it weird because he was confident in his looks. So many girls would fall for him in the Imperial City, but Zhao Chuchu was not impressed. She was still not impressed, even after he had given her such expensive gifts.


    Even if those weren¡¯t enough to impress her, he was sure that his background would.


    ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± Sikou Ming had never failed to get a woman he wanted, and Zhao Chuchu was the first. Even though he had been intimidated by Zhao Chuchu the day before, his urge to make her his had increased when he woke up the next day.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care who you are. It doesn¡¯t make any difference. You¡¯re nothing more than a patient to me.¡± Zhao Chuchu¡¯s expression remained calm. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in all of these. Sickness and pain are never fair to people. I treat every patient equally regardless of their background and financial situation.¡± Zhao Chuchu¡¯s attitude had only angered Sikou Ming even more.


    But he was still not going topare whether his brain or a stone was harder.


    ¡°Are you sure you are not going to regret this?¡± ¡°Why would I regret this?¡±


    ¡°Because you lost a chance to be sessful.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? I prefer to work my way up instead of relying on connections.


    Then, at least if I fall, I won¡¯t fall from a cliff.¡±


    ¡°You!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu then pointed toward the exit. ¡°Pleasee back when my husband is here. A rumor will only ruin your reputation. Your loss will be bigger.¡¯


    Zhao Chuc.hu then closed the gate behind Sikou Ming.


    If he had not jumped back, the door would¡¯ve hit him in the face.


    He red at the gate furiously and wanted to order his servants to kick the gate down.


    However, it was just a thought. He didn¡¯t have the guts to do so.


    He was sure that the vige girl would be unable to control her strength and crack his head open.


    ¡°Sir, should we kick the door down?¡± one of the servants asked. They understood what Sikou Ming¡¯s goal was.


    Sikou Ming immediately pped that servant. ¡°Are you trying to kill me? Do you know how vicious that girl is?¡±


    The servant didn¡¯t dare to make a sound.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    He still refused to believe that he would be unable to make Zhao Chuchu his.


    If he couldn¡¯t do it in a day, he would do it every day. He could use his illness as an excuse for that.


    He would even prefer for a rumor to begin.


    Since Xie Heng was a schr, his reputation was important. So when a rumor spread, he would divorce Zhao Chuchu, and Sikou Ming wouldfort Zhao Chuchu and make her his.


    He would be able to do whatever he wanted with her by then.


    The thought of that made him happy.


    It was just a matter of time, and he had that.


    Seeing how fast Sikou Ming¡¯s expression changed, the servants looked at each other, wondering why their master¡¯s mood suddenly changed.


    Yet, not a single one of them dared to ask Sikou Ming.


    After closing the door, Zhao Chuchu asked Xie Jun to return to the study room. ¡°You should stop reading in the garden for the next few days. We wouldn¡¯t want you to get interrupted by other people.¡±


    ¡°Sis, that man is nning something. You have to ignore him and wait for bro toe back!¡± Xie Jun said, worried about Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know what I¡¯m doing. No matter what his n is, I can handle it. Just focus on your study.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I promise.¡±


    Xie Jun was convinced and returned to the study room.


    Chai Le waited for Xie Jun to leave and asked Zhao Chuchu, ¡°Mrs. Xie, do you want me to¡­¡±


    Chai Le did not finish the sentence. Instead, he drew a line across his throat with his thumb..

 Chapter 480 - 480: Don ‘t Act Rashly

    Chapter 480: Don ¡®t Act Rashly


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Zhao Chuchu shook her head. ¡°Brother Le, don¡¯t be rash.¡±


    ¡°But keeping him is going to be a problem. He¡¯s Sikou Ming, the son of Duke Sikou Zhendong. He¡¯s infamous for being a yboy in the Imperial City. So it won¡¯t do you and Mr. Xie any good if you get targeted by him. Don¡¯t worry about me. Killing is my original job, after all.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the more reason not to assassinate him. Brother Le, I know you¡¯re doing this for me, but I have my ns. You just have to protect Junjun.¡±


    ¡°The Sikou n won¡¯t realize who¡¯s behind it.¡±


    ¡°The Xie n still doesn¡¯t have the power to go against the Sikou n yet. We can¡¯t bother the Third Heir with everything, either. No matter how powerful Sikou Ming is, this is not the Imperial City. Also, he still needs me.¡±


    Seeing how persistent Zhao Chuchu was, Chai Le decided to stop persuading her.


    ¡°Well, if you ever change your mind, just let me know.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    Chai Le then went to take care of other stuff.


    Now that things had calmed down, Zhao Chuchu could head to Ruyu Center.


    She still had to check up on Jixiang. Seeing the result was better than hearing it. She had to make sure that Jixiang was doing well.


    When Zhao Chuchu reached Ruyu Center, Jixiang was still practicing.


    She was very strict with herself and needed all her movements to be perfect. She even looked at herself in the mirror when she practiced teaching others. Zhao Chuchu was extremely satisfied with how serious Jixiang was.


    She didn¡¯t interrupt Jixiang and went to look for Chang Hong instead. ¡°Sister Hong, has Jixiang always been like this?¡±


    ¡°Yes. She would spend a lot of time practicing the moves you¡¯ve taught her. She¡¯s holding onto the chance you¡¯ve given her.


    ¡°I saw that. Sister Hong, why don¡¯t you stay with Jixiang here at Ruyu Center for the time being?


    ¡°I-I can¡¯t do that. There¡¯s still work to do back at home.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m asking you to stay here forever. Just until Jixiang gets used to this.¡±


    ¡°Is there something wrong at home?


    Chang Hong was very sensitive.


    Zhao Chuchu gave Chang Hong a simplified exnation of the situation with Sikou Ming.


    ¡°That Sikou Ming sounds like trouble,¡± Chang Hong said. ¡°He¡¯s like a soulless prick in front of women. How did you even get mixed up with people like him? Do you want me to kill him?¡±


    Chang Hong¡¯s reaction was like Chai Le¡¯s. Both of them wanted to kill Sikou Ming.


    ¡°Brother Le also said the same thing. But don¡¯t do anything rash.¡±


    ¡°Why? Killing him will solve everything.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t solve everything. If Sikou Ming were to die here in Guangqing Province, would people not suspect me? Many people know he¡¯s here to ask me to treat him.¡±


    ¡°I see. I didn¡¯t know about that.¡±


    ¡°Just ignore him. I asked you to stay here to protect Jixiang and the other girls as well. I don¡¯t want Sikou Ming to get to me by targeting the people around me. He might cause trouble here as well.¡±


    ¡°I understand. Don¡¯t worry about it. Sikou Ming won¡¯t be able to do anything with me here.¡±


    ¡°I just don¡¯t want you to do something on impulse. Remember what you want before making a decision. Don¡¯t do something you¡¯ll regret.¡±


    Chang Hong was a little embarrassed. ¡°I didn¡¯t think about that either. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°We still need to rely on you and your husband a lot in the future. So please take care of yourself. That way, you¡¯ll be able to do even more for us. As for Sikou Ming, just treat him like he doesn¡¯t exist.¡±


    If Sikou Ming were toe and mess with her again, Zhao Chuchu wouldn¡¯t mind letting the whole world know about his hidden illness.


    Of course, she would never tell Chang Hong and Chai Le about that. She wouldn¡¯t want them to misunderstand and act first..

 Chapter 481 - 481: You’re Like A Peasant 1

    Chapter 481: You¡¯re Like A Peasant 1


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The Third Prince quickly learned of the incident between Sikou Ming and Zhao Chuchu.


    Naturally, the prince already knew what Sikou Ming¡¯s true intention of visiting Guangqing Province was.


    He looked at Qiao Heting and said, ¡°Just as always, the Sikou n still worries about what I¡¯ll do. But what can Sikou Ming do? Could it be that Sikou Zhendong has no one else to trust, so he has no choice but to let Sikou Minge? Don¡¯t you think it¡¯ll be interesting if Sikou Ming dies here? In Guangqing Province?


    ¡°Third Brother, are you going to make a move on Sikou Ming? But that¡¯ll drag Zhao Chuchu into it. Xie Heng would never agree to it. You better think twice. Getting on his bad side is not good,¡± Qiao Heting persuaded.


    Since Xie Heng raised Xie Jun, the boy relied more on Xie Heng than his real brother, the Third Prince.


    If Xie Heng were to say something to Xie Jun, anything would be enough to make Xie Jun hate the Third Prince.


    The most important person in the Third Prince¡¯s life was his little brother. If they were to be distant, he would not be happy.


    The Third Prince couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it. I¡¯m just joking. That was never my n. Even if Sikou Ming were to die, I could never let him die in Guangqing Province. The Imperial City would be a better ce. Moreover, since Sikou Ming is Sikou Zhendongs only son, he would go crazy if his son were to die now.¡±


    ¡°You really scared me back there!¡±


    ¡°What? Am I that irresponsible to you?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Of course not. You¡¯ve always been the person who has nned further than me.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m also part of the reason why Sikou Ming keeps bothering Zhao Chuchu. So I have to take care of this, or else Xie Heng wille to hate me.¡±


    ¡°Then, what are you nning?


    ¡°Since Sikou Ming loves to cause trouble, let¡¯s make him busy.¡±


    ¡°Are you thinking of doing this yourself?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? I¡¯ve been feeling a lot better recently. I should go out and have a walk anyway.¡±


    Qiao Heting wanted to persuade the Third Prince to rest, but then he recalled that Zhao Chuchu had suggested the same thing and said nothing. ¡°Have Sikou Minge and meet me,¡± the Third Prince told Qiao Heting.


    ¡°What if Sikou Ming tries to do something to you?


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re here with me, aren¡¯t you?


    Qiao Heting let out a sigh and had no choice but to act as a middleman.


    Although Qiao Heting looked like a schr, he was actually a martial artist. Therefore, there was no way he could win against the Third Prince in plotting something.


    The Third Prince was also very protective. As a result, Qiao Heting was treated better by the Third Prince than the Qiao n.


    Since Qiao Heting had a lot of connections in Guangqing Province, he was able to quickly locate Sikou Ming in a brothel.


    Sikou Ming was talking about his goals with one of the girls there.


    He was slightly stunned when Qiao Heting appeared.


    ¡°Heir Qiao? What a coincidence!¡± Sikou Ming quickly regained his wits and pushed the girl away. He stood up and walked toward Qiao Heting. ¡°I was not expecting Heir Qiao, who was known for not frequenting this type of ce, to be here. Your fianc¨¦e is still here in the capital city. Aren¡¯t you afraid that she¡¯ll kick you out of the house?


    ¡°The Third Prince wants to meet with you.¡± Not wanting to have a meaningless talk with Sikou Ming, Qiao Heting skipped the formalities and went straight to the main topic. ¡°He wants you there now.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Why does he suddenly want to meet with me?¡± Sikou Ming could not understand what the Third Prince was nning and looked at Qiao Heting suspiciously. ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just a messenger. It¡¯s up to you if you want to go or not.¡± Qiao Heting then turned to leave.


    No matter how powerful Sikou Ming was, he wouldn¡¯t dare to oppose the Third Prince.


    Everyone knew that the Emperor liked the Third Prince the most. Despite being burdened by illness, it never prevented the emperor from adoring his


    third son.


    ¡°Hold up! I¡¯m just joking. I¡¯ming! Were meeting with the Third Heir, right? Let¡¯s go!¡± Sikou Ming quickly chased after Qiao Heting.


    The smell of thedy¡¯s perfume on Sikou Ming disgusted Qiao Heting.


    The heir hastened his footsteps and kept a distance from Sikou Ming.


    ¡°By the way, how¡¯s the Third Heir? I heard that he came to Guangqing Province a while ago to treat his illness, so I thought he would go to a more scenic spot. Who would¡¯ve thought that he was here in the capital city? It looks like I need to work on my information. I would¡¯ve visited him if I had known he was here.¡± Sikou Ming then paused. ¡°Heir Qiao, do you know why the Third Heir wants to meet with me? We¡¯re old friends, aren¡¯t we? Can¡¯t you let me know? I don¡¯t want to say the wrong thing in front of him. Did youe here to


    Guangqing Province with him as well? I should¡¯vee with you guys! At least


    I can try to impress him on the way here.¡±


    Sikou Ming kept on bbering without stopping on their way to meet with the prince..

 Chapter 482 - 482: You’re Only A Peasant 2

    Chapter 482: You¡¯re Only A Peasant 2


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Qiao Heting took a deep breath to calm his urge to beat Sikou Ming.


    He understood that Sikou Ming was doing that to him intentionally.


    ¡°Mr. Sikou, if you have nothing better to do with your mouth, should I buy you some snacks?¡± Qiao Heting looked at Sikou Ming. ¡°Quangqing Province is famous for their snacks. You¡¯re used to eating expensive foods, so trying some of these snack stalls should be interesting.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious? Someone like you eating at snack stalls? Aren¡¯t you embarrassed?¡±


    ¡°The most important thing for every person is food. That alwayses first. Are you telling me that you only drink rainwater and absorb sunlight as your source of nutrition? You don¡¯t look like it. You¡¯re not a deity but a peasant.¡±


    ¡®You!¡±


    Sikou Ming¡¯s face had turned red from the provocation.


    The sight of that made Qiao Heting feel better.


    ¡°I¡¯m the straightforward type. I¡¯m sorry if I offended you.¡±


    ¡°You sure are something else.¡±


    ¡°Should I introduce you to the good snacks here in Guangqing Province?


    ¡°Forget it!¡±


    Sikou Ming had lost the urge to talk to Qiao Heting.


    Qiao Heting just smiled at that.


    Since the two of them had equal status and the same authority, they would always fight each other when they met in the Imperial City.


    However, the way they fought had never been rough. The fights were nothing more than arguments.


    In the end, they were both from prestigious families. If they really fought with violence, it would affect their families.


    Sikou Ming didn¡¯t want to spend more time with Qiao Heting, but he could not refuse the summons from the Third Prince.


    He still needed to spy on the Third Prince.


    When Qiao Heting and Sikou Ming arrived at where the Third Prince was staying, the prince was tending to a nt.


    ¡®Greetings, Third Prince.¡± Sikou Ming bowed. His father, Sikou Zhendong, had warned him over and over again not to offend the Third Prince, as he would never win against royalty.


    ¡°Wee, Mr. Sikou. We are not in the Imperial City, so just address me as the Third Heir.¡± The Third Prince did not stop tending his nt and did not look toward Sikou Ming. ¡°What a coincidence it was. My servant was out buying something for me and told me that he had spotted you. That¡¯s why I asked Heting to invite you over.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to get Heir Qiao to do that. I would havee immediately if you had sent one of your servants to notify me. Why have you asked me toe over, Third Heir?¡±


    ¡°I was always weak and fragile back in the Imperial City and never had the chance to hang out with people my age. Now that I¡¯m in Guangqing Province, my father won¡¯t be able to keep an eye on me. So I should let loose a little.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Sikou Ming had a bad feeling about it.


    ¡°I heard that you are the best person to learn how to enjoy life from. That¡¯s why I need you to show me around when I¡¯m here.¡±


    ¡°S-show you around?¡±


    The Third Prince put the shears down and turned to look at Sikou Ming. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that having fun should be a priority? No one is better at fun than you.¡±


    Sikou Ming didn¡¯t even know how to reply. ¡°T-those were just rumors spread by people who hate me. T-those were just lies.¡±


    His task was to keep an eye on the Third Prince and not bring him out to have fun.


    If anything were to happen to the Third Prince, even having ten heads wouldn¡¯t save him from being beheaded by the emperor.


    Hepletely regretted going to meet with the Third Prince.


    ¡°Is that going to trouble you? Or are you dissatisfied with guiding me?¡± The prince sighed. ¡°Oh, well. I shouldn¡¯t trouble you that much either. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll just secretly follow you. No one will notice me.¡±


    Sikou Ming¡¯s eyes widened immediately.


    He was put in an even tighter position.


    He could not refuse, and he could not agree to it.


    Sikou Ming kept wondering why he followed Qiao Heting to meet with the Third Prince.


    He wasn¡¯t even happy that the Third Prince had invited him since the Sikou n had pledged allegiance to the Great Prince.


    If he were caught apanying the Third Prince, then the Great Prince might suspect something.


    If the Great Prince were to be the next emperor, he would have to suffer in the future.


    ¡°Third Heir, I¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about money. I¡¯ll be paying for everything. There is a lot that I have yet to experience despite living for so long. I should try them, no? Well, it¡¯s decided, Mr. Sikou. Why don¡¯t you have dinner here tonight? Let¡¯s have fun tomorrow.¡±


    The Third Prince didn¡¯t even give Sikou Ming a chance to refuse.


    After a short pause, he turned to look at Qiao Heting. ¡°I¡¯m a little tired. Why don¡¯t you apany Mr. Sikou for tonight?¡±


    The Third Prince then picked up the potted nt that he was trimming up and headed back into his room.


    Sikou Ming was leftpletely speechless.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. We should let the Third Heir have his rest.¡±


    Qiao Heting left first.


    Sikou Ming gritted his teeth and chased after Qiao Heting. ¡°Qiao Heting! Did you tell the Third Prince something about me? Why do I feel like he¡¯s targeting me?¡±


    ¡°Hold it!¡± Qiao Heting said. ¡°Don¡¯t even try to decode what the Third Heir is thinking. What? Are you refusing to bring him out? Why don¡¯t you just refuse him? Stop bbering in front of me.¡±


    ¡°Did I even have the chance to refuse? Why didn¡¯t you dissuade him?¡± Sikou


    Ming yelled back at Qiao Heting. ¡°I feel like you have set this up for me!¡±


    Qiao Heting stopped walking and turned to look at Sikou Ming. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Sikou Ming was really stupid.


    They weren¡¯t even friends, yet Sikou Ming wasining to him.


    ¡°Sikou Ming, we can¡¯t stop what the Third Heir wants to do. Also, if you don¡¯t want to do it, refuse it on your own. Stop spouting nonsense in front of me. I have a bad temper.¡± Qiao Heting then cracked his fist.


    That immediately shut Sikou Ming up.


    There was nothing he could do. He could never win against Qiao Heting in a fight.


    He wasn¡¯t stupid enough to get beaten one-sidedly.


    Sikou Ming wanted to leave the mansion, but without asking the Third Prince, he couldn¡¯t do so.


    He then med his servants for being stupid since they didn¡¯t think of a way to get him out.


    Sikou Ming kept feeling that going to the Guangqing Province was a mistake. Not only could he not fulfill the task set by his father, but he might even be in trouble..

 Chapter 483 - 483: Can You Afford It?

    Chapter 483: Can You Afford It?


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Sikou Ming could not sit still at the Third Prince¡¯s pce. Zhao Chuchu, whom he was looking for, had gone over to Xia Chengxuan¡¯s ce.


    After Kang Xiuwan and her mother had settled down, the former¡¯s spirit visibly improved.


    Xia Chengxuan said, ¡°Chuchu, thank you very much for yesterday. We have troubled you again. Today, a mammy from the Kang n came to me in secret and told me that the person was the young master from the duke¡¯s pce. Will Da Lang get in trouble during the Imperial Examination?


    ¡°The government is not controlled single-handedly by the duke. The Imperial Examination is a serious matter tied to the country¡¯s fate. The duke has no authority to intervene there. You do not need to worry,¡± said Zhao Chuchu as sheforted Xia Chengxuan. ¡°I will go take a look at Wanwan.¡±


    Zhao Chuc.hu discovered that Xia Chengxuan was really long-winded at times.


    She did not wish to listen to Xia Chengxuan¡¯s nagging.


    Xia Chengxuan sighed behind her back.


    They were actually of the same generation.


    However, this matter could only remain a secret forever.


    When Kang Xiuwan heard Zhao Chuchu arrive, she sat up.


    ¡°Are you feeling better?¡± asked Zhao Chuchu as she sat by her bedside. She then checked Kang Xiuwan¡¯s pulse. Thetter¡¯s condition had significantly improved.


    One¡¯s emotional state honestly has a significant impact on their health.


    Before this, when Kang Xiuwan was conflicted, her condition worsened daily. Now that she had drawn a line with the Kang n, her mood, and health had improved.


    Kang Xiuwan replied, ¡°I feel much better now, but my mom insists I remain in bed.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu advised, ¡°You¡¯d better rest for two more days. Your mom means well. Health is the true wealth. If your condition worsens, it will probably be too much for your mother to handle. Now, you are her motivation to continue living.¡±


    Although Xia Chengxuan was cowardly, for her daughter¡¯s sake, she stood up for both of them.


    Otherwise, they would have been eaten alive long ago.


    ¡°I can¡¯t quite sit still. I always find myself looking for something to do. Now, my mother and I only have each other to rely on. We can¡¯t just rely on my mother¡¯s dowry to get by.¡±


    ¡°There is no immediate rush. What do you n to do?¡±


    Kang Xiuwan said, ¡°I have discussed this with my mother. The thing we are both best at is needlework. So, we n to start a textile shop. However, we know nothing of the business side of things, so we are still figuring it out.¡±


    ¡°The capital already has more than 20 textile shops, and their clientele has already been established. If you open another textile shop, you will have a tough timepeting with those established businesses. There is also the Kang n.¡± Zhao Chuchu suggested, ¡°I have an idea that might work. Why don¡¯t you start a clothing store and spend timeing up with new designs? ¡°A clothing store?


    Zhao Chuc.hu exined, ¡°Hmm, the madams and young mistresses of affluent families hate shing outfits with other people the most. You can work on exclusive customized clothing. There is littlepetition in that sector. Women are also willing to spend money on clothing the most. This endeavor will be much more profitable than a textile shop.¡±


    After giving it some thought, Kang Xiuwan found that it made a lot of sense.


    ¡°You have enlightened me. I feel much more relieved now. I will discuss it with my motherter.¡±


    ¡°If you open a clothing store, you and your mother can also manage it with just the two of you. Once established, you can hire a few other skilled seamstresses to help out. I guarantee that you will not fritter away your fortune.¡±


    Kang Xiuwan replied, ¡°I will remember this. By the way, is that man still causing trouble for you?


    ¡°He has not done anything for now. Do not worry. I can handle them.¡±


    ¡°I fear that he will act against you. After all, the people in Imperial City have authority and influence. We cannot afford to offend them.¡± Kang Xiuwan confessed, ¡°Chuchu, sometimes I really do not know how to thank you. Many people im that you are cruel and merciless. However, you have only shown kindness to us.¡±


    ¡°That is because you and your mother are different from the other members of the Xia n. I don¡¯t take things personally. I am a reasonable person.¡±


    As she said this, Zhao Chuchu waved her fist and said, ¡°Ordinary people will sumb to my reasoning.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha.¡± Kang Xiuwan could not resistughing out loud. She said, ¡°Chuchu, with you around, you always have ways to make people happy. Mr. Xie is truly fortunate to have married you.¡±


    ¡°Of course, even he has admitted that he is lucky to have me. After all, a young maiden like me is a rare find.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, then, can I still call you Chuchu in the future?


    Kang Xiuwan knew Zhao Chuchu¡¯s identity. Zhao Chuchu admitted she was rted to them when they were in the Kang residence. Kang Xiuwan had been struggling to figure out whether she should call Zhao Chuchu her aunt or whether she could continue calling her as she did now.


    ¡°Call me Chuchu. We no longer have any connection with the Xia n,¡± said


    Zhao Chuchu. ¡°I am helping you not because the blood of the Xia n flows in our veins.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± replied Kang Xiuwan as she nodded her head. She would let those matters remain secrets forever.


    The people in the Xia n who knew about this were all dead. She and her mother were the only remaining people who knew.


    Zhao Chuchu advised, ¡°By the way, both you and your mother have weak constitutions. In the future, when you have time in the afternoon, go visit the Ruyu Center and exercise with Jixiang. Later on, when Jixiang has gotten used to leading sessions, I will teach her a set of martial arts techniques for self-defense. It would be good for you and your mother to learn.¡±


    Kang Liang would indeed bother them in the future.


    When the Third Prince took action against him, and he was left with nothing, Kang Liang would definitelye looking for them again.


    Hence, they needed to make themselves stronger.


    ¡°Can we also learn such things?¡± asked Kang Xiuwan, somewhat puzzled.


    ¡®Go for it. Many of the madams in the city visit the center. Who knows, you might evene across a good marriage there.¡±


    ¡°Stop teasing me,¡± said Kang Xiuwan, embarrassed. ¡°After seeing how my parents ended up, I don¡¯t want to get married.¡±


    ¡°Not all men are like your father. You need to learn to judge with your own eyes and distinguish the good and bad of a man before making your choice. Your mother will definitely not let you simply marry any person blindly.¡±


    ¡°We will see when the timees. Now is not the time to consider such things.¡±


    Right now, Kang Xiuwan¡¯s mind was upied with earning money and not squandering their fortune. Other matters would need to be set to the side.


    Zhao Chuchu smiled and did not continue on the topic.


    Regardless of the era, coercing people to marry was never a happy affair.


    Zhao Chuchu stayed for a meal before leaving.


    Xia Chengxuan saw Zhao Chuchu out. She asked, ¡°Chuchu, if the man from Imperial City¡­¡±


    ¡°I suddenly recall that I still need to buy some things for Junjun. You don¡¯t need to send me off,¡± said Zhao Chuchu, interrupting Xia Chengxuan¡¯s sentence. Zhao Chuchu was afraid that Xia Chengxuan would keep harping on.


    Zhao Chuchu left immediately after she finished her sentence, not giving Xia Chengxuan another opportunity to open her mouth.


    Even if Sikou Ming wanted to do anything, with Xia Chengxuan¡¯s current situation, she could do nothing and could be of no help. Zhao Chuchu would rather thetter not worry about her and instead think about what she and her daughter would do in the future.


    As she was walking, Zhao Chuchu encountered a member of the Kang n.


    This time, he politely invited Zhao Chuchu to visit the Kang residence.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Does the Kang n n to renovate the residence? Are you seeking my help to tear down the ce? My services don¡¯te cheap. Can you afford it?¡± mocked Zhao Chuchu in a cold tone.


    The person replied, ¡°Mrs. Xie, you must be joking. Old Mr. Kang wishes to invite Mrs. Xie over for a consultation. Rest assured, Mrs. Xie, we will spare no expense for the consultation fee and other payments. If you manage to cure him, we will reward you handsomely separately.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu looked sideways at him and asked, ¡°How much can you afford?¡±


    He made a gesture and asked, ¡°How about this much?¡±

 Chapter 484 - 484: Do You Want to Die?

    Chapter 484: Do You Want to Die?


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Zhao Chuchu raised her eyebrows slightly and said, ¡°50 taels?¡±


    ¡°No, five hundred taels. That is just the consultation fee,¡± said the member of the Kang n with a smile. ¡°As long as Mrs. Xie manages to cure Mr. Kang¡¯s illness, you will be rewarded handsomely separately.¡±


    Five hundred taels were very tempting. Only a fool would find fault with money.


    However, if the patient was Sikou Ming¡­


    Zhao Chuchu asked, ¡°Is it that young master from Imperial City?¡±


    ¡°No, no. It is Mr. Kang from the Kang n.¡±


    This member of the Kang n could not tell her that Sikou Ming had kicked Kang Liang until he could not get out of bed.


    If words reached Sikou Ming¡¯s ears, it would pour salt over Kang Liang¡¯s wounds.


    Zhao Chuc.hu asked doubtfully, ¡°Mr. Kang was still fine that day. How did he fall ill all of a sudden? Are you trying to cause trouble for me?¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, rest assured that we only invite you for a consultation. Nothing that you mentioned will happen. This is a small token from Mr. Kang to invite you over.¡±


    As he said this, the member from the Kang n brought forward 500 taels of silver. Their respectful attitude now waspletely different from their prior arrogance.


    For the sake of the money, Zhao Chuchu agreed to visit the Kang residence.


    ¡°However, I need to return home for my medicine box.¡± ¡°Of course. Mrs. Xie, allow us to see you home first, then.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    The Xie residence was a distance away from where Xia Chengxuan was currently staying.


    After Zhao Chuchu was sent home, she informed Xie Jun about this matter and prepared to leave again.


    Xie Jun quickly said, ¡°Sis, it would be best if you brought Sister Hong along with you. I fear that they might mean you harm. With Sister Hong around, at least there will be someone to look out for you.¡± Upon hearing this, Zhao Chuchu smiled and said, ¡°It will be fine if I go alone.¡± ¡°Bring Sister Hong with you,¡± insisted Xie Jun.


    He felt that no matter how incredible a woman Zhao Chuchu was, now that his brother was not around, it fell to him to protect Sis. Otherwise, how would he face his brother if anything were to happen?


    Zhao Chuchu was helpless. She could only agree to bring Chang Hong along with her.


    Xie Jun was still concerned. He only stopped after repeatedly cautioning her.


    Zhao Chuchu asked the member of the Kang n to make a detour to the Ruyu Center. After picking up Chang Hong, only then did they head over to the Kang residence together.


    The member of the Kang n did not dare to voice any objections.


    Chang Hong was incredulous as she asked, ¡°Mrs. Xie, where are we going?


    ¡°We are heading to the Kang residence,¡± exined Zhao Chuchu. ¡°Junjun insisted that I bring you along with me.¡±


    ¡°That means that he cares for you and is worried that you will be taken advantage of,¡± said Chang Hong with a smile.


    Zhao Chuchu shook her head helplessly. However, she understood Xie Jun¡¯s concern for her.


    When she arrived at the Kang residence and saw the pale-faced Kang Liang, who was bedridden, Zhao Chuchu could not help but feel ted at his misfortune.


    It had not been long since they hadst met, and he had already ended up in such a pathetic state.


    He was a prime example of going for wool anding home shorn.


    Kang Liang also did not dare to act rudely towards Zhao Chuchu again.


    That was because he had consulted other physicians prior to this. They were not optimistic about his chances of survival from his injuries. In the end, he could only seek Zhao Chuchu¡¯s help.


    Even though he was reluctant to do so, he had no choice; he wanted to live, after all.


    Zhao Chuchu did not make small talk with him. She directly checked his pulse.


    Kang Liang¡¯s injuries were indeed quite severe.


    It seemed that Sikou Ming had truly been humiliated and vented his anger on Kang Liang.


    Although she had not seen this with her own eyes, Zhao Chuchu could make an educated guess. Aside from Sikou Ming, who dared to kick him, no one in the Kang residence dared to act against Kang Liang.


    Kang Liang¡¯s concubines were all weeping pathetically as though he did not have long to live.


    ¡°How is my condition?¡± asked Kang Liang. When he saw that Zhao Chuchu remained silent for a long while, he could not help feeling worried. ¡°As long as you can cure me, I will spare no expense.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°You are not incurable. It is just that the medicines that you will need are all very expensive. You¡¯d best be prepared!¡±


    ¡°As long as you can cure me. I can prenare the medicinal herbs no matter how


    costly. Please issue the prescription.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu did not hold back.


    If she could use expensive herbs, she would not substitute them for cheaper ones.


    Of course, she would not prescribe expensive herbs for no reason. All the herbs she chose would help Kang Liang heal faster. Zhao Chuchu¡¯s conscience was clear.


    She wrote down the prescription quickly and handed it to Kang Liang.


    The Kang n owned a medical hall, too, so Kang Liang had some basic understanding of herbs.


    The herbs on this prescription practically totaled up to 1000 pieces of gold.


    The Kang n was wealthy. Kang Liang did not question anything either. He immediately instructed the butler to prepare the herbs based on the prescription.


    ¡°Consume this medicine for half a month, and your injuries will heal nicely. However, watch your diet. Eat non-oily food. Avoid drinking alcohol. Avoid eating¡­¡± Zhao Chuchu went on to remind Kang Liang about all his dietary restrictions. ¡°Can you remember everything I said?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Thank you, Mrs. Xie, for the pointers,¡± the butler quickly responded.


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°Hmm. Follow my instructions and consume the medicine regrly. I wille back to check on you in half a month. In the meantime, seek my aid immediately if you experience any difort. If you dy and miss the best time for treatment, don¡¯t me me for the consequences.¡±


    Kang Liang replied, ¡°Alright. Do I need to undergo acupuncture?


    ¡°Are you keen on being poked with needles?¡± retorted Zhao Chuchu as she gave him a side-eye.


    ¡°I was just asking,¡± Kang Liang answered meekly and kept quiet after that.


    It was as though the arrogant person the other day was someone else.


    Zhao Chuchu coldly snorted. She picked up her medicine box and walked out of the room.


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, please stay,¡± Kang Liang called out to her. ¡°Why don¡¯t you stay in the Kang residence for the time being? I will instruct the servants to prepare a room for you. That way, if I experience any difort, I can seek your help immediately.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu sneered, ¡°Mr. Kang, do you think that just because I have visited the Kang residence, it means that I¡¯ll be at your service? Stay here? For me to serve you exclusively, who do you think you are?


    ¡°The amount of yourpensation is negotiable.¡±


    ¡°Are you really a fool, or are you trying to trick me? Don¡¯t you think that I¡¯m unaware of your scheme? I can heal you. I can also cause you to live the rest of your life with this injury. Do you want to try your luck?¡±


    ¡°I am a married woman, yet you suggest I stay in the Kang residence. Mr.


    Kang, do you want to die?¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, this is just a misunderstanding. Since you think my suggestion is unsuitable, forget about it. Butler, show Mrs. Xie the way out.¡±


    Kang Liang immediately pleaded innocence and asked the butler to send Zhao Chuchu off.


    He was worried that if Zhao Chuchu got angry at him, she might make him suffer more.


    The butler took his job seriously and politely sent Zhao Chuchu to the main entrance.


    The butler promised, ¡°After Mr. Kang is healed, we will deliver your payment to the Xie residence.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I don¡¯t think you dare to welch on your debt with me.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was not worried that she would not be paid.


    The Kang n might have the audacity to welch on their debts with other people but never with her.


    The butler wanted to arrange a carriage to send Zhao Chuchu home, but she rejected his offer.


    Chang Hong, who had remained silent all this while, took the medicine box. Once they left the Kang residence, she asked Zhao Chuchu, ¡°Was Kang Liang¡¯s injuries so severe? I nced at your prescription, and the medicines you prescribed him are all expensive.¡±


    ¡°He has money. Isn¡¯t it normal for him to consume medicinal herbs that are pricier? Otherwise, it would not befit his status,¡± said Zhao Chuchu, as she grinned slightly. ¡°After all, as long as he can be cured, he is willing to spend any amount of money necessary. Moreover, it is not like I am profiting off the medicinal herbs he will need.¡±


    ¡°That is true. Kang Liang deserves better.¡± After saying this, Chang Hong could not help butugh.


    Over the next few days, Zhao Chuchu spent her time at the Ruyu Center teaching Jixiang.


    As for Sikou Ming, he had to visit the Third Prince¡¯s pce every day. He did not have the chance to pester Zhao Chuchu anymore, giving her peace and quiet..

 Chapter 485 - 485: Tormented Sikou Ming

    Chapter 485: Tormented Sikou Ming


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The Kang n might have the audacity to welch on their debts with other people but never with her.


    The butler wanted to arrange a carriage to send Zhao Chuchu home, but she rejected his offer.


    Chang Hong, who had remained silent all this while, took the medicine box. Once they left the Kang residence, she asked Zhao Chuchu, ¡°Was Kang Liang¡¯s injuries so severe? I nced at your prescription, and the medicines you prescribed him are all expensive.¡±


    ¡°He has money. Isn¡¯t it normal for him to consume medicinal herbs that are pricier? Otherwise, it would not be befitting of his status,¡± said Zhao Chuchu as she grinned slightly. ¡°After all, as long as he can be cured, he is willing to spend any money necessary. Moreover, it is not like I am profiting off the medicinal herbs he will need.¡±


    ¡°That is true. Kang Liang deserves better.¡± After saying this, Chang Hong could not help butugh.


    Over the next few days, Zhao Chuc.hu spent her time at the Ruyu Center teaching Jixiang.


    As for Sikou Ming, he had to visit the Third Prince¡¯s pce every day. He did not have the chance to pester Zhao Chuchu anymore, giving her peace and quiet.


    The Third Prince tormented Sikou Ming to the point that he could not wait to sprout wings to fly back to Imperial City immediately.


    Apanying the Third Prince was not a humane job!


    Sikou Ming even suspected that the Third Prince had be perverted after being ill for so long.


    The Third Prince wanted to invite him to a brothel and pay for a prostitute for him. He even wanted Sikou Ming to have sex with the prostitute while he was in the same room!


    No matter how horny Sikou Ming was, he could not fornicate with a woman in bed right in front of the Third Prince!


    After he managed to dissuade the Third Prince from visiting a brothel, thetter wanted to tour around ake.


    With the Third Prince¡¯s fragile body, did he want to swim in ake?


    Heavens, please make the Third Princee to his senses!


    If the former were to jump into theke, the entire Guangqing Province would be flooded with rumors of Sikou Ming assassinating the Third Prince tomorrow. If that happened, he would not be able to talk his way out of that mess!


    Sikou Ming had always remembered Sikou Zhendong¡¯s advice not to offend the Third Prince.


    Even though he was sent here to keep an eye on the Third Prince, Sikou Ming had initially nned to hide from thetter.


    He had not expected that he would be pestered by thetter instead.


    Sikou Ming had a very strong urge to die.


    He didn¡¯t even bother thinking about Zhao Chuchu and the beautiful girls. He only wanted to leave the Third Prince¡¯s side immediately before he himself ended up dead.


    Sikou Ming was in extreme turmoil internally, yet he still had to smile andugh as though he was pleased.


    Otherwise, the Third Prince would ask, ¡°Mr. Sikou, you seem unhappy. Am I a bore to you? Sigh, oh well. I have never made friends before and don¡¯t know how to interact with people. Mr. Sikou, please head back first. My cousin can keep mepany!¡¯


    If Sikou Ming did not know that the Third Prince was neither interested in women nor men, he would have thought he had turned down thetter¡¯s advances based on his self-deprecating speech.


    Sikou Ming was so shocked that he had goosebumps. He feared that the Third Prince would be suicidal.


    Before this, Sikou Ming never knew that traveling could also be a form of torture.


    Unfortunately, he was dealing with the Third Prince, a target he could not refuse. Therefore, he could only bite the bullet and follow the Third Prince everywhere as thetter traveled around the Guangqing Province.


    Sikou Ming could onlyfort himself. At least hepleted the mission given to him by his father by keeping an eye on the Third Prince.


    On the other hand, when Qiao Heting discovered that Sikou Ming was suffering silently, he was overjoyed. He would cooperate with the Third Prince once in a while to torture Sikou Ming to the brink of thetter copsing.


    Sikou Ming was a famous star surrounded by his admirers when he was in Imperial City. However, after he came to the Guangqing Province, he was timid and was left without any help.


    ¡°Mr. Sikou, you seem to disapprove of Third Brother¡¯s opinion.¡±


    ¡°Ah? What did he say? I was in a daze, so I missed what he said.¡±


    Sikou Ming was suddenly brought back to reality and was on high alert.


    He advised, ¡°Third Heir, the wind here is strong. Your body is feeble. Why don¡¯t we go back in first? If you catch a cold, I will never absolve myself of the me.¡±


    The Third Princemented, ¡°Do you dislike me for having a weak constitution?


    s, I know. Everyone treats me like a porcin doll.. Life is so boring!¡¯

 Chapter 486 - 486: Escaping Overnight

    Chapter 486: Escaping Overnight


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Sikou Ming was speechless.


    He was seriously on the brink of going insane, thanks to the Third Prince.


    Sikou Ming quickly exined himself, saying, ¡°Third Heir, I didn¡¯t mean it that way. Please do not misunderstand my words. Since the weather is good today, I was thinking we could go horse-riding on the outskirts of town too.¡±


    The Third Prince said softly, ¡°I have already said that I don¡¯t know how to ride a horse.¡±


    Qiao Heting had a hard time holding in hisughter.


    If this continued, Sikou Ming was probably going to go mad.


    The Third Prince was always unorthodox.


    Sikou Ming made Zhao Chuchu unhappy. The Third Prince was tormenting Sikou Ming on her behalf. That way, he could also answer to Xie Heng.


    Sikou Ming nearly roared in anger. ¡°Just tell me what you want to do! Why would you ask me to read your mind? What answer do you want from me?¡± However, in reality, Sikou Ming swallowed his anger.


    Instead, he had to apologize softly and said, ¡°Third Heir, I am sorry. It is all my fault. I was not thinking straight. Please forgive me.¡±


    The Third Prince thought about it momentarily and said, ¡°Actually, I do not mind horse riding. Why don¡¯t you teach me how to ride a horse tomorrow?


    Sikou Ming hesitated before saying, ¡°That would not be wise. My riding skills are inadequate. I would not dare to teach you. Why don¡¯t we¡­¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s settled. Alright, I am a little tired. That will be all for today. I need to go back and rest,¡± said the Third Prince as he turned to leave.


    Sikou Ming did not even get the chance to reject the suggestion.


    He stood there stunned as he watched the Third Prince and Qiao Heting leave.


    Could he still return to Imperial City?


    After contemting for a long while, Sikou Ming finally decided to rush back to Imperial City overnight.


    He was terrified! What if the Third Prince actually asked him to teach him riding tomorrow?


    If anything happened to the sick and feeble Third Prince, the emperor would definitely behead Sikou Ming!


    Coincidentally, Xie Heng returned to the city the same night. He met Sikou Ming, who was leaving the Guangqing Province in a hurry. Xie Heng initially believed that either Zhao Chuchu or the Third Prince had encountered trouble.


    Therefore, he couldn¡¯t be bothered with Sikou Ming and immediately rushed home.


    When Zhao Chuchu found out that Xie Heng had hurried home because of this, sheughed until her belly hurt.


    ¡°Sikou Ming, this mongrel! He reaps what he sows.¡± Zhao Chuchu took a long while to regain herposure. She told Xie Heng what happened for the past few days. She concluded, ¡°The Third Prince tortured him well. ording to Qiao Heting, whenever they meet up now, Sikou Ming is scared even before the Third Prince says or does anything.¡±


    Xie Heng rested his worries. ¡°So, that¡¯s what happened. I thought that Sikou


    Ming had done something bad. All is well as long as you and Junjun are safe.¡±


    Zhao Chuc.hu snorted and said, ¡°Sikou Ming can¡¯t hold a candle against me unless he is ready to throw away his dignity and let others know he¡¯s impotent.¡±


    Xie Heng smiled. He then took out jade earrings wrapped in a handkerchief from his chest pocket and said, ¡°I found this pair of earrings. I think you¡¯ll look good wearing them.¡±


    ¡°They are lovely. I like them a lot. Thank you,¡± said Zhao Chuchu as she happily epted them. She then tilted her head and pointed at her ear, saying, ¡°Why don¡¯t you help me put them on?


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    ¡°I am afraid that I will identally hurt you.¡±


    ¡°It is fine if you do it slowly.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu took off the earrings she was wearing. Xie Heng took the jade earrings and carefully helped Zhao Chuchu wear them. He said, ¡°If it hurts, please let me know.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Xie Heng sweated profusely as he slipped the earrings through her tiny ear piercings.


    He was afraid that he would hurt her.


    After some time, he finally managed to help her put them on.


    Just as he imagined, the earrings suited Zhao Chuchu very much.


    ¡°You look lovely.¡± He was very satisfied. As he said this, he dragged Zhao


    Chuchu to her dressing table and asked, ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°You have good taste!¡± said Zhao Chuchu with a smile as she admired the earrings. ¡°I like them very much. Thank you, Da Lang.¡±


    After she said this, Zhao Chuchu tiptoed and pecked him on the cheek..

 Chapter 487 - 487: 1 Am No Longer a Child

    Chapter 487: 1 Am No Longer a Child


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Xie Heng missed Zhao Chuc.hu dearly, to begin with, so he could not resist responding to her flirting.


    Just when Zhao Chuchu was prepared to move away, Xie Heng pulled her into his embrace with one arm. He showed her how much he missed her with a passionate kiss.


    Zhao Chuchu was overwhelmed by his demonstration of desire. She went weak in her knees and leaned against Xie Heng.


    Seeing that they might cross the line if he continued, Xie Heng forced himself to stop.


    However, he felt he was about to lose control when he saw the flushing Zhao Chuchu.


    With a hoarse voice, he told her, ¡°You should sleep first. I will take a shower.¡±


    After he said this, Xie Heng left the room in a hurry. He was worried that he would not be able to resist the temptation if he walked any slower.


    Zhao Chuc.hu was still young. No matter how much he loved her, he couldn¡¯t possibly consummate with her now!


    Otherwise, he was no different from a brute!


    Zhao Chuchu put her hands on her chest as her heart raced. Her face was as red as a tomato.


    This was definitely not good for both of them.


    She was still too young.


    In Zhao Chuchu¡¯s opinion, one could only be considered an adult when one reaches 18 years old. Even though psychologically, she was an adult, she could not ept having sex with her immature body. Only animals mated at such a young age!


    She would never do it herself.


    s, she could only await the day when she finally reached adulthood.


    Zhao Chuchu sighed.


    She did not have a sex life in her previous life.


    Now that she had a partner, they couldn¡¯t go all the way to pleasure each other.


    However, Zhao Chuchu had admirable self-control. She soon calmed down.


    Unfortunately, the same could not be said for Xie Heng. It took him a good 30 minutes before he returned to the room. His hair was still dripping wet.


    Zhao Chuchu was still awake. When she saw him, she wanted to dry his hair. However, Xie Heng rejected her offer.


    ¡°Rest up. My hair will take a long while to dry.¡±


    He pulled a chair over and sat beside Zhao Chuchu¡¯s bed. He took a long time to calm down, so he didn¡¯t want to get too close to her now for fear of being aroused again.


    Before this, Xie Heng had always thought that his heart was made of stone, and he had no interest in women at all.


    Now that he had encountered Zhao Chuchu, he only realized that it wasn¡¯t the case. It was just that he had never met anyone who could steal his heart.


    Zhao Chuchuy in her warm nket. Since Xie Heng said so, she did not get out of bed.


    ¡°What are you reading?¡± asked Xie Heng as he took Zhao Chuchu¡¯s book from her hands. It was historical fiction. He asked, ¡°Why are you reading this?¡±


    ¡°Actual history is too serious, so I am reading some historical fiction to unwind. Why don¡¯t you read it to me?


    ¡°Alright.


    Xie Heng started reading from where she had stopped.


    His voice was as melodious as pearlsnding on a te. It was just ordinary historical fiction, but after being read by him, the scenes from the pages seemed to unfold right before Zhao Chuchu.


    She listened attentively. From lying down on her back, she flipped over andy on her belly, her eyes constantly watching Xie Heng.


    No wonder the people with authority in the past liked to have beauties reading to them. Having such a good-looking person to grind ink and read to them was a luxury!


    Xie Heng read for half an hour. Seeing that Zhao Chuchu had not fallen asleep, he stopped reading and said with a smile, ¡°Alright, we will stop here for tonight. You should rest up. Staying upte will affect your growth.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was listening in fascination when he suddenly stopped. She was caught off guard.


    Xie Heng¡¯s words nearly made her choke.


    She objected, ¡°I am no longer a child.¡±


    ¡°But your body is still that of one.¡± She had no words to refute him.


    ¡°Rest up.¡±


    Xie Heng got up and ced the book back on the shelf.


    Zhao Chuchu could only lie down. She asked, ¡°Is your hair dry yet?¡±


    ¡°Not yet. I still have some things to settle. I will be in my study. Don¡¯t wait up for me,¡± said Xie Heng as he tucked her into bed. ¡°We will continue reading tomorrow night.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± said Zhao Chuchu, not insisting.


    She watched as Xie Heng left the room. All of a sudden, the room seemed emptier..

 Chapter 488 - 488: Fear of Being Punched Again

    Chapter 488: Fear of Being Punched Again


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    After Sikou Ming escaped overnight, the Third Prince immediately became bored.


    Hence, the Kang n suffered.


    No one knew precisely what the Third Prince did, but after two months, the Kang n suffered the same fate as the Xia n.


    During this period, Xia Chengxuan and Kang Xiuwan ended up taking Zhao Chuchu¡¯s advice and opened a clothing store. They had incredible needlework, so they established their business very quickly.


    Although their current financial status could notpare to when they were previously in the Xia n, with this clothing store, at least they would not need to rely on Xia Chengxuan¡¯s dowry to get by. Their daily life could be considered prosperous.


    When the women of Kang Liang¡¯s harem heard that the Kang n might be ruined, they all took their money and ran away.


    Kang Liang lost everything. Moreover, he had been so proud and arrogant in the past and had offended many people. Now, these people kicked him while he was down, making his life even more difficult.


    Hence, he thought of Xia Chengxuan and Kang Xiuwan.


    Before this, Kang Liang did not even bat an eyelid at their clothing store. Now, he felt it was an opportunity to turn his life around.


    He felt fortunate that he had divorced Xia Chengxuan and returned her dowry.


    Otherwise, he would have nowhere else to go now.


    Kang Liang considered himself a genius in business. He also firmly believed that Xia Chengxuan and Kang Xiuwan would not turn him away.


    However, Kang Liang still had his pride. He did not go straight to the clothing store. Instead, he waited at their house for them to return.


    The clothing store had hired a male manager.


    They closed the shop ratherte, so the manager saw Xia Chengxuan and Kang Xiuwan home.


    Surprisingly, when Kang Liang saw the manager, the former flew into a rage as though he had been cheated on. He rushed forward, wanting to hit Xia Chengxuan, as he said, ¡°You bitch. Will you die if you don¡¯t have a man for a day? I am still alive, and you cheat on me? I will beat you to death, you b*tch!¡±


    Xia Chengxuan was caught off guard. She had been very happy for this period of time and had forgotten about her miserable life in the Kang n. Now, when she suddenly saw the hideous face of Kang Liang, she was frozen to her spot and could not react.


    Just as Kang Liang¡¯s palm was about to strike her, the manager quickly pushed Xia Chengxuan out of the way. He punched back at Kang Liang, causing thetter to see stars. Kang Liane stumbled about, nearlv falling to the ground.


    He massaged his left cheek and red at the manager. He used thetter, ¡°You adulterer, you dare hit me?


    ¡°Watch your tongue, or don¡¯t me me if I beat you to death,¡± replied the manager. He had traveled throughout the Jianghu before. Now, he was a manager of a clothing store. He had only agreed to do so for Old Mrs. Yuan¡¯s


    He was not the type who would just take things lying down.


    ¡°Madam, is this person your ex-husband?¡± asked the manager as he looked at Xia Chengxuan. ¡°What did you see in him? He looks like a piece of trash.¡±


    Xia Chengxuan came to her senses. Upon hearing this, she was a little uneasy as she answered, ¡°Our parents and the matchmakers arranged our marriage. As women, we have no say in the matter.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, that is true. The Xia n is also trash!¡± said the manager in a pensive tone.


    Xia Chengxuan did not know how to respond.


    ¡°Uncle Chen, we will head in first. You also shouldn¡¯t be out toote. It will be another busy day at the clothing store tomorrow,¡± said Kang Xiuwan to the manager. She did not even look at Kang Liang. ¡°I won¡¯t see you off. You can go home now.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Both of you should head inside first. Otherwise, that piece of trash will keep bugging you,¡± said the manager as he waved goodbye.


    Kang Xiuwan helped Xia Chengxuan into the residence. Shepletely ignored Kang Liang from start to finish.


    ¡°Kang Xiuwan, you unfilial daughter. Do you dare ignore your own father? Do you not fear the wrath of the heavens?¡± yelled Kang Liang in rage.


    Kang Xiuwan immediately stopped in her tracks. Without turning to look at him, she said, ¡°Isn¡¯t this all your doing? You said back then that when my mother and I left the Kang n, we no longer had ties with you.¡±


    ¡°I am your father!¡±


    ¡°You are not qualified to be my father.¡±


    ¡®Vermin, aren¡¯t you afraid of being cursed by themunity?¡±


    The managerughed coldly and said, ¡°To have a father like you, she must have umted some pretty bad karma in her past life.¡±


    ¡°This is our family¡¯s affair. It has nothing to do with you!¡± said Kang Liang. He knew that he was no match for the manager. He did not dare speak loudly towards thetter for fear of being punched again.


    Now, he wanted to continue being together with Xia Chengxuan. This was the only way his life would not be so miserable.


    Kang Liang pleaded, ¡°Chengxuan, I know that I was wrong. I was blinded, and my heart was stone, for me to have treated you like I did. However, I guarantee that if you give me a chance, I will definitely treat you well in the future. Chengxuan, we have been married for so many years. Give me a chance, and give yourself a chance as well, okay? You are still in my heart. Otherwise, I would not have insisted on divorcing you when I knew the Kang n would be ruined¡­¡±


    The manager interrupted him, saying, ¡°Hahaha, that is the best joke I¡¯ve ever heard. Kang Liang, did you forget why you divorced her? If it wasn¡¯t for Zhao Chuchu, would she still be standing here? If you are a man, grow a spine. Don¡¯t bend and grovel so easily. Otherwise, not only will I look down on you, everyone will say that you are spineless.¡±


    The manager¡¯s words were sharp. He did not give Kang Liang any chance to put on a performance.


    He was a person who abhorred evil. He especially could not stand hypocrites like Kang Liang. Hence, he did not hold back against thetter.


    ¡°This does not concern you. Do not think that you can take my ce. Don¡¯t forget that Chengxuan bore me a daughter.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Does she acknowledge you as the father? Don¡¯t tter your old self.¡±


    ¡°You, you¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright. They have already closed their doors. You can stand here as long as you want. That is your business. I won¡¯t stay and keep youpany.¡±


    When the manager saw that Xia Chengxuan and her mother had closed the doors, he left without hesitation.


    Kang Liang quickly went up and banged on the door. However, no one responded after banging on the door for a long time. He instead ended up disturbing the neighbors next door, who chased him away with brooms.


    ¡°Mom, do you want to get back together with him?¡± asked Kang Xiuwan as she looked at Xia Chengxuan, who had an ugly expression. She continued, ¡°Before you entertain such an idea, think back to the days you spent in the Kang n.


    Don¡¯t let history repeat itself!¡±


    ¡°I have never entertained such an idea. It is just that he is your father, after all. If things go south, it will sully your reputation. If you are identified as an unfilial daughter. themunity will curse you!¡± said Xia Chengxuan. worried.


    ¡°What do you think we should do?¡±


    Kang Xiuwan scoffed, ¡°I don¡¯t mind being cursed. It is not like that can harm me physically. Compared to returning to the old days, I would rather be cursed by others. Old habits die hard. If you reconcile with him, he will soon go back to his old ways. It will be like back in the Kang n when that happens!¡±


    ¡°A girl should not speak so crassly. Sigh, I am just worried about how to solve this issue. Should we just give him some money so that he will not bother us anymore?


    Kang Xiuwan was at a loss for words. She said, ¡°Mother, aren¡¯t you too naive? Can an abyss be filled? Once you give him money, you will never be able to get rid of him. Since you have already drawn the line between him and us, you cannot show weakness.¡±


    ¡°I am worried for you!¡¯


    ¡°It will be fine. Chuchu said that he offended so many people in the past. Now that he has fallen to this state, many people want to settle the score with him. He will be so busy avoiding these people that he won¡¯t have the time to bother us. After a few more days, he will not dare to show his face around here again..¡±

 Chapter 489 - 489:what Is There to Congratulate

    Chapter 489:what Is There to Congratte


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Xia Chengxuan asked anxiously, ¡°Are you sure? Will he really leave Guangqing Province.


    Kang Xiuwan sighed. She knew that Kang Liang had tortured her mother for too long. Xia Chengxuan was traumatized, so she had been living timidly in fear.


    Only when it came to matters rted to Kang Xiuwan would Xia Chengxuan throw caution to the wind and act bravely.


    ¡°Mom, even if you don¡¯t trust me, you should trust Chuchu. Don¡¯t you forget, we are also very close to the Yuan n now. They will surely help us in secret,


    considering their rtionship with Chuchu.¡±


    In reality, Kang Xiuwan only said this tofort Xia Chengxuan.


    She was not really that close with the Yuan n. She didn¡¯t want to always trouble them either.


    The Yuan n might get tired of her if she always asked for favors from them. Moreover, they did not owe her any debts of gratitude, to begin with.


    ¡°Is that so? I can now rest my worries,¡± said Xia Chengxuan, easily convinced by Kang Xiuwan just as usual. ¡°However, we¡¯d better stay home for the next few days. Tomorrow I will instruct someone to send a message to Mr. Chen. He can meet us here in the house if there¡¯s anything to be discussed.¡±


    Kan Xiuwan objected, ¡°No, we can¡¯t do this. God knows how Kang Liang will speak ill of you in Guangqing Province. Mom, you are not like me. You can¡¯t take any rumors and gossip. We should go out and meet Mr. Chen openly.


    Don¡¯t be afraid of Kang Liang!¡¯


    While speaking, they heard Zhao Chuchu¡¯s voice outside asking, ¡°Has the madam returned yet?¡±


    A mammy answered Zhao Chuchu, ¡°Yes, Mrs. Xie, she has returned. She is in her room now. Please go in.¡±


    ¡°Alright. ¡±


    Zhao Chuchu visited Kang Xiuwan asionally, so the servants grew familiar with her. Usually, when she came over, the servants would allow her to go to Kang Xiuwan¡¯s room by herself.


    ¡°Chuchu is here!¡± Xia Chengxuan was overjoyed. ¡°With her around, I am at ease.¡±


    ¡°Mom, we can¡¯t depend on her for everything. She is a married woman. She has her own household affairs to worry about,¡± Kang Xiuwan said helplessly.


    Xia Chengxuan replied obediently, ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°What do you know?¡± Zhao Chuchu entered the room with a smile. ¡°I purposely made a trip here to congratte you.¡±


    ¡°What is there to congratte?¡± asked Kang Xiuwan.


    ¡°The Kang n no longer exists. Is it not something worth congratting? Zhao Chuchu asked rhetorically.


    Xia Chengxuan was about to sigh when Kang Xiuwan quickly said, ¡°It is indeed good news. In the future, the Kang n will be unable to suppress our clothing? shop. Chuchu, do you know who did this?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu replied, ¡°I am not sure. It should be the Sikou n. Who asked Kang Liang to offend Mr. Sikou.¡±


    ¡°He offended Mr. Sikou?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you know? Two months ago, didn¡¯t I frequent the Kang residence regrly for some time? I was treating Kang Liang¡¯s injuries. He was beaten up pretty badly by Mr. Sikou. He nearly lost his life.¡±


    Xia Chengxuan drew in a cold breath.


    Zhao Chuchu continued, ¡°I healed him. Perhaps Mr. Sikou felt he didn¡¯t manage to vent his anger, but since he couldn¡¯t do anything to me, he acted against the Kang n instead. Don¡¯t you worry about it. You will not be involved in this matter. However, on my way here, I encountered Kang Liang. Did hee here to bug both of you?


    ¡°Hmm, he was here. But he was punched by Mr. Chen.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Chen punched him?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu could not imagine such a scene.


    Such a tactful person like Mr. Chen had punched Kang Liang?


    She cast a suspicious nce at Xia Chengxuan.


    Xia Chengxuan immediately understood the meaning behind her gaze. She quickly exined, ¡°Chuchu, nothing is going on between me and Mr. Chen.¡±


    ¡°Ha. I didn¡¯t say that anything was going on between the two of you. I just think it¡¯s strange,¡± Zhao Chuchu replied with a smile.


    She thought to herself, ¡°Maybe Mr.. Chen thinks otherwise?

 Chapter 490 - 490: They Flowed Out by Themselves

    Chapter 490: They Flowed Out by Themselves


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Zhao Chuc.hu could not imagine such a scene.


    Such a diplomatic person like Mr. Chen had punched Kang Liang?


    She cast a suspicious nce at Xia Chengxuan.


    Xia Chengxuan immediately understood the meaning behind her gaze. She quickly exined, ¡°Chuchu, nothing is going on between me and Mr. Chen.¡±


    ¡°Ha. I didn¡¯t say that anything was going on between the two of you. I just think it¡¯s strange,¡± Zhao Chuchu replied with a smile.


    She thought to herself, ¡°Maybe Mr. Chen thinks otherwise?


    However, Zhao Chuchu knew that the women of this era viewed their reputations as more important than their own lives. So, she did not joke about


    Mr. Chen with Xia Chengxuan.


    What if Xia Chengxuan could not ept it andmitted suicide?


    If Mr. Chen were genuinely interested in Xia Chengxuan, he would act independently. She did not need to meddle, lest she ruin things with her good intentions.


    ¡°Mr. Chen is quite righteous,¡± said Zhao Chuchu. ¡°With him overseeing the clothing shop, both of you can be at ease.¡±


    ¡°That is right,¡± replied Kang Xiuwan pensively. ¡°Mr. Chen is very capable. It is our good fortune to have found such a manager. Now, most matters in the shop are handled by him. He rarely causes headaches for us. He still offers suggestions for matters that would not be best for him to decide on.¡±


    Zhao Chuchumented, ¡°It seems you are quite satisfied with this manager.¡±


    ¡°Naturally.¡±


    ¡°By the way, if Kang Lianges to pester you again in the future, let Mr.


    Chen help you out.¡±


    Kang Xiuwan brushed it off, saying, ¡°It would not be best always to trouble Mr. Chen. After all, this is our dispute with the Kang n.¡±


    ¡°Just don¡¯t let Kang Liang bully you all.¡±


    Xia Chengxuan nodded and said, ¡°I know. By the way, Chuchu, how has the Ruyu Center been recently? It seems to be quite famous in the capital. I keep hearing the madams talking about the Ruyu Center when they visit the shop.¡±


    ¡°Before this, I asked you to visit the Ruyu Center when you had free time to learn some things from Jixiang, but both of you did not do so. The Ruyu Center actually helps women regte their bodies and be healthier,¡± exined Zhao Chuchu.


    Recently, the Ruyu Center had been a hot topic in the capital.


    The young maidens that Xie Heng had found had gotten used to the job and could teach introductory courses.


    By word of mouth of the madams, the Ruyu Center had be their hangout ce.


    After two months of training, they could feel their bodies improving.


    The women from the harems ofrge ns were susceptible to illness from being cooped up all day. Now that they had a ce where they could meet with their friends and learn many things, who wouldn¡¯t want toe?


    ¡°Forget about it. Now that the shop is so busy, I won¡¯t go to the Ruyu Center to join in on the fun,¡± said Xia Chengxuan as she shook her head.


    The main reason why she did not want to go was because she was divorced now. Those madams would not hang out with her. She also did not wish to seek out the contempt of others.


    Zhao Chuchu did not try to persuade her.


    During these past two months, Xia Chengxuan¡¯s mood improved. She had also been busy in the shop daily, so her body was in much better condition than before.


    Kang Xiuwan smiled and asked, ¡°Then, can I go?


    Zhao Chuchu replied, ¡°Of course, you can.¡±


    Kang Xiuwan looked at her mother and said, ¡°Then, I will go over to the center in the afternoon in the future. Once I have learned the moves, I cane back and teach you. How about that?¡±


    Xia Chengxuan said, ¡°You dare dere that you want to steal Chuchu¡¯s techniques right in front of her. Aren¡¯t you afraid that she will get angry?


    ¡°Why would I?¡± asked Zhao Chuchu with a faint smile. ¡°If she learns it, it is hers. How can that be considered stealing? A woman should learn some self-defense techniques. Don¡¯t listen to the nonsense of those sour Confucians. One¡¯s life is always more important than one¡¯s dignity. Having another skill means having another means of self-preservation.¡± Xia Chengxuan fell silent.


    Kang Xiuwan nodded in acknowledgment of Zhao Chuchu¡¯s words.


    Zhao Chuchu did not pursue the topic further.


    She left after having dinner with them.


    To her surprise, when she returned to the Xie residence, the Third Prince was actually there too at this time. When she reached home, the Third Prince happened to emerge from Xie Heng¡¯s study.


    The Third Prince nodded with a smile and greeted her, ¡°Mrs. Xie.¡±


    ¡°Third Heir, why are you still here at this time of the night?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked as she approached him.


    ¡°I had something to discuss with Zizhao, but I n to head back now. Sorry for disturbing you sote at night.¡±


    ¡°Third Heir, you¡¯re being too polite. I just returned home too, so you didn¡¯t disturb me at all.¡±


    ¡°Zizhao, I¡¯ll take my leave first,¡± said the Third Prince with a smile as he turned around to inform Xie Heng.


    Xie Heng saw him out. ¡°Third Heir, be careful on your way home.¡±


    The Third Prince took a few steps forward before he turned around and asked,


    ¡°Can Junjune to visit my ce two dayster?¡±


    ¡°Of course, but I¡¯ll have to trouble you to pick him up here.¡± Xie Heng would not stop the Third Prince from getting closer to his brother.


    ¡°Alright.¡± The Third Prince nodded and left in his carriage.


    After Xie Heng closed the gate, Zhao Chuchu asked, ¡°Was the Third Prince here for a matter rted to the Kang n?¡±


    ¡°Your guess is spot on,¡± praised Xie Heng as heughed gently. ¡°Did you visit the Xia residence?


    ¡°Yes. I even met Kang Liang.¡±


    Xie Hengmented, ¡°He is now a menace to society. He will not stay in Guangqing Province for long.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu believed that Xie Heng¡¯s words would soone true.


    Xie Heng has been quite busy recently.


    Even Zhao Chuchu could hardly meet him.


    Today was a rare asion when he came home.


    ¡°Are you hungry? I¡¯ll make you supper,¡± said Xie Heng as he prepared to head to the kitchen.


    Zhao Chuchu stopped him, saying, ¡°You don¡¯t need to. I just came back from the Xia residence after having dinner. Why don¡¯t you apany me for stargazing since the sky is clear tonight?¡±


    As someone who had lived in horrible conditions before, Zhao Chuchu was


    very satisfied with her current living environment.


    She admired everything, even a single tree.


    After all, it stood quietly at its spot and would not attack anyone.


    They climbed up to the rooftop and enjoyed the starry sky. Zhao Chuchu sighed, ¡°We¡¯re living in such a peaceful age. I love this ce. Da Lang, how about you?


    ¡°I don¡¯t love the ce, but I love you,¡± confessed Xie Heng as he stared deeply into Zhao Chuchu¡¯s eyes. ¡°I have attachments to this world because of you.¡± Without her, everything was nd, and all the ces looked the same.


    Zhao Chuchu was stunned by Xie Heng¡¯s instantaneous straight ball.


    She stifled herughter and teased, ¡°Da Lang, this is not right. I¡¯m talking about the love for nature and the world. How could you mention romance now? Isn¡¯t this starry night beautiful?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. All I know is that you look more beautiful to me.¡±


    She was speechless.


    She saw him in a new light!


    Who had Xie Heng learned this from?


    She said, ¡°You are making my heart beat faster.¡±


    He said, ¡°What a coincidence. Mine is beating faster as well.¡±


    Xie Heng grabbed Zhao Chuchu¡¯s hand and pressed it against his chest.


    ¡°Can you feel it losing control over you?


    Xie Heng¡¯s heartbeat was indeed faster.


    It waspletely different from his calm expression.


    Zhao Chuchu looked at him and gently scratched his nose as she said, ¡°Stop reading so many lovey-dovey story books. You still have to take the Provincial Examination!¡±


    Xie Heng smiled and said, ¡°I have not been reading such story books. These words all came flowing out of my mouth by themselves. I have no control over them.¡±


    She teased, ¡°I never thought you knew how to sweet talk.¡±


    ¡°They flowed out by themselves. I did not do anything.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu leaned her head on his shoulder and said, ¡°If possible, I wish our lives could remain like this forever. Da Lang, is Third Heir inviting Junjun over to reveal to him his identity?¡±


    ¡°That should be his n.¡±


    ¡°Is he changing ns and nning to let Junjun know about his lineage?

 Chapter 491 - 491: I Will Honor Whatever I Promised You

    Chapter 491: I Will Honor Whatever I Promised You


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Zhao Chuchu stopped worrying about this issue.


    Two dayster, the Third Prince personally came to pick Xie Jun up.


    Perhaps because they were connected by blood, Xie Jun naturally depended on the Third Prince. After getting permission from Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng, he happily left with the Third Prince.


    Chai Le naturally followed Xie Jun.


    Chang Hong and Jixiang had been staying at the Ruyu Center recently. Xie Heng went to the academy during the day, so Zhao Chuchu suddenly felt that the house was empty with her all alone.


    Jixiang was very capable. She could easily handle most of the matters in the Ruyu Center, so Zhao Chuchu did not need to go over at all.


    Jixiang had probably gained a lot of self-assurance from her job. The current Jixiang waspletely different from when Zhao Chuchu first met her. She now glowed with confidence.


    Zhao Chuchu had not met Yuan Hui for a while.


    She initially nned to invite Yuan Hui out for shopping. However, when she went to the Yuan residence, she found out that thetter had gone to the vige.


    ¡°She left not long ago. Do you want me to get someone to send you there, too?¡± asked Mrs. Yuan.


    Zhao Chuchu shook her head and replied, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m only here to pay her a visit. Since she is not home, I¡¯ll take my leave first. I wille and visit Godmother next time.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Mrs. Yuan did not persuade Zhao Chuchu to stay either. She knew that thetter was quite busy.


    After Zhao Chuchu left the Yuan residence, she stood at the crossroad and stared at the lively capital. She was overwhelmed by emotions.


    Who would have thought that she would arrive here from the post-apocalyptic world?


    Even though this worldcked advanced technology and was inconvenient in many ways, it was safe. She did not need to worry about the existence of mutated nts and animals that would threaten humans.


    Time flew by, and it was already fall now.


    Zhao Chuchu had been staying in the capital for more than half a year.


    It was almost the Mid-Autumn Festival, so Zhao Chuchu nned to make a trip back to Yuanjiang County.


    She asked Xie Heng, ¡°Da Lang, recently, the Gan n sent us a letter and asked whether we will be back for the Mid-Autumn Festival. I was thinking that since we don¡¯t have much to do here, we should go back and visit them. Will you have time to go back?¡±


    Xie Heng said apologetically, ¡°I still have other matters to attend to. I most likely will not be able to apany you back. If you wish to go back, can you also bring Junjun back? I will apany you back to Yuanjiang County after the New Year.¡±


    ¡°No worries. Then I will bring Junjun back with me. Do what you need to,¡± replied Zhao Chuchu. She did not mind it at all.


    Although Xie Heng was very powerful in his previous life, reincarnation had a butterfly effect. Not everything would unfold as it did in his previous life.


    Xie Heng needed to do many things and did not require her help, so Zhao Chuchu could understand.


    She said, ¡°However, you cannot be busy around New Year!¡±


    ¡°I will honor whatever I promised you.¡±


    ¡°Alright. ¡±


    Xie Heng asked, ¡°I know you are incredibly capable, but you must also look after yourself. When do you n to leave?


    ¡°Maybe tomorrow.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu actually missed Old Mrs. Gan and the others very much.


    After all, the Gan n were the first people to show her kindness.


    When Xie Heng heard she was rushing off so soon, he wanted to help her pack.


    Zhao Chuchuughed and said, ¡°You do not need to worry. I have already finished packing. Luckily, I have not packed for you, or I would have had to take your stuff out now.¡±


    ¡°I am sorry,¡± apologized Xie Heng. ¡°I cannot keep youpany.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I am not an unreasonable person,¡± said Zhao Chuchu. She did not me him.


    Xie Heng embraced Zhao Chuchu. Even though they had yet to be separated, he was already beginning to feel forlorn.


    The next day, Xie Jun woke up early in the morning and was eager to return to Yuanjiang County.


    Xie Heng sent the two of them out of the capital. He sighed as he watched the carriage disappear into the distance.


    His heart felt empty when he thought of not being able to see Zhao Chuchu for some time.


    Just when Xie Heng was about to return, he noticed a familiar carriage leaving the capital too..

 Chapter 492 - 492: Don ‘t Move Unless You Want the Child to

    Chapter 492: Don ¡®t Move Unless You Want the Child to


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Was that the Third Prince?


    Just as Xie Heng was thinking about this, the curtains of the horse carriage opened and revealed the face of the Third Prince.


    Thetter smiled faintly at him.


    Xie Heng immediately understood that the Third Prince was going after Xie


    Jun.


    Recently, the Third Prince would asionallye to take Xie Jun out to y. Although Xie Jun did not know about his own identity, he treated the Third Prince like another elder brother of his from the bottom of his heart. Qiao Heting got off the carriage.


    He exined, ¡°Zizhao, Third Brother knows that Junjun is heading to


    Yuanjiang County. He also wishes to visit the ce.¡± He exined this so that


    Xie Heng would not think that the Third Prince was going after Zhao Chuchu.


    When he heard this, Xie Heng could not help butugh. He said, ¡°You are overthinking things.¡±


    Qiao Heting replied, ¡°Hahaha, then we will be on our way first. We will take good care of Junjun.¡± ¡°Sorry to trouble you.¡±


    ¡°See you when we get back.¡±


    Qiao Heting boarded the carriage once again.


    The Third Prince waved and signaled for the carriage to continue on its way. Xie Heng saw them off for a while and then turned to head back into town.


    Xie Jun was now looking excitedly outside the carriage. He said, ¡°Sis, I really miss them. Do you think they will still y with me when I return?


    ¡°Of course, they will,¡± said Zhao Chuchu with a smile. ¡°Do you miss Lengshui Vige?


    Xie Jun nodded his head eagerly and said, ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t have many friends in the capital, so I miss my friends in the vige.¡±


    Zhao Chuc.hu encouraged him, saying, ¡°Then you should use this opportunity to y with them as much as you want. After you return to the capital, you must study again.¡±


    ¡°I am going to study too while I¡¯m at Lengshui Vige. Bro once said that learning is like sailing against the current; he who does not advance loses ground. I can¡¯t abandon my studies because of ytime.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re an obedient child,¡± praised Zhao Chuchu as she patted his head. ¡°Your brother will be thrilled to know you¡¯re so serious in your studies.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a burden to Bro,¡± confessed Xie Jun, scratching his head. ¡°I want to be as good as Bro is.¡± ¡°You need to work hard then.¡±


    Xie Jun promised, ¡°I will.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was not in a rush to return to the vige this time. She brought Xie Jun to enjoy food and sightseeing, using this opportunity to expand his horizons.


    The Third Prince and his group followed behind them. To avoid arousing suspicion, they did not catch up to Zhao Chuchu. If other people misunderstood the Third Prince¡¯s rtionship with Zhao Chuchu, Xie Heng would not be happy about it.


    Zhao Chuchu was unaware that the Third Prince had followed them to


    Yuanjiang County.


    On the 13th of the eighth month, Zhao Chuchu and Xie Jun finally arrived in Yuanjiang County.


    Seeing the town gates that she had not seen in a long time, Zhao Chuchu was somewhat emotional. She thought, ¡°Time really flew by. In the blink of an eye, more than a year has passed!¡±


    When she recalled the day she came into this world, it felt like it was only yesterday.


    ¡°Sis, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Xie Jun gently nudged Zhao Chuchu when he saw that she was spacing out.


    Zhao Chuchu came back to reality and replied, ¡°I¡¯m fine. I was just internallymenting that it¡¯s been a long time since Ist came to Yuanjiang County.¡± ¡°Are we heading to Grandma Gan¡¯s house first?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯ll go visit Grandma Gan and her family first. We¡¯ll give them a surprise.¡±


    ¡°That sounds great! Let¡¯s head over immediately,¡± said Xie Jun excitedly.


    Zhao Chuc.hu smiled.


    When their carriage turned into a street, they heard someone wailing.


    At first) Zhao Chuchu did not pay attention to it. After a while, she overheard that a child was in trouble. The person wailing was the mother.


    Zhao Chuchu immediately got off the carriage and rushed over to the residence where themotion came from.


    When she entered the courtyard, she saw a woman sitting on the ground hugging her child. She was crying out loud, ¡°My child! Don¡¯t you frighten me?


    Wake up!¡¯


    ¡°Send the child to the physician! What are you doing here?¡± chided the mother-inw frantically. ¡°You can¡¯t do a simple task like feeding your child.


    If anything happens to him, I¡¯ll skin you alive!¡±


    From a nce, Zhao Chuchu could tell that the child was choking. However, his mother was hugging him tightly.


    It was apparent that the mother could not think straight now. She ignored her mother-inw¡¯s words and cried non-stop without doing anything to help her child.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t let go of him now, hell die! Quickly send him to the physician!¡¯ the mother-inw screamed furiously. She was not strong enough to snatch the child away from his mother, so she could only pace around in a panic.


    The neighbors who had gathered around after hearing the cry all shook their heads and sighed.


    One of them said, ¡°This child is beyond saving. Look at his face. He is not breathing.¡±


    Someone asked, ¡°How did he be like this?¡±


    Another person replied, ¡°The kid is obviously choking because the mother fed him too quickly. That¡¯s why I said we must exercise patience when feeding children. Let alone kids, even adults will choke on food sometimes.¡±


    ¡°This child is the only heir to this family after his parents went through much difficulty giving birth to him. But from the looks of it, he will soon¡­Sigh!¡¯ The neighbors went on and on.


    Zhao Chuchu went forward. Without a word, she immediately snatched the child from his mother¡¯s embrace.


    Everyone else who saw this was momentarily stunned.


    The mother-inw yelled, ¡°What are you doing? You dare kidnap a child in broad daylight?¡±


    ¡°Give me back my son!¡±


    The child¡¯s mother finally reacted. She fiercely wanted to snatch her son back.


    Zhao Chuchu coldly ordered, ¡°Don¡¯t move unless you want the child to die.


    Otherwise, even celestials won¡¯t be able to save your child!¡±


    Probably due to her imposing manner, everyone present froze.


    Zhao Chuchu used the Heimlich maneuver as quickly as she could to save the child.


    The crowd watched in terror. No one dared to say a word when they saw Zhao Chuchu¡¯s stern expression.


    The color gradually returned to his initially pale-green face.


    ¡°My child is alive. He is alive¡­¡± said the child¡¯s mother as she leaped up excitedly. She wasughing and crying at the same time.


    Zhao Chuchu passed the child over to her and said, ¡°Pay attention next time you feed him. Otherwise, if you don¡¯t administer help in time, the child will die.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, youngdy. Thank you,¡± thanked the woman as she hugged the child tightly and attempted to kneel before Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu quickly stepped aside and said, ¡°Please don¡¯t kneel. It was an easy task. It was your child¡¯s good fortune for me to have been around.¡±


    ¡°Many thanks, youngdy. Pleasee in and have a seat,¡± said the mother-inw. She was crying tears of joy. She was very grateful to Zhao Chuchu. She said, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you, my grandson would most likely have died today.¡±


    The neighbors also chimed in.


    ¡°Usually, children who choke on something while eating are beyond saving. This youngdy is incredible!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but this youngdy feels somewhat familiar.¡± ¡°Fortunately, the child is fine. Otherwise, what would this family do?¡± The neighbors added on theirmentaries.


    Just as Zhao Chuchu was about to leave, both the child¡¯s mother and her mother-inw prevented her from doing so.


    ¡°Youngdy, we owe you a debt of gratitude for saving our child¡¯s life. Please stay for a meal.¡±


    ¡°Thanks to you, the old will not need to bury the young. We will never forget


    Zhao Chuchu smiled gently and said, ¡°I am a physician. Saving people is what I do. You do not need to be so polite.¡±


    ¡°You saved the child¡¯s life. This is the least we can do,¡± said the mother-inw. Just as she was about to continue, she was interrupted by an excited voice.


    Someone suddenly called out, ¡°Chuchu, is that you? When did youe back? Why didn¡¯t you tell us that you wereing? I wouldn¡¯t have known you were back if I hadn¡¯t checked out thismotion. That¡¯s right.. What happened just now? Madam, is everything alright?¡±

 Chapter 493 - 493: Despicable People Can ‘t Stand the Good Fortune of Others

    Chapter 493: Despicable People Can ¡®t Stand the Good Fortune of Others


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The speaker was none other than Old Mrs. Gan.


    She was overjoyed when she saw Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°We¡¯re fine now. Thankfully, this youngdy saved my grandson. Otherwise, we would have lost him,¡± the mother-inw said with lingering fear in her voice. She paused for a moment before asking Old Mrs. Gan, ¡°Madam, do you know this youngdy?¡±


    Old Mrs. Gan replied, ¡°Of course! Your grandson is definitely a fortunate soul to have encountered her.¡± She dragged Zhao Chuchu over to her side as she happily introduced thetter to the crowd, ¡°She is Zhao Chuchu, Doctor Miracle of our Yuanjiang County.¡±


    ¡°So, she is Mrs. Xie? That Zhao Chuchu?¡± The mother-inw was in shock.


    Old Mrs. Gan said proudly, ¡°That¡¯s right. She went to the capital before this. She came back to visit and happened to attend to your grandson. That¡¯s why I said, your grandson is fortunate!¡¯


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°Grandma Gan, you speak too highly of me. I am just a normal physician. I happened to encounter this family in trouble, so I lent them my help. After all, the kid is so young.¡±


    ¡°Regardless, you saved my grandson. My family will surely repay your kindness,¡± the mother-inw promised.


    The neighbors also rejoiced at how lucky the child was.


    This family would have faced a tragedy today if he was not saved.


    Seeing that Old Mrs. Gan seemed to have a good rtionship with this family, Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°Alright. Madam, you do not need to be so polite with me. If you want to thank me, treat me to something nice.¡±


    Old Mrs. Gan agreed, ¡°Chuchu loves good food. You should take up her suggestion.¡±


    ¡°That sounds wonderful,¡± said the mother-inw.


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°I will head over to the Gan residence first. I am a little tired now after a long journey.¡±


    The mother-inw agreed readily, ¡°Alright. I will send you some foodter.¡± Zhao Chuchu left with Old Mrs. Gan and went to the Gan residence.


    ¡°Grandma Gan,¡± greeted Xie Jun politely when he saw Old Mrs. Gan. He had been waiting at the entrance.


    ¡°Hey, Junjun is back too. Where is Da Lang? I don¡¯t see him,¡± questioned Old Mrs. Gan as she took a peek at the carriage. ¡°Did Da Lang not follow you back?¡±


    ¡°He is busy with his studies at the academy, so he asked me to bring Junjun back first. He wille here during the New Year.¡±


    Old Mrs. Gan said, ¡°Oh, right. He will sit for the examination next year. He indeed needs to focus more on his studies. Let¡¯s go in. You haven¡¯t eaten, right? I will instruct someone to prepare some food for you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m starving!¡± said Zhao Chuchu.


    Old Mrs. Ganughed heartily.


    All the Gan n members were out at the moment. Old Mrs. Gan was the only one at home.


    Old Mrs. Gan instructed a servant to prepare some food as she walked into the house with Zhao Chuchu. She sighed, ¡°I initially thought you would onlye back here during the New Year. I didn¡¯t expect you to be back in Yuanjiang County for the Mid-Autumn Festival.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu said) ¡°Grandma Gan, I missed you. So, after a discussion with Da Lang, he allowed me to return. Junjun has been studying hard in the capital, so it¡¯s nice for him to be back and take a breather. If we push him too hard, he might lose the motivation to study instead.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s nice for you to be back and visit us. Everyone in Lengshui Vige is doing fine. Chuchu, you are truly their lucky star. Of course, you¡¯re our lucky star too.¡±


    ¡°Grandma Gan, you speak so highly of me the moment Ie back. You are making me shy. I just happen to be slightly more fortunate than the others. I am also lucky to have gained the trust of all of you.¡±


    ¡°Enough with this exchange of pleasantries. How long do you n to stay here?¡± Old Mrs. Gan brought up a new topic, ¡°Quan is going to get married


    soon. We have decided on the date. It¡¯s at the end of this month. Do you want to stay here and attend his wedding before you head back to the capital?¡± ¡°Of course! Grandma Gan, why didn¡¯t you mention this in your letter?¡±


    Old Mrs. Gan exined, ¡°At that time, we were unsure whether the marriage would happen. So, I didn¡¯t tell you. I was just about to send you a letter, but you¡¯re back now.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu said cheerfully, ¡°It seems like I really have good luck. I came back just in time to join Brother Gaffs wedding celebration.¡±


    Old Mrs. Gan guffawed.


    When Madam Luo came back home and saw Zhao Chuchu, she was very happy as well. She also invited Zhao Chuchu to stay for Gan Quan¡¯s wedding celebration.


    Zhao Chuchu asked Madam Luo who Gan Quan¡¯s fianc¨¦e was.


    Madam Luo replied, ¡°She is the daughter of Schr Xu, who started the private school. The girl is quiet with a nice appearance. Both Grandma Gan and I are very fond of her.¡±


    ¡°How about Big Bro Gan?¡±


    ¡°Of course, he likes her too. Chuchu, let me tell you. Quan was the one who asked us to propose to the Xu n.¡±


    When Madam Luo mentioned this, she was beaming from ear to ear. It was apparent that everyone in the Gan n liked the maiden from the Xu n.


    Zhao Chuchu probed, ¡°I heard Grandma Gan mention that there were some hups with the marriage proposal?¡±


    Madam Luo assured her, saying, ¡°It was not a big problem. Some despicable people couldn¡¯t stand the good fortune of others and spread rumors about us.


    But don¡¯t you worry. The matter is settled now.¡±


    When Zhao Chuchu heard this, she did not inquire any further.


    Schr Xu had a good reputation in Yuanjiang County. His daughter surely had good manners too.


    Since both Old Mrs. Gan and Madam Luo were fond of this young maiden, she would surely be a good match with Gan Quan.


    Zhao Chuchu and Madam Luo had only chatted for a while when the dishes were ready. The family whom Zhao Chuchu helped also sent over a lot of good food.


    Zhao Chuchu called Xie Jun to eat.


    Old Mrs. Gan and Madam Luo also joined them for the meal.


    After that, Zhao Chuchu rested in the room arranged by Madam Luo.


    The next day, Zhao Chuchu nned to visit Lengshui Vige.


    The watermill workshop was still there. She had to go take a look.


    Zhao Chuchu brought the mooncakes and other delicacies she had bought in the capital. She also bought many things in the county town before departing.


    Xie Jun was very excited.


    When they arrived at Lengshui Vige, Zhao Chuchu discovered that the vige had changed in appearance after being away for more than half a year.


    New houses had been erected in most parts of the vige. There were also more people around in the vigepared to before. There were especially more carts carrying goods.


    Even the watermill workshop had been expanded. Two more buildings had been added.


    The vast changes to the vige deeply moved Zhao Chuchu.


    Lengshui Vige would most likely be Lengshui Town in a few more years!


    Zhao Chuchu got off the carriage at the entrance to the vige.


    It just so happened that Old Mrs. Chen was there. When she saw Zhao Chuchu, she was somewhat in disbelief. She quickly rushed over and asked, ¡°Chuchu, is that you? Good heavens, I thought my old eyes were ying tricks on me. Who would have thought that you are actually back!¡±


    ¡°Grandma Chen, we came to visit all of you,¡± said Zhao Chuchu with a smile. ¡°Have you been well?¡±


    Old Mrs. Chen replied, ¡°Hahaha, we have been living well, not as difficult as it was before. Of course, my health has improved. Oh, it¡¯s so good to see you all back. Where is Da Lang? Did he note back with you?¡±


    ¡°He is busy studying, so he did not return with us. By the way, Grandma Chen, could you find some people to help carry our things?


    ¡°Sure, you just wait here for a moment.¡±


    After saying this, Old Mrs. Chen cleared her throat and hollered, ¡°Whoever is free,e to the vige entrance to help Chuc.hu carry her stuff!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    Xie Jun had long scuttled off to find his young friends.


    After a short while, quite a number of vigers came.


    When they saw Zhao Chuchu, they weed her warmly.


    The reason for this was simple. Zhao Chuchu saved them and helped improve their lives. Aside from the Zhao n and a few people whom Zhao Chuchu did not forgive, everyone else was grateful to her.


    Her stuff on the carriage was very quickly moved to the Xie residence.


    The Xie residence had been unupied for more than half a year. However, there was no dust, and it was spotless. It was apparent that the vigers had regrlye to maintain the ce..

 Chapter 494 - 494: Isn’t It Too Soon to Get Pregnant?

    Chapter 494: Isn¡¯t It Too Soon to Get Pregnant?


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    With the help of the vigers, Zhao Chuchu¡¯s things were very quickly unpacked.


    Zhao Chuchu had initially nned to stay at the Gan residence. However, now that she had seen that her house in the vige was the same as before, she decided to stay in the vige.


    ¡®Grandma Chen, could you help me? I brought these back from the capital. Could you distribute them among the vigers?¡± asked Zhao Chuchu as she took out the gifts she had bought. ¡°Just like before, everyone else will have a share aside from those we omitted.¡±


    ¡°Child, why did you spend so much on gifts? Doesn¡¯t Da Lang still need to study? He will need money for many matters. It is better for you to save up a bit. Now, we have the ie from the watermill workshop. We are not short on food like before,¡± Old Mrs. Chen scolded Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu smiled and said, ¡°I have been away for a long time. These trinkets don¡¯t cost much. They are just novelties for the children to try out. Alright, Grandma Chen, please help me give them out. I need to put away other stuff.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± replied Old Mrs. Chen when she saw Zhao Chuchu so insistent. She


    did not say any more. With a few other women, they distributed the goods.


    Zhao Chuchu brought the souvenirs and went to deliver them to the vigers.


    She heard that Zhao Guitang and his wife had moved to the town to sell tofu. Now, their days were booming with activity.


    Zhao Men and Hu Yiming¡¯s rtionship was going well. They had returned to the vige justst month.


    Old Mrs. Chen sighed, ¡°Men can be considered fortunate. The young master of the Hu n treats her very well. Everyone says that Zhao Meijuan has no luck turning down such a good man. However, if Zhao Meijuan¡¯s family had treated everyone nicer, they wouldn¡¯t have fallen to their current state.¡±


    ¡°They deserve it. They only have themselves to me.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu had not a shred ofpassion for Old Man Zhao and the others.


    Chuchu vividly remembered how they tortured the original owner of her body.


    Even if they had fallen so low that they would beg her for food, Zhao Chuchu would not bat an eye at them.


    She did not care about family affection and filial piety. She was also not worried that other people would attack her over this.


    Her abilities and mental fortitude were strong enough. No one could stand against her!


    As for Xie Heng, she did not need to worry about him at all.


    In his previous life, even when faced with countless adversaries, he managed to turn the tables around and triumph over his opponents. In this life, he would even more so not be threatened by anyone.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Is there any good news from Men?¡± Zhao Chuchu thought of another matter. People of this age got married and had kids early. She considered Zhao Men as her younger sister. Even though theymunicated with each other via letters, the contents of Zhao Men¡¯s letters were simple since she did not know many words.


    ¡°She didn¡¯t say anything. But as a veteran, I think that she is pregnant.¡± Old


    Mrs. Chen recalled thest time she saw Zhao Men andmented, ¡°Pregnant women walk differently. However, people usually keep their pregnancy a secret until the fetus is at least three months old.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s true. Moreover, the young master of the Hu n watches over her as though she is a porcin doll about to fall over. If she isn¡¯t with child, why would he be so worried? My old eyes are sharp. She is definitely pregnant.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu offered, ¡°In that case, I will pay her a visit at the Hu residence. If she is really pregnant, she should be more careful.¡±


    However, Zhao Chuchu felt that something was off. She then realized that


    Zhao Men had just turned 14. Wasn¡¯t it too soon for her to get pregnant?


    She could not help but suspect that Old Mrs. Chen¡¯s eyes had yed tricks on her.


    The Hu n was considered well-off. They would definitely instruct Hu Yiming on such matters.


    ¡°I will pay her a visit after the Mid-Autumn Festival,¡± Zhao Chuchu added. Perhaps Zhao Men was not pregnant but instead ill?


    Old Mrs. Chen nagged, ¡°How about you, Chuchu? Why hasn¡¯t there been any news? Listen to me. Da Lang will achieve great things in the future. You should have children sooner!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was already numb from being asked to have children..

 Chapter 495 - 495: Should I Thank You for Torturing Me?

    Chapter 495: Should I Thank You for Torturing Me?


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Zhao Chuchu agreed perfunctorily.


    Old Mrs. Chen sighed and said, ¡°Don¡¯t hate me for lecturing you. When the timees, many people will have their eyes on Da Lang. You will sooner orter need to bear children. If you have children earlier, in the future, you will still be young when they are all grown up.¡±


    ¡°That is true. I believe that is very reasonable. I will discuss this with Da Langter,¡± replied Zhao Chuchu as she nodded her head.


    In reality, she had not taken it to heart. After all, she was from a different era than Old Mrs. Chen. Their ways of thinking would not be the same.


    ¡°Aye, I recall that Da Lang is taking the exam next year? Then you can wait until after he finishes the exam. Otherwise, he will be distracted if you are pregnant. Chuchu, you must remember to hold on to Da Lang.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I know.¡±


    Seeing that Zhao Chuchu seemed to dislike the topic, Old Mrs. Chen did not continue discussing it.


    Zhao Chuchu heaved a sigh of relief.


    It was quite tiring to deal with such matters. She could not push back too harshly. Old Mrs. Chen meant well.


    This era prioritized having big families as a blessing.


    The vigers of Lengshui Vige were actually delighted at Zhao Chuchu¡¯s return.


    They would not be living in such prosperity if it wasn¡¯t for her.


    This debt of gratitude was etched into their hearts. They all invited Zhao Chuchu to visit their homes for meals.


    Zhao Chuchu rejected their offers.


    After she delivered to the vigers her gifts and was about to leave, she encountered Zhao Changfu and Zhao Changgui.


    When the two of them saw her, they avoided her gaze and quickly walked away.


    Zhao Chuchu did not even spare them a side-eye. She left with Old Mrs. Chen.


    Thetter told her, ¡°Madam Ma took care of the brothers before this. However, they did not appreciate her kindness and bullied Zhao Changrong when Madam Ma was not home. Now, Madam Ma has stopped caring for them and left them to their own devices.¡±


    ¡°So Madam Ma did not continue to extend her kindness to them?¡±


    Old Mrs. Chen replied, ¡°Nope. Zhao Baogen has run away, but she is still staying in the Zhao residence as though she is a widow. Sigh. The Zhao n is in chaos now. Everyone is plotting to seize the inheritance that belongs to Old Man Zhao.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu did notment on this.


    She had long known how greedy everyone in the Zhao n was.


    ¡°How about Madam Yang?¡±


    Old Mrs. Chen said, ¡°Before this, Madam Yang was in jail since she was in cahoots with Zhao Baotian. Now, she has returned to the vige with Old Man Zhao. She was ambitious and tried to control Madam Ma. In the end, she nearly starved to death. In my opinion, they got what they deserved.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu only smiled upon hearing this.


    The life and death of Old Man Zhao and the Zhao n members had nothing to do with her.


    In the past, the original owner of her body lived miserably because of them.


    She did not see a reason to forgive them on behalf of the original owner.


    Old Mrs. Chen added, ¡°Old Man Zhao and Madam Yang are both sick. They depended on Madam Ma for their meals. So, they had no spare energy to care for Zhao Changfu and Zhao Changgui.¡¯


    Old Mrs. Chen was a little emotional. She recalled how arrogant Madam Yang used to be in the past. In the blink of an eye, she was left with nothing.


    Shemented, ¡°If they had treated you any better, they wouldn¡¯t have fallen to such a state. This is karma.¡±


    Zhao Chuchumented, ¡°There are no what-ifs in life. Everyone in the vige knows what they did to me. I have cut ties with them anyway. They are but strangers to me now. Even if theye to beg me now, I will not be moved.¡±


    Her words were jinxed. Right after she said that Madam Yang appeared in front of them.


    The current Madam Yang was extremely scrawny. She was in her 50s, yet she looked like a granny in her 70s.


    ¡°Chuchu¡­¡± When Madam Yang saw Zhao Chuchu, tears rolled down her cheeks as she whined, ¡°You are finally back! You must help us!¡¯


    Zhao Chuchu was expressionless.


    The former cried, ¡°I know I have done many bad things to you. I was blinded. I did not know that your father was killed by that brute and med you for being a bringer of misfortune. Now, the truth has been revealed. Will you please forgive me?


    ¡°Nope,¡± rejected Zhao Chuchu without any hesitation.


    She scoffed, ¡°Just because you didn¡¯t know how my father died, that did not give you the right to torture me. I was young and knew nothing. Did it mean that I deserve to be tortured by you? I wouldn¡¯t be standing here now if it wasn¡¯t because I was lucky. I am still alive because I am lucky, not because you have shown me any mercy.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Madam Yang could not think of aeback.


    Zhao Chuchu mocked, ¡°It is clearly written in the statement letter when the Zhao n cut ties with me. What happens to you has nothing to do with me. In the past, you treated me like an animal. Now that you are down and out, you wish to get my help? That¡¯s a little too good to be true, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Madam Yang pleaded, ¡°I am really sorry. I don¡¯t ask for much. I only ask for something to eat. I know that the watermill workshop is yours. Even if you just spare us some leftovers, your grandfather and I will no longer need to depend on that evil woman. Consider this as you are fulfilling the filial duty on behalf of your father, will you?


    ¡°Hahaha¡­ Your shamelessness amuses me.¡± Zhao Chuchu retorted, ¡°Hadn¡¯t my father fulfilled his filial duty enough? Whose money did you use to build the current Zhao residence? After my father passed away, you tormented his only descendant. Yet now, you dare to ask his daughter to be filial to you? Have you


    mistaken your buttock for your face? How can you be so brazen?¡±


    Madam Yang flushed upon hearing Zhao Chuchu¡¯s words.


    Zhao Chuchu said indifferently, ¡°If you had treated me better, you wouldn¡¯t have fallen into such a pathetic state. Madam Yang, let me tell you clearly: if I see a stranger starving, I might save them out of benevolence. However, I will not spare you a nce even if you are starving.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you forgive me?


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°I have nothing to do with you. What is there to forgive? Grandma Chen, let us go. I have not eaten your food in a long while. I missed it when I was in the capital. Today, you need to make me some of your finest dishes.¡±


    Old Mrs. Chen nced at Madam Yang. She seemed to want to say something, but she swallowed her words.


    She knew of the suffering that Zhao Chuchu had endured. She could not bring herself to advise Zhao Chuchu to forgive Madam Yang.


    She was not the one who had been stabbed by needles. How could she understand the suffering Zhao Chuchu went through?


    Hence, Old Mrs. Chen chose to ignore it.


    She replied, ¡°Alright. Name whatever you wish to eat, and I will make it for you.¡±


    Madam Yang yelled, ¡®You from the Chen n, have you no shame? She is the granddaughter of the Zhao n. How dare you take her away and im her as your own?


    Madam Yang hit a wall with Zhao Chuchu, so she vented out her frustration on Old Mrs. Chen.


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    ¡°I see that you are in good spirits. Do you wish to be pped again?¡± Zhao Chuchu red coldly at Madam Yang. ¡°Did you think that Grandma Chen is as cruel as you? You are unworthy even to help her put on her shoes!¡± Madam Yang was overwhelmed with anger.


    However, she did not dare to show her temper towards Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to act like a monster in front of me ever again. Even if you hit your head and die, I will only apud such a thing. You should know that I learned all of this from you! We can run away from natural disasters, but we cannot escape our own sins.¡±


    Madam Yang looked at Zhao Chuchu and asked, ¡°How can you be so cruel?¡± ¡°Can I do worse than you? At least I am not forcing you to kill yourself or selling you off.¡±


    Madam Yang retorted, ¡°If I didn¡¯t sell you off to the Xie n, would you be who you are today?¡±


    ¡°Should I be grateful that you did not treat me as a human being? I am who I am today because I did not give up in difficult times and persisted in living on.


    Everything I own, I worked hard to achieve. You did not give them to me. Madam Yang, I will say it onest time, if you wish to die, I can help send you on your way.¡±


    Madam Yang took two steps back. She was scared of Zhao Chuchu¡¯s killing intent.


    ¡°Get lost!¡± Zhao Chuc.humanded.


    Without another word, Madam Yang scuttled off..

 Chapter 496 - 496: Running Off to Seek Your Death

    Chapter 496: Running Off to Seek Your Death


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Once Madam Yang left, Zhao Chuchu smiled at Old Mrs. Chen and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back and have dinner. I have missed your dishes so much, Grandma Chen.¡±


    Old Mrs. Chen initially wanted to say something. However, when she saw that Zhao Chuchu was unconcerned with the Zhao n¡¯s matters, she smiled and said, ¡°Alright. What do you want to eat? Let¡¯s go back, and I¡¯ll make it for you.¡±


    Madam Yang looked back and watched Zhao Chuchu and Old Mrs. Chen¡¯s silhouettes from a distance. She was filled with regret and jealousy.


    Zhao Chuchu was her granddaughter, but now someone else had imed thetter.


    However, Madam Yang did not dare to do anything.


    She was well aware that Zhao Chuchu had no affection towards her. If she offended Zhao Chuchu in any way, thetter would make her life a living hell.


    When Madam Yang returned nome, Madam Ma¡¯s expression turned ugly when she saw the former. She asked, ¡°Where did you run off to? Did you run off to seek your death?¡±


    Madam Yang¡¯s expression turned grim, but she did not retort.


    Her sons were either dead or had run away. Now, she could only rely on Madam Ma.


    Although Madam Ma gave her a long face daily, it was still better than being a beggar.


    Madam Yang entered the house silently, not daring even to let off a fart. Now, her uselessness starkly contrasted with her arrogance from back in the day.


    Old Man Zhao sat under the porch like a stuffed gourd.


    Now, Madam Ma held authority in the Zhao n.


    Madam Ma actually hated Old Man Zhao and Madam Yang. However, for Zhao Changrong¡¯s sake, she endured everything.


    After all, filial piety came before all else. Madam Ma could not do what Zhao Chuchu had done. She did not have thetter¡¯s strong will to forsake everything around her.


    ¡°Chop up the pig feedter. If the pigs have not been fed by night, all of you won¡¯t be fed either,¡± ordered Madam Ma as she nced at Old Man Zhao.


    ¡°Oh, I will go do it now,¡± said Old Man Zhao as he hurried off to work.


    Madam Ma then looked at the brothers, Zhao Changfu and Zhao Changgui. She instructed, ¡°Both of you, go gather firewood. If you don¡¯t work, you don¡¯t eat.¡±


    The brothers were enraged, but they did not dare to show it. They could only pick up their hatchets and venture into the mountain.


    After Madam Ma had arranged for them to work, she prepared to leave the house. Just then, Madam Yang emerged from inside.


    ¡°Your rtionship with Zhao Chuchu is still considered okay, and she has saved Changrong before. Now that she is back in the vige, why don¡¯t you approach her to see whether she can offer you a way out of your current predicament?¡± suggested Madam Yang. She wanted Madam Ma to approach Zhao Chuchu and annoy thetter. It would be best if Zhao Chuchu lectured Madam Ma. That way, Madam Yang would feel much better.


    ¡°So you went to find Zhao Chuchu just now? Let me guess. You did not manage to get anything from her. So, now you wish for me to go see her and be chastised by her? Old hag, I am not as stupid as you!¡± said Madam Ma with a coldugh.


    Madam Yang immediately felt guilty, and her eyes wandered everywhere. She said, ¡°I did not go to find her. I just happened to bump into her by chance. Didn¡¯t Zhao Chuchu treat you rather well? Now that your life is so miserable, why don¡¯t you seek her aid?¡±


    Madam Ma dered, ¡°I know exactly what you are scheming. Let me tell you this: even if I have to starve to death, I will not approach Zhao Chuchu. Before this, my heart was stone, and I treated her harshly like the rest of you did. Now, I will not do such a thing. She saved Changrongs life. I will not bother her. I advise you to stay in line; otherwise, don¡¯t me me for chasing you


    ¡°You!¡±


    ¡°Old woman, shut up,¡± said Old Man Zhao. He could not resist asking Madam


    Yang to shut up.


    Did she not know what the situation in the n was like now?


    Did she really wish to annoy Madam Ma and deprive them of even their meals?


    Times had changed. They had to face reality.


    Madam Yang certainly did not dare to go against Madam Ma. Once Old Man Zhao gave her a way out, she took a step back. Otherwise, she would actually end up without a meal.


    When Madam Ma saw this, she coldly snorted. She then picked up her basket and left the house.


    She knew that Zhao Chuchu was back.


    However, she would not go and bother thetter.


    Zhao Zhizhi¡¯s death was not entirely Zhao Chuchu¡¯s fault. However, thetter did y a part in it. Yet, she also saved Zhao Changrong. After considering both incidents, for Madam Ma, it was best if she kept her distance from Zhao Chuchu..

 Chapter 497 - 497: 446

    Chapter 497: 446


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Since Madam Ma was avoiding Zhao Chuchu, thetter naturally did not encounter her.


    Zhao Chuchu and Madam Ma had the same idea. It was best to be strangers to one another.


    Zhao Chuchu could not bring herself to treat Madam Ma the way she treated the members of the Chen n.


    She could not forget how Madam Ma previously treated the original owner of her body. She also did not forget that she had personally killed Zhao Zhizhi.


    In short, the two of them had the tacit understanding to not appear before each other unless it was necessary. They maintained a delicate bnce.


    Xie Jun returning to Lengshui Vige was like a duck returning to water. He thoroughly enjoyed his time there.


    However, he was very disciplined. After he had fun with his friends, he would go home to study and practice his calligraphy. He did not abandon his studies just because he met up with his old friends. Even Zhao Chuchu was impressed by his immense self-control.


    Usually, children at Xie Jun¡¯s age were yful. Few could be as disciplined as he was.


    As expected, a person was influenced by thepany he kept. Xie Jun resembled Xie Heng, who also had a high level of self-control.


    After they finished their meal, Zhao Chuchu asked Xie Jun, ¡°Tomorrow, I will make a trip to the town. Do you want to follow me?


    ¡°Sis, I¡¯ll stay here. A round trip to the town takes a long time. I¡¯ll stay in the vige and study diligently. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Xie Jun added thoughtfully, ¡°I¡¯ll go to Grandma Gan¡¯s house with you during the Mid-Autumn Festival.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu advised, ¡°Studying is important, but you must also find time to rx. Don¡¯t get too fixated on studying, alright?¡±


    ¡°I know. Bro said that we should strike a perfect bnce between work and rest.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Rest early. Don¡¯t stay up toote reading at night. It¡¯s not good for your eyes.¡±


    ¡°Alright. ¡±


    After Xie Jun showered, he went into his room without being asked. Zhao Chuchu did not need to worry about him at all.


    Besides that, he even washed his own clothes now and did not ask for Zhao Chuchu¡¯s help.


    The next day, Zhao Chuchu left for the county town early in the morning.


    On the other hand, the Third Prince came to Lengshui Vige in his carriage.


    He came here as a merchant to avoid bringing any trouble to the vige.


    The chief was very polite towards this young master who demonstrated a noble temperament.


    After learning in depth about the tofu skins, the Third Prince ordered a batch of them from the watermill workshop.


    Then, he told the chief, ¡°This ce is marvelous with flowing rivers and lush mountains. Can you bring me around? It¡¯s been a long time since Ist took a breather at such a peaceful ce.¡±


    The chief found no reason to turn him down. Regardless of whether he was here for business or other hidden agenda, the Third Prince appeared very sincere. The chief had a great impression of him, so he agreed to thetter¡¯s request.


    The Third Prince did not have any ulterior motive.


    He just wanted to stroll around the ce where his younger brother grew up and see what kind of lifestyle thetter had here.


    Just when the Third Prince and the chief left the watermill workshop, they saw Xie Jun and his friends frolicking on the ground. They were covered in mud and appeared filthy, but Xie Jun looked very happy. He had a bright smile on his face.


    The Third Prince stopped in his tracks and looked at Xie Jun with a smile.


    The chief immediately said, ¡°The kids in the vige all behave like this. They will roll around in the mud for fun. Mister, please do not mind them.¡± ¡°They are very happy. Children should be carefree like this. Don¡¯t you agree?


    The chief agreed, ¡°Indeed. When they grow up, they won¡¯t get the chance to y like this anymore.¡±


    The Third Princemented, ¡°I envy them.¡±


    He had been sick since young. Let alone ying with friends like this, he didn¡¯t even have many chances to take a stroll at the park in the pce.


    When he saw that Xie Jun had so many friends in Lengshui Vige, the Third Prince was gratified.


    Although his younger brother had had a difficult life, he was at least happy.


    As for himself, what use were riches and a life of luxury?


    He had no freedom, was always ill and did not have any friends. Aside from Qiao Heting, the Third Prince was always alone.


    However, the Third Prince soon recalled that previously Xie Jun was also in the same situation as him. His mood turned sour once again.


    Those people had enjoyed peaceful days for too long. He had to let them taste some pain.


    Otherwise, how could he make up for the suffering he and Xie Jun had faced all these years?


    The chief suddenly felt the Third Prince¡¯s killing intent. The former could not help but feel a shiver down his spine. He carefully cast a sideways nce and discovered that the Third Prince was still smiling at the kids. His smile was like a spring breeze. There was no killing intent visible at all.


    He was overthinking things. The chief told himself this.


    The Third Prince did not linger for too long before continuing on again.


    Lengshui Vige was far different from how it was before.


    Since the establishment of the watermill workshop, the business of tofu skins thrived. Aside from the Zhao n, the living standards of everyone in the vige had significantly improved. Those with more money had all built new houses.


    Now, most of the houses in Lengshui Vige were made of bricks and roof tiles. They appeared majestic. The youngsters here became popr marriage candidates for people from other viges. The matchmakers frequented the vige, and the vigers did not need to worry about not being able to find a spouse.


    After taking a tour around the vige, The Third Prince left with Qiao Heting.


    After they boarded the carriage, Qiao Heting asked, ¡°Third Brother, why did you order so many tofu skins? Did you n to give them to someone? If you distribute them to the shops under your name, wouldn¡¯t it arouse suspicion?


    The Third Prince replied, ¡°I n to send them to the Duke¡¯s residence. They should be enough tost you for a year.¡±


    Qiao Heting was momentarily speechless before he retorted, ¡°Even though tofu skins are tasty, I will get bored eating them daily.¡±


    The Third Prince was amused by Qiao Hetings rigidity. He suggested, ¡°Don¡¯t you know that you can ask your butler to distribute them to the servants as rewards? Tofu skins are still a raremodity now in the capital. I don¡¯t think


    anyone will reject them.¡±


    Qiao Heting scratched his head. He also realized this. He said, ¡°Your suggestion is better. However, since you havee to Lengshui Vige, why don¡¯t you find a reason to stay?¡±


    ¡°Then what about when others spread gossip about me and Zhao Chuchu?¡± asked the Third Prince rhetorically.


    The corner of Qiao Heting¡¯s mouth twitched. He asked, ¡°Who would know that it is you, Third Brother?¡±


    ¡°Xie Heng would. I have said that I will not do anything that might cause misunderstandings.¡±


    The Third Prince was clearly aware that he could not protect Xie Jun for his entire life. However, Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng could.


    No matter what, he would not cause Xie Heng to be suspicious of him and thus ruin his rtionship with Xie Jun.


    Paving the way for Xie Jun was thest thing the Third Prince could do for him!


    Qiao Heting sighed. How great would it be if Xie Jun could grow up under the Third Prince¡¯s wing?


    The Third Prince saw through Qiao Heting¡¯s thoughts and calmly said, ¡°Our current arrangement is for the best.¡±


    No matter how well he treated Xie Jun, he was not able to treat thetter¡¯s illness.


    However, after Xie Jun left the pce and was taken in by the Xie n, he met Zhao Chuchu and was saved.


    Moreover, Xie Jun did not have to face those evil people that were up to no good for the time being. With Xie Heng¡¯s protection and guidance, he could live a carefree life for a long period of time.


    This was what the Third Prince wanted.


    The Third Prince said, ¡°You know how scary of a ce the pce is.¡±


    Qiao Heting agreed, ¡°Hmm, indeed. I did not think about that.¡±


    The Third Princemented, ¡°Cousin, sometimes I wonder what would happen if I was also this fortunate back then¡­¡±


    ¡°Third Brother¡­¡±


    ¡°Never mind. I was just ranting..¡±

 Chapter 498 - 498: All Unqualified

    Chapter 498: All Unqualified


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Despite everything Qiao Heting wanted to say, he could only utter two words. He said, ¡°Third Brother¡­¡±


    The Third Prince said, ¡°I am doing well now. There is no need to worry about what has yet to happen. Otherwise, you would need to worry about so many things. For me, living in the present is the most meaningful thing I can do currently. Life is short. I need to do more so that I will not waste my life.¡±


    ¡°Sigh.¡±


    ¡°Why the sigh? All is well.¡±


    The Third Princeughed faintly. He lifted the curtains and looked outside. It was a blessing for him to be able to freely traverse this vast expanse of fields now.


    He was very satisfied with his current situation. Living each day to the fullest was his true reward.


    He would eliminate all the people in Imperial City who would pose as obstacles. He did not wish for his own younger brother to stain his hands with blood at such a young age.


    The only thing he could do was to pave the way for his younger brother, preparing a smooth path for him to walk down.


    As for his other siblings, none of them was qualified to reign the throne.


    The Third Prince appeared calm despite plotting violence in his mind. He looked as though he was just enjoying the view.


    On the other hand, Zhao Chuchu had arrived at the Gan n.


    When Old Mrs. Gan saw her, sheined, ¡°You didn¡¯t send me a messagest night to inform me that you were staying over at the vige. I was worried that you were caught up with something unpleasant!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu exined, ¡°Sorry, Grandma Gan. I initially nned to return here, but the vigers kept my house clean. So, I stayed. However, I am certain I¡¯ll be spending the Mid-Autumn Festival here at the Gan residence. Please don¡¯t be mad at me and send me away.¡±


    ¡°Poor child, I was just joking with you. Rx. But now we have a promise. You can¡¯t turn back on your wordster.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I will not. I have never broken any promise I made with you, Grandma Gan.¡±


    Old Mrs. Gan beamed from ear to ear. ¡°By the way, the young child from Lao


    San¡¯s family, whom you saved, is alive and kicking now. He can¡¯t sit still.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°I¡¯m d he¡¯s alright. Truthfully, adults need to be very careful when feeding their children. Children choke on food easily.


    Fortunately, I happened to pass by. It seemed that I was destined to help him. Grandma Gan, I¡¯m going over to the Hu residenceter to pay my sister a visit.


    So, I won¡¯t be eating in today.¡±


    ¡°Alright, go ahead. I will see you and Junjun during the Mid-Autumn Festival.¡± Old Mrs. Gan did not persuade Zhao Chuchu to stay.


    After Zhao Chuchu left, she thought of something and went back to the Gan residence. She handed a blueprint to Old Mrs. Gan and said, ¡°Grandma Gan, get someone to build a hearth in the courtyard ording to this blueprint. When I return, I¡¯ll teach you how to make something delicious.¡±


    Old Mrs. Gan teased, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you don¡¯t know how to cook? Did you acquire culinary skills while you were in the capital?¡±


    Embarrassed, Zhao Chuchu exined, ¡°Nope. I¡¯m still terrible at cooking. But I have all of you to help me. I know the technique. I can just tell you what to do,


    ¡°Alright.¡± Old Mrs. Gan looked at the blueprint and couldn¡¯t make head or tail of it. She doubted, ¡°Can the handymen understand this?¡±


    ¡°They can,¡± assured Zhao Chuchu. ¡°I hired a handyman to draw this blueprint.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Go on with your business. I will get someone to build thister,¡± said Old Mrs. Gan as she carefully kept the blueprint away.


    Zhao Chuchu bid her goodbye and went to the Hu residence.


    Before this, the Hu n hade to the vige because Hu Yiming was injured. Now that he had returned to normal, they moved back to town to make it easier for him to continue his studies.


    The Hu and Gan residences were located at opposite ends of the county town.


    Zhao Chuchu needed to cross the entire town to reach her destination.


    It had been more than a year since the gue subsided. Yuanjiang County gradually regained its formal liveliness. Compared to before, the town was busier now.


    Zhao Chuchu took her time to stroll around the town while enjoying the peaceful age.


    Thirty minutes had passed by the time she reached the Hu residence.


    Madam Zhou was just about to leave the house when she saw Zhao Chuchu. She asked in disbelief, ¡°Chuchu, are you back?¡±


    ¡°Yes, madam. I¡¯m back, so I made a trip here to visit you. Are Men and everyone else doing fine?¡± answered Zhao Chuchu with a smile ¡°Are you heading out?¡±


    ¡°Aye. Don¡¯t call me madam. Just call me aunt. You don¡¯t have to be so polite to me. Come in,¡± weed Madam Zhou happily as she dragged Zhao Chuchu into the house.


    Nothing couldpare to catching up with Zhao Chuchu.


    For Madam Zhou, Zhao Chuchu was the lifesaver of their Hu n.


    Without Zhao Chuchu, her husband would have long died, and her son would not be able to continue studying as well.


    Madam Zhou was willing to repay Zhao Chuchu this debt of gratitude with her own life.


    ¡°Quick. Inform the others about Chuchu¡¯s arrival,¡± instructed Madam Zhou to the servant.


    Zhao Chuchu was amused.


    She said, ¡°Aunt, I¡¯m only here to say hello. You don¡¯t have to call everyone.¡±


    ¡°You are still a guest. By the way, where is Mr. Xie? Did he note back with you


    ¡°Nope. Da Lang is currently studying in the academy, so he is not free. Only Junjun and I came back.¡±


    Madam Zhou said, ¡°Yiming mentions Mr. Xie frequently. He was wondering when Mr. Xie woulde back to Yuanjiang County. He is eager to receive some pointers from thetter.¡±


    ¡°He will most likely be free only during the New Year. HOW¡¯S Yiming doing? Does he still have a headache?¡±


    ¡°No. He is doing great now. He has been studying daily,¡± replied Madam Zhou


    with a bright smile It was apparent that she was very content.


    Right at this moment, Zhao Men and Old Mrs.Hu arrived.


    Unable to suppress her excitement, Zhao Men ignored her mother-inw and pounced forward to hug Zhao Chuchu. She sighed, ¡°Sister Chuchu, you are finally back! I missed you so much!¡±


    Zhao Chuc.hu took the opportunity to check out Zhao Men. She had put on some weight. Even though she kept the hairstyle of a married woman, Zhao Chuchu could tell she was still a virgin.


    Old Mrs. Chen¡¯s im of Zhao Men being pregnant was fictitious.


    Zhao Chuc.hu spected that Zhao Men happened to be sick when she met Old Mrs. Chen. Therefore, thetter had a misunderstanding.


    In Zhao Chuchu¡¯s opinion, this was only logical. The Hu n was an aristocratic family, after all. The adults would surely teach Hu Yiming and


    Zhao Men not to consummate too early since she was still rather young. Zhao Chuchu rested her worries after she had verified that Zhao Men was healthy.


    She teased, ¡®You¡¯re a married woman now. You can¡¯t behave like a child anymore, or your mother-inw mightugh at you.¡±


    ¡°She will not. Both Grandma and Mom treat me well,¡± retorted Zhao Men cheerfully. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me that you wereing back?¡±


    ¡°I decided on a whim. It was toote to send you a letter, so I thought of giving you a surprise.¡±


    Old Mrs. Hu said with a smile, ¡°Quicklye in. Men, Chuchu hase all the way from the capital. It¡¯s not nice for you to keep her standing.¡±


    When Zhao Chuchu saw the way Zhao Men behaved, she knew that thetter had been living a good life in the Hu n. Zhao Men was even more cheerful than she used to be. Clearly, the Hu n treated her well.


    Zhao Chuchu sincerely felt happy for her.


    Madam Zhou sent someone to call Hu Yiming back from the county school.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to trouble him,¡± Zhao Chuchu said. ¡°His studies are more important.¡±


    Madam Zhou insisted, ¡°You¡¯re his lifesaver. Furthermore, you¡¯re his sister-inw. It¡¯s only right for him toe back and meet you.¡±


    She ignored whatever Zhao Chuchu said and sent the servant on his way. Everyone in the Hu n respected Zhao Chuchu. Even Hu Bingyu purposely


    came home to greet Zhao Chuchu when he knew she hade over.


    This, instead, made Zhao Chuchu ufortable. In reality, she disliked such formalities. She wished they were more casual with her.


    However, she knew that the Hu n treated her with such respect because they earnestly appreciated her..

 Chapter 499 - 499: You Are Teasing Me Again

    Chapter 499: You Are Teasing Me Again


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Zhao Chuchu quickly used diagnosing Zhao Men as an excuse to leave the crowd and avoid socializing with a massive group of people.


    Zhao Men told Zhao Chuchu, ¡°My mother-inw and the other family members really like you. That¡¯s why they are so zealous to mingle with you. Normally, they seldom keep in touch with other people. I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really mind. I am just ufortable when they are so enthusiastic.¡± In reality, Zhao Chuchu did not like the families of her former patients crowning her as their lifesaver.


    She merely kept in touch with the Hu n because she felt they were congenial.


    As for the other patients, Zhao Chuchu considered her rtionships with them to be that of a merchant and a customer. She would offer them her service as long as they paid her enough. There was no such thing as debts of gratitude.


    Zhao Men said, ¡°I will tell them not to be like this next time. Otherwise, you will not visit us again.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu jokingly said, ¡°If the food here is delicious, I will stille back.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Brother-inwe back with you?


    ¡°He is busy with his studies at the academy since hell be sitting for the examination next year. So, he didn¡¯te back.¡±


    Zhao Men agreed. ¡°Indeed. The same goes for mv husband. He ns to take the examination two yearster, so he has been studying diligently now. He sleeps veryte every night. Sigh.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu teased, ¡°You care a great deal for him, I see.¡± Zhao Men was thin-skinned. She blushed right away.


    ¡°Sister Chuchu!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°Isn¡¯t it normal for a wife to care much for her husband? I also pity Xie Heng, but he only has himself to depend on when ites to the examination. We can¡¯t do much to help them.¡±


    Zhao Men replied, ¡°Indeed. The only thing I can do is cook more good food for Yiming. That i s right. Sister Chuchu, why didn¡¯t you tell me you were returning? I could have also visited you in the vige.¡±


    Speaking of this, Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t help but burst outughing. She said, ¡°Initially, I didn¡¯t n to visit you so quickly. However, Grandma Chen imed that as someone who had been pregnant before, she could tell that you were pregnant. So, I rushed over to verify her im for myself.¡±


    Zhao Men was speechless.


    Her face became redder.


    She mumbled, ¡°We¡­we haven¡¯t even consummated yet. How could I get pregnant?¡±


    Zhao Chuchuforted her, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t take it to heart. Grandma Chen has your best interests in mind. It¡¯s normal for her to assume such a thing since you¡¯re married, don¡¯t you think? Moreover, Grandma Chen is not someone who will spread rumors.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I know. However, why did Grandma Chen think that I was pregnant?¡± Zhao Men was less shy after Zhao Chuchu addressed the topic openly.


    Zhao Chuchu exined, ¡°She told me thatst time you went to the vige, you walked differently, and Yiming paid close attention to you.¡±


    Zhao Men was stunned for a moment before she responded, ¡°Grandma Chen was way too observant. Last time, I identally twisted my ankle, and my husband was worried about me. I am really not pregnant. My mom and mother-inw told me I should not have sex with my husband before I turned


    Otherwise, it¡¯s not good for my body.¡±


    Madam Zhou was a good mother-inw. She was concerned about Zhao Men¡¯s well-being.


    ¡°Men, do you want my advice?


    ¡°Hmm? Speak your mind.¡±


    ¡°Actually, it¡¯s best to consummate your marriage after turning 18. Giving birth at 18 will be even better.¡±


    After all, a 16 -year-old was still going through puberty.


    ¡°Alright. I will remember that,¡± answered Zhao Men in a soft voice. Her face was bright red again.


    ¡°Of course, this is just my suggestion,¡± added Zhao Chuchu. People of this era promoted the ideology of having children early. She saw no reason to force her thinking from her previous life onto anyone here.


    Zhao Men argued, ¡°You¡¯re a physician. What you say is definitely true.¡±


    ¡°Come, give me your arm. I will check your pulse.¡±


    Zhao Men did as she was told.


    The diagnosis aligned with what Zhao Chuchu had concluded from her current observation. Zhao Men was healthy.


    Zhao Chuchu announced, ¡°Your body is healthy. In the future, you will have no problem giving birth to a chubby little boy or a pretty little girl.¡±


    ¡°Sister Chuchu, you are teasing me again.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not. I¡¯m telling you the truth. How are your parents doing? Are they well?¡± ¡°They¡¯re doing great. They moved to town to sell tofu. My mom said the sales are good. They are earning more now than when they were farming.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°I remember you told me before that your parents had stopped selling tofu because they couldn¡¯t keep up with the workload.¡±


    Zhao Men exined, ¡°My dad said we need more money to raise the young, so he is willing to work hard. My mom raised no objections, so they started selling tofu again..¡±

 Chapter 500 - 500: A Good Eye for People

    Chapter 500: A Good Eye for People


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°I¡¯ll pay your parents a visitter,¡± Zhao Chuchu said. ¡°Do you want to join


    ¡°Sure!¡± Zhao Men replied without any hesitation. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen them in quite a while as well.¡±


    Zhao Guitang and his wife had moved to town. ording to Zhao Men, since her parents¡¯ tofu business was booming, they invited Madam He¡¯s youngest brother to help them at the workshop. They lived prosperously.


    Currently, Madam He¡¯s focus is on taking care of her newborn son. Since Zhao Men was married, Madam He put all her attention on the infant and didn¡¯t wish to get external help.


    Zhao Chuc.hu went to see Hu Bingyu and Hu Yiming. After lunch, she followed up on Hu Yiming¡¯s current condition.


    He had recoveredpletely, without any sequ.


    With a serious tone, Zhao Chuchu told Hu Yiming, ¡°You have fully recovered. From now on, you can focus on your studies. Even though you have wasted a few years, you should not give up. With your brilliance, you will surely be able to achieve great things in the future.¡±


    Hu Yiming nodded in agreement and said, ¡°Sister Chuchu, don¡¯t worry. I will study hard.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu advised, ¡°Aside from studying hard, you should exercise regrly too. Sitting for a prolonged period of time is not good for your health. Jogging could improve your stamina. Don¡¯t end up bing a frail schr.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I will remember your advice. May I know when Brother-inw will be back? I have many questions for him.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll be back during the New Year. Actually, if you have any questions, you can write to him. He will surely reply.¡±


    Hu Yiming questioned, ¡°Won¡¯t I waste his time then?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu assured him, saying, ¡°Of course, he will only reply when he is free. Don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Since you said so, I shall trouble him with my questions.¡± Zhao Chuc.hu said, ¡°He admires everyone serious in their studies. You do not need to worry that he will be annoyed with you.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Thank you, Sister Chuc.hu.¡±


    ¡°You do not need to be so polite with me. We are family.¡±


    ¡°Darling, I will follow Sister Chuchu to my parents¡¯ houseter,¡± Zhao Men


    informed Hu Yiming.


    Hu Yiming replied with a smile, ¡°Go ahead. I will instruct the servant to prepare the carriage for both of you.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± said Zhao Men as she beamed from ear to ear.


    Zhao Chuchu was sincerely happy for Zhao Men when she noticed Hu


    Yiming looking at thetter affectionately.


    Sometimes, fate cannot be exined with reason.


    If Zhao Meijuan hadn¡¯t raised objections and married Hu Yiming obediently, even if thetter was not cured and the two had no feelings for each other, she would still live a much better life now.


    Unfortunately, she was too narrow-minded and forced Zhao Men to marry


    Hu Yiming.


    Zhao Chuchu often felt that many things were fated to happen.


    She and Xie Heng were destined to marry each other. So were Zhao Men and Hu Yiming.


    It was afternoon when Zhao Chuchu and Zhao Men left the Hu residence.


    The sun was shining bright, and it was scorching hot.


    Zhao Men fanned Zhao Chuchu while updating thetter on her life after marriage.


    Only then did Zhao Chuchu find out that Hu Yiming studying in the county school was not the sole reason why the Hu n had moved to town.


    ording to Zhao Men, after Zhao Chuchu had cured Hu Yiming, some of his rtives from his extended family had their eyes set on him. One of them even sent their niece to the Hu n with the goal of making her Hu Yiming¡¯s concubine. They imed that Zhao Men was unfit to be Hu Yiming¡¯s wife because she was just a vige girl.


    ¡°What happened after that?¡± asked Zhao Chuchu. ¡°How did the Hu n respond to this? Did you request them to move to town?¡±


    ¡°After that, my mother-inw was pissed off and chased the rtives out of the house. Grandma even told them straight to the face that the Hu n would cut ties with them from then on. Then, Grandma decided that we should move back to town since she was annoyed by all these rtives.¡± Zhao Men couldn¡¯t resist grinning as she recalled the incident.


    ¡°How about your husband? What was his response?¡±


    ¡°Of course, my husband rejected the offer. He said that the men in the Hu n do not take concubines. I am his one and only wife for the rest of our lives.¡± Zhao Men was bashful when she mentioned this part.


    Satisfied with Hu Yiming¡¯s firm stance on this issue, Zhao Chuchu praised, ¡°Very good. He is decisive.¡±


    If he were indecisive on this matter, Zhao Men would most likely suffer in the future.


    It seemed like Zhao Chuchu had a good eye for people.


    Hu Yiming had returned to normal, yet he still adored Zhao Men wholeheartedly and had never looked down on her origins.


    Zhao Men added, ¡°Hmm, he promised me he would never take a concubine.¡±


    ¡°Then, he will need to prove it his entire life.¡±


    ¡°I trust him.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu initially wanted to warn her not to trust him so much. However, when she saw the joyful look on Zhao Men¡¯s face, she knew that thetter would not listen to her warning.


    So, rather than ruin the mood, she decided not to say anything.


    It was best if outsiders did not meddle in the affairs between a husband and wife.


    Zhao Guitang¡¯s tofu workshop was close to Visitor¡¯s Aroma. Only a few shops sat between them.


    Zhao Guitang managed to secure this spot for the tofu workshop with the help of the owner of Visitor¡¯s Aroma. It was due to thetter that he managed to open the tofu workshop here.


    Zhao Guitang did business steadily. He did not skimp on materials. Everyone liked buying their tofu. Moreover, Visitor¡¯s Aroma used their tofu to make many signature dishes.


    On top of that, the fame of the tofu skins of Lengshui Vige had spread far and wide. Many merchants came to Yuanjiang County to purchase stock back for sale when they caught wind of this. The number of people in the county town also visibly increased. Business in Visitor¡¯s Aroma naturally improved as well.


    When Zhao Chuchu went to the Hu residence, she did not pass by this street. Therefore, prior to this, she was unaware that the business of the tofu workshop was this good. People actually lined up to buy tofu.


    Zhao Guitang and his brother-inw were as busy as bees. They couldn¡¯t even


    find the time to take a sip of water.


    Zhao Guitang was pleasantly surprised when he saw Zhao Chuchu and Zhao Men. He was upied at the moment, so he could only call out loud,


    ¡°Darling, Chuchu and Men are here. Come out quick.¡±


    He paused momentarily before apologizing to Zhao Chuchu, ¡°Sorry, Chuchu. Go in and make yourself at home first. I need a moment to sort things out here. I will catch up with youter.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. Go on with your business. I will go see the child,¡± Zhao Chuchu smiled as she went inside.


    Madam He rushed out with the child in her arms. When she saw Zhao Chuchu, she could not hide the joy on her face.


    ¡°Chuchu, you finally came back. Please,e in and sit,¡± said Madam He hurriedly. ¡°I initially thought you would return to Yuanjiang County during the


    New Year.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu looked at the child in Madam He¡¯s arms. The child was fair, chubby, and very handsome.


    ¡°He is so cute,¡± said Zhao Chuchu. She could not help but y with the child.


    Madam He smiled and said, ¡°This child is especially yful. He is nothing like his elder sister. Back then, his elder sister was such a good child.¡±


    ¡°It is normal for a male child to be more active. His health takes priority.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I only wish for him to be well.¡±


    Madam He looked at her son in her arms with a loving look on her face.


    She initially believed that she and her husband would be on their own after her daughter was married off. She never imagined that the heavens would grant her another child.


    Madam He always felt that Zhao Chuchu was their family¡¯s lucky star.


    If it weren¡¯t for Zhao Chuchu, her daughter wouldn¡¯t have had such a good marriage. The lives of their family would not have be so prosperous, and she would not have gotten pregnant again and given birth to a son.


    Madam He was very grateful to Zhao Chuchu. Every first and 15th day of the month, she would offer up incense and pray for Zhao Chuchu¡¯s wellbeing. ¡°Let me carry him,¡± requested Zhao Chuchu as she extended her arms.


    Madam He passed the child to her.


    Zhao Chuchu carried the child and tried to make him speak. The child stared at her with his big, round, unblinking eyes.


    Zhao Chuchu was amused.


    She jokingly said to the child, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? For you to look at me like that, am I so beautiful that I have fascinated you?


    Madam He said, ¡°This child has no sense of danger towards things foreign to him. He has never seen you before, so he is curious. Hence, he is staring at you so intently..¡±

 Chapter 501 - 501: I Missed You, so I Came Back

    Chapter 501: I Missed You, so I Came Back


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Zhao Chuchu only yed with the child briefly before he began to cry.


    She said, ¡°It seems that he does not like me.¡±


    Madam He quickly took him from her and said, ¡°He is hungry.¡±


    ¡°He gets rowdy once he is hungry. It is not your fault,¡± exined Zhao Men.


    Zhao Chuchu did not actually mind.


    While Madam He went to nurse her child, Zhao Men led Zhao Chuchu inside.


    Once Zhao Guitang settled things on his end to an extent, he left his brother-inw to handle things while he came inside to speak with Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Guitang said, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you inform us that you wereing back? We could have at least prepared for your arrival.¡±


    She exined) ¡°It was something I decided at thest minute, so I did not have time to let all of you know. The tofu workshop¡¯s sales seem quite good. Is everything going smoothly?¡±


    ¡°All is well. We wouldn¡¯t have our current lives if it weren¡¯t for you. Why don¡¯t you join us for dinner? Where is Da Lang and Junjun?¡±


    ¡°Junjun is in the vige. Da Lang did not return with us.¡±


    Zhao Guitang was much more talkative than before. Being full of energy made him appear even younger than he was.


    However, even though this tofu workshop was Zhao Guitang¡¯s, he had always remembered that Zhao Chuchu had a share in it.


    Now that she hade, he showed her the ount books for the past few months and then gave her a sum of money.


    ¡°What is this for?¡± asked Zhao Chuchu as she frowned slightly. ¡°I did note to collect money.¡±


    Zhao Guitang quickly said, ¡°Chuchu, you misunderstand. This is what you are owed. I initially wanted someone to send it to you when you were in the capital. Da Lang needs a lot of money to study. However, I never found someone I could trust to send it, so I waited for you to return.¡±


    He continued, ¡°At the very beginning, we agreed that I would handle the tofu business and split the profits. Although you went to the capital, I never forgot this matter. Chuchu, without you, we would not be here today. This is not much, but this is what you are owed.¡±


    Zhao Guitang insisted that Zhao Chuchu ept the money.


    Zhao Men also chimed in to persuade thetter.


    In the end, Zhao Chuchu could only ept it. Judging from the weight, there were more than 100 taels of silver.


    It seems that Zhao Guitangs tofu business was indeed booming.


    ¡°This is only 20% of the profits.¡± Zhao Guitang added, ¡°I took therger portion.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± replied Zhao Chuchu. She did not say any more.


    Zhao Guitang knew how to repay his debts. He truly was different from his mother.


    He was indeed an exceptional child born from lowly parents.


    Since the vige was some distance from the county town and it was gettingte, Zhao Chuchu did not stay for a meal at Zhao Guitang¡¯s house.


    She gave the children¡¯s toys she had long prepared to Zhao Guitang. Some of the toys she had bought from the capital, but most of them she had taken out from her carry-on space.


    Zhao Chuchu herself could not recall when she had stockpiled such items.


    Zhao Men said, ¡°Your presence here is more than enough. You didn¡¯t have to bring so many trinkets.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu reasoned, ¡°I saw they were cute and suitable for your brother, so


    I bought them. Please ept them. They are my gift to him.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t buy so many next time.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Zhao Chuchu smiled and replied.


    She checked Madam He¡¯s recovery and prescribed her a nourishing diet before returning to the Gan residence. After bidding goodbye to Old Mrs. Gan and the rest of the family, Zhao Chuchu returned to Lengshui Vige.


    She then discovered that the Third Prince was actually in Yuanjiang County too.


    She was amused. The Third Prince was clearly worried that she could not protect Xie Jun alone. Therefore, he had been following them closely.


    The Third Prince was really fond of Xie Jun.


    Sometimes, Zhao Chuchu felt that Xie Jun was a fortunate kid. Both his brothers doted on him. Even though he had suffered a lot of hardships, he had the best brothers in the world to rely on.


    However, until now, Xie Jun has not found his true identity. He also didn¡¯t Imow that the Third Prince was his blood brother.


    After Zhao Chuchu examined Xie Jun¡¯s daily homework, she went to rest.


    She suddenly realized that she only frequently used the stuff she had in her carry-on space when she first came to this world. However, the items had be more or less decorative pieces now.


    When she stared at the resources in her carry-on space, she felt she was a billionaire stressing over utilizing her wealth.


    Items not belonging to this era could only be used before Xie Heng. She would not reveal them in the presence of others for fear of inviting trouble upon herself.


    Zhao Chuchu fell asleep while pondering this topic.


    The next day was the Mid -Autumn Festival.


    Zhao Chuchu and Xie Jun went to the county town bright and early.


    Old Mrs. Gan was efficient. The hearth which Zhao Chuchu requested had been built. However, it took a few days for the hearth topletely dry before it could be used.


    It had been a long time since Gan Maoshengst met Zhao Chuchu. Therefore, the two of them talked for a while.


    Zhao Chuchu also saw Gan Lin¡¯s fiancee.


    Like what Madam Luo had described, the young maiden from the Xu n was quiet. She was an innocent girl with a nice temperament.


    Gan Lin¡¯s gaze closely followed his fiancee¡¯s movements. He was furtively looking at her the whole time. They quickly averted their gazes with flushing red faces whenever their eyes met.


    Zhao Chuchu was fascinated as she observed the two of them.


    The lovey-dovey sensations a couple felt in their first love were the purest.


    Zhao Chuchu suddenly missed Xie Heng a lot after witnessing the disy of affection between Gan Lin and his fiancee.


    Unfortunately, he was not here now.


    Zhao Chuchu had nothing nned for the day. She spent the entire day at the Gan residence.


    After dinner, she enjoyed the full moon with the Gan n members. Then, she went to rest in her room.


    Surprisingly, she saw Xie Heng, whom she had dearly missed, waiting for her in the room.


    Xie Heng was sitting beside the window. He was resting with his eyes closed and one hand supporting his forehead. He had most likely rushed back to Yuanjiang County on a horse.


    He raised his head when he heard the door opening. He was visibly tired.


    Zhao Chuchu was overjoyed. She shut the door and approached Xie Heng with big steps. ¡°Why did youe back? When did you arrive? Why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier that you wereing?


    ¡°You have so many questions. Which one should I answer first?¡± teased Xie Heng as he grinned brightly.


    Then, he pulled Zhao Chuchu into his embrace and hugged her tightly. He whispered in her ear, ¡°I missed you, so I came back.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s heart overflowed with tenderness as she listened to Xie Heng¡¯s heartbeat.


    ¡°I am very surprised. I missed you too,¡± she murmured.


    Their love for each other was mutual, to begin with. The brief separation intensified their feelings.


    Outside the room, the Gan n members celebrated the festival withughter. Inside the room, love was in the air, with the lovebirds clinging to each other.


    Xie Heng expressed how much he missed Zhao Chuchu through his actions.


    He gave her a long and devout kiss.


    After a long while, relying on his extraordinary self-control, Xie Heng pulled himself away from Zhao Chuchu.


    He might go all the way with her if he didn¡¯t stop now.


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯ s face was as red as a tomato.


    In the past, she was unaware of the power of love. She had tasted it now.


    A kiss was the best way for someone to express their love to their partner. For the lovers to consummate was for them to transcend their love to the spiritual level.


    Their breathing was erratic.


    Xie Heng caressed Zhao Chuchu¡¯s cheek as he said, ¡°I¡¯m back so that I can keep youpany during the Mid-Autumn Festival.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu took the hint and suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s go out and enjoy the full moon.¡±


    The atmosphere in the room was heated. If they continued staying here, Zhao


    Chuchu was concerned that they might get spicy with each other.


    Even though their souls were both adults, Zhao Chuchu was firm about waiting until her body had matured before they had sex.


    Two of them quietly left the room and went to the rooftop of the highest building in Yuanjiang County.


    While they were stargazing, Zhao Chuchu asked, ¡°Mid-Autumn Festival feels iplete without mooncakes and river snails.. Do you want to eat some?

 Chapter 502 - 502: Since When Did He Have Such Wit?

    Chapter 502: Since When Did He Have Such Wit?


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°Alright,¡± replied Xie Heng as he nodded his head.


    He actually had not eaten yet. He had rushed back as fast as he could.


    Zhao Chuchu also noticed this, so she brought it up.


    She took a small table and set it up. She then brought out delicacy after delicacy from her carry-on space. She covered the table with dishes. There were even two bottles of fruit juice.


    Xie Heng smiled.


    He liked that Zhao Chuchu trusted him enough to reveal her carry-on space in front of him.


    ¡°Come, with fruit juice in ce of wine, let us drink,¡± said Zhao Chuchu as she passed a bottle of fruit juice to Xie Heng.


    Xie Heng took the bottle, clinked bottles with Zhao Chuchu, and then drank it. The fruit juice was nice and cold. It was perfect for this time of the year.


    Xie Heng asked, ¡°Has this been chilled?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, it has. Nice, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It is. It tastes so much better.¡±


    ¡°Taste this river snail. I specially got someone to cook them.¡±


    Xie Heng had seen river snails but had never eaten them. He did not know where to start. ¡°How do you eat this?¡±


    ¡°By sucking.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu smiled as she taught Xie Heng how to eat the river snails.


    When Xie Heng tasted the tiny bit of snail meat, his eyes lit up. He said, ¡°This dish is interesting.¡±


    ¡°It would taste better with wine. However, it is not good for us to be drinking at our current age,¡± said Zhao Chuchu. She also really enjoyed river snails. Nothing could beat having some for supper.


    Xie Heng learned how to eat the river snails very quickly. It was rare for him to indulge himself. He finished off the te of snails together with Zhao Chuchu.


    Xie Heng wondered out loud, ¡°I remember that there were many snails in the creek by the vige. Why didn¡¯t you mention that they could be eaten?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu exined, ¡°Not all snails can be eaten. Some can cause illness if consumed. Although these river snails are delicious, preparing them is quite troublesome.¡±


    ¡°Maybe we can bring some back next time, and I can cook them for you?


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Xie Heng¡¯s culinary skills were excellent. Zhao Chuchu was definitely looking forward to it.


    Zhao Chuchu suggested, ¡°Before I return to the capital, why don¡¯t I bring some back with me?¡±


    Xie Heng said, ¡°Alright. However, I need to return tomorrow. I can only spend the Mid-Autumn Festival with you.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu confessed. ¡°It is tiring for you to be traveling non-stop. I never expected that you woulde back. However, Da Lang, I like this surprise very much.¡±


    ¡°I just happened to be free these few days, so I could still make a trip back here. Did you meet the Third Heir?¡±


    ¡°No, we never crossed paths. Yesterday, when I came to town, he went to the vige I heard that he bought arge order of tofu skins. Did he follow us for Junjun¡¯s sake?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, he is probably worried that you could not protect Junjun.¡±


    Zhao Chuc.hu snorted, ¡°He underestimated me.¡±


    ¡°He is concerned for Junjun the most. His concern clouds his judgment.¡±


    They chattedte into the night.


    ¡°It is gettingte. You should go rest,¡± said Xie Heng. They were also almost done eating.


    Tonight¡¯s meal was the best Xie Heng had had in a while


    Although he was reluctant to leave, Xie Heng did not want to keep Zhao


    Chuchu up.


    Zhao Chuchu asked, ¡°What about you?


    ¡°I n to return to the capital.¡±


    ¡°So soon?


    Xie Heng exined, ¡°The academy will resume sses the day after tomorrow. I cannot stay away from the capital for too long.¡±


    ¡°Alright. ¡±


    Zhao Chuchu put everything away in her carry-on space. She moved next to


    Xie Heng and said reluctantly, ¡°I don¡¯t want you to go.¡±


    Xie Hengs passionate gaze locked with hers as he said, ¡°I will be waiting in the capital for your return.¡±


    ¡°Brother Gan is about to get married. I might only be able to return in the


    ninth month,¡± said Zhao Chuchu as she sighed.


    ¡°No worries. You can return after the wedding. All is well in the Ruyu Center.¡±


    ¡°I actually wanted to return sooner. However, Brother Gan getting married is a grand asion. I need to stay back and help out.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    If possible, Xie Heng also wanted Zhao Chuchu to return sooner.


    However, as a married couple, they had the social obligation to maintain rtionships with other ns. Moreover, the Gan n had always taken care of them.


    ¡°I will return as soon as possible. Wait for me.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Xie Hengughed softly. He then extended his arms and embraced Zhao


    Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu leaned against him. Like the moon above, they wereplete.


    After Xie Heng sent Zhao Chuchu back to the Gan residence, he did not return to the capital immediately. Instead, he went to visit the Third Prince.


    Thetter was shocked by Xie Heng¡¯s sudden visit. He smiled wryly as he said, ¡°Zizhao, are you still wary of me?


    Xie Heng exined, ¡°Your Highness, you have misunderstood the intention of my visit. I am not here for trivial matters like romance. Currently in Imperial City, the Great Prince sent someone to Guangqing Province. They have suspicions about your purpose for staying here. Junjun might be their target.¡±


    ¡°He acted so quickly?¡±


    The Third Prince was actually impressed.


    Since when did the Great Prince have such wit?


    Xie Heng spected, ¡°It is most likely rted to Sikou Ming. Your Highness, you know Sikou Zhendong better than me.¡±


    ¡°This is just nice. I should head back to Imperial City anyway. It is my fault for allowing those people to rx for such a long time.¡± The Third Prince looked Xie Heng in the eyes and said with a serious tone, ¡°Zizhou, I will leave Junjun to you. Now is not the best time for Junjun to reim his rightful position. I¡¯ll need to trouble you to take care of him.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, worry not. Junjun is also my brother. Protecting him is something I should do as an elder brother,¡± said Xie Heng as he saluted the


    Third Prince with his fists. ¡°However, you should be careful after you return to Imperial City. The Great Prince views you as his biggest menace now.¡±


    ¡°Humph,¡± the Third Prince sneered. ¡°Him?¡±


    One should not expect a king to put a crown on a clown. The Third Prince had never viewed the Great Prince as an equal rival.


    In the past, The Third Prince turned a blind eye to thetter toying with his own power because he had not found Xie Jun. It made no difference to him who reigned the throne since he would soon be dead anyway.


    However, things had changed now that he had found Xie Jun. The only person qualified to sit on the throne was Xie Jun.


    As for whether or not Xie Heng would manipte Xie Jun after thetter became the emperor, that was not something within the Third Prince¡¯s concern.


    He was not God. He could not possibly arrange everything a decade or a few decades down the road nicely for Xie Jun.


    Xie Hengmented, ¡°The Great Prince is not a threat, but all the other princes do not toe the line either.¡±


    ¡®%izhao, it seems like you understand them well.¡±


    ¡°Not quite. I only met them a few times. I can roughly guess their personalities based on my brief encounters with them, but my understanding of them cannot bepared with yours.¡±


    The Third Prince assured him, saying, ¡°Zizhao, fret not. I do not doubt you.


    Don¡¯t worry. They are no threat to me.¡±


    Xie Heng said, ¡°Since Your Highness has everything nned, I can rest my worry. Have a good rest. I shall take my leave now.¡±


    The Third Prince was surprised. He asked, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you going back with


    Chuchu?¡±


    ¡°I am busy with my studies in the academy, so I cannot stay for long,¡± said Xie Heng as he shook his head. ¡°I have delivered the news. I should be going.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t juste here to bring me news, did you?


    ¡°Of course not. I just happened to bring news along with me.¡±


    The Third Prince was dumbstruck.


    He should not have asked this question. ¡°Farewell. Take care, Your Highness.¡± Xie Heng did not linger. After he delivered the news, he left.


    The Third Prince watched as he left and then shook his head helplessly.


    Qiao Heting was already sound asleep, but the Third Prince was not sleepy yet. After Xie Heng left, he came to a desk and sat down. He lifted his calligraphy brush and wrote the name of the Great Prince, Xie Zhen.


    That was right. The royal family of the Wei Dynasty also had the surname Xie.


    Xie Heng most likely shared amon ancestry with the royal family. However, over time, his bloodline had diluted to the point that they had no rtions to the current royal family at all. It was purely a coincidence that the Xie n had saved Xie Jun.


    The Third Prince crossed out Xie Zhen¡¯s name. With a faint smile, he mumbled, ¡°You will never imagine how you will die!¡±


    As he said this, the Third Prince suddenly stopped smiling. He set the paper aze over a candle and then threw it into the brazier. He quietly watched the piece of paper burn to ashes.


    No one knew everything that had transpired tonight..

 Chapter 503 - 503: Do You Think You Can Kill Me

    Chapter 503: Do You Think You Can Kill Me


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    After the Mid Autumn Festival, Zhao Chuchu took Xie Jun back to Lengshui Vige.


    Xie Jun had no idea that Xie Heng had returned to the vige before, nor did Zhao Chuchu know that the Third Prince had already left Yuanjiang County.


    The days she spent in the vige were peaceful. She even brought the kids fishing and snail catching. It was as if she was avenging her childhood for not experiencing those things.


    Zhao Chuchu also visited the Gan n and taught Madam Luo the proper method to use the fire stove that Old Mr.s Gan had made. She even taught


    Madam Luo the recipe for her famous pastry and had the woman try it. It only took Madam Luo one try to seed.


    Zhao Chuchu was utterly jealous of the woman¡¯s talent in cooking. For someone who could make everything taste bad without trying, she could never make the pastry herself.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the day of Gan Lin¡¯s wedding to arrive.


    A happy mood filled the entire Gan n that day.


    Gan Maosheng and Old Mrs. Gan were smiling all day as Gan Lin was their first grandchild to marry.


    Gan Maosheng was a prominent figure in Yuanjing County. As such, there were a lot of guests at the wedding.


    Zhao Chuchu did not stop moving that day. She had spent the entire day helping the Gan n with everything she could and didn¡¯t even have the time to rest a little.


    Once the ceremony had ended, Zhao Chuchu finally had the time to take a breather, and the day was almost over.


    She had nned to return to the capital city the next day.


    Once the guests were gone, she told Gan Maosheng and Old Mrs. Gan that she would leave once the sun was up.


    Gan Maosheng was stunned for a second. ¡°So soon? Why don¡¯t you wait for that kid toe back first?¡±


    ¡°Da Lang wrote me a letter saying there¡¯s a hup with our business in the capital. He needs me to go back and settle it. I shouldn¡¯t drag this out. Anyway, I¡¯ll being back during the New Year too. Let¡¯s have a meal then. It¡¯s only a few months until the New Year arrives.¡±


    Old Mrs. Gan smiled. ¡°You sure are getting senile. Don¡¯t you get it? Chuchu¡¯s here and Da Lang¡¯s in the capital. How can she get used to this? Aren¡¯t you the same when you were younger?


    ¡°Ah! I see! Then, be careful on your way back.¡± Gan Maoshengughed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Chuchu. I might be getting senile indeed.¡±


    ¡°Are you making fun of me, Grandma Gan?¡± Zhao Chuchu grunted.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see anything wrong with it. It¡¯s normal for you to miss your partner,¡±


    Old Mrs. Gan said. ¡°Make sure youe back during the New Year, okay? Also, I hope I get to see you hosting the one-month birthday for your child sometime soon.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    Wherever she went, people kept urging her to get pregnant.


    ¡°Grandma Gan, I¡¯m still too young for that!¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. Well, it¡¯se naturally.¡±


    Old Mrs. Gan decided not to dwell on that topic.


    Zhao Chuchu spent more time with the two old couples before heading into her room to rest.


    When the sun had just risen the next day, Zhao Chuchu took Xie Jun to Lengshui Vige to pack their stuff. After having lunch, they embarked on their journey back to the capital city.


    Everyone was sad to see Zhao Chuchu leave and hoped that she could stay a little longer, but they also understood that Xie Heng was in the capital city and it was wrong to ask her to stay in the vige.


    After bidding their farewells, Zhao Chuc.hu left the vige.


    ¡°Sis, do we have to go back?¡± Xie Jun looked at the vigers seeing them off at the entrance. ¡°I really like it here.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu patted the little boy¡¯s head. ¡°We¡¯lle back for the New Year, okay? I like it here too, but your brother is alone in the city. We have to go back, or else he¡¯ll get worried.¡±


    ¡°I know. Bro is more important. I also have many questions for him, or I¡¯ll forget them. Say, if bro bes the provincial graduate, will we be moving to the Imperial City next year?


    ¡°Yes. You know how smart your brother is. He¡¯ll definitely make it. We might even have to head to the Imperial City earlier. Since we¡¯re from the south and the Imperial City is in the north, well need to ensure we get used to the new ce first.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to take my exam in a few years too. Once I be a schr, I¡¯ll take the Provincial Examination and Conference Examination.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯ll have to study even harder. The Imperial Examination isn¡¯t that easy.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ll not disappoint you and bro!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu smiled.


    She understood that Xie Jun would not be able to take the Imperial Examination.


    Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng were pacing the path for Xie Jun. Once he reached the end of that path, he would be the one who marked the test for the Temple Examination, and those who did well in the Imperial Examination would be the people who would serve him.


    Since Xie Jun was still a young and naive child, Zhao Chuchu could tell that Xie Heng would start to show the ugly side of the world to Xie Jun once they returned.


    Unlike how they traveled to Lengshui Vige slowly and casually, Zhao Chuchu rushed back to the capital city.


    If not for Xie Jun, she would¡¯ve just driven her car and be back by dawn.


    Unfortunately for them, their journey back was not as peaceful as Zhao


    Chuchu had thought.


    They were ambushed at a ce known as Songyang Valley.


    Zhao Chuchu was able to react quickly and jumped away from danger with Xie Jun and the coachman. On the other hand, the horse was shed to death by


    the attack.


    She then turned to stare coldly at the assassins, who were pretending to be armed escorts.


    She had to admit that the assassins had gone through a lot to make sure that she didn¡¯t notice them.


    It had been a while since Zhao Chuchu had fought and even longer since shest used her supernatural power.


    Since someone decided to attack her, she decided to check how much her power had recovered.


    ¡°Don¡¯te out.¡± Zhao Chuchu pushed Xie Jun and the coachman behind a huge rock while she stood next to it.


    The assassins charged at her again.


    Xie Jun¡¯s face turned pale, and he yelled, ¡°Watch out!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu had a vicious smile on her face as she said, ¡°You brought this upon yourselves.¡±


    As most of the human body was made out of liquid, a normal human was nothing more like a living bomb to someone who had awakened the aquatic power.


    With a grip, a loud explosion could be heard as all of the assassins¡¯ stomachs burst open. The area was quickly dyed red with blood.


    They did not die an instant death. All of them looked at Zhao Chuchu with fear in their eyes. None of them could believe that it only took her a single grip to eliminate all of them.


    Both Xie Jun and the coachman fainted at the sight of that as well.


    ¡°Do you really think you guys could kill me?¡± Zhao Chuchu chuckled. She realized that she had been keeping herself in check for too long, to the point where people thought she was a weakling who could be controlled.


    Although she was only a military doctor in the post-apocalyptic world, she was still feared by many because of herbat prowess.


    Being transmigrated to the Wei Dynasty, the peaceful days had made her hide her killing intent, but that did not mean she was a kind-hearted person inside.


    ¡°Do you really think I won¡¯t notice all the rest hiding behind the coach? Come at me. Don¡¯t waste my time,¡± Zhao Chuchu coldly said as she stood on top of the rock.


    ¡°You sure are powerful, Mrs. Xie.¡± Three men came out from behind the couch. The man who looked like their leader had a mask covering his face. He seemed calm enough as if he was not fazed by what Zhao Chuchu had just done.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t that be a fact by now?¡± Zhao Chuchu sighed.


    ¡°It sure is. Not only are you good at healing people, but you¡¯re also a good fighter. Isn¡¯t staying with the small schr a waste of your talent? Why don¡¯t youe with me? I can ensure you a luxurious life if you do that..¡±

 Chapter 504 - 504: He Has to Die

    Chapter 504: He Has to Die


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Zhao Chuc.huughed. ¡°Why? Are you the emperor? Can you make sure that I¡¯ll live the rest of my life in riches?¡±


    ¡°The emperor isn¡¯t the only person who can make that promise. Zhao Chuchu, I know you are a smartdy. Your talent should not be wasted there.¡± Zhao Chuchu¡¯s taunt did not anger the man. Instead, he chuckled. ¡°Do you think Xie


    Heng can give you that?¡±


    ¡°So, you are saying that I should be the dog of a nobody who hides in the dark corner?¡± Zhao Chuchuughed even harder. ¡°Do you really think that I would lower my head and follow someone like you for riches?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m only giving you one chance. There won¡¯t be a second one.¡±


    ¡°Forget it. You know what I can do, so why should I work for you? I could easily make money with my own talent. There¡¯s no reason for me to work for someone else.¡±


    ¡°I hope you can watch what you say. Fortunately for you, I¡¯m in a good mood today. I wish not to fight you. Do you really think your hidden weapon can do much to us? Other than this ce, we have set up other ambushes up ahead. Zhao Chuchu. You¡¯reing with me whether you like it or not.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu almost puked at that.


    ¡°Does he really think he¡¯s the king or something?¡± Thedy scoffed in her head.


    She was not the type of person who would follow anyone just because she was promised riches. That person still had to prove themselves before she would even consider it.


    ¡°You sure are disgusting.¡± Zhao Chuchu sighed. ¡°Do you know what usually happens to people like you?


    The man pretended not to hear what she had just said. ¡°Are you going to ignore the two people behind the rock? Zhao Chuchu, I know you can be a little arrogant because of your talent, but not knowing what¡¯s happening around you is more than being arrogant.¡±


    ¡°So, I¡¯m being more than arrogant because I don¡¯t want to be your dog? If you¡¯re so good, why don¡¯t you challenge the emperor? Spill it. Who sent you here? Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s the Sikou n?¡±


    ¡°Sikou Ming? He doesn¡¯t have the power or the authority to order me around. Who I am is not important. What¡¯s important is that I can promise you money and things that Xie Heng can¡¯t give you.¡±


    ¡°Then, can you make me the empress?


    The man was caught off guard by that and could not reply right away.


    Zhao Chuchuughed. ¡°Don¡¯t make promises you can¡¯t keep, or else you¡¯ll be made fun of.¡±


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu, is this your real personality? Do you really think you can do whatever you want just because you are a famous doctor?¡± The man¡¯s voice deepened.


    ¡°Why not? Everyone is afraid of dying. But, you have to make sure you have the skill to back you up if you really want to kill me. Since you aren¡¯t going to tell me who sent vou. then there¡¯s no point in keeping this conversation going.


    Remember to tell the lord of hell how you die here.¡±


    As soon as she finished her sentence, Zhao Chuchu¡¯s gaze turned sharp, and she started to summon her power.


    The other men quickly moved in front to protect the man who was talking to Zhao Chuc.hu.


    ¡°Ants.¡± Zhao Chuchu red at them and gripped her fist.


    The men suddenly felt a sharp pain in their chests, and they soon lost the ability to breathe.


    The man who wore a mask became restless. ¡°You dare to kill me? I¡¯m the Fourth Prince!¡±


    ¡°The Fourth Prince?


    Zhao Chuchu increased the speed of her power.


    Now that the man had exposed his own identity, it made Zhao Chuchu more determined to kill him.


    There was no reason for her to keep him alive so that he could trouble her again in the future.


    The fourth prince could never have imagined that not only he had failed the ambush on Zhao Chuchu, but he would also die in Songyang Valley because of that.


    As the people fell one by one, Zhao Chuchu had no expression on her face. All the people who hade with the Fourth Prince were already dead. Not another soul knew that he was there, and no one would ever learn that Zhao Chuchu was the one who killed him.


    Zhao Chuchu was not acquainted with the Fourth Prince, but she knew he was ruthless and had killed numerous good government officials.


    Now that he came to her on his own, she felt that it would be disrespectful not to kill him.


    The Fourth Prince died almost instantly.


    Zhao Chuchu walked over to the prince and took his mask off. The man¡¯s eyes were still open wide as if he still could not believe his fate.


    She then started to loot everything off the prince¡¯s corpse before spreading a powder all over the dead bodies. After a few minutes, the corpses disappeared without leaving any traces behind.


    Zhao Chuchu then cleaned the scene and made it look like nothing had happened.


    After that, she put their belongings into her carry-on space before disposing of the dead horse and destroyed coach.


    As for Xie Jun and the coachman, she decided to remove their memories of the event. She brought them to the next vige and bought a new horse and a coach before waking them up.


    They had forgotten the ambush entirely and thought they had spent the night in the town.


    Zhao Chuchu had no choice but to do this, or Xie Jun would start having nightmares of what happened and even develop PTSD.


    The rest of the journey home was peaceful.


    They finally arrived at the capital city three dayster.


    As Xie Heng was still at the academy and had yet to return home, Zhao Chuchu took Xie Jun to Ruyu Center.


    Ruyu Center had developed a lot, and many women visited the center daily.


    Other than strengthening their bodies, these women came for the sses too.


    There was no ce like Ruyu Center where almost all of the wives of prominent families had gathered.


    Jixiang taught the ss diligently and would correct the postures and actions of the women who came.


    It was hard for Jixiang initially, as most women wanted Zhao Chuchu to teach them. It was natural for them to oppose being taught by another person without warning.


    However, Jixiang did not give up, and she eventually won their respect through her ability.


    Now, everyone respected Jixiang a lot.


    ¡°When did youe back?¡¯ Chang Hong was surprised to see Zhao Chuchu. ¡°I didn¡¯t hear anything from Mr. Xie.¡±


    ¡°We were nning toe back as soon as the Mid Autumn Festival was over, but a good friend of mine had a wedding, so we came backter than I had nned. How¡¯s Ruyu Center? Is everything okay?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s doing great. You sure have an eye for talent. Jixiang is really good, and the otherdies were working hard too. But, most of them are still learning.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡±


    ¡°Since you are here, why don¡¯t you take a look at this month¡¯s ount?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu nodded and followed Chang Hong.


    After checking the ount, Jixiang had finished her first ss. She was excited when she saw Zhao Chuchu. ¡°You¡¯re back!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Are you used to this now?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked Jixiang while smiling.


    ¡°Yes. Everyone¡¯s doing good too.¡± Jixiang nodded.


    ¡°Great. You¡¯ll be in charge of Ruyu Center from now on. Just let me know if you have any questions.¡±


    ¡°All of the center?¡± ¡°Yes. ¡±


    ¡°But, I¡¯m worried¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Have some faith in yourself. Wasn¡¯t Ruyu Center doing good when I was away for a month? Take your time and learn everything step by


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best!¡± Jixiang believed that only by giving her best could she repay Zhao Chuc.hu¡¯s trust in her.


    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit!¡¯


    Zhao Chuchu then spent the rest of the day in Ruyu Center, taking over the sses when Jixiang took a break.


    Almost everyone knew Zhao Chuchu had gone to Yuanjiang County for thest few weeks. Now that she was back, she was showered with questions, and she individually addressed every one of them..

 Chapter 505 - 505: Should not Exert Himself

    Chapter 505: Should not Exert Himself


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°Oh! Mrs. Xie! I¡¯m d that I chose toe to Ruyu Center. My husband now keeps saying that I look better than before and healthier too! He even wants me to give him another child!¡±


    ¡°My husband said that I didn¡¯t change much. The only change is that my temper has gotten worse! It¡¯s so funny! I get to warn him that he better not make me angry in the future and keep himself in check!¡±


    ¡°My man used to hit me for no reason. I finally can¡¯t hold back any longer and hit him back! He¡¯s been hiding from me ever since that. He tried to hit my daughter a few days back and got punished by me instead! He hasn¡¯t been back for a few days. I finally get to vent my anger after all those hellish years.¡±


    ¡°I see! That¡¯s why there¡¯s a rumor about Ruyu Center recently. Could it be that your man is the one spreading it?¡±


    ¡°What rumor?


    ¡°Something about how Ruyu Center teaches women bad manners and how to hit their husbands. Some schrs even joined in and wrote articles about it to mock this ce.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu smiled as she listened to the women talking. The rumor didn¡¯t even anger her.


    Having people discuss Ruyu Center meant that the ce was starting to do well.


    If not, people would not even bother to talk about the ce.


    The married women all asked Zhao Chuchu if she nned to do anything about the rumor.


    ¡°It¡¯s their mouth, after all. They can say whatever they want as long as you don¡¯t believe it. No one Imows better than all of you why Ruyu Center exists. Don¡¯t worry. They just like to run their mouths. Not a single one of them dares toe and make a mess here. If not, Ruyu Center would¡¯ve been in a mess a long time ago. Rumors are bound to happen anyway.¡±


    Seeing how calm and collected Zhao Chuchu was, all the married women found that her words made sense.


    As long as their husbands did not mistreat them, they would never do anything to their husbands.


    The one who got hit deserved what he got. He was known to strike people whenever he got drunk. Now that he got hit back, he started to spread rumors around the city. People like that would never be able to achieve anything.


    Seeing that Xie Heng was about to return from the academy, Zhao Chuchu decided not to have her dinner at Ruyu Center and went back home with Xie Jun.


    It seemed Chai Le had already informed Xie Heng about Zhao Chuchu¡¯s return.


    When she got home, she first smelled the tasty aroma of home-cooked food. Xie Heng was already home.


    Being the foodies they were, the first thing that Zhao Chuchu and Xie Jun did was run toward the kitchen.


    When Xie Heng heard the footsteps, he turned around, and a warm smile appeared on his handsome face. ¡°Go wash your faces. Dinner will be ready in a few minutes.¡±


    ¡°Bro! I missed you!¡± Xie Jun ran over and hugged his brother from behind. ¡°Did you miss me too?¡±


    ¡°Of course. How else would I rush home to make dinner the second I heard you two were back? Come on. You are too old to be this clingy anymore. Go and wash your face.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not too old! You¡¯re my brother! I can cling on to you whenever I want!¡± Xie Heng sighed. ¡°You can, but I can¡¯t cook if you keep hugging me like this. Aren¡¯t you hungry?


    ¡°I am! I¡¯ll be back!¡± Xie Jun let go of his brother and ran out to wash his face.


    Xie Heng¡¯s lonely heart for the past few days had been filled instantly.


    Now that he thought about it, that was the longest time he had been separated from Xie Jun since he was reincarnated.


    Although he missed Zhao Chuchu the most, he would still miss Xie Jun a lot since he was the one who raised the little boy.


    After washing his face, Xie Jun returned to the kitchen to help carry the food to the dining table. He even told Xie Heng about everything that happened in Yuanjiagn County.


    Xie Heng smiled as he listened to his younger brother recalling the journey without saying anything.


    Zhao Chuchu looked at the man and the boy and felt that instead of being Xie Heng¡¯s younger brother, the little boy seemed more like the man¡¯s son.


    The three of them finally had dinner together again after a long time.


    Xie Jun did not stop talking throughout the meal.


    In the end, Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°You should start eating, or I¡¯ll finish everything.¡±


    Xie Jun gulped and finally focused on finishing his food.


    When the sun had fully set, Zhao Chuchu waited for Xie Heng to finish showering before telling him about the ident in Songyang Valley.


    ¡°The Fourth Prince?¡± Xie Heng frowned a little. ¡°He¡¯s not in the Imperial City but in Guangqing Province?


    He had no information about that.


    As most of his attention was on the Great Prince, he never thought that the


    Fourth Prince, a nobody in his past life, would devise such a n.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s already dead,¡± Zhao Chuchu calmly said, describing the prince¡¯s face to Xie Heng.


    ¡°Does he have a mole here?¡± Xie Heng asked while pointing at his temple after a moment of silence.


    ¡°He¡¯s the Fourth Prince, for sure.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t he force a couple of officials tomit suicide or something?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but they aren¡¯t innocent either. It¡¯s just a power struggle.¡±


    ¡°I see. I never thought Qiao Heting would lie about it.¡±


    ¡°The Third Prince doesn¡¯t tell Qiao Heting everything. Naturally, he doesn¡¯t know about it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already killed the Fourth Prince. What now?


    ¡°You killed him?¡± Xie Heng asked. ¡°Says who?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was stunned for a second and chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re right. It has nothing to do with me.¡±


    Since there was no evidence or witness, no one would ever know how the Fourth Prince died.


    ¡°The princes are fighting each other now. They would dly help you out here.


    I¡¯m just curious who will be the unfortunate one to take the fall for you.¡±


    ¡°What are you nning to do.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to make use of this situation. It would be wrong not to do that since he deserved to die. Don¡¯t worry. The Fourth Prince is not innocent either.¡±


    Even if Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t kill the Fourth Prince, Xie Heng would¡¯ve done it himself.


    As the Fourth Prince had set his eyes on Zhao Chuchu, it wouldn¡¯t be long before he noticed who Xie Jun really was. There was no way Xie Heng would let that happen.


    ¡°Why would I worry about killing someone who tried to kill me?¡± Zhao Chuchu It was just like how she dealt with Zhao Zhizhi. She never regretted it.


    She wasn¡¯t a saint who would forgive and tolerate those who attempted to take her life.


    Only Buddha would do that. Zhao Chuchu was nothing more than an average person and not a benevolent god.


    Xie Heng was relieved that Zhao Chuchu was not lying about her feelings.


    ¡°The Third Prince has already returned to the Imperial City. No matter how the


    Fourth Prince dies, he will handle the situation.¡±


    ¡°He went back? When?¡± ¡°Right after the Mid Autumn Festival.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t even know that!¡±


    ¡°Are you angry that he left without saying goodbye?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu could feel a hint of jealousy in the man¡¯s tone. ¡°Are you serious? Are you going to get jealous of this too? The Third Prince is nothing more like a brother to me. There¡¯s no way he¡¯s better than you in my heart.¡±


    Xie Heng wasforted by her words, but he didn¡¯t show it on his face. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that he went back. He can take care of a lot of troubles for us. As long as he¡¯s in the Imperial City, people will stop keeping an eye out on


    Guangqing Province.¡±


    ¡°I know. I believe he can do that.¡± Zhao Chuchu nodded.


    However, she hoped that the Third Prince would take care of his own body and not wear him out for Xie Jun.


    Even though he could stay alive, he should not exert himself. If he happened to push his body too far, even Zhao Chuchu could not save him then..

 Chapter 506 - 506: The Work of the Third Prince

    Chapter 506: The Work of the Third Prince


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Zhao Chuchu could hear the jealousy in Xie Heng¡¯s tone andughed. ¡°Are you really getting jealous? The Third Prince is like a brother to me. You¡¯re always at the top of my heart.¡±


    Xie Heng was happy to hear that, but he did not show it on his face. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing now that he¡¯s back in the Imperial City. He can stop a lot of troubles for us. As long as he¡¯s there, no one would keep an eye out on Guangqing Province any more.¡±


    ¡°I know he will do that.¡± Zhao Chuchu nodded.


    She just hoped the Third Prince would care for himself and not wear himself out for Xie Jun.


    Even though his life was saved, he had to refrain from overworking himself, or even Zhao Chuchu would not be able to save him.


    Time went by in an instant.


    After the Third Prince had left, Guangqing Province did be peaceful.


    No one woulde to harass Zhao Chuchu anymore. The Fourth Prince¡¯s death was buried. It was the death of a person who could not make anything happen.


    Zhao Chuchu spent most of her days treating patients and visiting Ruyu Center. She would go out with Yuan Hui from time to time as well. Days were calm and rxing to her.


    As always, Xie Heng would suddenly leave for a few days, but he never told Zhao Chuchu where he went.


    However, Zhao Chuchu heard about the situation in the Imperial City from him.


    A minister was jailed for corruption. A Duke was sent to the frontline for three years because of a prostitute and other news. The Imperial City was filled with such events daily, and troubles could always be found there.


    Zaho Chuchu knew that those were the works of the Third Prince. He was starting to clear off any potential threats to Xie Jun.


    He did not force many corrupted ministers to retire but lowered much of their authority.


    And the end of the year soon arrived.


    Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng returned to the vige for New Year and stayed there for ten days.


    It was also close to the autumn exams, and Xie Heng had to start to prepare.


    Zhao Chuchu¡¯s medical expertise was spread even further in the past six months. Even people in the Imperial City had heard of it. Some even came to Guangqing Province in secret for her to take a look at them.


    Zhao Chuchu got to be acquainted with a few wives of prominent families because of that and learned more about the Imperial City.


    As she was a sweet talker with the skills to back her reputation up, the wives widely favored her. They even told her to visit them if she and Xie Heng were to move to the Imperial City in the future.


    Zhao Chuchu smiled and nodded.


    However, not all of the wives were friendly. Some were arrogant because of their position, but they didn¡¯t bother Zhao Chuchu.


    It didn¡¯t matter to her how they treated her as long as they paid their fees. They could say whatever they wanted, and it would not affect her. In the end, those wives could suddenly lose their wealth.


    Another half a year passed, and the end of July was approaching. Xie Heng was about to take the Provincial Examination.


    The Yuan n was even more nervous than the man taking the test.


    Old Mrs. Yuan even sent over a lot of nutrition for Xie Heng to stay in his best shape.


    Zhao Chuchu waspletely speechless, but she could not refuse the kind favor the Yuan n had shown.


    Not only that, but Xia Chenguxan even went out of the city to a temple to pray for Xie Heng¡¯s sess. She even got a lucky charm for him.


    ¡°Da Lang, there¡¯s not much I can do to help, so take this. I heard a lot of people saying that wishes made in that temple would happen. I got this charm for you. Bring it with you. You¡¯ll definitely make it!¡± Xia Chengxuan said.


    ¡°Thank you, but these aren¡¯t allowed in the examination hall.¡± Xie Heng took the charm and exined.


    ¡°I see¡­ I didn¡¯t know that.¡± Xia Chengxuan sighed. ¡°Then, put it under your pillow. It¡¯ll still work that way. Don¡¯t bring it if you can¡¯t, or they¡¯ll think you¡¯re cheating..¡±

 Chapter 507 - 507: Did I Misunderstand You

    Chapter 507: Did I Misunderstand You


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Xie Heng opened the lucky charm in front of Zhao Chuchu and handed the paper inside the charm to Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu took a look at it, and her expression changed drastically.


    The charm could cost Xie Heng everything.


    It was no lucky charm but lines of words. If she had not guessed it wrong, those would be the questions that woulde out in the Provincial Examination.


    The Wei Dynasty had always punished those who cheated in the Imperial Examination. Some would get beheaded, while others would have their entire family punished with them.


    That charm would ruin their family.


    ¡°Xia Chengxuan is not this stupid.¡± Zhao Chuchu frowned. ¡°Is someone using her to ruin your life?¡±


    ¡°Most likely.¡± Xie Heng nodded.


    ¡°What are you nning to do?¡± Zhao Chuchu looked at the piece of paper again. ¡°Are you going to burn it or¡­¡±


    ¡°If they like to cheat so much, then let them cheat.¡± Xie Heng scoffed.


    ¡°Do you need me to do anything?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s just a small matter.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s behind this?¡±


    ¡°The Sikou n.¡±


    ¡°Sikou Zhendong has finally noticed you?


    ¡°It¡¯s not like he¡¯spletely dumb. It¡¯s normal for him to notice me.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t that make you an enemy of him?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s unavoidable from the moment I registered for the Provincial


    Examination. However, I¡¯m just a small thorn to him now. He won¡¯t do too much since I¡¯m just a schr.¡±


    Zhao Chuc.hu could see the coldness in Xie Heng¡¯s smile.


    It seemed that Xie Heng had been waiting for this day to arrive for a long time.


    ¡°The exam is just a few days away. You have to watch your back. Just let me know if you need my help,¡± Zhao Chuchu said.


    Xie Heng had a warm smile on his face now. ¡°I know. But there¡¯s really nothing for you to do now. Just stay by my side as I study.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll do just that.¡± Zhao Chuchu agreed without even thinking about it.


    ¡°But do we need to tell Xia Chengxuan about this?¡± ¡°No. We don¡¯t want to alert them.¡±


    ¡°I see. Alright. I won¡¯t do anything this time, then.¡±


    For the next few days, Zhao Chuchu stayed with him to keep Xie Hengpany. She didn¡¯t even leave the house once.


    The Yuan n didn¡¯te to bother them either, and they didn¡¯t send any gifts over either. They decided to do those after Xie Heng became the provincial graduate.


    However, Kang Xiuwan visited them just two days before the examination.


    She seemed anxious. ¡°Is Da Lang home?¡± she quickly asked when she saw Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu had no idea why Kang Xiuwan acted like that and nodded. ¡°He is. What¡¯s wrong?


    ¡°Did my mom give him a lucky charm a few days ago?


    ¡°Yeah. Why?¡±


    ¡°You have to throw it away! My mom was clueless! How can she give him something like that at a time like this? What if someone tries to harm Da


    Lanz?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a charm. Are you worrying too much?¡± Zhao Chuchu pretended not to know.


    ¡°I just learned that someone convinced her to get a lucky charm for Da Lang from a temple just outside the city.¡± Kang Xiuwan stomped the floor. ¡°Something seems fishy here. I¡¯m worried that the charm will do more bad than good to him.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s the person?


    ¡°Do you know the grocery store next to the clothing store? It¡¯s the wife of the owner there, told my mom. I happened to overhear the owner and his wife talking about it and realized something felt off. I came here right after that.¡± ¡°Are you saying they told your mother to go there on purpose?


    ¡°Yes! You have to throw it away! Why would Da Lang need to pray to the gods anyway? Chuchu, you have to warm Da Lang. I don¡¯t want something bad to happen to him.¡±


    It was clear that Kang Xiuwan wasn¡¯t faking her anxiousness. She was genuinely worried for Xie Heng.


    Zhao Chuchu could see that Kang Xiuwan had grown a lot and was not the innocent girl she used to be.


    Xie Heng happened toe out of his room at that time.


    Kang Xiuwan immediately approached him. ¡°Da Lang, you heard what I said, right? You should burn the charm.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I can¡¯t bring it to the examination hall with me anyway,¡± Xie Heng replied.


    ¡°What if someone reported you? If the official came to search your house, you would be in a pinch!¡±


    ¡°They are already here.¡± Xie Heng looked out toward the window.


    ¡°What?¡± Kang Xiuwan quickly turned her head back. A few secondster, hurried footsteps could be heard.


    ¡°Move it! We can¡¯t let him run away!¡¯


    Kang Xiuwan¡¯s face turned pale, and she started to tremble. ¡°Chuchu, Da Lang, I swear I didn¡¯t bring them here.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Zhao Chuchu patted thedy¡¯s shoulder. ¡°We know this has nothing to do with you.¡±


    Seeing how calm Xie Heng was, Zhao Chuchu was sure everything was under


    control..

 Chapter 508 - 508: Did I Misunderstand You 2

    Chapter 508: Did I Misunderstand You 2


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    A few secondster, a group of officials charged in and surrounded the house.


    The leader was just recently promoted to deputy governor.


    ¡°The governor has received an usation against Xie Heng for illegally purchasing the questions for the uing Provincial Examination. Pleasee with us,¡± the deputy governor coldly said.


    ¡°Where¡¯s your evidence?¡± Xie Heng calmly asked.


    ¡°How dare you¡­ Fine. You asked for this. Search his house!¡± the deputy governor roared and ordered.


    Kang Xiuwan got even more worried.


    If the deputy governor were working with the person who tried to frame Xie Heng, then they would definitely find the evidence.


    She looked at Zhao Chuchu anxiously, hoping thedy would find a way to solve the problem.


    ¡°Are you going to search without a warrant? The Provincial Examination is just two days away. If I go with you, I won¡¯t be able to participate, am I right?¡± ¡°This is the governor¡¯s order! Are you going to defy that?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. I¡¯m just curious how you came to suspect me when there¡¯s no evidence. I¡¯ve been staying at home for the past few days. I¡¯ve never even left my room. How did I get the time to go and buy the questions? I don¡¯t even know many people here in Guangqing Province.¡±


    ¡°Excuses! My men will find the evidence!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu frowned a little as the situation wasn¡¯t as simple as Xie Heng had said.


    They seemed determined to prevent Xie Heng from attending the


    examination.


    Seeing how determined the deputy governor was, it wasn¡¯t hard for him to nt evidence if they were allowed into the house.


    ¡°Is this how you conduct an investigation?¡± Xie Heng red coldly at the deputy governor to the point where the officer could feel a chill down his spine.


    ¡°How dare you! Do you know what can happen if you interfere with our investigation?


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m innocent.¡±


    ¡°Bastard! Take him down!¡±


    Everything went as Zhao Chuchu had expected.


    They didn¡¯t even give Xie Heng a chance to exin himself and forcefully made him guilty of the charges.


    ¡°Take him? Under whose authority?¡±


    The Third Prince came in at the right time.


    This time, he wore the official gown of a prince. A group of people followed behind him as he entered Xie Heng¡¯s garden. Those people quickly surrounded the officials.


    ¡°The Third Prince has arrived! Where are your greetings?¡± Qiao Heting roared.


    The deputy governor had met the Third Prince and Qiao Heting before and could recognize them.


    It took him a few seconds to recover from the shock, and he quickly knelt. ¡°I greet the Third Prince!¡±


    ¡°Deputy Governor Li, why are you here?¡± the Third Prince asked without an ounce of emotion in his eyes.


    Sweat filled the deputy governor¡¯s forehead. Ever since the Third Prince returned to the Imperial City after his rest in Guangqing Province, he had made many achievements within the royal court. Being in front of the prince made him feel the pressure so strong that it almost pushed him to the floor.


    ¡°We¡¯ve received an usation that Xie Heng will cheat on the examination by purchasing the questions. I¡¯m here under the governor¡¯s order to apprehend


    Xie Heng.¡±


    ¡°Oh? That¡¯s a big matter. Where¡¯s the evidence?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just about to search Xie Heng¡¯s house, but he has stopped me from entering.¡±


    ¡°So, ording to your line of thought, can I also suspect you for trying to frame Xie Heng and search your body?¡±


    ¡°But¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Search him!¡±


    The Third Prince¡¯s stare turned sharp as he ordered.


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    The deputy governor¡¯s face turned pale as he fell to the floor. ¡°I-I¡¯m just following orders¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard everything from outside. You sounded so determined that Xie Heng is going to cheat, but why do I feel like you guys are the ones cheating here?¡± ¡°W-we didn¡¯t! I swear!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll know once we search your body. If you¡¯re innocent, I¡¯ll personally apologize to you.¡±


    Another chill ran down the deputy governor¡¯s spine.


    He had never thought that things would turn out like this, nor could he fathom why the Third Prince would suddenlye to the Guangqing Province.


    The Third Prince had been thriving in the Imperial City, and there were rumors of him about to inherit the title of the Crown Prince.


    However, those weren¡¯t even important. What was important was that he and his officials had the questions with them.


    The original n was for the deputy governor to frame Xie Heng and apprehend him.


    Yet, the Third Prince suddenly showed up.


    ¡°Search the deputy governor too.¡± The Third Prince had an expressionless face.


    Zhao Chuchu finally saw the whole picture.


    Xie Heng had nned to uproot all the people trying to frame him. Even if he can¡¯t remove them from the equation, he would at least want them to suffer a lot.


    It finally made sense why Xie Heng had been staying home for the past few days. He already had everything nned out.


    Looking at the trembling deputy governor, Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.


    She had to admit that it was a good n.


    Unfortunately. the royal court was not controlled by a single person anymore.


    ¡°We found this.¡± One of the Third Prince¡¯s guards eventually found something that resembled a lucky charm on Deputy Governor Lee¡¯s body..

 Chapter 509 - 509: Did I Misunderstand You 3

    Chapter 509: Did I Misunderstand You 3


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The Third Prince took the charm from his guard.


    The deputy governor fell and waspletely drenched in sweat.


    ¡°Deputy Governor Li, why do you look so nervous? ¡°Because of your royal presence, your highness¡­¡±


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    The Third Prince was not in a hurry to open the lucky charm. Instead, he kept exerting pressure on the deputy governor as if he wanted the official to sumb to it.


    ¡°T-this is a charm that my wife got for me when I came to Guangqing Province¡­¡± the deputy governor replied in a shaky voice.


    ¡°Oh? So, it¡¯s just a lucky charm. Then, what¡¯s there to be afraid of?¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m not. It¡¯s a misunderstanding.¡±


    ¡°Is it!? Deputy Governor Li, as an official designated by the imperial court, do you know what happens to those who cheat in the Imperial Examination?


    ¡°T-they¡¯ll get beheaded.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong. For an offense like yours, their entire family goes down with them.¡±


    ¡°Y -your Highness! I didn¡¯t do anything!¡¯


    Deputy Governor Li had finally sumbed to the pressure. He banged his head on the floor, a gesture to beg for something so hard that his forehead began to bleed.


    The Third Prince removed a dagger and slowly opened the lucky charm. He


    then took out a piece of paper with the questions of the Provincial Examination written on it.


    ¡°So, Deputy Governor Li, can you exin why the exam questions about the waterway are inside your charm?


    ¡°I can exin, Your Highness. Every year, the dyke will get breached during the rainy season in spring. My wife wishes that I could solve the waterway problem for Guangqing Province. She put the questions in it so I won¡¯t forget it. ¡±


    ¡°Oh? Is that so? It¡¯s just all a misunderstanding, then?¡±


    The deputy governor knelt on the floor with his forehead sticking to the floor as well. He didn¡¯t even dare to make a voice.


    He was terrified. If he made a single mistake in his replies, not only would his family die along with him, but even his rtives would.


    He wasn¡¯t ready to gamble and could only hope the Third Prince would believe him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Bring him with us. We¡¯ll head to the Provincial Education Commissioner.¡±


    The examiners for Provincial Examinations were all directly appointed by the imperial court and not the local officials. This was done so to prevent any foul y.


    ¡°Your Highness! I-I was forced to do this!¡± The deputy governor begged. ¡°You have to understand.¡±


    ¡°Huh? I thought Xie Heng was the one in the wrong here?¡± The Third Prince chuckled.


    ¡°He¡­ he¡¯s not¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you think that¡¯s enough to make you an innocent person? Apprehend all of them!¡±


    ¡°Please forgive me!¡±


    ¡°Do you know why I¡¯m here in Guangqing Province? Because someone has already reported to the emperor that the questions of the Provincial Examination have been leaked. I¡¯m here under the emperor¡¯s order to investigate this matter.¡±


    Upon hearing that, the deputy governor¡¯s eyes rolled back, and he fainted.


    ¡°Take them away!¡± The Third Prince waved his hand, not wanting to look at the deputy governor any longer.


    Once the garden was clear of most of the people, the Third Prince walked over to Xie Heng with a grin. ¡®Zizhao, how was my timing?


    ¡°I almost pissed my pants waiting for you. If you were any slower, it would¡¯ve been hard for me to clean my name,¡± Xie Heng replied seriously.


    ¡°Hahaha! Stop joking around, Zizhao. How can such a child¡¯s trick frame you? Since this is a serious matter, I¡¯ll take my leave first. I¡¯ll stop by for a cup of tea next time.¡±


    ¡°All right. Stay healthy.¡±


    The Third Prince then turned and left.


    Kang Xiuwan lost all energy in her legs and sat down. ¡°That was so scary. Thank God.¡±


    Zhao Chuchuughed awkwardly and helped Kang Xiuwan up. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t that terrifying? The deputy governor was so sure that Da Lang had bought the questions! If he really searched your house, then it¡¯ll be bad! I won¡¯t be able to live with myself if that happens! I¡¯ll have to ensure my mom never does something like this again.¡±


    ¡°Actually, Da Lang was already suspicious when your mom gave us the charm.


    We already knew about the questions in it.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yup. ¡±


    ¡°Thank God. Oh, right! Chuchu, was that really the Third Prince?


    ¡°He sure is.¡±


    Then, Zhao Chuchu¡¯s heart skipped a beat as she thought, ¡°Wait¡­ Don¡¯t tell me Xiuwan has fallen in love with the Third Prince?


    ¡°Nothing will happen to Da Lang if the Third Prince is here. Thank God.¡± This time, Kang Xiuwan sped her hand and prayed.


    Zhao Chuchu was left speechless.


    However, she was relieved as well. Kang Xiuwan was just trying to ensure the Third Prince could protect them and had no other ideas about him.


    The biggest problem was that the Third Prince did not have long to live. Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t want Kang Xiuwan to fall for the prince because that rtionship would not bear fruit.


    After knowing that nothing would happen to Xie Heng, Kang Xiuwang left.


    She was determined to remind her mother of what had happened and warn her not to be so innocent again.


    ¡°Did you send a message to the Imperial City?¡± Zhao Chuchu then asked Xie Heng.


    Xie Heng nodded. ¡°This is the best stage for the Third Prince. The other princes are mo¡­ Well, they would only make the matter worse.¡±


    ¡°Did this happenst time?


    In Xle Heng¡¯s past life, the event where the questions were leaked did not happen in Guangqing Province..

 Chapter 510 - 510:458

    Chapter 510:458


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°With the Third Prince personallying here, it looks like many people will be at his mercy, huh?¡± Zhao Chuchu said. ¡°A lot of people must be involved,


    ¡°We already found a lot of people involved in this, but we won¡¯t know how many of them are there until the prince finishes with his investigation.¡±


    ¡°Are anyone from the academy in it too?¡±


    ¡°Nope. I warned the principal when I met him, and the academy is prepared for this. Those people won¡¯t be able to infiltrate there.¡±


    ¡°Then, what about the questions?


    ¡°They are with the Third Prince. Since the emperor now knows about this and even sent the Third Prince over, the head examiner this time will be the prince himself.¡±


    That was something that Zhao Chuchu had not expected.


    However, this was the best solution for the Provincial Examination to be fair.


    Since the new set of questions came personally from the emperor, only he and the Third Prince have them.


    ¡°Chuchu. don¡¯t worry. We will take care of this.


    Zhao Chuchu nodded.


    She wasn¡¯t worried at all.


    If Xie Heng could not handle such a trivial matter, then he would never have been able to be a grand secretary who was respected by many as a peasant.


    Xie Heng did not tell her a lot of things.


    It wasn¡¯t that he did not trust her, but he didn¡¯t want her to worry about those things.


    He wished for her to focus on the businesses she had set up.


    News of the leak did not spread throughout Guangqing Province.


    The Third Prince did not want to affect the students who were innocent and decided to apprehend those who were in secret.


    The Provincial Examination took ce as nned.


    Zhao Chuc.hu apanied Xie Heng to the examination hall.


    The entrance was strictly guarded. Not only did the examinees have their bodies searched, but all of their belongings were meticulously checked to make sure that nothing was hidden in them.


    Zhao Chuc.hu even personally witnessed two different examines being escorted out of the hall and straight to the prison.


    It showed how much the dynasty valued the Imperial Examination.


    The Provincial Examination was on three different days, the ninth, 12th, and 15th of August.


    However, the examinees weren¡¯t allowed to leave the examination hall during the period. They had to eat, clean, and rest in there.


    Many of the examinees did not have a strong enough body to endure the ordeal.


    Some who were strong-willed enough could endure it but almost lost their lives once the examination had ended.


    It shows the harsh requirement for one to be an official in ancient times.


    Old Mrs. Yuan and the rest were all worried in Zhao Chuchu¡¯s ce as the examination took ce. However, thedy wasn¡¯t concerned at all and lived through those days as if nothing was happening.


    On the 16th of August, the Provincial Examination officially ended. Zhao


    Chuchu headed to the examination hall early in the morning to wee Xie


    Heng back.


    Quite a number of the examinees came out sighing. It was clear that the examination did not go well for them. Some even went crazy because of the intense pressure they had to sit through.


    On the other hand, Xie Heng stood out among all his other peers.


    He lookedpletely normal. It was as if he was not bothered by the examination at all.


    However, even he had heavy bags under his eyes. It showed how bad the environment was in the examination hall.


    Zhao Chuchu waved at the man, and he quickly walked toward her.


    ¡°Bro. Don¡¯t worry! I know you will get the highest score!¡± Xie Jun encouraged before Xie Heng could even say anything. The little boy was worried that his older brother would copse like the other examinees. Xie Heng chuckled and patted his brother¡¯s head. ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Are you confident?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll have to wait until they announce the result. Let¡¯s go home.¡±


    As he had not bathed for a while, even Xie Heng was disgusted by his own body. He kept a slight distance from Zhao Chuchu just so that she was not affected by the smell of his body.


    Old Mrs. Yuan, Xia Chengxuan, and the rest had already all gathered at Xie Heng¡¯s house. They brought a lot of nutrition and food as they were worried that he had suffered.


    Xie Heng was utterly speechless when he saw them, but it would be disrespectful to refuse the gifts.


    ¡°Sir, I¡¯ve prepared a hot bath.¡± Chai Le came out from the back of the house and saved Xie Heng from the guests.


    Xie Heng quickly got up and went to clean himself up.


    Not one person brought the examination up as if they had discussed it beforehand. They didn¡¯t want to give Xie Heng even more pressure.


    Old Mrs. Yuan and the rest headed back after dinner, leaving Xia Chengxuan and Kang Xiuwan behind.


    ¡°Da Lang, I¡¯m sorry about what happened back then.¡± Xia Chengxuan took the chance to apologize.


    ¡°It¡¯s all in the past.¡± Xie Heng smiled. ¡°Just remember about this when something simr happens again.¡±


    ¡°I will never forget it!¡± Xia Chengxuan quickly nodded.


    She promised not to give anything to an examinee in the future in case something tried to harm them again.


    Fortunately, Xie Heng was wary enough, or else Xia Chengxuan would be embarrassed to talk to Zhao Chuchu again. The youngdy was the one who saved her and her daughter. If anything happened to Zhao Chuchu because of her, she would not be able to live with it.


    Xia Chengxuan did not stay for too long and left with Kang Xiuwan.


    The house finally quieted down.


    Xie Heng did not talk much with Zhao Chuchu either. He fell asleep not long after the guests had left.


    Zhao Chuchu did not bother him as she knew he needed the rest very much.


    Since the bed prepared at the examination hall was small, it would be hard for the man to get a good sleep with his tall and muscr body. There was also the fact that they had to share a room with many people.

 Chapter 511 - 511: 458

    Chapter 511: 458


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Zhao Chuchu pulled the cover over Xie Heng¡¯s body and tucked herself into bed too.


    The next day, the Third Prince finally announced the incident where the questions for the Provincial Examination had been leaked and caused an uproar in the capital city of Guangqing Province.


    Almost everyone could not believe such a thing would happen.


    However, a few of the examinees finally understood why some of their fellow peers were suddenly taken away by soldiers just before the examination.


    It also exined why their head examiner was the Third Prince.


    Amidst the talk about the incident, a few days passed instantly, and the result was announced.


    Just as one had expected, Xie Heng was the top candidate.


    The Yuan n and Xia Chengxuan were all happy to hear the news. They went over to Xie Hengs house as soon as they heard and congratted him.


    The neighbors did the same, and the road in front of the house was soon crowded with people.


    Even some of the families that Xie Heng rarely interacted with came as well. It was clear that they had the intention of getting close to him.


    Xie Heng rejected all of the gifts.


    As Qingyang Academy had produced a top candidate, it became a top selection for a lot of schrs who wished to pursue their studies.


    The principal was also excited, and he even personally visited Xie Heng.


    However, the principal wasn¡¯t there to congratte the young man but to remind him not to be arrogant because of his sess. The principal told him that he should be prepared for the Spring Imperial Examination and not loosen up just because he was the top candidate for the Provincial Examination.


    Xie Heng nodded.


    As soon as the results were announced, the Third Prince began investigating the leak.


    Other than the deputy governor, the culprit not only included the governor but a few ministers from the imperial court.


    The Third Prince intended to get down to the source of the problem, forcing the Sikou n to abandon their aplices to survive. It had cost them a lot.


    For those who were involved, some had their entire families go down with them, while others were beheaded. The Third Prince did not let a single one of them go.


    His action had shaken a lot of schrs around the dynasty, causing them to never even thought of trying to cheat in the examination.


    As the incident had involved many people, the Third Prince had to bring the culprits and their aplices back to the Imperial City. Three different divisions would judge them to determine their actual crimes and punishments.


    Before he left, the Third Prince found Xie Heng and asked, ¡°Zizhao, do you want toe to the Imperial City with me now?


    shook his head. ¡°No. If I do, they might bear their fangs toward you.¡± ¡°Them?¡± The Third Princeughed at the thought of it.


    ¡°The less problem before the Spring Imperial Examination, the better. If we force them too hard, they might take drastic measures.¡±


    ¡°I see. Then, I¡¯ll head back first. Lees have a meal when you arrive at the Imperial City.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing. Be careful on your way back.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. See you.¡± The Third Prince nodded and left.


    Xie Heng waited until the prince was gone before telling Zhao Chuchu, ¡°Let¡¯s head back to Yuanjiang County first before heading to the Imperial City.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t ask why he wanted to do that. She knew that he had his own reasons.


    The magistrate of Yuanjiang County was in a good mood as their county had produced a top candidate for the Provincial Examination.


    Xie Heng was warmly weed when he got back.


    The vigers of Lengshui Vige even held a celebration for three days to celebrate the asion.


    The Xie n, who rarely showed themselves in public, were also there.


    The reason Xie Heng had to return home was to visit his parents grave. The Xie n wanted him to honor their ancestors too, but he refused.


    ¡°That can wait until the Spring Imperial Examination is over. I only came back to tell my parents that I did not fail them.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s after the New Year! You should do it now since you¡¯re already back,¡± one of the n members argued.


    Xie Heng turned to look at the person coldly, and they immediately went silent.


    As Xie Heng was a provincial graduate, he wasn¡¯t far away from bing an official. They could not offend him. Not only that, but they even needed to rely on him in the future.


    Although they did not bully Xie Heng when he was blind, they didn¡¯t help him either.


    He did not hate the Xie n, but they were nothing more than strangers to him.


    Xie Heng did not stay long in the vige. Three dayster, he was ready to leave for the Imperial City.


    Old Mrs. Chen had given him many homemade dried vegetables and other food.


    ¡°Da Lang, Chuchu, the Imperial City is far from here. You guys might not get used to the food there. These foods might not cost a lot, but they should be enough to get you through until you get used to the new ce,¡± the olddy said. ¡°Chuchu, remember to take care of yourself there. Take care of Da Lang too. We¡¯ll be waiting for your good news. I hope that you¡¯ll achieve what you want, Da Lang.¡±


    Xie Heng looked at the vigers. He understood that once he headed to the Imperial City, he would not have a lot of chances to see them again.


    He had spent more than a decade with them. He always thought of them as mere vigers, but as he was about to leave, he realized he would miss them.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best. Just wait for our good news.¡± Xie Heng boarded the carriage and waved his hand at them. ¡°No matter how far the journey is, we¡¯ll eventually part ways.¡±


    He then signaled the coachman to begin the journey..

 Chapter 512 - 512: Know About the Existence of Junjun

    Chapter 512: Know About the Existence of Junjun


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°Junjun, why are you behaving so distantly with me? Regardless of what happens, I will always be your Third Brother,¡± the Third Prince said gently. ¡°Don¡¯t be like your brother. Why are you being so polite?¡±


    ¡°But¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Alright. You guys arrived at the Imperial City so early. I¡¯m sure you rushed as much as you could on your way here and didn¡¯t even have time to have a good meal. Let¡¯s not talk about the other stuff first. Cousin, tell the waiters to start serving up the food.¡± Third Prince cut Xie Jun off, then looked toward Qiao Heting.


    Xie Jun looked at Xie Heng as if asking for help.


    ¡°Just listen to what his highness said. I thought you liked him a lot. You were talking about how much you missed him before you came here. Why are you being so shy now when he¡¯s right in front of you?¡± Xie Hengughed and smiled.


    Xie Jun said, ¡°But I didn¡¯t know that he was a royal back then.¡±


    What if he identally offended him? He would be affecting his brother¡¯s career!


    Xie Jun wasn¡¯t very old, yet he worried about many things. He worried about when Zhao Chuchu would give birth to a nephew for him, and he also worried about Xie Heng¡¯s career.


    ¡°Then just treat it as if you never knew about this. There is no one else here, just behave like you would previously.¡± Third Prince couldn¡¯t help butugh as well. ¡°Come to think of it, my surname is Xie as well. My name is Xie Yan. We have the same ancestor.¡±


    Even Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t know the Third Prince¡¯s name until now, let alone Xie Jun.


    The Third Prince had little sense of presencepared to the other heirs to the throne because of his condition.


    Zhao Chuchu had never tried to inquire about him. All she knew was that the royal family¡¯s surname was Xie.


    She previously thought that Xie Heng was a member of the royal family. But Xie Heng exined to her that his surname had nothing to do with the royal family.


    ¡°Do I still call you Third Brother in the future?¡± Xie Jun asked cautiously.


    Xie Yan smiled and replied, ¡°Yes, keep calling me Third Brother.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Xie Jun finally felt a little more at ease.


    Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t help but smile. His name was Junyan as well. It was just that the order was reversed. What a massive coincidence.


    The atmosphere was a lot more harmonious after that. Xie Jun ate to his heart¡¯s content without holding back at all.


    On the other hand, Xie Yan didn¡¯t really eat at all. All he did was help pick out the bones from the fish and peel the shells from the prawns and crabs so Xie Jun could easily eat them. Xie Heng couldn¡¯t help but tell Xie Yan not to pamper Xie Jun and let him eat on his own.


    Only then did Xie Yan restrain himself and let Xie Jun eat on his own.


    After the meal, both Zhao Chuchu and Xie Jun had their bellies bulging from the food.


    Xie Yan still had some work to deal with, so he returned to his pce first while Qiao Heting stayed to apany them.


    Xie Heng didn¡¯t stay for very long, either. After a while, he went home, saying that he needed to revise


    Zhao Chuc.hu asked Xie Heng after reaching home, ¡°Da Lang, why did Third Prince decide to see Junjun now? There are quite a lot of people following him in the dark. I think they are the emperor¡¯s men. So why is he doing this?¡±


    ¡°He wants the emperor to know about Junjun¡¯s existence.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Those are the emperor¡¯s personal guards. They will report every little detail about our meeting to the emperor.¡±


    ¡°Who does Junjun resemble?¡±


    The Third Prince and Xie Jun didn¡¯t really look alike.


    ¡°He looks more like his mother. Third Prince looks more like the emperor.¡± Zhao Chuchu understood.


    No wonder Xie Jun was in such a hurry to go to the imperial city. He wanted to prepare for Xie Jun to return to his real family.


    ¡°Are you worried?¡± Xie Heng asked.


    Zhao Chuchu shook her head and said) ¡°Nope. With you guys here, I don¡¯t think there is anything left for me to worry about. All I need to do is to protect you and Junjun.¡±


    Xie Hengughed and said, ¡°I¡¯m not that weak.¡±


    ¡°But if someone tries to poison you, you¡¯ll still need me,¡± Zhao Chuchu blinked and said.


    ¡°That¡¯s true. I guess I was being a little full of myself.¡±


    Zhao Chuchuughed.


    But Xie Jun was an heir to the throne. So the process of returning to his original family would definitely not be fast or easy.


    Their stay in the Imperial City was very peaceful for the rest of the days before the New Year. They didn¡¯t have any trouble or conflicts with anyone..

 Chapter 513 - 513: Not The Same Type of Person

    Chapter 513: Not The Same Type of Person


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    For the rest of the time before the New Year, their life in the Imperial City was very peaceful. They didn¡¯t encounter any conflict or trouble.


    Zhao Chuchu rarely went out. When she did, it was only to buy groceries.


    She would usually buy several days¡¯ worth of groceries and store them in her carry-on space.


    There was no one else at their ce anyway. The royal pce had not sent anyone to surveil Xie Jun, and Xie Jun didn¡¯t usually care about what happened


    in the kitchen. So she could save a lot of trouble that wav. Heting.


    Xie Jun looked at Xie Heng as if asking for help.


    ¡°Just listen to what his highness said. I thought you liked him a lot. You were talking about how much you missed him before you came here. Why are you being so shy now when he¡¯s right in front of you?¡± Xie Hengughed and smiled.


    Xie Jun said, ¡°But I didn¡¯t know that he was a royal back then.¡±


    What if he identally offended him? He would be affecting his brother¡¯s career!


    Xie Jun wasn¡¯t very old, yet he worried about many things. He worried about when Zhao Chuchu would give birth to a nephew for him, and he also worried about Xie Heng¡¯s career.


    ¡°Then just treat it as if you never knew about this. There is no one else here, just behave like you would previously.¡± Third Prince couldn¡¯t help butugh as well. ¡°Come to think of it, my surname is Xie as well. My name is Xie Yan. We have the same ancestor.¡±


    Even Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t know the Third Prince¡¯s name until now, let alone Xie Jun.


    The Third Prince had little sense of presencepared to the other heirs to the throne because of his condition.


    Zhao Chuchu had never tried to inquire about him. All she knew was that the royal family¡¯s surname was Xie.


    She previously thought that Xie Heng was a member of the royal family. But


    Xie Heng exined to her that his surname had nothing to do with the royal family.


    ¡°Do I still call you Third Brother in the future?¡± Xie Jun asked cautiously.


    Xie Yan smiled and replied, ¡°Yes, keep calling me Third Brother.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Xie Jun finally felt a little more at ease.


    Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t help but smile. His name was Junyan as well. It was just that the order was reversed. What a massive coincidence.


    The atmosphere was a lot more harmonious after that. Xie Jun ate to his heart¡¯s content without holding back at all.


    On the other hand, Xie Yan didn¡¯t really eat at all. All he did was help pick out the bones from the fish and peel the shells from the prawns and crabs so Xie Jun could easily eat them. Xie Heng couldn¡¯t help but tell Xie Yan not to pamper Xie Jun and let him eat on his own.


    Only then did Xie Yan restrain himself and let Xie Jun eat on his own.


    After the meal, both Zhao Chuchu and Xie Jun had their bellies bulging from the food.


    Xie Yan still had some work to deal with, so he returned to his pce first while Qiao Heting stayed to apany them.


    Xie Heng didn¡¯t stay for very long, either. After a while, he went home, saying that he needed to revise.


    Zhao Chuchu asked Xie Heng after reaching home, ¡°Da Lang, why did Third Prince decide to see Junjun now? There are quite a lot of people following him in the dark. I think they are the emperor¡¯s men. So why is he doing this?¡±


    ¡°He wants the emperor to know about Junjun¡¯s existence.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Those are the emperor¡¯s personal guards. They will report every little detail about our meeting to the emperor.¡±


    ¡°Who does Junjun resemble?¡±


    The Third Prince and Xie Jun didn¡¯t really look alike.


    ¡°He looks more like his mother. Third Prince looks more like the emperor.¡± Zhao Chuchu understood.


    No wonder Xie Jun was in such a hurry to go to the imperial city. He wanted to prepare for Xie Jun to return to his real family.


    ¡°Are you worried?¡± Xie Heng asked.


    Zhao Chuchu shook her head and said, ¡°Nope. With you guys here, I don¡¯t think there is anything left for me to worry about. All I need to do is to protect you and Junjun.¡±


    Xie Hengughed and said, ¡°I¡¯m not that weak.¡±


    ¡°But if someone tries to poison you, you¡¯ll still need me,¡± Zhao Chuchu blinked and said.


    ¡°That¡¯s true. I guess I was being a little full of myself.¡±


    Zhao Chuchuughed.


    But Xie Jun was an heir to the throne. So the process of returning to his original family would definitely not be fast or easy.


    Their stay in the Imperial City was very peaceful for the rest of the days before the New Year. They didn¡¯t have any trouble or conflicts with anyone.

 Chapter 514 He Is Your Real Brother

    514 He Is Your Real Brother


    Xie Jun had been looking forward to the Lantern Festival for a long time. But, unfortunately, their ns were jeopardized.


    On the 14th day of the new year, someone tried to assassinate Xie Yan.


    The entire Imperial City entered lockdown as the Royal Guards patrolled the city and searched every household to look for the culprit.


    Xie Jun''s ns for the Lantern Festival were ruined.


    But he was more worried about Xie Yan.


    "Bro, Third Brother is a good person. He''ll be fine, right?" Perhaps it was because they were blood-rted, but Xie Jun couldn''t sit down and focus on studying. He kept feeling like something was going to happen to Xie Yan.


    Xie Heng didn''t think that Xie Yan would do something so extreme.


    Xie Heng didn''t know how to answer Xie Jun.


    "Bro, can we ask Sis to go to the prince''s pce and visit Third Brother? I really don''t want anything to happen to him. He treats me so well, just like you."


    "Junjun, we are all just normal people. There''s no way for us to even get near the prince''s pce. People are going to treat us as assassins. He cares about you more than anyone else, so let him worry about you."


    "Who is trying to hurt him?"


    "His brothers."


    "What?!"


    Xie Jun couldn''t believe it.


    His brothers? Isn''t that like him and Xie Heng?


    Why would Xie Yan''s brothers try to hurt him?


    "Because they are part of the royal family. Brotherly love doesn''t exist there. Everyone is trying to take the throne. So being kind to one''s brother means being cruel to oneself."


    "But... why?"


    "Because of greed."


    "But I thought brothers should look after each other."


    Xie Jun felt like his worldview was copsing.


    "Yes, but the Third Prince''s brothers are different. They will try everything to kill their brother."


    Xie Heng told Xie Jun about all the dirty deeds that the royal family had done.


    He wanted to prepare Xie Jun mentally.


    Xie Heng had wanted to tell Xie Jun about these things for quite a while now. But he saw how innocent and carefree Xie Jun was. He thought about Xie Jun''s previous life and couldn''t care to let his pure-hearted brothere into contact with the repulsive conflicts that run this world.


    But the day hade.


    Xie Yan wanted to teach Xie Jun an unforgettable lesson.


    Xie Jun would probably return to the royal family after the spring exams.


    Xie Heng felt somewhat reluctant.


    After all, he had basically brought Xie Jun up. They had been together for two lives now, from his perspective. Even though they weren''t rted by blood, to him, Xie Jun was no different from a real brother.


    Xie Jun remained silent for quite a while.


    "Junjun, there''s something that I hadn''t told you, but I think it''s time." Xie Heng held Xie Jun''s shoulders and said, "We''re not real brothers. The Third Prince is your real brother."


    Xie Jun was stunned.


    His eyes started turning red as a feeling of sadness from abandonment filled them up. "Brother, do you not want me anymore?"


    Xie Heng sighed and hugged him. "Even if we are not blood-rted, you are still my only brother. Junjun, your Third Brother has been looking for you all these years. Just like me, he sees you as his only real brother."


    "Bro, you are lying, right?"


    "No, I knew that you were no ordinary child long ago. The whole reason I stayed in Lengshui Vige for such a long time is because I wanted to protect you."


    Xie Jun came to a sudden realization. He asked, "Bro, were your eyes fine all along? Were you just pretending to be blind for me?"


    Xie Heng rubbed his hair and said, "Yes, because I knew who you really are. I don''t want you to be involved in their conflicts. But the Third Prince came looking for you, so I had no choice but to confront reality."


    "Can I not go back?"


    "No, Junjun, everyone is born with a responsibility in this world."


    "But I grew up in Lengshui Vige. So I''m not rted to the Third Prince in any way."


    "Do you know how your real mother died? The Third Prince was diagnosed with the same illness as you. If not for your Sis, he would probably be dead by now. Junjun, I know you don''t want to make certain decisions. But even if you choose to give up, someone out there will force you to do it."


    Xie Jun lowered his head and asked, "Is this what you and the Third Prince want?"


    "No, it''s your other ''brothers.'' Even if you don''t want to return to your real family, they won''t let you off the hook so easily. They might even wipe out the entire Lengshui Vige," Xie Heng said seriously. "Of course, if you choose to run away from all of this, I will bring you away."


    Xie Jun didn''t immediately give him an answer. He hesitated.

 Chapter 515 Instigating? Who Is Worse?

    515 Instigating? Who Is Worse?


    "Bro, am I really the Third Prince''s brother?" After a long while, Xie Jun raised his head and looked toward Xie Heng. "Why me?" he asked.


    Xie Heng sighed and said, "I also hope that this person wasn''t you. I wish you were just an ordinary child from an ordinary family. But you are not."


    "I really can''t leave the Imperial City?"


    "Yes." Xie Heng nodded.


    "But I would implicate the people of Lengshui Vige, right?"


    "Yes."


    "So I don''t actually have a choice, right?"


    "What do you think about this?" Xie Heng asked back.


    Xie Heng didn''t want to force Xie Jun to make a decision. But there has been no way out of this since the very beginning.


    The only way for Xie Jun to live a good life is to be on that throne.


    Otherwise, people would try to kill him for the rest of his life.


    Or he might live the rest of his life in guilt because many people would die for him!


    Xie Jun remained silent for quite a while before shaking his head and answering, "I don''t know what I want. Can you tell me?"


    Xie Heng rubbed his head and said, "Junjun, you should do what you feel in your heart."


    Xie Jun said softly, "But I no longer have a choice. If I leave, you will be affected as well. You''ve studied so many years for this, and it will all go to waste. You won''t be able to realize your ambitions anymore. And I will implicate the people of Lengshui Vige as well.


    "Why is this happening? I just wish that I knew none of these things. I just want to be your brother! I find it hard to ept what you''re saying."


    Xie Heng said, "The Third Prince doesn''t have much time left. Your mother is the root cause of all of this. Every other woman in the imperial harem will try to kill you and the Third Prince to help their son. If all of you die, they will continue fighting each other until one gets on the throne.


    "There are some things that you simply can''t run away from. Why do you think they managed to find you even after so many years? Your very existence is a threat to them. Junjun, we can''t choose our parents, but we can choose how we live our lives."


    "Your mother died not long after you were born. You had a treacherous childhood without a home until my father found you. After that, you lived in peace for over a decade. But during this time, your condition stemming from the poison often red up, and you weren''t the only person who suffered from it."


    "Be it your mother or your brother, I''m sure they all want you to live a good life¡ªto be far away from that ce. But there are many situations that you can''t just run away from. So I''ve been teaching you since you were young that when faced with a challenge, we should face it straight on. Running away isn''t going to solve the problem."


    Xie Jun said, "Can I have some time to think?"


    "Junjun, I will forever be your brother, regardless of your identity. I will always be by your side."


    "Okay."


    The moment Xie Heng came out of Xie Jun''s room, he met eyes with Zhao Chuchu, who looked like she disapproved of what he just did.


    After the two of them returned to their room, Zhao Chuchu reprimanded him. "You shouldn''t just tell Junjun about this without warning. He is too pure and innocent. I thought that you would tell him about the dark side of this world early on, but you have been more protective of him than anyone else."


    "He is suddenly learning about his real identity, and it''s probably tough for him to ept this. This whole time, he just wanted to be a little brother following behind you. But what you did just now, sigh..."


    Xie Heng said, "The attempted assassination of the Third Prince was not expected. Of course, I know this isn''t good for him, but we no longer have time to wait. Although Junjun is pure and innocent, he is very intelligent."


    "Perhaps because he''s part of the royal family, he is very talented in certain areas. So he is not as weak as you think. In my previous life, even though he didn''t have much time left, he managed to do many significant things in the cab. So don''t worry. He will be able to ept this situation."


    "But Junjun wasn''t the same age as he is now, right? That probably happened after you and Sikou Qin were married. He wanted to help you after seeing how hard your life was in the Sikou n, right?"


    "Yes, that''s true. But if I just say nothing and wait for them toe to us, Junjun will probably find it even harder to ept. At least we can prepare him mentally now."


    Zhao Chuchu sighed.


    Xie Heng was absolutely right.


    She wondered how Xie Yan was doing now.


    The entire Imperial City was in lockdown, and Xie Yan probably suffered some serious injuries.


    Is he able to withstand an ordeal like this with his current condition?


    Zhao Chuchu didn''t know what to say. She hoped that the imperial physician academy had a way to save Xie Yan.


    But Zhao Chuchu didn''t expect someone from the royal pce toe over just one hour after Xie Heng told Xie Jun about his real identity.

 Chapter 516 - 516: Instigating? Who is Worse? (2)

    Chapter 516: Instigating? Who is Worse? (2)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°Excuse me, may I ask if Mrs. Xie, Zhao Chuchu, lives here?¡± The eunuch was rather polite, but he failed to hide the anxiousness in his eyes.


    ¡°Yes, I am Zhao Chuchu. What¡¯s the matter?¡± Zhao Chuchu stood up and walked up to the eunuch. Did something terrible happen to Xie Yan?


    The eunuch immediately went forward and said, ¡°Yes, Mrs. Xie, please, may I trouble you toe with me to the Third Prince¡¯s ce and save him?¡± ¡°What happened to the Third Prince?¡± Zhao Chuchu pretended not to know what happened and asked.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t ask so many questions, Mrs. Xie. The most important thing right now is to save him. So pleasee with me at one. If we take too long and His Majesty gets angry, both of us will be in deep trouble.¡±


    ¡°Alright, give me a moment. Let me get my medical box.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu immediately turned around and went back to her room. She took out all her medications for external injuries and put them in her medical box before heading back out.


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, do you know how to ride a horse?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°You, get down. Let Mrs. Xie ride the horse,¡± said the eunuch, pointing at one of the guards.


    The guard quickly got off his horse.


    After Zhao Chuchu got on the horse, the eunuch kept hurrying Zhao Chuchu and asking her to ride faster.


    Zhao Chuchu followed the eunuch and rode the horse at fast as they could. Soon, they reached the Third Prince¡¯s residence.


    The Third Prince¡¯s residence was heavily guarded. It was probably difficult even for a rat to get out.


    When Zhao Chuchu saw Xie Yan lying on his bed, she realized how badly injured he was. He was almost on the verge of death.


    The emperor was sitting beside Xie Yan¡¯s bed and was extremely furious.


    Several imperial physicians were kneeling on the side and trembling in fear.


    ¡°Your Majesty, Mrs. Xie is here,¡± said the eunuch, stepping forward.


    ¡°Then why are you still talking? Hurry up and get her here to check on Yanyan!¡± said the emperor angrily.


    The eunuch quickly signaled for Zhao Chuchu to enter.


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Zhao Chuchu bowed and greeted the emperor.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine; quick, save him.¡± The emperor sized up Zhao Chuchu and then hurried her. ¡°Hurry up.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Your Majesty, would you mind making some space so I can check on the Third Prince¡¯s injuries?¡±


    ¡°How dare you speak to my father, His Majesty, like this!¡± The moment Zhao


    Chuchu said that, the Great Prince yelled, ¡°Are you aware of your crime?¡±


    ¡°Sir, I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about. Do you think a doctor can check on a patient from afar? Do you think that doctors are like gods?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked.


    ¡°Shut up. This is none of your business. Get out of here,¡± the emperor scolded the Great Prince. He was getting rather irritated. He then stood up and made space for Zhao Chuchu.


    Xie Yan had been shot in his chest by three arrows. All three hadnded on his vital organs. If they were to pull the arrow out, Xie Yan would die almost immediately. No wonder none of the imperial physicians dared to do anything.


    Zhao Chuchu opened her medical box and took out her silver needles as she said, ¡°Get me a light.¡± The eunuch quickly asked, ¡°What kind of light?¡±


    ¡°Just a candle is fine.¡±


    ¡°Right away.¡±


    The eunuch ran off to prepare the light.


    The other imperial physicians finally dared to raise their heads to see what Zhao Chuchu was doing to save Xie Yan.


    When the director of the imperial physician academy saw that Zhao Chuchu was performing acupuncture on Xie Yan, he was shocked. He shouted, ¡°What are you doing? You can¡¯t just do whatever you want to his highness! Your Majesty, Mrs. Xie isn¡¯t even a doctor. Even my master wouldn¡¯t dare use acupuncture here. She doesn¡¯t know what she¡¯s doing!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯tpare me to other people. If you can save him, why am I the one standing here right now? I don¡¯t like people barking around me when I¡¯m saving my patient. So I would suggest you judge me with your knowledge, ¡± Zhao Chuchu said coldly.


    ¡°You! Foolish woman!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m foolish? Where were you during the Yuanjiang County gue?¡± The director was so mad that he couldn¡¯t even speak.


    The emperor¡¯s face was rather dark, but he said nothing. He was clearly doubtful of Zhao Chuchu as well.


    But even the imperial physician team said that they couldn¡¯t do anything. It was Qiao Heting who begged the emperor to bring Zhao Chuchu here.


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu, are you sure you know what you are doing? If my Third Prince dies, I will execute your entire extended family!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    This idiotic dog of an emperor!


    Why would it be her fault? Was the imperial court paying her?


    ¡°I am not one hundred percent confident, but I will try my very best!¡± Of course, Zhao Chuchu wouldn¡¯t speak out against the emperor at that moment.


    The head of the imperial physicians continued to say, ¡°Your Majesty, this Zhao Chuchu clearly doesn¡¯t know what she¡¯s doing. Please reconsider this. We shouldn¡¯t let this foolish woman ruin the Third Prince¡¯s body!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu got angry. She might not be able to do anything to the emperor, but she could definitely do something to this nitwit!


    She picked up a pillow and threw it at him, then said, ¡°If you don¡¯t know how to speak properly, shut up! If you can save his highness, His Majesty wouldn¡¯t need to ask me toe here! Your Majesty, I¡¯m trying to save the Third Prince¡¯s life here, but he¡¯s trying so hard to disturb me.. Is he trying to stop me from saving the Third Prince?¡±

 Chapter 517 - 517: Instigating? Who Is Worse? (3)

    Chapter 517: Instigating? Who Is Worse? (3)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Based on his behavior, the director of the imperial physician academy must have sided with someone else. That was why he wanted Xie Yan dead!


    The director yelled in pain upon being hit by the pillow.


    He didn¡¯t expect that a pillow would be able to dislocate his shoulder! ¡°Shut up! Make one more sound, and I will execute you!¡± The emperor cared about Xie Yan. He was convinced by Zhao Chuchu and became mad at the director.


    The director forced himself to endure the pain as he red at Zhao Chuchu.


    When he saw how fast and urate Zhao Chuchu was with her silver needles, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a little scared.


    Zhao Chuchu used her silver needles to seal up all the acupoints around the wound to ensure that the Third Prince would survive when they removed the arrows.


    After that, Zhao Chuchu asked for hot water.


    No one dared dy her requests this time.


    But Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t expect that someone wanted Xie Yan to die so badly that they poisoned the water!


    Zhao Chuchu threw the bowl of water onto the ground and said, ¡°Your Majesty, someone dared to poison the water right under your nose. Therefore, I suggest you thoroughly investigate everyone in the pce. I would not like to see the Third Prince die in someone else¡¯s hands right after I save him.¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°This water is poisoned!¡±


    The emperor¡¯s face turned dark.


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t believe in anyone now.


    ¡°Your Majesty and everyone else, please step outside the room. I can guarantee that I am able to save the Third Prince, but I don¡¯t know if someone might try to harm him while I¡¯m treating him¡­¡±


    ¡°Nonsense, what makes you say that there¡¯s poison in the water?¡± said the director of the imperial physician academy.


    ¡°How about you give it a try? If you survive, I¡¯ll make up for this ¡®misjudgment¡¯ with my life. How about that?¡± said Zhao Chuchu as she stared at the director.


    The emperor ordered his men to bring over a chicken and feed it the water in the bowl. Immediately, white foam started to form around the chicken¡¯s beak. It then twitched violently and died in a matter of minutes.


    The emperor was livid. ¡°All of you, get out!¡± he yelled.


    Soon, the only people left in the room were Zhao Chuchu, the emperor, and his personal assistant eunuch.


    Of course, the emperor wasn¡¯t willing to go outside.


    And Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t chase him out.


    Zhao Chuchu did the necessary prep work, then looked toward the eunuch and said, ¡°Would you mind helping me with this? Later, when I pull out the arrows, please help me to pin the Third Prince down.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Mrs. Xie.¡± The eunuch hurriedly came forward.


    He still felt rather nervous as he watched Zhao Chuchu¡¯s actions.


    The imperial physician team had said just now that the Third Prince would die immediately when these arrows were pulled out. He couldn¡¯t believe that Zhao Chuchu dared to do this. Wasn¡¯t she afraid of being executed?


    But the emperor remained silent, so the eunuch suppressed that thought.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to pull it out now.¡± After saying that, Zhao Chuchu immediately pulled the arrow out of Xie Yan¡¯s chest.


    Blood spilled all over the eunuch¡¯s face, whichpletely stunned him. The emperor stood up and shouted, ¡°What are you doing?!¡±


    ¡°Please remain calm,¡± Zhao Chuchu said quickly as she took out a packet of hemostatic medicine andced it on Xie Yan¡¯s wound.


    The medicine was incredibly effective. It stopped the bleeding almost instantly.


    ¡°Alright. Please, could you help me get a basin of water? Do not let anyone else touch it,¡± said Zhao Chuchu.


    The eunuch looked toward the emperor. The emperor waved his hand, which prompted the eunuch to run out of the room.


    Zhao Chuchu quickly cleaned up Xie Yan¡¯s wound and dressed it with more medicine.


    Xie Yan¡¯s body couldn¡¯t withstand more damage than it already had, and simple medication and treatment wouldn¡¯t take effect so quickly. So Zhao Chuchu had no choice but to use her healing powers.


    The eunuch came back in with a basin of water. Zhao Chuchu checked the water and the eunuch¡¯s hand to ensure that no one had done anything funny to them. She then moved away and said, ¡°Please help wipe down his body.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± The eunuch was in disbelief.


    Zhao Chuchu nodded and said, ¡°Yup, now we just wait for him to wake up.¡±


    ¡°When will he wake up?¡± The emperor was somewhat anxious.


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°It will take a while.¡±


    ¡°Okay, then stay here and wait for him to wake up. I have already detained your family. If anything happens to him, you and your entire family will go down together with him.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    What the actual f¡­


    But they didn¡¯t have to wait long before Xie Yan woke up.


    His face was pale and ghastly.


    The emperor hurriedly bent down and asked, ¡°Yanyan, how are you feeling?


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for making you worry,¡± Xie Yan said as he struggled to sit up.


    The emperor quickly pressed him down and said, ¡°Don¡¯t move. Your wound was just dressed a while ago. Don¡¯t make it break open again.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Father.¡±


    ¡°Are you really feeling alright now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m feeling a lot better now.¡±


    ¡°Zhao Chuchu,e here and take a look.¡± The emperor was still somewhat


    worried.


    Zhao Chuchu said respectfully, ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Xie? Did you save me?¡± Xie Yan was astonished.


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°His Majesty found me and invited me here. Your Highness, please don¡¯t move. Let me check your pulse.¡±


    After a while, Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°The Third Prince is no longer in mortal danger. He just needs to rest well and recover. He should be able to recover fully in about one month.¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare to lie.¡±


    ¡°Father, Mrs. Xie is an extremely skilled doctor. If she said that I¡¯m fine, that means I¡¯m fine. She was the one who cured my illness previously,¡± Xie Yan exined. ¡°Father, please let her go..¡±

 Chapter 518 - 518: That Could Be His Son

    Chapter 518: That Could Be His Son


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    As the emperor looked at Xie Yan, he started to feel sympathetic. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll listen to you this time,¡± the emperor said. He then ordered the eunuch, ¡°Let them go.¡±


    ¡°Yes, your majesty,¡± the eunuch answered and left the room.


    ¡°Yanyan, are you feeling ufortable anywhere? Don¡¯t force yourself.¡± ¡°I know. Thank you very much, Father.¡±


    ¡°You can leave as well. Until Yanyan recovers, you and your family can stay at the Third Prince¡¯s residence. If anyone happens to Yanyan, I will hold you responsible.¡±


    ¡°Yes, your majesty.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu lowered her head and answered, then left Xie Yan¡¯s room as well.


    The emperor looked toward Xie Yan and asked, ¡°Yanyan, are you suspecting anyone?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Xie Yan said. ¡°Father, please send people and investigate this thoroughly. We have to find the culprit behind all of this. This time, it was me. Next time, it could be you, Father.¡±


    ¡°How dare they do this to my son?! Do they think I don¡¯t exist? Yanyan, don¡¯t worry. I will make sure that someone answers for this.¡±


    ¡°Father, I hope the tragic incident that happened to our ninth brother doesn¡¯t happen again.¡± Xie Yan lowered his eyes. He sounded distraught.


    The emperor went silent.


    He had never even seen his ninth son when he went missing.


    The emperor had never given up looking for him all these years, but he couldn¡¯t find any clues.


    After a long while, the emperor sighed and said, ¡°Sigh, he might have passed away a long time ago.¡±


    ¡°Um,¡± Xie Yan answered but didn¡¯t say anything else.


    Perhaps mentioning his ninth son made the emperor feel a little ufortable. After a while, he stood up and said, ¡°I need to return to the pce now. I¡¯lle back to visit you again in a few days. Please rest well and recover. Your health is the most important thing.¡±


    ¡°I bid you farewell, Father.¡± Xie Yan struggled as he tried to stand up to greet his father.


    The emperor pushed on Xie Yan¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need for all this politeness. Just rest and recover.¡±


    ¡°Goodbye.¡±


    ¡°Bye.¡±


    The emperor walked out of Xie Yan¡¯s room. He didn¡¯t know that Xie Yan was staring at him from behind the whole time.


    Meanwhile, Xie Heng and Xie Jun were escorted by the guards to the prince¡¯s pce to meet Zhao Chuchu.


    The eunuch was just about to order Xie Heng and Xie Jun to greet the emperor formally, but the emperor stopped him.


    The emperor stared at Xie Jun.


    Why does this kid look so much like Xie Yan?


    But he looked much more healthy than Xie Yan. Hisplexion was better as well.


    Xie Heng had already seen the emperor, but since the emperor just stood there and did not approach them, he pretended not to see him.


    Xie Jun held Xie Heng¡¯s hand tightly and said, ¡°Bro, with Sis here, the Third Prince will be fine, right? He¡¯s a good person. I don¡¯t want anything bad to happen to him.¡±


    ¡°The Third Prince is a good person with good karma. So nothing will happen to him; don¡¯t worry.¡± Xie Heng consoled Xie Jun and said, ¡°When you see Sister, you can ask her as well.¡±


    ¡°Yes, bro. When can we go home?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. We will only know when we see Sis. We may need to stay at the


    Third Prince¡¯s pce for quite a while.¡±


    ¡°Is it because Sis needs to treat the Third Prince¡¯s injuries?¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡±


    ¡°Oh, does that mean we get to see the Third Prince as well?¡± ¡°I think we should be able to when the Third Prince gets better.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. I hope that he will recover soon.¡±


    Xie Jun wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about this.


    He now knows that Xie Yan is his real brother. Last time, it was easy for him to call the prince ¡°Third Brother,¡± but now it was feeling a little awkward.


    Because in Xie Jun¡¯s heart, Xie Heng is his only real brother.


    Now that his brother had suddenly be a different person, Xie Jun felt it difficult to ept the situation so quickly.


    Xie Jun and Xie Heng walked past a short distance away from the emperor, and they were escorted over to see Zhao Chuchu.


    The emperor¡¯s gaze was fixated on Xie Jun the entire time.


    ¡°Emperor, that was Zhao Chuchu¡¯s husband, Xie Heng, and his brother, Xie Jun,¡± the eunuch said to the emperor softly. ¡°Xie Heng has already passed the provincial exams. I think he came to the Imperial City for the spring exams.¡±


    ¡°He passed the exams? How old is he?¡±


    ¡°Seventeen.¡±


    The emperor was astonished.


    This young man was probably the youngest provincial graduate in the history of the Wei Dynasty!


    However, most of the emperor¡¯s attention was still focused on Xie Jun.


    But the emperor didn¡¯t disy any of his emotions. Instead, he set off to return to his pce.


    Upon returning to his pce, the first thing he did was get his secret guards to investigate Xie Jun¡¯s identity.


    Xie Jun¡¯s age would be about the same as his ninth son if he were still alive, and he looked just like Xie Yan when he was young. The emperor felt a strange urge in his heart. Perhaps that could be his ninth son.


    Of course, Xie Jun didn¡¯t know that the emperor had noticed him.


    When he saw Zhao Chuchu, he immediately asked about Xie Yan¡¯s condition.. ¡°Sis, how is the Third Prince doing?¡±

 Chapter 519 - 519: That Could Be His Son (2)

    Chapter 519: That Could Be His Son (2)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°He¡¯s fine so far. He¡¯s not in any mortal danger for now.¡± Zhao Chuchu rubbed her head and asked, ¡°Were you frightened?¡±


    ¡°Yes, a little. I was afraid that something bad would happen to the Third Prince, and I was worried that something would also happen to vou.¡¯


    ¡°Sis is going to be fine.¡±


    ¡°But Sis, why did you say that the Third Prince isn¡¯t in any mortal danger for now?¡±


    Xie Jun was very sharp. He managed to catch the keyword in Zhao Chuchu¡¯s answer.


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°When I was trying to save the Third Prince, someone tried to poison him right in front of the emperor.¡±


    Xie Jun¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Why?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Because someone doesn¡¯t want the Third Prince to be alive. That¡¯s why I said that he¡¯s not in any mortal danger for now. However, I don¡¯t know if someone might try to poison him again.¡±


    Xie Jun didn¡¯t know what to say for a long while.


    ¡°Junjun, the royal family¡¯s matter is extremelyplex. Let¡¯s not ask too many questions about it. It¡¯s not good for us to know too much.¡± Zhao Chuchu pretended not to know about Xie Jun¡¯s real identity.


    Xie Jun nodded, feeling rather conflicted about it.


    For the rest of their time there, Zhao Chuchu checked on Xie Yan to track his injury and recovery status.


    Because of the whole poisoning incident, the emperor sent over his close guards to look after Xie Yan. No one from the imperial physician academy was allowed to go near Xie Yan.


    Zhao Chuchu secretly used her healing power on Xie Yan every day so he could recover faster.


    Soon, the spring examinationsmenced.


    Xie Heng was finally allowed to leave the Third Prince¡¯s pce to attend the Conference Examination.


    But both Zhao Chuchu and Xie Jun were forced to stay at the Third Prince¡¯s residence.


    The proceedings of the Conference Examination were the same as the Provincial Examination. Candidates had to take three exams over the course of nine days.


    Every day, Xie Jun wished that the Conference Examination was over sooner. He kept asking Zhao Chuchu whether Xie Heng could be an advanced schr.


    Zhao Chuchu said helplessly, ¡°Other people don¡¯t believe in your brother, but you believe in him, right? So if he knew that you were doubting his ability like this, he would be very unhappy!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not doubting him. I just hope that he can do well on the exam.¡±


    How nice would it be if Xie Heng could obtain number one in thispetition and be the Number One Schr nationally?


    Compared to Xie Yan, Xie Jun believed in Xie Heng more.


    After all, Xie Heng was the one who raised him. No one knows better than him how well Xie Heng treated him.


    Xie Yan¡¯s condition improved significantly over time. During the day, he could go outside by having someone push him out in a wheelchair. He just happened to hear what Xie Jun said. He smiled and answered, ¡°Junjun, your brother¡¯s abilities are indubitably strong. If no idents happen, he should be able to be an advanced schr.¡±


    This was the first time that Xie Jun met after learning about his real identity. He couldn¡¯t help but feel a little nervous. So he quietly moved a little closer to


    Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchuughed and patted his back.


    When Xie Yan saw how Xie Jun was hiding from him, he knew that Xie Heng had already told Xie Jun about his real identity.


    He smiled and said, ¡°Why are you acting so distant today, Junjun?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± Xie Jun denied. ¡°Are, are you feeling better?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m feeling much better, thank you. How¡¯s your stay at the Third Prince¡¯s


    Pce been for the past few days? Did any of the servants mistreat you?¡± ¡°No, they were all very good to me. They brought me quite a lot of books.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great.¡±


    ¡°Third Prince, when can we return home?¡± Xie Jun mustered the courage to ask that. Since the start of the conversation, he had not called Xie Yan ¡°Third Brother.¡±


    Xie Yan felt a little upset. But he could understand Xie Jun¡¯s feelings when he thought about it.


    ¡°Not right now,¡± Xie Yan said. ¡°Once your brother finishes the Temple


    Examination, you can go home.¡±


    ¡®Why?¡±


    ¡°I still haven¡¯t recovered fully. My father won¡¯t let you leave.¡±


    ¡°Oh. ¡±


    Xie Jun remembered his identity again and started thinking about the father he had not met yet.


    Is the emperor his father?


    This thought made Xie Jun feel rather absurd.


    But he had no impression of the father. To him, the emperor seemed like someone who sat high above and didn¡¯t understand the pain that the people suffered. The moment there was a gue, he wanted to burn everyone alive.


    Xie Jun didn¡¯t really like the emperor.


    If it weren¡¯t for Sis, he would have been dead by now.


    ¡°Junjun, what are you thinking about?¡± Xie Yan asked gently. ¡°If there¡¯s anything that you would like to eat, you can just ask any of the servants. If they dare to ignore your requests, just let me know.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing that I want to eat right now.¡±


    Come to think of it, ever since Xie Jun arrived at the Third Prince¡¯s residence, the weight that he had taken a lot of effort to gain had started to dwindle. The boy was visibly slimming down.


    Xie Yan felt quite sad about it, but there was nothing he could do.


    ¡°Third Prince, I need to return and do my homework now. My brother left me a lot of homework before he left for the exams. He will punish me if I don¡¯tplete them by the time he returns. So I¡¯m going to leave first.¡±


    Xie Jun ran away right after saying that..

 Chapter 520 - 520: That Could Be His Son (3)

    Chapter 520: That Could Be His Son (3)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Xie Yan was speechless.


    ¡°Junjun really cares about you, your highness. Every day when I return afterpleting your treatment, he asks me about your condition. It¡¯s just that after staying at the Third Prince¡¯s pce for so long, he feels rather nervous.¡± Zhao Chuchu helped Xie Jun exin his behavior.


    ¡°I told my father to let you guys go back first, but he didn¡¯t allow it. So I can¡¯t do anything about it. I¡¯m sorry that you guys have to remain at the Third Prince¡¯s pce.¡±


    ¡°Your residence is great. We don¡¯t have to worry about anything.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu knew very well that the Third Prince was doing this for Xie Heng and Xie Jun¡¯s safety.


    During the period leading up to the spring exams, it was better for Xie Heng to stay at the Third Prince¡¯s pce, as it could help them prevent unnecessary trouble.


    The appearance of Xie Jun must have drawn the attention of both the Great Prince and the Sikou n.


    If they stayed in their own home, there was no telling how much trouble they would encounter.


    Xie Jun didn¡¯t know any of this, but Zhao Chuchu knew.


    ¡°Come to think of it, Zizhao would return from the examination hall in about three days,¡± Xie Yan said. ¡°With his ability, bing an advanced schr should not be a problem.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not be too sure. What if the chief examiner didn¡¯t like his style of writing?


    No one knows if he might be eliminated.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t happen. There is more than one examiner. They will discuss more contentious answers. The decision isn¡¯t made by a single person.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great. Your Highness, your injuries have only just recovered. I think it¡¯s better for you not to get too much wind.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your reminder, Mrs. Xie.¡±


    ¡°I will take my leave first, your highness.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu bowed slightly, then turned and left. She avoided being with the Third Prince for too long lest strange rumors start spreading.


    That would be bad for everyone.


    Xie Yan looked at Zhao Chuchu¡¯s figure as she walked away and sighed slightly.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, your highness?¡± His servant heard him sigh and bent down to ask.


    Xie Yan said, ¡°Sometimes, I get very jealous of the rtionship between Xie Heng and Xie Jun. How nice would it be if my brothers and I could be like that?¡± The servant¡¯s expression turned a little awkwvard upon hearing that.


    He thought that Xie Yan might be interested in Zhao Chuchu. However, it seemed that he was overthinking.


    ¡°Your Highness, I think we shouldn¡¯t overthink this. The royal family is different from ordinary people.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Never mind, let¡¯s go back.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    The servants pushed Xie Yan¡¯s wheelchair to turn around and leave in another direction.


    Just then, a person stood up from the flower bed in the northeastern corner of the garden. No one knew how long he had been there.


    Just as he was about to leave, Zhao Chuchu, whom he had seen leaving just now, suddenly appeared in front of him. She asked, ¡°You¡¯ve been hiding here for quite a while. What are you trying to do?¡±


    The man almost jumped out of shock, but he felt a little less nervous when he saw that it was Zhao Chuchu. He said, ¡°Greetings, Mrs. Xie. I was just cking off here and identally fell asleep. Please don¡¯t tell the Third Prince about this.¡±


    He looked like an honest person, but not a word of truth was spoken from his mouth.


    ¡°cking off? I can tell if you fell asleep or not, and you don¡¯t look like you were asleep at all. Be honest. How long have you been here? What are you trying to do?¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, this is a misunderstanding. I didn¡¯t do anything.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re a stubborn one, huh? Alright,e with me. We¡¯re going to see the Third Prince.¡±


    As she spoke, Zhao Chuchu reached to grab his arm.


    Instantly, the man¡¯s eyes turned vicious and fierce. Then he started attacking


    Zhao Chuchu as he said fiercely, ¡°You little bitch, do you not want to stay alive?


    Why don¡¯t you just mind your own business?¡±


    He was confident that he could kill Zhao Chuchu with a single strike.


    But the next moment, his face was filled with fear.


    He realized that his body felt like it was getting frozen. His movements were gradually glowing down.


    Zhao Chuchu stared at him with an eerie smile on her face. ¡°You think I would dare to stay in a dangerous ce like the Third Prince¡¯s pce if I¡¯m not able to defend myself? You are the one who poisoned the water that day, right?¡±


    ¡°Are you human?¡± The man was drowning in fear, and his voice started trembling.


    ¡°Give it a guess.¡±


    ¡°You are not human!¡±


    ¡°You know that I¡¯m not human, yet you still attempt something like this. Who do you think you are? Tell me, who sent you here? You¡¯ve followed me around quite a lot over the past few days. You think I won¡¯t recognize you just because you changed your face?¡±


    Then Zhao Chuchu listed all the times this man had appeared.


    The man felt even more fearful after hearing that.


    He was pretty confident in his disguise techniques, and so far, no one had been able to see through his disguise. But now, it was as though he were transparent, and Zhao Chuchu saw straight through him. He had no secrets left.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°No one. I just don¡¯t like Xie Yan.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Don¡¯t try to make meugh. So you tried to kill the Third Prince just because you don¡¯t like him? Did he kill your entire family?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a personal matter. I don¡¯t need to exin it to you.¡± ¡°Great, that¡¯s fine. But, since you don¡¯t want to speak, I¡¯ll do it myself.¡± How difficult was it to make someone tell their secrets?


    The man thought that Zhao Chuchu was just trying to scare him.


    But when he experienced Zhao Chuchu¡¯s methods, he couldn¡¯t help but start to beg for mercy..

 Chapter 521 - 521: How Long Are You Planning To Hide This For? (1)

    Chapter 521: How Long Are You nning To Hide This For? (1)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    To describe it briefly, death would have been merciful.


    Who could have imagined that Zhao Chuchu, who had always looked so kind and gentle, would have such a terrifying side?


    The man spilled everything.


    Zhao Chuchu felt a little speechless.


    That¡¯s it?


    For a brief moment, she thought that he might actually be able to endure this and remain silent!


    It turned out that the Great Prince had sent him over.


    The Great Prince still hadn¡¯t given up.


    After extracting the information she needed, Zhao Chuchu made him faint, then sneaked past the sentries in the prince¡¯s pce and brought the man to Xie Yan.


    Xie Yan was absolutely befuddled.


    ¡°This man was eavesdropping on us the whole time in the courtyard just now. He had already admitted that the Great Prince had sent him. Your Highness, what do you n to do with him?¡± Zhao Chuchu got straight to the point.


    ¡°What is he trying to do? What does he want?¡± Xie Yan asked.


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°He was the one who tried to poison you a few days ago. His disguise technique is quite remarkable. No wonder you guys couldn¡¯t find him. He¡¯s still hiding inside the Third Prince¡¯s pce, probably because he¡¯s trying to find a chance to poison you again. Your Highness, there are a lot of people out there who hate you!¡±


    Xie Yan smiled helplessly and said, ¡°Yeah, all of them dream of wiping me off the face of the Earth. But, unfortunately, not a single one of them has seeded.¡±


    ¡°What do you n to do?¡±


    ¡°Just sit and watch. Mrs. Xie, thank you; you saved me again.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t consider that saving you. I¡¯m just trying to save myself. But if he had somehow seeded, my entire family and I would have been executed.¡±


    ¡°Regardless, you saved my life.¡±


    ¡°Never mind, let¡¯s not talk about that. Your Highness, do what you want with this man. I shall take my leave first.¡±


    ¡°Okay, goodbye, Mrs. Xie.¡±


    ¡°No need to send me off.¡¯


    Zhao Chuchu quietly left Xie Yan¡¯s room.


    Xie Yan looked at the man who was lying unconscious on the ground. He looked down for quite a while, then pped his hands briefly.


    A few secondster, a short and stout man appeared. He kneeled before him and asked, ¡°Sir, I¡¯m ready to take your orders.¡± ¡°Send this person to the Great Prince¡¯s residence.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    This is wonderful material for ckmailing the Great Prince. It would be a waste not to use it.


    The Great Prince had no opportunity to do anything to him right now. With this incident, he will definitely try to do something out of desperation. Xie Yan had no idea what the Great Prince might do.


    After all, this big brother of his never behaved ording tomon sense or logic.


    As for the Sikou n? They had been rather busy trying towork with potential advanced schrs attending the spring exams. They had no energy to collude with the Great Prince.


    This was what an alliance based onmon interests looked like. The bond is extremely weak and fragile.


    Xie Yan touched the wound on his chest. He didn¡¯t take three arrow shots for nothing. It would be a huge waste if he couldn¡¯t overthrow the Great Prince.


    The only rightful master of the Wei Dynasty was Xie Jun!


    Xie Yan was determined to eliminate everyone who could possibly threaten Xie


    Jun!


    The incident that happened to his mother and brother was undoubtedly connected to the women in the imperial harem.


    Xie Yan didn¡¯t feel any brotherly love toward those people. The harmony that he was showing was purely out of necessity.


    He would raise his de on him the moment he had a chance.


    He didn¡¯t believe that they were innocent. If not for them, why would those women in the imperial harem devise all those schemes? If they benefited from those vicious ns, then they didn¡¯t deserve to be innocent!


    Determination and ruthlessness shed across Xie Yan¡¯s eyes.


    The Conference Examination, which took ce over the course of nine days, finally ended.


    Zhao Chuchu received permission from Xie Yan to go to the entrance of the examination hall together with Xie Jun to wait for Xie Heng.


    Xie Heng looked calm andposedpared to the other candidates, who looked like they had messed up the exams and lost their souls in the process.


    His looks were way too outstanding. The moment he appeared at the entrance of the examination hall, Zhao Chuchu noticed him. She jumped and waved, ¡°Da Lang, here!¡±


    The other candidates turned and looked toward Zhao Chuchu when they heard her. There was something odd about their gaze.


    But Zhao Chuchu had no time to interact with them. The only person she saw was Xie Heng.


    Xie Heng finally smiled as he walked toward her briefly.


    ¡°Bro, the exams are finally over.¡± Xie Jun was thrilled to see Xie Heng. ¡°I¡¯ve been counting the days. These nine days felt so tough.¡±


    ¡°Bro, can I say what I want to eat?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll make it for you when we reach home.¡±


    ¡°A schr cooking? How shameful!¡± The moment Xie Heng said that, a candidate standing beside them scoffed, ¡°If you like the kitchen so much, why don¡¯t you just be a chef? Why bother studying?¡±


    Xie Heng frowned slightly.


    Zhao Chuchu sneered and said, ¡°Did your parents not teach you how to talk properly? Does any of this have anything to do with you? Why don¡¯t you mind your own business? Don¡¯t be a busybody, and watch that filthy mouth of yours!!¡±

 Chapter 522 - 522: How Long Are You Planning To Hide It For? (2)

    Chapter 522: How Long Are You nning To Hide It For? (2)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°You, you¡­ foolish woman, vulgar, repugnant, a shame on our culture¡­¡±


    ¡°Scram.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu felt repulsed by these so-called schrs who were so full of themselves. These clowns love to lecture people, yet they don¡¯t seem to be capable themselves.


    ¡°Also, schrs should learn to have some respect instead of eavesdropping on someone else¡¯s family conversation like this. You even barged into someone else¡¯s business and tried to reprimand other people? You are the one who is ruining the reputation of schrs. You are the one who is a shame to our culture! ¡±


    The candidate almost fell from anger.


    ¡°As for what my husband does, you have no right toment. Even if he cooks every day, he¡¯ll probably still score better than you.¡±


    ¡°You, you¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright, darling, we shouldn¡¯t waste our time on people like this. Let¡¯s go.¡± Xie Heng didn¡¯t even bother interacting with this person.


    This person clearly had no importance whatsoever and wasn¡¯t worth any additional attention.


    Only then did Zhao Chuchu stop.


    Before leaving, Xie Heng said, ¡°Even if I cook every day, you will still neverpare to me.¡±


    After saying that, Xie Heng held Zhao Chuchu and Xie Jun¡¯s hands and left.


    ¡°You, you¡­¡±


    The candidate pointed at Xie Heng and kept stomping his feet.


    The other candidates around them started murmuring, ¡°Who was that? Why was he so arrogant?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s an unfamiliar face. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen him before. Probably just a normal candidate? If he¡¯s as capable as he ims to be, he should have be famous in the Imperial City long ago, right?¡±


    ¡°Does he not know that our brother Xu here has a high chance of bing an advanced schr? How dare that guy speak to him like that? No wonder he can only work in the kitchen. When a man can¡¯t even judge the situation, how can he possibly be capable of anything significant?¡±


    ¡°Who knows? Let¡¯s wait until the results are released. I would like to see if he is as good as he ims to be and whether our brother Xu is really worse than him.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, we¡¯ll have a good show to watch that day.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be looking forward to it.¡±


    ¡°Is this Xu person really good? Why are all of them trying to suck up to him?¡± Although they were already quite far away, Zhao Chuchu could still hear the conversation happening in front of the examination hall entrance. So she couldn¡¯t help but ask Xie Heng about it.


    Xie Hengughed, saying, ¡°He¡¯s just a pretentious fellow who would do anything to get famous. Thosepositions that he ¡®wrote¡¯ were all stolen from other people.¡±


    ¡°What? He giarized those essays? Then why didn¡¯t the original author say anything or expose him?¡± Zhao Chuchu got angry, and she said, ¡°How can he be so proud of something that he stole? Does he think that he¡¯s capable of doing the same? How did he manage to pass the provincial exams?¡±


    ¡°Sometimes, we have to admit that luck is part of a person¡¯s ability when ites to the Imperial Examinations. For example, during the year that he took the Provincial Examination, he happened to have giarized aposition that could be used to answer the exam question, so he managed to pass.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    ¡°Oh my god, then what about the original author?¡±


    ¡°He was already a provincial graduate. What can the original author do? He did everything he could to suppress the original author. This person did manage to be an advanced schr in the end. He became a government official in a small county. After just three years in his position as a magistrate, he managed to amass thousands of taels of silver in illegitimate earnings. I was the one who ordered his execution.¡¯


    ¡°What about this time?¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t get the chance to. On the day that the results are released, he will be exposed, and his reputation will bepletely ruined.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great. Otherwise, I would be really mad. I can¡¯t believe someone like this can be sessful. How disgusting.¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s not talk about him. How¡¯s the Third Prince doing?¡±


    Xie Heng changed the topic. They were still on their way back home. Although the two of them spoke rather softly, Xie Jun was right beside them.


    ¡°He¡¯s much better now. He can even walk on his own now. I don¡¯t know if the emperor will allow us to leave the prince¡¯s pce, though. The prince¡¯s residence is big and spacious, but I still prefer our little home.¡± Zhao Chuchu sighed and said, ¡°l feel like I¡¯m going to be dumb from being locked inside there for so long. It took so much effort toe out here just once.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll ask the Third Prince about thister. But, since he has already recovered, I think the emperor will allow us to return home.¡±


    ¡°l hope so.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t know that the emperor had already seen Xie Jun.


    When the three of them returned to the prince¡¯s pce, Zhao Chuchu instantly felt that the atmosphere was a little odd.


    The security around the prince¡¯s pce had increased significantly. The emperor must havee.


    But other than the emperor¡¯s personal carriage, there were several other carriages from the royal pce.


    Who did the emperor bring to the Third Prince¡¯s residence?


    The three of them went forward to identify themselves. The guard captain examined them carefully before letting them enter.


    The eunuch, who had been following the emperor previously, was pacing around the courtyard anxiously. He seemed to be waiting for someone.


    When he saw Zhao Chuchu, Xie Heng, and Xie Jun, his face filled with joy. ¡°Mr. Xie, you¡¯re finally back.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Xie Heng asked. ¡°Did something happen to the Third Prince?¡±


    ¡°No, no, no, please,e with me.¡± The eunuch was very polite, but his gazended directly on Xie Jun¡¯s face.


    This was Xie Jun¡¯s first time seeing a eunuch. He quietly dodged the eunuch¡¯s gaze and tried to hide behind Xie Heng. However, the eunuch smiled fawningly, which made Xie Jun even more scared. He had heard the eunuchs all took in students.. Did this eunuch take a liking to him and want to get him to be a eunuch in the pce as well?

 Chapter 523 - 523: How Long Are You Planning To Hide It For? (3)

    Chapter 523: How Long Are You nning To Hide It For? (3)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Zhao Chuchu noticed the eunuch¡¯s actions as well. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder if the emperor had also found out about Junjun¡¯s true identity.


    Otherwise, why did he go to the Third Prince¡¯s pce and make such a big scene?


    He had brought even more people than when she saved Xie Yan¡¯s life.


    But the eunuch didn¡¯t say anything else. He simply led the way silently.


    Zhao Chuchu, Xie Heng, and Xie Jun were brought to the door of Xie Yan¡¯s study room.


    ¡°Please wait here for a moment. I will go in to report your arrival,¡± the eunuch said politely, then stepped forward and knocked on the door. ¡°Your majesty, the three of them have arrived.¡¯


    ¡°Let Xie Henge in,¡± said the emperor from inside the room.


    Xie Jun suddenly grabbed Xie Hengs hand. ¡°Bro.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t go inside. Is the emperor going to kill you?¡±


    Xie Heng rubbed Xie Jun¡¯s head and said, ¡°Wait here with Sis. I¡¯ll go inside first.¡¯


    ¡°Bro.¡± Xie Jun started to panic. He refused to let go.


    Zhao Chuchu bent down and whispered into Xie Jun¡¯s ears, ¡°If your brother doesn¡¯t go in right now, he¡¯s going to anger the emperor. That will be bad for all of us. Be good. It¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Xie Jun finally let go of Xie Hengs hand.


    Not only was he worried about Xie Hengs safety, but he was also worried that once Xie Heng entered the room, he wouldn¡¯t be able to live with him anymore. Instead, he would have to embrace his real identity.


    Xie Jun didn¡¯t like his real identity at all. Instead, he sincerely wished that he was just Xie Hengs brother.


    Throughout his stay at the prince¡¯s pce, he wasn¡¯t willing to meet Xie Yan. This wasn¡¯t because he disliked Xie Yan but because he didn¡¯t want to ept his real identity.


    But Xie Jun understood the situation. He had no right to decide whether he wanted this life or not.


    Everyone around him will be implicated if he chooses to give up his real identity.


    Xie Jun stared at Xie Hengs back until he entered the study room, and the closing door blocked off his view.


    ¡°Sis, am I going to¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah? Going to what?¡¯


    ¡°Nothing. ¡±


    Xie Jun shook his head and didn¡¯t say anything.


    Zhao Chuchu could roughly guess what Xie Jun was thinking about. She sighed softly, then patted his shoulders.


    Inside the study, the emperor sat behind the table and stared at Xie Heng.


    Xie Heng kneeled on the ground and did not move at all.


    After quite a while, the emperor started tapping his fingers on the table. Then, finally, he said, ¡°Xie Heng, is there anything that you would like to tell me?¡± ¡°Sorry for my foolishness. I don¡¯t quite understand what you mean.¡± ¡°How dare you speak to me like this? Do you have a death wish?¡±


    ¡°Your majesty, I don¡¯t dare make cavalier guesses about your intentions. Please, enlighten me.¡±


    Xie Heng kneeled on the ground. Although he looked nervous on the surface, he was actually more calm than the emperor himself.


    ¡°How long are you nning to hide this for?¡± Xie Heng remained silent.


    The emperor was about to explode from anger.


    Is Xie Heng an idiot? Does he not know how to continue the conversation and tell him everything about Xie Jun¡¯s real identity?


    Is it a good thing that he lost his son? Is Xie Heng trying to force him to say it out loud himself? He¡¯s an emperor. He has pride!


    He sent out his secret guards to investigate everything. Apparently, Xie Hengs parents had never left Yuanjiang County. On the other hand, the people who kidnapped his ninth son came from the north. No one knows how his ninth son ended up bing Xie Heng¡¯s little brother.


    But Xie Heng had lived in Lengshui Vige since he was born. Other than the county town where he went to study, he hadn¡¯t been anywhere else and had note into contact with any outsiders.


    No one in Lengshui Vige knew that Xie Heng and Xie Jun weren¡¯t real brothers.


    Xie Hengs ancestors had no connections to the royal family either.


    ¡°Xie Heng, do you refuse to admit it?¡± questioned the emperor coldly.


    Xie Heng said, ¡°I really don¡¯t know what you mean, your majesty. I wouldn¡¯t dare to hide anything from you.¡± ¡°Who are Xie Jun¡¯s parents?¡± asked the emperor. ¡°Do you not know?¡±


    ¡°Your majesty, Xie Jun is my brother.¡±


    ¡°Your real brother?¡±


    ¡°Yes.


    ¡°How dare you? Do you know who Xie Jun is?¡±


    Xie Heng raised his head in shock. ¡°Your majesty, is this a misunderstanding? I have been living with my brother since I was young. My parents have never said that Xie Jun isn¡¯t my real brother.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still trying to act dumb?¡±


    ¡°Your majesty, you can send people to Lengshui vige to investigate. I did not tell any lies.¡±


    Indeed, his parents said nothing.


    Xie Heng only knew about Xie Jun¡¯s real identity because he experienced his previous life and reincarnated.


    He wasn¡¯t lying.


    ¡°Xie Heng, do you think I¡¯m joking with you?¡±


    ¡°l wouldn¡¯t dare. Please, your majesty, investigate this matter thoroughly.¡±


    The emperor had been observing Xie Hengs expressions the whole time. He realized that Xie Hengs reactions were likely genuine.


    If that were the case, he would definitely not know about Xie Jun¡¯s real identity.


    Even Xie Yan wasn¡¯t entirely sure about this. All he said was that he felt strangely close to Xie Jun when he saw the boy; that¡¯s all.


    As for how Xie Heng met Zhao Chuchu, the emperor was quite aware of that story.


    The emperor asked again, ¡°Xie Heng, are you sure you don¡¯t know anything?¡± Xie Heng continued to insist. ¡®Yes, your majesty, I don¡¯t know anything.¡±


    ¡°Never mind.¡± The emperor sighed and said, ¡°That kid¡­ he is my poor ninth son..¡±

 Chapter 524 - 524: Is He Dumb? (1)

    Chapter 524: Is He Dumb? (1)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°Your, your, your majesty, could this be a mistake?¡± Xie Heng looked dismayed. He pretended to be in disbelief as he said, ¡°l grew up with my brother since I was young. I¡¯ve never heard our parents say that Junjun isn¡¯t their real son. There are a lot of people who look alike in his world. So this could be a misunderstanding.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a misunderstanding.¡±


    ¡°Your majesty, the royal bloodline has no room for errors. So please be cautious about this. I don¡¯t want my brother to be used by someone with malicious intent to defraud you, your majesty.¡±


    Xie Heng kneeled on the floor and lowered his head to the ground. He appeared to be adamant that this wasn¡¯t possible.


    Xie Heng didn¡¯t look like he was acting. His reaction wasn¡¯t one of joy when he learned about Xie Jun¡¯s real identity. Instead, he simply looked nervous and anxious. He clearly hoped that Xie Jun wasn¡¯t part of the royal family.


    It seemed that Xie Hengs love for Xie Jun wasn¡¯t an act.


    If someone else had learned that their brother was part of the royal family, they would¡¯ve been thrilled and started thinking about what they could get out of all this.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it good that Xie Jun is a prince?¡± asked the emperor.


    Xie Heng answered, ¡°My parents died a long time ago. He is my only family.


    This could all be a trap set up by someone trying to frame him and make him a criminal for trying to defile the royal bloodline. 1 cannot take responsibility for this, and I wouldn¡¯t be able to face my parents, who are watching me from above. I sincerely hope that you can investigate this thoroughly, your majesty.¡±


    ¡°Get up. I¡¯ve already done that. Your parents probably didn¡¯t tell you because they didn¡¯t want to get into trouble. Xie Heng, I know you¡¯ve cared for my ninth son for many years. I will remember what you¡¯ve done.¡±


    ¡°Please, your majesty, investigate this thoroughly. My brother is definitely not a prince.¡± Xie Heng continued to insist.


    The emperor felt rather speechless.


    Is this young man actually dumb?


    He heard that he¡¯s pretty intelligent. Why is he so stubborn when ites to this?


    Is it not a good thing that Xie Jun is a prince?


    Why is he so scared?


    The emperor couldn¡¯t help but wonder.


    But Xie Hengs reaction convinced the emperor that he genuinely cared for Xie Jun as a brother.


    Otherwise, the emperor would immediately execute Xie Heng, lest he try to use Xie Jun.


    After all, Xie Heng said that the two of them grew up together. As a result, their rtionship was stronger than most.


    ¡°Xie Heng, I order you to get up,¡± said the emperor. ¡°l have already investigated this thoroughly. Xie Jun is my ninth son who went missing years ago. He¡¯s not your brother.¡±


    Xie Heng stood up. He looked so upset and depressed, and the emperor couldn¡¯t spot any semnce of joy on his face.


    ¡°Why? Are you not happy that he¡¯s my son?¡±


    ¡°l wouldn¡¯t dare. I¡¯ve never imagined that something like this would happen.¡± ¡°Enough. You can leave now. 1 will reward youter.¡±


    ¡°No need for that, your majesty. I don¡¯t need any rewards. But if we find out that Junjun isn¡¯t a prince, I hope you will spare his life, your majesty. He is innocent.¡±


    The emperor was furious.


    Xie Heng kneeled down again.


    ¡°Never mind, stand aside and stop talking. I feel angry just looking at you.¡± The emperor shook his head and said, ¡°Tell Xie Jun toe in.¡±


    Xie Heng stood at the side, looking rather upset. It seemed like no one could do anything to cheer him up at that point.


    The eunuch went out and invited Xie Jun into the room.


    Xie Jun held Zhao Chuchu¡¯s hand and refused to let go.


    ¡°Please go inside. Don¡¯t keep the emperor waiting,¡± the eunuch said.


    ¡°Sis, can you go inside with me, please?¡± Xie Jun looked at Zhao Chuchu and said, ¡°I¡¯m scared. Brother didn¡¯te out. Something bad happened to him.¡± ¡°The emperor is inside. Nothings going to happen to him. So go in. I¡¯ll be waiting for you right here. Don¡¯t worry. The emperor won¡¯t eat you. He¡¯s quite kind, actually,¡± Zhao Chuchu said softly. ¡°If you don¡¯t go in now, the emperor might get angry, and your brother would be in a dangerous spot.¡±


    Xie Jun immediately let go of her hand and entered the room.


    Zhao Chuchu looked at Xie Jun¡¯s back. She was reluctant to let him go as well.


    No one could dislike a kid who was as obedient as Xie Jun.


    She was no different.


    After Xie Jun returned to his real family, it would probably be very difficult for her to see him again.


    The moment Xie Jun stepped into the room, the emperor stared at him without moving his eyes. The more he looked at Xie Jun, the more he felt like this boy resembled him.


    Xie Jun cautiously looked up to sneak a nce at the emperor. He happened to meet eyes with the emperor, which scared him and made him look back down. He kneeled and said, ¡°Your, your majesty, please let my brother go.¡±


    The emperor was speechless.


    He didn¡¯t do anything to Xie Heng. So vvhy was his son acting like he would kill Xie Heng?


    ¡°Get up first. I wasn¡¯t nning to do anything to him,¡± the emperor said helplessly. He felt somewhat guilty toward Xie Jun.


    The emperor walked out from behind the table and came to Xie Jun.


    He reached out and rubbed Xie Jun¡¯s head as he said, ¡°My ninth son, I¡¯m sorry for what you¡¯ve been through all these years.¡±


    ¡°Your majesty.¡± Xie Jun kneeled down and said, ¡°This must be a mistake.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a mistake. You are the real ninth prince. Do you know how much you resemble your third brother when he was young? The moment I saw you, I knew that you were my son. Are you ming me for not taking care of you back then?¡±


    Xie Jun didn¡¯t dare to say anything.


    Although he already knew about this, when this day really came, Xie Jun didn¡¯t want to believe that it was real.


    He preferred to live with his bro and sis. He preferred to be by their side, waiting for his sis to give birth to a little nephew for him.


    The royal family¡­ he had never thought about a life like this.


    Xie Jun¡¯s silence made the emperor think that he was scared.


    ¡°Xie Heng, go outside first. There¡¯s something that I want to talk to him about.¡¯


    ¡°Yes, your majesty.¡±


    Xie Heng looked at Xie Jun worriedly, then left the room. He looked very helpless.


    The emperor¡¯s mother, who was sitting behind the screen, walked out.


    When she saw Xie Jun, her eyes started to turn red. ¡°This is definitely your ninth son. He looks exactly like Yanyan when he was young. Thank God we finally found him. Good boy, please stand up. We are all your family; don¡¯t be scared.¡¯


    Xie Jun nced at the emperor¡¯s mother and immediately retracted his gaze. His cautious behavior made the emperor¡¯s mother feel very sympathetic, which prompted her to pull Xie Jun into her embrace as she started crying. Xie Jun¡¯s body tensed uppletely. Then, a whileter, he tried to pat her back and said, ¡°Please, please don¡¯t cry. I¡¯m not good at consoling old people.¡±


    The emperor¡¯s motherughed.


    It¡¯s been a while since she¡¯s seen a child who was so pure and innocent.


    Every one of her grandsons tried their best to say whatever she liked to hear.


    No one was nearly as genuine as Xie Jun.


    ¡°Good boy, there¡¯s no need to be scared. He is your father, and I am your grandmother. We will protect you so you don¡¯t have to suffer in poverty and live such a treacherous life.¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯m not living a treacherous life. My brother cares a lot about me. Other than the illness previously, I¡¯ve never suffered from anything. My brother would rather starve than let me go hungry. You don¡¯t know this, but he is the best brother in the world.¡¯


    Xie Jun tried to speak out for Xie Heng softly.


    Of course, the emperor¡¯s mother knew why Xie Jun was ill.


    It was the same as Xie Yan. They were born with poison in their blood.


    It¡¯s just that Xie Jun was a lot luckier than Xie Yan. He had met Zhao Chuchu, who managed to neutralize the poison.


    But Xie Yan¡­ The emperor¡¯s mother couldn¡¯t help but feel heavy about this.


    This was all the emperor¡¯s fault. But the emperor is her son. So how could she me him for it?


    All she could do was find out who poisoned their mother and punish him to seek revenge for Xie Yan and Xie Jun..

 Chapter 525 - 525: Kidnapped in Broad Daylight (1)

    Chapter 525: Kidnapped in Broad Daylight (1)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°Junjun, from today onward, you will be the ninth prince of the Wei Dynasty. Whatever happened in the past stays in the past. We should look forward to the future. Both your father and I will look after you and take care of you,¡± said the emperor¡¯s mother as she rubbed Xie Jun¡¯s head.


    Xie Jun nervously looked up and asked her, ¡°What about my brother? Will I still be able to see him in the future? He had been really good to me all this time. He even told me to study so that I can be wise even if I don¡¯t be a government official.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all? What else did he say to you?¡±


    ¡°No, my brother said that as long as I am happy, I can do whatever I want, but 1 cannot do anything against thew. I should be a good person.¡±


    The emperor¡¯s mother thought about what he said.


    She and the emperor suspected that the Xie n knew about Xie Jun¡¯s true identity. So they purposely adopted Xie Jun to use him to their advantage.


    But right now, Xie Jun appeared to be too pure and innocent. Even if the Xie n was once very poor, they did not let Xie Jun live through any sort of hardship. Based on his reaction, Xie Heng also didn¡¯t seem like he knew about this.


    Perhaps this was all a big coincidence.


    If they really decided to execute Xie Heng because of this, it would probably cause Xie Jun to turn against them. So it was not worth it.


    Upon thinking about that, the emperor¡¯s mother promised Xie Jun, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, no one will be able to harm Xie Heng. On the contrary, we need to thank the Xie n. If not for them, we probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to find you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so I can still see them in the future?¡±


    ¡°Of course, he is your brother as well.¡±


    The emperor frowned upon hearing that, but his mother shook her head at him.


    He didn¡¯t say anything.


    Xie Heng and Zhao Chuchu were invited out of the study room.


    Xie Yan was brought over instead.


    ¡°Yanyan, this is your ninth brother,¡± the emperor said to Xie Yan happily. ¡°1 have finally found him.¡±


    ¡°Congrattions, Father; you finally found him.¡± Xie Yan was d as well. His brother could finally stand in front of everyone in broad daylight.


    From today on, no one would dare bully him.


    ¡°Junjun, I didn¡¯t expect that you were really my brother. From now onward, Third Brother will be with you, and I will protect you as your brother Xie Heng did.¡¯


    ¡°Thank you, Third Brother.¡±


    Xie Jun was still very nervous about all that had happened.


    He knew full well that this was his life from today onward. His happy days with Xie Heng and Zhao Chuchu were a thing of the past that will never return now.


    But if he doesn¡¯t return to the royal family, many people will be implicated. Xie Jun couldn¡¯t bear seeing innocent people die because of him.


    The emperor and his mother asked many questions about Xie Jun, and Xie Jun answered all of them.


    Upon hearing that Xie Heng had stayed up all night to care for him when he was sick, the emperor¡¯s mother was really touched.


    This wouldn¡¯t have happened in the royal family.


    If Xie Heng were simply using Xie Jun, he wouldn¡¯t need to care for him like this. Instead, he would have sent Xie Jun back long ago to reap greater benefits. But he did not do that.


    The emperor¡¯s mother couldn¡¯t help but think that Xie Jun was actually rather lucky to have grown up outside of the pce. At the very least, he had a taste of what true brotherhood felt like.


    Look at Xie Yan and his brothers. While they recognized and respected each other as brothers on the surface, they were all trying their best to kill each other in secret.


    Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng stayed at the Third Prince¡¯s residence until the evening before they were allowed to leave.


    Zhao Chuchu took a deep breath. ¡°All these people from the royal family are delusional, right? All they do every day ise up with schemes and conspiracies. How tiring. Do you think Junjun can get used to a life like this after returning to the royal family?¡±


    ¡°He has to get used to it. Besides, the Third Prince is protecting him, so things will go smoothly for him. He will only leave the royal pce and have his own pce when he turns 14,¡± Xie Heng said softly. ¡°The way Junjun looked at me when he entered the room, I felt so bad.¡¯


    ¡°We¡¯ve been together for so many years, yet now we have to part so suddenly.


    How am I supposed to feel at ease? I watched him grow up.¡±


    ¡°But you can still see him, right?¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, it¡¯s different.¡¯


    The emperor definitely wouldn¡¯t want them to be too close. He might even try to distance them and make them turn against each other.


    Xie Heng had faith that Xie Jun wouldn¡¯t be instigated so easily. No one could shake Xie Jun¡¯s trust in him.


    But things were different from his previous life.


    ¡°But I feel it¡¯s the same. Junjun believes in you, so he chooses to go back. But, Da Lang, you can¡¯t insist on dealing with everything your way just because you can judge the situation calmly. Junjun is only a kid. But the way he turns out to be in the future depends on your attitude.¡±


    Xie Heng was startled for a moment. He suddenlyughed, then said, ¡°You¡¯re right. I am overthinking this, and it¡¯s making things worse.¡±


    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s a good thing that Junjun has returned to his real family. Let¡¯s go. We should go home and have a good meal. Now we just wait for the results of the Conference Examination to be released.¡± Zhao Chuchu held Xie Hengs hand and walked toward the wet market.


    Eating is the most important thing in the whole wide world.


    Xie Heng allowed Zhao Chuchu to drag him along. He wished that time would move slower.


    In this era, very few couples were as open as them. Regardless of how much a couple loved each other, they wouldn¡¯t disy their affection in such an overt manner outside.


    Xie Heng and Zhao Chuchu instantly became the center of attention.


    Many people pointed at them andughed.


    Zhao Chuchu turned and asked Xie Heng, ¡°Mr. Xie, what do you think about so many peopleughing at you?¡±


    ¡°Laugh or scold; I¡¯ll live my life my way.¡± Xie Heng was ratherposed as he answered. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with husband and wife being affectionate? Chuchu, are you embarrassed?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, you think 1 will be embarrassed?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was extremely ustomed to this.


    Regardless of what people said, it did not affect her.


    Besides, they were officially husband and wife. It wasn¡¯t some sort of underground rtionship.


    By the time the two of them reached the wet market, a crowd was watching them.


    Especially since Xie Heng was dressed as an academic, the merchants anddies at the wet market were all astonished.


    Even someone like Xie Heng couldn¡¯t stand their passionate invitations. So, in the end, he ran away.


    Zhao Chuchu pped herp andughed out loud.


    She bet that grand secretary Xie didn¡¯t imagine that he would be defeated by a bunch of women one day.


    ¡°Youngdy, did your husband just run away?¡±


    ¡°He was definitely embarrassed. He¡¯s handsome. Aren¡¯t you afraid that someone else would steal him from you?¡±


    ¡°l heard that some rich people would pick schrs who looked good. Youngdy, you should be careful not to let others steal your husband.¡±


    All the merchants in the wet market were joking with Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°That won¡¯t happen. My husband only wants me, and he won¡¯t even look at other people. If anyone dares to snatch him from me, I will snatch him back.¡±


    ¡°But this is the Imperial City.¡±


    ¡°If someone dares to snatch my husband in the Imperial City, why should I be scared of snatching him back?¡±


    ¡°Haha, what an interesting youngdy! Here are your groceries. Cook them as


    1 told you just now. I promise it¡¯s going to be good.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, ma¡¯am!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu carried the groceries and went to look for Xie Heng. She felt that some sort of deity might have blessed the mouths of thosedies!


    Xie Heng was actually being kidnapped!


    Zhao Chuchu watched as Xie Heng was pushed into a horse carriage. The horse carriage then rode away.


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    This was quite new for her. Did someone just try to snatch her husband from her?


    Zhao Chuchu quickly walked over. She heard the people there chattering.


    ¡°Princess Jianan is kidnapping people from the street again?¡±


    ¡°This is the third one this month, right?¡±


    ¡°That man is so handsome. Can he run away after Princess Jianan has her eyes on him?¡±


    ¡°How many toy boys does Princess Jianan already have?¡±

 Chapter 526 - 526: Stupid? This Is Called Fun (1)

    Chapter 526: Stupid? This Is Called Fun (1)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Zhao Chuchu listened to the people around her chatter. For a brief moment, she wasn¡¯t sure how to react.


    Xie Heng had told her about Princess Jianan before, a magical person in her own right.


    Princess Jianan belonged to the same generation as the emperor, but she was still very young¡ªonly 26 years old this year. Her husband had died early on, and she did not remarry afterward.


    Many schrs were critical of Princess Jianan.


    But Zhao Chuchu felt that none of this had anything to do with them.


    If Princess Jianan were interested in them, they would probably run over faster than anyone else!


    There was a reason for Princess Jianan to behave so ridiculously.


    All the men that she kidnapped were people whom Sikou Zhendong wanted to win over.


    But Princess Jianan didn¡¯t want her intentions to be too obvious, so all the people she kidnapped were good-looking and had decent character.


    It was rare for Xie Heng tomend anyone, and Princess Jianan was one of them.


    This seemingly absurd princess was actually very talented at leading an army and fighting wars. She had been covering up her illness for a very long time until she got hurt on the battlefield and did not survive.


    As Xie Hengs ¡°wife,¡± Zhao Chuchu had no choice but to head to the princess¡¯s pce.


    ¡°Who are you looking for?¡± The doorkeeper at the princess¡¯s pce red at Zhao Chuchu and said, ¡°Do you know what this ce is? Who gave you the right toe here?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I saw my husband being kidnapped by the princess. So I came here to look for him,¡¯ Zhao Chuchu said calmly. ¡°Are you going to stop me?¡±


    ¡°Nonsense! What are you talking about? The princess kidnapped your husband?¡±


    ¡°Yes, 1 saw it with my own eyes. Quite a few citizens saw it as well. If the princess doesn¡¯t release my husband, I would have no choice but to ask the Third Prince for help.¡±


    The news of Xie Jun¡¯s return to the royal family had not yet been announced to the world. But everyone knew how much the emperor liked Xie Yan.


    The doorkeeper stared at Zhao Chuchu doubtfully, then said, ¡°Do you know that using the Third Prince¡¯s name without permission is a crime punishable by death?¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, 1 would have no choice but to head to the Third Prince¡¯s pce first. I believe the Third Prince wouldn¡¯t turn against me for such a small matter,¡± Zhao Chuchu said. ¡°My husband and the Third Prince are quite close, so I think he¡¯ll be willing to help me.¡±


    ¡°Who is your husband?¡±


    The doorkeeper knew full well that Xie Yan didn¡¯t have many friends in the Imperial City. Yet Zhao Chuchu dared to mention his name so casually. Could they really be friends?


    ¡°Xie Heng? So you¡¯re Zhao Chuchu?¡±


    ¡°Yes.


    The doorkeeper felt cold sweat seep from his back, and his attitude immediately became much more respectful as he said, ¡°Mrs. Xie, please wait here for a moment. Let me report your arrival.¡±


    ¡°Hurry up.¡±


    ¡°Yes, madam.¡¯


    The doorkeeper hurriedly ran inside.


    Zhao Chuchu was the doctor who saved the Third Prince¡¯s life. If their princess really kidnapped Xie Heng, the Third Prince would definitely stand up for the Xie n. It wouldn¡¯t be worth it if they fell out with the Third Prince over this.


    Meanwhile, Princess Jianan teased Xie Heng, ¡°Mister, you look like you just walked out of a painting. What a rare sight to behold! You can stay in my pce from today on. I promise I will patronize you and only you.¡±


    ¡°l have everything here in the pce. You won¡¯t need to show yourself out there ever again. Whatever you want to do, just tell me. I will give you everything that you could possibly want.¡±


    Xie Heng was speechless.


    Princess Jianan said the exact same thing that she said in his previous life. Even her expression and the way she sat were the same.


    ¡°Thank you for your appreciation, princess, but I am already married,¡± Xie Heng said calmly. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else that you would like from me, excuse me, as I will take my leave now. Otherwise, my wife will be worried.¡±


    ¡°Divorce your little wife and be by my side. 1 can give you ten times whatever she¡¯s capable of providing.¡±


    ¡°My heart is with her. You can¡¯t give me that.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you actually stupid? Or are you just pretending to be? You look like a schr. Don¡¯t you know that you would be able to get much better teachers in the princess¡¯s pce? What¡¯s the use of staying with your little wife? As a man, your ambition should be out there in the world.¡±


    ¡°Your highness, I have alreadypleted the Conference Examination.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t look like you did. Lying won¡¯t work on me. If I find out that you¡¯re lying, things will get ugly for you.¡±


    ¡°Of course not. The Conference Examination cannot be joked about. Unfortunately, my wife doesn¡¯t have a good temper, so please allow me to leave.¡¯


    ¡°Stay with me. I will guarantee your career. I promise that you will be sessful in the royal courts. Don¡¯t you want to live a life of power, wealth, and luxury?¡±


    Xie Heng said, I will work toward those things, so there¡¯s no need to trouble you for that, your highness.¡±


    Princess Jianan took a good look at him. Although his wife was a good doctor, this is the Imperial City.


    Sikou Zhendong had his eyes on him a long time ago. He was just waiting for a chance to set up a trap and capture Xie Heng. Why is this man so confident that he can protect his wife?


    Although Xie Yan was helping him, what could he do with his current condition?


    Tsk. Xie Heng didn¡¯t look like a stupid person. Why was he so stubborn?


    ¡°Princess, ady outside ims to be Xie Hengs wife. She¡¯s asking to meet you. She said she came to look for someone,¡± reported a servant upon entering.


    ¡°Looking for you?¡± asked the princess, looking toward Xie Heng. Xie Heng smiled and said, ¡°Yes, I think that¡¯s my wife, Zhao Chuchu.¡±


    Princess Jianan suddenly attacked and swept Xie Heng off his feet. ¡°Mr. Xie, you look so pretty. Why don¡¯t we test your little wife?¡±


    Xie Heng looked at Princess Jianan angrily. ¡°Princess, what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Just a little trick, so we can put on a good showter,¡± Princess Jianan smiled and said. ¡°Let¡¯s see how much your little wife trusts you. Is she worth giving up all the resources that you can get at the princess¡¯s pce?¡±


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t do anything stupid.¡±


    ¡°Why would this be stupid? We¡¯re just having fun. Come, call Mrs. Xie in.¡±


    After that, Princess Jianan ordered her men to hide Xie Heng behind the screen. There was a huge bathtub there.


    Princess Jianan told one of her maids to sit inside the bathtub filled with warm water with her clothes on. She then put Xie Heng beside the bathtub. It looked as if they were having a bath together from behind the screen.


    Princess Jianan sat aside and waited for Zhao Chuchu to enter.


    Xie Heng looked really angry, as though he were silently condemning the princess.


    Princess Jianan simply sat there, happily eating the dried fruits her maid passed her.


    The moment Zhao Chuchu entered the room, she noticed that the atmosphere was a little odd.


    She looked around and immediately noticed what was happening behind the screen. She smiled for a brief moment but immediately hid her expression.


    ¡°Da Lang, are you here?¡± Zhao Chuchu pretended to be unaware. She walked straight forward. When she got close to the screen, she ¡°slipped¡± and fell, taking the screen down with her.


    Princess Jianan wasn¡¯t sure what to say.


    To be honest, being exposed like this was a little awkward.


    Zhao Chuchu ¡°frantically¡± stood up and apologized, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, I didn¡¯t know that¡­ Hey, Da Lang? Why are you sitting there? Are you peeking at her taking a bath? How can you be so shameless?!¡±


    Zhao Chuchu got ¡°angry.¡± She dashed over and started reprimanding Xie Heng as she pulled on his ear.


    Princess Jianan didn¡¯t think that this would happen.


    Zhao Chuchu looked so small and adorable. How could she be so ferocious?


    Xie Heng was just a schr. There was no way she could withstand such torture!


    Princess Jianan felt pain just looking at Xie Heng.


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, this is a misunderstanding.¡± Princess Jianan had no choice but to help Xie Heng. She said, ¡°l was just joking with the two of you. Mr. Xie didn¡¯t do anything..¡±

 Chapter 527 - 527: Of Course I’d Find Someone That Pleases My Eyes

    Chapter 527: Of Course I¡¯d Find Someone That Pleases My Eyes


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°I saw it all!¡± Zhao Chuchu said angrily. ¡°Who knows what else he did before I arrived? Princess, don¡¯t try to exonerate him!¡±


    Princess Jianan was speechless.


    Xie Heng really didn¡¯t do anything!


    She had no bad intentions. She simply wanted to see what kind of person Xie Heng really was.


    Princess Jianan patiently exined the whole thing to Zhao Chuchu. Only then did Zhao Chuchu believe her and let go of Xie Heng.


    Xie Hengs ears were saved.


    Princess Jianan told all her servants to leave the room. Then she looked at Zhao Chuchu and said, ¡°l didn¡¯t know that you were such a ferociousdy. Did


    Mr. Xie get his eyes ravaged like this every day at home?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°Not really. This is the first time. I did it because I was really angry.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Princess Jianan nodded and said, ¡°l heard that you¡¯re an excellent doctor. You saved Yanyan¡¯s life, right?¡±


    ¡°l just got lucky. The imperial physicians were there before me.¡±


    ¡°Hmph. Those useless idiots at the Imperial Physician Academy know nothing other than infighting tactics. They aren¡¯t even worthy of being your servant! ¡± Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t know how to respond.


    That was true, but princess, aren¡¯t you afraid that the imperial physicians might hear you and try to cause trouble?


    ¡°Never mind, let¡¯s not talk about that. Mrs. Xie, you¡¯ve been in the Imperial


    City for several months. How¡¯s life here?¡±


    ¡°Princess, how did you know¡­¡±


    ¡°l could never miss out on a gorgeous gentleman. How could I notice Mr. Xie when he has such mesmerizing looks? But, unfortunately, he¡¯s already married. How about you guys get divorced? I¡¯ll give you a mansion and so much money that you wouldn¡¯t be able to spend it all.¡±


    Xie Heng took a deep breath and told himself to calm down.


    Zhao Chuchu rejected her. ¡°No amount of money can rece my Da Lang. I don¡¯t need money, and I won¡¯t get divorced from Da Lang for money.¡± ¡°But what if Mr. Xie wants to divorce you¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible. I have only one partner in my entire life, and that is


    Chuchu. So, princess, such jokes aren¡¯t funny. Please stop telling them.¡±


    Otherwise, even if Princess Jianan were an honorable hero in her previous life, she wouldn¡¯t mind doing something to make her feel a bit of pain.


    ¡°Mr. Xie, I admire your love for your wife.¡±


    ¡°When I was blind, my wife took care of me. 1 will never leave her.¡± Xie Heng confessed his love for Zhao Chuchu in a calm voice.


    Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t help but grin.


    Princess Jianan felt like someone had just stuffed something in her mouth and forced her to swallow it.


    ¡°Okay, enough with that. Let¡¯s talk business. Did the two of youe from the Third Prince¡¯s pce today? 1 heard that both the emperor and his mother were there. Why did your brother Xie Jun stay in the Third Prince¡¯s pce?¡± Princess Jianan¡¯s expression became serious as she asked.


    Zhao Chuchu asked, ¡°Have you been following us?¡±


    ¡°Do I need to do that? The three of you entered the Third Prince¡¯s pce from the front door. Quite a lot of people saw you,¡± Princess Jianan said. ¡°Is Xie Jun somehow rted to Yanyan?¡±


    ¡°Since you already know so much, I¡¯m sure you have an answer for yourself. We wouldn¡¯t dare specte on what the emperor wants to do,¡± Zhao Chuchu answered.


    Princess Jianan went silent as if she were deep in thought.


    ¡°Your highness, if there¡¯s nothing else that you need from us, could you allow us to return home first? We had already bought groceries and were just about to go home to cook ourselves a meal. But you interrupted¡­¡±


    ¡°Then stay here and eat with me!¡± Princess Jianan decided. ¡°Mr. Xie, there are some personal things that I would like to talk to Mrs. Xie about. So please leave the room first.¡¯


    Xie Heng looked at Zhao Chuchu. He only left the room after Zhao Chuchu nodded.


    Princess Jiananughed and said, ¡°Is Mr. Xie afraid that I might eat you alive?¡±


    ¡°l wouldn¡¯t dare.¡¯


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. Your expression tells me everything. Leave.¡±


    ¡°Yes.


    After Xie Heng left, Princess Jianan turned around and looked at Zhao Chuchu as she said, ¡°You are really pretty, certainly not any worse than the daughters of the rich and powerful ns in the Imperial City. No wonder Mr. Xie is so fond of you. But, Mrs. Xie, the Imperial City isn¡¯t Guangqing Province. Many people would be interested in someone like Mr. Xie.¡±


    ¡°What are you trying to say, princess? You can just tell me directly.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I like smart people like you. Do you know the duke? Sikou Zhendong is nning to marry one of his daughters to Mr. Xie. So you should be careful about this.¡¯


    ¡°Da Lang and 1 are already married. Perhaps this is a misunderstanding?¡± Zhao Chuchu seemed to be in disbelief.


    ¡°So what if you are married? Mr. Xie has too much value for Sikou Zhendong. From this perspective, it would be too easy to get rid of a little girl like you who came from nowhere and knows no one. You should be careful. While the Imperial City seems lively and prosperous, there are traps everywhere. One wrong step could mean eternal damnation.¡±


    ¡°Princess, why are you telling me all this?¡±


    ¡°l don¡¯t like the duke. I don¡¯t want things to go smoothly for him. Is that a good enough reason?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re doing this for the Third Prince, right?¡±


    ¡°Nonsense. Yanyan calls me auntie, but he doesn¡¯t need me to worry about his business.¡¯


    ¡°Then should 1?¡±


    ¡°Seriously? Are you asking me? You did some pretty impressive things in Guangqing province back then, didn¡¯t you? So why are you admitting defeat here in Imperial City? Are you pretending to be weak?¡± Princess Jianan exposed Zhao Chuchu without hesitation.


    Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    Princess Jianan waved her hand and said, ¡°Enough, there¡¯s no need to put up a facade in front of me. After you guys arrived at the Imperial City, I sent some people to Guangqing Province to investigate. I know what you did there. To be honest, Mrs. Xie, I like you quite a lot. I invited your husband here mainly because I wanted to meet you. Hmm, just like I imagined, you are gorgeous.¡±


    ¡°Princess, are you fond of gorgeous women?¡±


    ¡°Who doesn¡¯t like gorgeous things? It¡¯s just that I¡¯m blessed with more opportunities to choose than most other people. Look at the boys that I have in my pce. None of them are ugly. I know they won¡¯t apany me for life, so why not find someone who pleases my eyes?¡±


    ¡°Princess, you are one of the most genuine people I¡¯ve met. But I believe you are not keeping those men just for pleasure, right?¡±


    ¡°Oh, why do you say that? Toy boys are for pleasure. Why else would I have them? Charity?¡±


    ¡°Probably thetter.¡±


    When Zhao Chuchu entered the room and saw Princess Jianan, she could tell that the princess was still a virgin. But, unlike the rumors, she didn¡¯t have ¡°chaotic rtionships.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu also noticed that the golden hairpin that she had been wearing was rather old. Someone of her status shouldn¡¯t be wearing old ornaments like that. It must have been a gift from someone important, so she wore it every day.


    Who else could it be besides her husband, who passed away years ago?


    ¡°That¡¯s not true. I¡¯ve kidnapped quite a number of men. The entire Imperial City scorns me for it. Oh, I even kidnapped Mr. Xie today. Those schrs will have yet another reason to condemn me tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Their mouths belong to them, so they can say whatever they want. Although people say that words are the most poisonous, hurtful des in the world, if our minds are strong enough, we will be invincible in the face of rumors and gossip.¡±


    Princess Jianan took a good look at Zhao Chuchu.. Then, after quite a while, she sighed and said, ¡°That¡¯s easy to say, but how can it be easy to do?¡±

 Chapter 528 - 528: I Like You

    Chapter 528: I Like You


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°You¡¯ve already done it, haven¡¯t you?¡± Zhao Chuchu smiled and said. ¡°I think no other woman in the Imperial City is stronger than you, princess.¡±


    ¡°Why are youplimenting me like this¡­ Can I assume that you¡¯re trying to get something from me?¡± Princess Jianan asked. ¡°Tell me, what do you need from me?¡±


    ¡°l would like to take your pulse. Is that alright?¡± asked Zhao Chuchu, looking at Princess Jianan.


    After hearing about what happened to Princess Jianan in her previous life, Zhao Chuchu wanted to help her. A woman like her deserves respect. Not to mention that Zhao Chuchu was a military doctor in her previous life. Princess Jianan frowned and said, ¡°Mrs. Xie, I wasn¡¯t joking.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t joking either. Unfortunately. health and diseases aren¡¯t trivial matters. Sometimes, people lose their lives just because of dyed treatment. However, I feel that you are a good person, so I want to do this for you.¡±


    ¡°l am a good person?¡±


    Princess Jianan covered her mouth andughed.


    ¡°Mrs. Xie, you are the first person to say that to me. In the mouths of all the citizens in the Imperial City, 1 am an evil, wicked witch of a widow.¡±


    ¡°Princess, don¡¯t you want to escape the torment of your illness?¡±


    Princess Jianan¡¯s healthyplexion was built on top of her thick makeup.


    While she looked rather full-bodied, much of it was unhealthy weight. Princess Jianan was actually not in good health.


    Princess Jianan remained silent this time. She simply stared at Zhao Chuchu for quite a while.


    Zhao Chuchu looked back at her and had no intention of backing down.


    A whileter, Princess Jianan asked, ¡°When did you start to investigate me? How did you know about this?¡±


    ¡°Princess, I¡¯m a doctor. There¡¯s no need to investigate anything. I just need to look at you to know if you¡¯re sick.¡±


    ¡°Really? Is it that magical? Then tell me, what am I sick with?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu thought for a while, then walked over and whispered into her ear, ¡°It¡¯s a woman¡¯s disease.¡¯


    Princess Jianan was shocked.


    No one else knew about her illness besides her closest personal maid. However, she was very sure that her lead maid wouldn¡¯t betray her.


    ¡°Princess, some illnesses are very difficult to tell male doctors about. But I am also a woman, so allow me to talk about it directly.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu listed all of Princess Jianan¡¯s symptoms.


    Princess Jianan was dismayed. Zhao Chuchu was absolutely right!


    ¡°You can cure me?¡±


    ¡°Okay, I will believe you once. If you can really cure me, I promise to reward you generously, and I will remember what you¡¯ve done for me.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. Princess, please give me your hand so I can make a better diagnosis.¡±


    Princess Jianan sat down and signaled Zhao Chuchu to sit down as well.


    Zhao Chuchu held her wrist and felt the princess¡¯s pulse carefully. She confirmed that her judgment was correct.


    ¡°Princess, your condition is still not very serious. You just need to use and eat medication regrly, and you should be able to recover quite soon,¡± Zhao


    Chuchu said to Princess Jianan.


    Princess Jianan looked at her and said, ¡°Mrs. Xie, I will take your word for it. However, I won¡¯t hold back if you dare to scam me. You should know that with my position, I can easily make life a nightmare for you and your husband.¡± Zhao Chuchuughed and said, ¡°You won¡¯t get a chance to do that.¡±


    Princess Jiananughed as well. ¡°l like you. You are so much more interesting than those wealthy girls. Is it okay if I call you Chuchu?¡±


    ¡°Sure thing, if you prefer that.¡±


    ¡°When are you going to start treating my illness?¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow. I need to go back and make some medicine for external use. After


    I¡¯m done, I will bring them over to your pce.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t go anywhere tomorrow except wait here for you.¡±


    No wonder she dared to enter the battlefield in Xie Hengs past life. Princess Jianan was very direct and would say whatever was on her mind. Combined with her intentionally odd behavior, it¡¯s no wonder people kept smearing her.


    Although this was the first time that Zhao Chuchu had met Princess Jianan, she knew that thisdy would be her first friend in the Imperial City.


    Princess Jianan didn¡¯t insist on Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng staying in the pce to eat with her. Instead, she ordered her men to send them back home in a carriage.


    ¡°She told you to cure her illness?¡± Xie Heng asked after returning home.


    Zhao Chuchu shook her head and said, ¡°No, I offered to do it. She¡¯s an interesting woman. She is worth befriending.¡±


    ¡°But the disrespectful way she talks¡­ doesn¡¯t that make you angry?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu hugged Xie Hengs waist upon hearing that. She realized that Xie Heng had grown taller again!


    She looked up at Xie Heng and said, ¡°Da Lang, she means well. Can we not get mad at her for that? But whatever happens, 1 will always believe you. She probably just wanted to y a prank on us to see if our rtionship was really so strong.¡±


    Xie Heng looked at her and asked, ¡®You¡¯re not angry at all?¡±


    ¡°To be honest, a little. But I could sense that she had no bad intentions. She was just joking with us. That¡¯s why I was no longer mad.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m mad. Then what?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu tiptoed and kissed him on the lips. ¡®Are you feeling less angry now?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t feel angry anymore.¡±


    After saying that, Xie Heng lowered his head and upied her supple lips. His long, passionate kisses expressed his strong feelings for Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu felt like all the strength in her body was slipping away. She had to lean against him in order to remain standing. For a moment, it felt like they were the only two people in the world.


    The next day.


    Zhao Chuchu woke up early and started to make Princess Jianan¡¯s medicine.


    Last night, Xie Hengs kisses made her legs turn into jelly. After dinner, they talked about other stuff and didn¡¯t have time to make the medicine.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with youter,¡± Xie Heng said as he helped her with the medicine.


    ¡°What¡¯s this for?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu nced at him.


    Xie Heng immediately changed the topic.


    ¡°During today¡¯s morning meeting, the emperor would probably announce Junjun¡¯s presence. After that, he¡¯ll probably bring Junjun to pay respects to their ancestors. It would probably be quite difficult for us to meet Junjun in the future.¡¯


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that make us enemies with a lot of people?¡¯


    ¡°Are you afraid?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid. I¡¯m just worried about the Third Prince. After all this, will we still be able to survive until the day the Junjun grows up?¡±


    Xie Heng went silent upon hearing that.


    ¡°Da Lang, because of the assassination this time, the worst possible oue is that the Third Prince might only have two years to live. But, if he¡¯s lucky, he might have three years, provided he takes good care of his body.¡±


    ¡°In my previous life, he passed not long after Junjun returned. So it had only been two years since I entered the royal courts.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu calcted. Based on what happened in Xie Hengs previous life, he should have been in the royal court for three years by now, which meant that Xie Yan would have diedst year.


    ¡°You know his personality. What you said is unlikely to happen. He knows that he will die soon, so he will do everything he can to pave the way for Junjun. He will do everything in his power.¡±


    ¡°If he had met me earlier, this wouldn¡¯t have happened. But this is his destiny.¡±


    ¡°Yes.


    Xie Heng knew that if Zhao Chuchu said he couldn¡¯t be saved, that meant there was no way to save him.


    But Xie Yan lived much longer this time and experienced far more things. So he should feel quite satisfied.


    As they spoke, Zhao Chuchu finished preparing the external ointment. She packed it up and got ready to leave. Just then, someone knocked on their door..

 Chapter 529 - 529: Conference Examination Rank One

    Chapter 529: Conference Examination Rank One


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Xie Heng stood up and went to open the door.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go. It¡¯s the people from the duke¡¯s n,¡± Zhao Chuchu said. She grabbed


    Xie Hengs hand and said, ¡°We should vault over the wall and leave; stay away from them.¡±


    Xie Heng smiled and nodded. He agreed with Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu packed her things and left with Xie Heng via the backdoor. They ignored the knocking at the front door.


    The two of them went straight to the princess¡¯s pce. The doorkeeper had already been notified. He let the two of them enter once they arrived.


    Princess Jianan didn¡¯t put on any makeup today, but she was extremely beautiful even then.


    Some people might be slightly overweight, but it does not affect their beauty. Princess Jianan was one of those people.


    She could slim down to an average weight if she followed the treatment n.


    It was a little inappropriate for Xie Heng to meet the princess, so he was received by the head secretary of the princess¡¯s pce.


    Zhao Chuchu put the medicines on the table and split them up based on their uses. ¡°Princess, this is for external use. These are to be eaten¡­


    Zhao Chuchu exined how to use each medicine in detail.


    Princess Jianan¡¯s lead maid memorized it, then repeated it back to Zhao Chuchu. Upon confirming that there were no mistakes, Zhao Chuchu told the lead maid to keep all the medicine, She then listed all the foods that Princess Jianan needed to avoid.


    ¡°That¡¯s so troublesome,¡± Princess Jianan said. ¡°l can¡¯t eat all these things? I¡¯m going to starve to death.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s funny, princess. It¡¯s just for this short period. Once you¡¯ve recovered, you can eat whatever you want. Wouldn¡¯t that be nice?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, true. I guess I have no choice but to listen to the doctor.¡±


    ¡°Princess, this condition isn¡¯t very serious right now, but if you let it develop further, it might get out of control. That¡¯s why we need to cure it early on to prevent suffering in the future.¡±


    ¡°l got it. Please stop nagging like my mother. I will remember it.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    This was the first time that someone had disliked her in such a direct manner.


    But Princess Jianan was the kind of person who would say whatever was on her mind. She didn¡¯t hide her thoughts and make people guess them. Zhao Chuchu liked to interact with people like that.


    It¡¯s really tiring to constantly be cautious when interacting with people.


    Princess Jianan took Zhao Chuchu¡¯s medicine, then ordered her servant to bring over a box for Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu opened it. It was full of gold taels.


    ¡°Consultation fee,¡± Princess Jianan said. ¡°If you can cure my illness, there will be moreter.¡¯


    ¡°Thank you, princess.¡± Zhao Chuchu did not try to refuse it.


    ¡°You deserve it,¡± Princess Jianan smiled and said.


    She conversed with Zhao Chuchu for quite a while before letting her leave.


    Before she left, she told Zhao Chuchu, ¡°The results of the Conference Examination are going to be released soon. Watch after your husband, lest he gets kidnapped and forced to marry someone else. You¡¯re just a doctor. It would be really difficult to fight against those people in the Imperial City. Some people can be really scary when they decide to throw away their dignity.¡±


    Zhao Chuchuughed and said, ¡°Thank you for the reminder. I will take note of that.¡±


    ¡°Okay, goodbye then. Be careful on your way back.¡±


    ¡°Alright, princess.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu found Xie Heng and left the princess¡¯s pce with him.


    The two of them had never really walked around the Imperial City before. So they decided to spend the day doing that.


    Xie Heng brought Zhao Chuchu to thergest jewelry store in the Imperial City. He wanted to buy a set of ornaments for Zhao Chuchu.


    Unexpectedly, they nearly ran into people from the Duke¡¯s n again.


    Xie Heng immediately brought Zhao Chuchu far from the jewelry store.


    There were a lot of people in the Imperial City. Soon, Xie Hengs suitors lost sight of the two of them. They stomped their feet in anger.


    Soon, it was the day that the results of the Conference Examination were to be released.


    Zhao Chuchu was rather excited. She wanted to go to the venue where the results would be released. But Xie Heng said, ¡°There will be too many people there. We wouldn¡¯t be able to get a good spot even if we went. So I¡¯d rather stay at home and wait. Then, if 1 pass the exam, someone wille to tell me the good news.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s totally different from seeing your name on the result board! The


    Conference examination is such an important event that, of course, we should go and see the results for ourselves! Let¡¯s go! I¡¯m not afraid of the crowd. We can squeeze inside!¡±


    ¡°Have you heard of people kidnapping potential husbands at the results board? Aren¡¯t you worried that I might get kidnapped?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s certainly possible, But I¡¯m not so easy to deal with. So let¡¯s see who would be able to snatch you away from me.¡±


    Thatment made Xie Heng feel rather happy.


    He changed his clothes and headed out together with Zhao Chuchu.


    He should be ranked number one for this examination. However, if the emperor is worried that he might take advantage of Xie Jun, things might get out of his control, and he would almost certainly fail.


    But Xie Heng was rtively calm about this. Regardless of the result, he was ready to ept it.


    The two of them headed out together. When they reached the ce, there were way more people than expected. It was so packed that they couldn¡¯t even squeeze inside.


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    ¡°Let¡¯s find a ce to sit down,¡± Xie Hengughed and said.


    Zhao Chuchu took out a small pair of binocrs and said, ¡°l have a secret weapon. We can sit as far as we want.¡±


    Xie Heng had seen this before. He knew that it was capable of seeing things from really far away. When he first saw the binocrs, hemented that the army would be much more potent if they had this in their hands.


    All of the tea houses nearby were full. So the two of them had no choice but to go to a teahouse even further away, but just close enough that they could still see the results board.


    The Conference Examination would determine the career of a candidate. Be it the candidate or his family, everyone was very nervous. The wait felt much longer than it actually was.


    Just as Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng were about to finish a pot of tea, there was amotion in the crowd. ¡°It¡¯s here! The results are out!¡±


    A government official posted the results on the notice board. Zhao Chuchu raised her binocrs and looked at the board.


    The first name on the board was Xie Heng.


    ¡°Number one goes to Xie Heng!¡± yelled someone loudly.


    Zhao Chuchu passed the binocrs to Xie Heng and said, ¡°Look, this is why we came.¡±


    Xie Heng kept his cool. He took over the binocrs and looked at the results board. As expected, he was ranked number one this year.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. We¡¯re going home.¡± Zhao Chuchu stood up and pulled Xie Heng out of his seat. ¡°Someone wille to tell us about the good newster. We need to prepare a red packet for them, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.


    ¡°Then hurry up.¡±


    Xie Heng saw how happy and eager Zhao Chuchu was. He suddenly felt that this Conference Examination had some special meaning to him.


    The moment they reached home, a person came to their door, beating a gong.


    He said, ¡°Congrattions on achieving rank one in the Conference Exams, Mr.


    Zhao Chuchu gave that person a red packet with a big smile on her face.


    But more than one batch of people came to tell them about the good news. Many people came over to send gifts to Xie Heng as well.


    After all, he had achieved rank one at the Conference Examination. If he went one step further, he might be rank one in the Temple Examination!


    Therefore, this was the best time to be friends with him.


    Zhao Chuchu rejected all of the gifts. She did not ept a single one of them. She didn¡¯t want to owe anyone anything.


    Xie Heng didn¡¯t try to visit anyone before the exams. He clearly didn¡¯t want to form rtionships with too many people. Besides, they weren¡¯t in need of money right now.


    They had more than enough, even ounting for buying gifts for Xie Hengs colleagues when he became a government official.


    But Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t expect Xie Yan and Xie Jun toe.


    ¡°Bro, I heard you were ranked one in the Conference Examinations. Is that true?¡± Xie Jun immediately dashed toward Xie Heng the moment he entered the door. ¡°Third Brother didn¡¯t bluff me, right?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s real.¡± Xie Heng crouched down so he could be at the same level as Xie Jun. He said, ¡°Are you getting used to the pce?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re all very good to me. But I still miss you and Sis a lot.¡± Xie Jun looked at Xie Heng pitifully.


    There¡¯s a saying that people need clothes to look good. After returning to the royal family, Xie Jun was now dressed in brocade clothes, making him look much more noble..

 Chapter 530 - 530: I Want To, But I Don’t Know How

    Chapter 530: I Want To, But I Don¡¯t Know How


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°l missed Junjun too,¡± Zhao Chuchu said as she rubbed his head. ¡°Be careful while you¡¯re in the pce, alright? If anything happens, look for your Third Brother immediately, okay?¡±


    Xie Jun nodded and said, ¡°l wanted to move to stay with Third Brother at first, but they said that I¡¯m not allowed to do that. They said that Third Brother¡¯s condition was not good. So I cannot disturb him and interrupt his recovery.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me that?¡± said Xie Yan gently. ¡®Just tell me, and I will think of a way.¡±


    ¡°l was afraid that you might find me annoying.¡±


    ¡°How could l? You are my brother. I¡¯m afraid that I¡¯m not caring for you enough. How could I possibly be annoyed?¡±


    ¡°Your Third Brother is right. You are brothers,¡± Xie Heng said. ¡°I¡¯m outside the pce, so I can¡¯t act as quickly as your Third Brother. You should tell your Third Brother whenever something happens.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I got it.¡±


    Xie Heng smiled.


    Xie Yan felt somewhat helpless. He said, ¡°Ever since Junjun returned to the pce, he¡¯s been a lot less talkative. My father was worried that he might get sick from staying inside all the time. That¡¯s why I brought him out.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not. I just miss Bro and Sis a lot. I don¡¯t know any of those people in the pce, and none of those brothers like me,¡± said Xie Jun as he hung his head low. ¡°l feel so out of ce there.¡±


    Xie Yan felt very sympathetic. He knew exactly what his brothers were like¡ª they loved to bully the weak yet feared the strong.


    He decided to suggest to his father to let Xie Jun move out of the pce and stay at his ce instead. That way, it would also be a lot easier for Xie Jun to meet him. Otherwise, it was difficult even to enter the pce. ¡°Bro, I¡¯m hungry,¡± Xie Jun said. ¡°Can we eat something first?¡±


    Xie Heng and Zhao Chuchu were speechless.


    It¡¯s not mealtime yet!


    But Xie Heng wouldn¡¯t reject Xie Jun¡¯s request. He said to Zhao Chuchu, ¡°Chuchu, can you help me see what groceries we have in the kitchen? I¡¯ll bring the Third Prince to the study room first.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Zhao Chuchu nodded. He knew what Xie Heng meant.


    There would probably still be peopleing to congratte them, so they couldn¡¯t leave the house. Otherwise, rumors will spread tomorrow that the rank-one schr is arrogant and looks down on everyone else.


    Zhao Chuchu entered the kitchen. First, she looked around to ensure that no one was around, then took out plenty of food from her carry-on space. She then went to look for Xie Heng.


    ¡°Your Highness, please make yourself at home. I¡¯ll go cook something,¡± Xie Heng stood up and said.


    Xie Yan was shocked. ¡°Zizhao, are you kidding me? You¡¯re going to cook?¡±


    ¡°Junjun is still young. Chuchu¡¯s hands are for saving people. So I¡¯m the only one who can cook,¡± Xie Heng exined calmly. ¡°Besides, cooking isn¡¯t shameful.¡¯


    ¡°No, no, no, I¡¯m just surprised. I¡¯ve never seen a man cook before.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t all the chefs in the imperial kitchen male?¡±


    Xie Yan was startled for a moment.


    ¡°Third Brother, my bro is really good at cooking. That¡¯s why Sis and I don¡¯t cook. We can¡¯t possiblypare to him!¡± said Xie Jun, tugging on Xie Yan¡¯s sleeve.


    ¡°Hahaha, I guess I got lucky today, didn¡¯t l? Zizhao, I¡¯m sorry to trouble you. Do you need any help?¡± said Xie Yan,ughing heartily.


    Xie Heng rejected his offer. ¡°No need; just wait for me here.¡±


    After that, he turned and walked out.


    Zhao Chuchu was starting the fire for Xie Heng in the kitchen. Xie Jun couldn¡¯t help but run inside as well.


    The secret guards saw the ninth prince squatting in front of the stove in his brocade, noble outfit, and it felt extremely odd.


    A few momentster, Xie Yan walked out of the study room as well. Then, under the astonished gazes of the secret guards, he also walked into the kitchen.


    The dark guards were at a loss for words.


    Did these two people not know their status? How could they enter such a ce?


    But the secret guards weren¡¯t allowed to show themselves, and Xie Yan didn¡¯t bring any servants with him. So the secret guards couldn¡¯t do anything but pace around anxiously. They almost wanted to charge into the kitchen and pull them out.


    Xie Yan didn¡¯t know what the secret guards were thinking.


    He looked at Xie Heng, who was chopping up the ingredients and frying them in the wok. It was quite a novel sight.


    But his eyes turned cold when he thought about the life that Xie Heng and Xie Jun lived together.


    If it weren¡¯t for Xie Heng, who did everything he could to care for Xie Jun, the boy would have died long ago.


    Xie Hengs cooking mastery was probably developed because of the need to care for Xie Jun. All these things reminded Xie Yan of who his enemies were.


    ¡°Third Brother, it smells good, right? I think my brother¡¯s cooking is way better than the imperial kitchen!¡± said Xie Jun with great pride on his face. ¡°I¡¯ve never eaten better food than my brother¡¯s cooking.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s true; the color, smell, taste¡ªit¡¯s all top-notch. I wasn¡¯t hungry just now, but my stomach is suddenly growling after seeing this. Zizhao, I¡¯m afraid I might want toe here to eat next time.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, we probably wouldn¡¯t get a chance to in the future.¡± Xie Heng rejected the Third Prince¡¯s request without hesitation.


    If Xie Jun hadn¡¯te back, he wouldn¡¯t have cooked.


    Other than Zhao Chuchu and Xie Jun, no one else could convince Xie Heng to cook.


    Xie Yan felt somewhat regretful. He said, ¡°Guess I¡¯ll have toe with Junjun then.¡¯


    Once in a while, someone would knock on the door ande to congratte Xie Heng. Zhao Chuchu would go and receive these people,


    When Xie Heng was done cooking, Zhao Chuchu could finally get some rest.


    After tasting Xie Hengs cooking, Xie Yanpletely agreed with Xie Jun. He said, ¡°I¡¯ve never eaten lunch this good before. How unexpected, Zizhao!¡± ¡°I¡¯m d you liked it. I was worried that my cooking may fall short for you.¡±


    ¡°No way! It¡¯s just home-cooked food, but it¡¯s very special because of its meaning. ¡±


    Xie Heng smiled but didn¡¯t say anything.


    After lunch, Xie Yan had to bring Xie Jun back to the pce.


    Xie Jun didn¡¯t want to leave, but he knew that he had no choice.


    ¡°Bro, I¡¯ve already prepared your gift. I¡¯ll give it to you when the Temple Examination ends!¡± Xie Jun told Xie Heng before leaving.


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯m looking forward to your gift,¡± Xie Heng said. ¡°Go fast, so they don¡¯t worry about you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go now. But, Sis, I¡¯lle back to visit next time!¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll wait for you.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu waved at Xie Jun.


    Xie Jun got onto the horse carriage and left with Xie Yan.


    ¡°Junjun, do you really want to stay here?¡± Xie Yan asked.


    Xie Jun shook his head, then nodded. ¡°Third Brother, I want to, but 1 won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a good boy, Junjun,¡± Xie Yan said. He looked at Xie Jun, then sighed silently.


    ¡°Third Brother, I know.¡± Xie Jun hung his head low.


    Although he didn¡¯t like it, he couldn¡¯t waste what his two brothers had done for him.


    If he didn¡¯t walk down this path, both Xie Yan and Xie Heng would be in deep trouble. Xie Jun didn¡¯t want that to happen.


    ¡°It feels like Junjun is different,¡± Zhao Chuchu said to Xie Heng. ¡°He¡¯s a lot more steady and mature now. I think he encountered a lot of things in the pce. ¡±


    ¡°As long as he belongs to the royal family, he can¡¯t escape those things. But don¡¯t worry; Junjun looks innocent, but he won¡¯t be easily ambushed. Xie Heng consoled Zhao Chuchu.


    He had taught Xie Jun for so many years, so it was impossible for him not to grow. He was just used to relying on Xie Heng. Once he left him, Xie Jun would grow at a rapid pace.


    Just like in his previous life. No one knew about Xie Jun¡¯s real identity at first, and he was forced to go back as well. But Xie Jun didn¡¯t let him down. Although he was physically weak, he was a worthy ruler.


    If he had had time, he would have be a remarkable leader for the Wei Dynasty. But unfortunately, Zhao Chuchu wasn¡¯t there in his previous life, and they weren¡¯t lucky enough to meet a doctor who could cure him. So they couldn¡¯t do anything except watch as Xie Jun passed away..

 Chapter 531 - 531: Cuck The Emperor

    Chapter 531: Cuck The Emperor


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    It was time for the Temple Examination, not too long after the Conference Examination.


    The Temple Examination is an exam where the emperor sets the questions, and only those who passed the Conference Examination could attend it. No one would fail this exam, but they would be split into three sses based on their results.


    The first ssprises three people: the number one schr, the number two schr, and the number three schr. They would be given the title of advanced schr with honors. The second ss consists of numerous people who would be given the title of privileged advanced schrs. Finally, the third ss consists of people who would be given the title of normal advanced schrs.


    Unsurprisingly, Xie Heng emerged as the Number One Schr.


    The emperor didn¡¯t want to give it to him, but Xie Hengs performance at the Temple Examination was far too brilliant. If he gave someone else the title, he would probably be scorned by all the schrs in the world when Xie Jun¡¯s identity was announced!


    On the day the Number One Schr was paraded around the city, Zhao Chuchu went as well.


    When the daughters of the rich and powerful ns in the Imperial City found out how overwhelmingly handsome the Number One Schr was, they couldn¡¯t help but gasp at his looks.


    Regretfully, this gorgeous man was already married at a young age, and his wife is a renowned doctor. These girls felt heartbroken and had no choice but to look at the number two and three schrs and the other young advanced schrs.


    After the parade ended, there was the Qionglin Banquet.


    Xie Yan attended the banquet as well.


    But no one dared ask him to drink. After all, the Third Prince had just been attacked a few months ago, and it had taken him a long time to recover. Moreover, everyone was worried that they might identally bump into him and hurt him somehow, ruining their careers, so they were all extremely cautious.


    As the Number One Schr, Xie Heng wasn¡¯t as lucky as Xie Yan.


    Every single advanced schr tried to feed him alcohol.


    Xie Heng and Xie Yan exchanged looks, and they both smiled. How could they hold themselves back from such a rare opportunity?


    At the end of the banquet, Xie Hengy on the table. His entire body smelled like alcohol.


    ¡°Mr. Xie? Mr. Xie?¡± A servant came over and lightly tapped him on the shoulder.


    Xie Heng didn¡¯t move at all. He seemed to have passed out from alcohol.


    Soon, someone carried him away.


    But the person who carried Xie Heng didn¡¯t see him open his eyes. His eyes were clear and attentive, and he wasn¡¯t drunk at all.


    Xie Heng was brought into a room.


    When they entered the room, Xie Heng suddenly jumped up and attacked the two servants carrying him.


    After knocking them unconscious, he dragged the two of them inside, only to find out that a youngdy was lying on the bed, simrly unconscious.


    That was the niece to whom Sikou Zhendong kept trying to introduce him, Sikou Yun.


    Xie Hengs deepest impression of Sikou Yun was when she was abused to death by her husband in his previous life. He didn¡¯t remember anything else about her.


    Of course, Xie Heng wouldn¡¯t let the Sikou n¡¯s n seed.


    This ce was owned by the royal family. So the fact that Sikou Zhendong dared to do this here meant that he had no respect for the emperor.


    ¡°Who is this?¡± Zhao Chuchu appeared beside Xie Heng. Zhao Chuchu was dressed like a eunuch now. She had infiltrated the banquet with the help of Xie Yan. She came to prevent Sikou Zhendong from doing anything funny at the Qionglin Banquet.


    ¡°Sikou Yun, a daughter that the Sikou n isn¡¯t too fond of.¡±


    ¡°Sikou Zhendongs child?¡±


    ¡°No, his brother¡¯s.¡¯


    ¡°Disgusting,¡± Zhao Chuchu said. ¡°What do we do?¡±


    ¡°Get her out of here. There¡¯s no need to involve her in this ordeal.¡¯ Zhao Chuchu carried Sikou Yun in her arms and left the ce.


    Xie Heng sat in front of the table and knocked on the tabletop.


    He had been nning this for a long time. All he was waiting for was for Sikou Zhendong to do something.


    This time, Xie Heng didn¡¯t want to let the Sikou n live for long.


    Xie Hengs expression looked calm, and he waited patiently.


    Soon, Xie Yan sent over a woman.


    This woman didn¡¯t have a very good status in the imperial harem. Before she entered the imperial harem, she had some connections with Sikou Zhendong. Sikou Zhendong is quite daring as well. He banked on the fact that the emperor had many wives and wouldn¡¯t care about this woman, so he asionally had an affair with her.


    Back then, when Xie Yan and Xie Jun¡¯s mother died, she was one of the culprits as well.


    Based on Sikou Zhendong¡¯s personality, he woulde here as soon as possible to ensure the deed was done properly before announcing it to the world. This gave Xie Heng the perfect opportunity.


    Having indecent affairs in the royal pce wasn¡¯t a small crime, not to mention that he was cucking the emperor!


    Xie Heng used the simplest way he could think of to deal with the Sikou n.


    Sikou Zhendong knew nothing about this. He looked at the time and thought it was about time, so he brought his men and entered the room that Xie Heng was sent into.


    Xie Heng heard the footsteps, so he purposely made some noise.


    Sikou Zhendong made his men wait outside. He wanted to go inside himself.


    Xie Heng had used up all of his patience. Since he couldn¡¯t use Xie Heng to his advantage, he would have no choice but to ruin him.


    Besides, the ninth prince had been found. Xie Heng had a brotherly bond with the ninth prince, and they couldn¡¯t afford to let him live.


    Sikou Zhendong didn¡¯t think Xie Heng would be able to fight back. In his eyes, Xie Heng was just a puny, weak schr.


    As a result of underestimating his enemy, he felt a sharp pain in his neck before reaching the bed and then lost consciousness.


    Xie Heng held Sikou Zhendong so he wouldn¡¯t fall.


    Xie Hengs eyes were terrifyingly calm as he looked at him.


    He put Sikou Zhendong on the bed so he would lie with that woman.


    After that, it was time for Sikou Zhendongs death.


    Sikou Zhendong woke up from the freezing cold.


    When he met the emperor¡¯s livid eyes, he still hadn¡¯t realized what had happened.


    But the cold water made him shiver uncontrobly.


    ¡°Your majesty.¡± Sikou Zhendong realized that he was kneeling. He was starting to feel that something wasn¡¯t right.


    ¡°Sikou Zhendong, how dare you do something like this?¡± said the emperor through gritted teeth.


    Even though he didn¡¯t really have any impression of that woman, that didn¡¯t mean he could ept his subordinate sleeping with his woman!


    ¡°Your majesty, I have been framed. I was just doing embroidery at my pce. I don¡¯t know how I ended up here! Someone must be trying to frame me. Please investigate this, your majesty!¡¯


    The woman¡¯s voice made Sikou Zhendong jolt awake. He felt like he was plunged into an abyss.


    She slowly turned around. He was very familiar with this woman.


    But why in front of the emperor?


    It¡¯s a dream! It must be a dream!


    Sikou Zhendong pinched himself as hard as he could. It hurt so much that he almost jumped up in pain.


    The emperor got even madder when he saw Sikou Zhendong do that. He immediately ordered someone to drag Sikou Zhendong out and give him a good beating.


    By the time the Empress arrived, Sikou Zhendong was almost dead.


    She hurriedly begged, ¡°Your majesty, this must be a misunderstanding. The Duke has always been an honest and upright person. How could he possibly do something so wrong and immoral? Someone must have brought that woman over to frame the Duke and me. Your Majesty, I remember now. Last month, she was disrespectful, so I scolded¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up and get out!¡± yelled the emperor. ¡°Someone bring the Empress back and make sure she doesn¡¯t leave the pce. Otherwise, you will pay with your


    The Empress felt a buzzing in her head as her vision turned ck.


    ¡°It¡¯s finished¡­¡± That was her only thought.


    When she was dragged out of the room, she passed by Xie Yan and saw him smiling slightly.


    The Empress suddenly realized what was happening. She said, ¡°Your Majesty, it¡¯s the Third Prince. He is trying to frame me¡­¡±


    Xie Yan said calmly, ¡°Are you going mad from anger? I usually stay in my pce and have been recovering from my injury for the past few months. How could I set up something like this to frame you?¡±


    ¡°Besides, you are one of my mothers as well. So why would I do this to you? It¡¯s a little odd that you¡¯re pinning this on me.. Did you do something to me that you feel sorry for?¡±

 Chapter 532 - 532: One of Them Had to Die First

    Chapter 532: One of Them Had to Die First


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The Empress became blue in the face upon hearing what Xie Yan said. She wanted to say something, but the emperor yelled again, ¡°Get out of here and go back! Stop making a fool of yourself. I still suspect that you were the one who did it!¡±


    The Empress was so scared that she kneeled on the ground and said, ¡°Your Majesty, I swear I¡¯ve never done something like this before. Someone is trying to frame me. Please, your Majesty, you have to seek justice for me¡­¡±


    ¡°Get her out of here. I don¡¯t want to see her!¡± The emperor got very annoyed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let her step outside her pce, not a single step! Now scram!¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡±


    The Empress was dragged away as she shrieked and screamed in agony.


    The emperor was furious. He summoned the Embroidered Uniform Guards and told them to investigate the matter.


    Sikou Zhendong felt all his strength being zapped out of his body.


    He had some conflicts with the leader of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Could he still get out of this unscathed?


    He didn¡¯t see Xie Hengs lips curl up slightly.


    Xie Heng decided to go along with Sikou Zhendongs scheme because he wanted the Embroidered Uniform Guard to take over.


    That way, Sikou Zhendong would have no way of getting out of this alive.


    In his previous life, Sikou Zhendong and the leader of the Embroidered Uniform Guards were arch-enemies. But Xie Yan rarely interfered with the affairs of the royal court before he knew about Xie Jun¡¯s existence. This was because of his deteriorating health. Because the Empress came from the Sikou n, Sikou Zhendong was able to overpower the leader of the Embroidered Uniform Guards, but thetter lost in the end.


    But this time, Sikou Zhendong wouldn¡¯t get the chance to do the same thing.


    Now that the Embroidered Uniform guards had a chance, their leader wouldn¡¯t let Sikou Zhendong walk out of this alive. No one was more expert than the Embroidered Uniform Guards when making up crimes and charges.


    Of course, that didn¡¯t mean that they used their powers to frame honest and upright people all the time. They simply took orders from the emperor.


    Whoever the emperor wanted dead, the Embroidered Uniform Guards would make them die for the most logical and righteous reasons.


    The leader of the Embroidered Uniform Guards and Sikou Zhendong¡ªone of them had to die first.


    Sikou Zhendong couldn¡¯t even say anything to beg for forgiveness.


    The emperor was absolutely furious.


    When he was dragged out of the room, Sikou Zhendong looked at Xie Heng.


    He ruined himself because he tried to destroy Xie Heng.


    Was Xie Heng the one who did it?


    Sikou Zhendong stared at Xie Hengs face, trying to spot something in his expression.


    But Xie Heng looked calm andposed as usual. Sikou Zhendong couldn¡¯t spot anything.


    When Sikou Zhendong looked at Xie Heng, he even smiled at him, instantly infuriating Sikou Zhendong.


    ¡°It¡¯s you, right?¡± Sikou Zhendong couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°You were the one who framed me, right?¡±


    Xie Heng appeared to be confused. ¡°What do you mean, duke? Is this a misunderstanding?¡±


    ¡°Why are you letting him talk? Drag him out!¡± The emperor didn¡¯t want to hear the word ¡°duke,¡± nor did he want to hear Sikou Zhendongs voice.


    As the supreme ruler, he was cucked by this clown in public, not to mention that it happened at the Qionglin Banquet. So how could the emperor possibly be okay with this?


    He nearly wanted to order the entire Sikou n to be executed.


    A subordinate slept with the emperor¡¯s woman¡­ Even an ordinary man who had some pride and dignity wouldn¡¯t be able to remain calm.


    ¡°Your Majesty, Xie Heng framed me. Your Majesty¡­¡±


    ¡°Block his mouth.¡¯


    ¡°Yes.


    Sikou Zhendong was dragged out of the room, but his muffled voice could still be heard.


    A cold, fierce emotion shed across Xie Hengs eyes.


    Only then did the emperor ask Xie Heng and Xie Yan, ¡°What is happening?¡±


    Xie Yan said innocently, ¡°Father, I don¡¯t know what happened either. I just came out with Zizhao to take a breather. Then I heard someone say that something was happening here. That¡¯s why I came over with the others. If I knew this was what was happening, I wouldn¡¯t have¡­¡±


    ¡°Never mind, you can leave first.¡± The emperor couldn¡¯t even stand his most beloved son talking about it. ¡°You¡¯re still quite frail; don¡¯t run around like this. Don¡¯t tell anyone else about this.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Father,¡± Xie Yan answered, then bowed and left the room. Xie Heng followed behind him. Xie Yan then told the other new advanced schrs not to tell anyone else about this..

 Chapter 533 - 533: Why Was She Being Hurried to Have A Child Again?

    Chapter 533: Why Was She Being Hurried to Have A Child Again?


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Sikou Zhendongs scandal didn¡¯t affect Xie Hengs inauguration into the royal court.


    He became the editor at Hanlin Hall. Although this wasn¡¯t a significant


    position, it was still far more impressive than his peers, who could only start as interns at one of the six ministries. He had officially started his career.


    But many of the Number One Schrs in history had their glory end here. After that, most of them became ordinary government officials.


    Although Hanlin Hall was a governing bureau that had a very noble status, they were extremely busy. Xie Heng often left home early in the morning and only returnedte at night. As a result, he didn¡¯t have much time to spend with Zhao Chuchu.


    But Zhao Chuchu was very busy as well. Princess Jianan really liked Zhao Chuchu, so she kept inviting her to her pce whenever she had time.


    Soon, the entire Imperial City knew that the new Number One Schr¡¯s wife was really close to Princess Jianan. Then incredulous rumors started to spread. People began to say that Zhao Chuchu and Princess Jianan were sharing Xie Heng.


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t know what to say when she heard that.


    She could never guess what people might imagine!


    Princess Jianan was very amused by these rumors. She couldn¡¯t stopughing. ¡°Chuchu, what do you think about the rumor that we are sharing your husband?¡±


    ¡°Princess, please don¡¯t tease me like this. Do you think anyone else knows you better than me?¡± Zhao Chuchu helplessly said, ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t care what other people say. After all, I have eyes to see for myself.¡±


    ¡°l love how direct you are. You say whatever you think. I really dislike those people who just go with whatever others tell them. They don¡¯t have a mind of their own. Despite being friends for so many years, somehow, my words mean less than those of some outsider. What a joke.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve encountered something like this before?¡±


    ¡°There are many people who would gossip about a widow like me. However, none of those things hurt me. As long as I know what I¡¯m doing, I don¡¯t care about what others say. After all, I can¡¯t force people to think a certain way, right? But I once lost a friend because of something like this, which still makes me a little ufortable.¡¯


    After getting to know Princess Jianan, Zhao Chuchu learned that she really cared about her friends and family. She waspletely different from the rumors.


    She wasn¡¯t a slutty person. As Xie Heng said, those ¡°toy boys¡± were just talented individuals she kept for Xie Yan.


    That¡¯s right, Princess Jianan and Xie Yan were very close.


    Although she was just a princess, she treated Xie Yan differently from all the other princes.


    Because Princess Jianan¡¯s former husband was Xie Hengs cousin.


    A few years after Xie Heng¡¯s mother died, Princess Jianan¡¯s husband passed away as well.


    Of course, Princess Jianan didn¡¯t tell Zhao Chuchu these things, nor did Xie Heng. Zhao Chuchu deduced it from her conversations with Princess Jianan, then confirmed it with Xie Heng after the fact.


    ¡°People who don¡¯t trust you aren¡¯t suitable to be friends with. It¡¯s good that you managed to spot that from a trivial incident like this. It¡¯s better than finding out because of a life-and-death matter. That would be toote,¡± Zhao Chuchu consoled her.


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. We stopped contacting each other after that, of course. She realized that it was all a misunderstanding and tried to connect with me again, but I rejected her. I have a lot of friends. I don¡¯t need her.¡±


    Princess Jianan sounded like she waspletely over this, but Zhao Chuchu could still hear the emotions in her voice.


    Sometimes, friendships are like rtionships. Losing one is painful. Even if much time has passed, people still feel like something is missing when they recall it.


    ¡°Never mind, let¡¯s not talk about that. Yanyan told me that he¡¯d bring Junjun over in a few days. So tell your husband to get off work early to meet Junjun.¡± Princess Jianan changed the topic.


    ¡°Okay. I haven¡¯t met Junjun in a while. I miss him.¡±


    ¡°Thanks to our great editor for educating Junjun so well,¡± said Princess Jianan. ¡°He¡¯s so much better than his brothers. He¡¯s well-behaved and obedient. It¡¯s just¡­¡±


    Halfway through the sentence, the princess paused as her eyes turned cold.


    Fortunately, those people¡¯s good lives had already ended. Otherwise, every single time she thought about what Xie Yan and Xie Jun had gone through, she felt anger welling up in her heart.


    ¡°Princess, it¡¯s all in the past now. We should look forward to the future instead. Junjun¡¯s future will be much better.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it will be.¡±


    Princess Jianan nodded.


    She had almost fully recovered from her illness, and herplexion was also much better. She no longer needed thickyers of makeup. She was bing closer and closer to Zhao Chuchu.


    Xie Hengs life in Hanlin Hall also improved because of this.


    The emperor treated Princess Jianan quite well.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the Embroidered Uniform Guards to learn about Sikou Zhendongs crimes. What surprised the guards¡¯ leader was that Sikou Zhendong was connected to the death of Empress Yuan.


    After reporting this finding to the emperor, the emperor told him to investigate this thoroughly.


    This implicated a lot of people. It turned out that Empress Yuan was murdered by the Sikou n. The whole reason why Xie Yan often fell sick previously was because the Sikou n had poisoned him.


    The emperor ordered the entire Sikou n to be executed. The empress was abolished, while the Great Prince was grounded.


    An extremely powerful and influential n had fallen in a single night.


    Other than that, many other people were implicated as well.


    Because the emperor was cheated on, he vented his anger on these people. As a result, many of Sikou Zhendongs allies were wiped out.


    Xie Heng was promoted and entered the Ministry of Revenue as a result.


    His speed of promotion made many people jealous.


    But for some reason, the emperor did not announce Xie Jun¡¯s identity to the dynasty.


    It became a known secret in the royal court.


    Perhaps it was because of the Sikou Zhendong scandal, but all the officials became very cautious. No one dared talk about Xie Jun anymore.


    As a result, Xie Jun was able to live a rtively quiet life for a while. At the very least, his life in the Third Prince¡¯s pce was a lot more free and easy.


    Xie Yan had been teaching Xie Jun about many things rted to politics in the royal court.


    When Zhao Chuchu met Xie Jun, he once again became more mature.


    He had learned the mannerisms of the royal family as well. If Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t know that Xie Jun grew up in a vige, she would have thought that he was born a prince.


    But Xie Jun was still the same innocent child in front of Zhao Chuchu and Xie


    Heng.


    She didn¡¯t hide her feelings for them and continued to rely on them.


    ¡°Bro, Sis, why didn¡¯t you visit me at the Third Prince¡¯s pce? You said you were going toe often, but you didn¡¯te even once,¡± Xie Jun said, feeling somewhat upset. ¡°You guys were lying again.¡±


    ¡°No, Junjun. It¡¯s just that your brother is really busy. It¡¯s difficult for him to take time out, and 1 can¡¯t go to the Third Prince¡¯s Pce alone, as it will cause rumors. That won¡¯t be good for your brothers.¡±


    Xie Jun sighed.


    Of course, he knew that.


    He heard that people in the Imperial City were spreading rumors about Zhao Chuchu and Princess Jianan sharing Xie Heng.


    Xie Jun felt very angry. He wanted to find the person spreading those rumors and give him a lesson, but Xie Yan stopped him.


    Xie Yan told him that rumors like this were best for Xie Heng. The emperor didn¡¯t want Xie Heng to be too perfect. Some ws would be the best camouge for him.


    Xie Jun didn¡¯t really understand it, but he felt that Xie Yan was right, so he suppressed his anger.


    ¡°Sis, don¡¯t believe the nonsense that those people out there are saying. You guys must be good together. I¡¯m still waiting for my nephew!¡± Xie Jun held Zhao Chuchu¡¯s hand and spoke eagerly.


    Zhao Chuchu was speechless.


    Why was she being hurried to have a child again?

 Chapter 534 - 534: Another Wedding

    Chapter 534: Another Wedding


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°Junjun, I¡¯m still young. I¡¯m not at a suitable age to have children¡­¡±


    ¡°Sis, do you not want to have children with my bro?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t know how to answer. Xie Jun had a strange obsession with his future nephew. He had wanted to be an uncle for a very long time, and Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t know why.


    Zhao Chuchu patiently exined it to Xie Jun, but he didn¡¯t really understand. All he got out of the conversation was that having a child now would be bad for her body.


    He hurriedly said, ¡°It¡¯s okay then, Sis. We can wait a few years. Your health is more important.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You will definitely be an uncle one day.¡±


    Princess Jianan said, ¡°Junjun, if you like children so much, why don¡¯t I choose a partner for you?¡±


    Xie Jun¡¯s face instantly turned red. ¡°Auntie, I¡¯m still just a kid.¡±


    Princess Jiananughed out loud. ¡°You¡¯ve been asking to be an uncle, so you can¡¯t be a kid anymore.¡±


    Xie Jun went silent.


    Xie Yan changed the topic. ¡°Auntie, there¡¯s something that I would like to discuss with you today.¡±


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go then. Chuchu, please make yourself at home.¡±


    ¡°Got it, princess.¡±


    Princess Jianan and Xie Yan headed to the study room, while Xie Jun kept asking Zhao Chuchu questions as though he wanted to ask about all the happenings that he didn¡¯t know about.


    Xie Heng had no choice but to pull Xie Jun over and check on his homework.


    As such, Zhao Chuchu had nothing to do.


    When Xie Heng and Xie Jun were done, Xie Jun ran over and said to Zhao Chuchu, ¡°Sis, how about you and my brother get married again?¡± ¡°Why?¡± Zhao Chuchu was a little taken aback by the suggestion.


    Xie Heng looked toward her and said, ¡°1 owe you a lot of things. I kept thinking about making up for them. This wedding is one of those things. Also, 1 want to do the bowing ceremony with you again.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu felt her heart palpitating.


    Come to think of it, the person who did the ceremony with Xie Heng was actually the original owner of this body. She and Xie Heng weren¡¯t a real couple. Technically speaking, Xie Heng and Zhao Chuchu weren¡¯t actually husband and wife yet.


    ¡°Chuchu, is that alright?¡± Xie Heng felt a little nervous.


    ¡°Of course. Number One Schr Xie, how can you let Chuchu miss out on that?


    Chuchu, it¡¯s decided. We¡¯re going to have a grand wedding,¡± said Princess Jianan. ¡°1 heard that your maiden family just sent you over to the Xie n after receiving money from them. You guys didn¡¯t even do the bowing ceremony?¡±


    ¡°We did,¡± said Xie Heng. ¡°It¡¯s just that I was blind back then, so we simplified everything. I feel really sorry for Chuchu.¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, what do you think?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it then!¡±


    Getting married is one of the most important things in a person¡¯s life. Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t reject the suggestion. Both she and the original owner would have wanted to go through the proper wedding procedure.


    ¡°Alright, the princess¡¯s pce will organize this.¡±


    ¡°No need, princess. You¡¯re a royal, while I¡¯m just an ordinary citizen. I can¡¯t organize my wedding using the name of the royal family. It would be great if you coulde to the wedding reception.¡± Zhao Chuchu rejected the princess¡¯s suggestion.


    The emperor already disliked Xie Heng. If they let the princess¡¯s pce organize the wedding, the emperor would probably think Xie Heng was trying to plot something. He might just be suspicious of Xie Heng as a result and try to eliminate him.


    ¡°Auntie, we shouldn¡¯t get involved in this,¡± Xie Yan said to Princess Jianan.


    ¡°Zizhao is in a very sensitive position right now, and Father will not like it.¡± Princess Jianan recalled that Xie Heng had raised Xie Jun.


    She pped herself on thep and said, ¡°Right! Sorry, I got excited and totally forgot about such an important matter. If that¡¯s the case, Chuchu, you should invite your family in Guangqing Province to the Imperial City. Otherwise, if no one from your maiden familyes, those mindless fools might start to gossip again.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for the reminder, princess. Once we confirm the date, I¡¯ll arrange for it.¡¯


    ¡°Just let me know if you need help with anything. The princess¡¯s pce has nothing but lots of manpower.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu didn¡¯t expect Xie Hengs sudden request to hold the bowing ceremony again. He had even chosen a date already.


    The Yuan n, Xia Chengxuan, the Gan n, and some of their friends in Lengshui Vige were invited to the Imperial City by Xie Heng. He did it so fast that it was obvious that he had been nning this for a long time. He was simply waiting for Zhao Chuchu¡¯s approval..

 Chapter 535 - 535: She’s Getting Married!

    Chapter 535: She¡¯s Getting Married!


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    News of Xie Heng and Zhao Chuchu having another wedding quickly spread across the Imperial City.


    Many people who were jealous of Xie Heng immediately told the Censorate about him, saying that he shouldn¡¯t do something like that.


    But the emperor was rather happy.


    The more perfect Xie Heng was, the more the emperor disliked him.


    Because that would mean that the royal family was worse than the Xie n.


    But if Xie Heng had many ws, that would mean that he was only an ordinary person as well.


    The Censorate raised the issue, emphasizing its importance, but the emperor dismissed it outright and decided not to do anything to Xie Heng.


    The Censorate minister was speechless.


    Zhao Chuchu and Xie Hengs wedding was held on the ninth day of June.


    Since Mrs. Yuan was Zhao Chuchu¡¯s Godmother, the Yuan n was Zhao Chuchu¡¯s maiden family.


    To let Zhao Chuchu have a grand wedding, the Yuan n spent an enormous amount of money to buy a mansion so Zhao Chuchu could start the wedding there.


    After wearing the wedding dress and veil, Zhao Chuchu felt a strange feeling well up in her chest.


    She was getting married.


    While novel, the event also made Zhao Chuchu feel a little nervous.


    Xie Heng, the Yuan n, and Hu Yiming tried to y the wedding door game with Xie Heng, but they couldn¡¯t block Xie Heng at all.


    Qiao Heting was part of the bride-fetching group as well. Heughed and said, ¡°This is our Number One Schr. So you don¡¯t need to waste time trying. No one can stop him!¡±


    Xie Heng was ted and looked even happier than when he achieved rank one in the exams.


    After breaking through severalyers of the human blockade, he finally reached Zhao Chuchu. A sense of happiness and bliss filled his heart as he looked at the girl who wore a veil for him.


    He finally found his girl in this life.


    ¡°Chuchu, I came to fetch you home,¡± he said softly. Then he swept Zhao Chuchu off her feet and carried her into his arms before walking out to the main hall.


    The parents of the original owner passed away a long time ago. Zhao Chuchu kowtowed to their memorial tablets and thought, ¡°Regardless of who I am, I will always be your daughter. I believe ¡®Chuchu¡¯ will also find love and joy like me.¡±


    The moment she thought about that, a pair of magpies flew in from the window. Theynded on the table and started chirping happily.


    Everyone was shocked.


    ¡°Magpies! Those are magpies!¡¯


    ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve seen magpies that aren¡¯t afraid of people.¡±


    ¡°l suppose they really are a match made in heaven.¡±


    The crowd chattered.


    Zhao Chuchu looked at the magpies, and she couldn¡¯t help but smile widely.


    Did the parents of the original owner send over the magpies as their blessing?


    Xie Heng also kneeled before the memorial tablets and kowtowed to them.


    After that, Zhao Chuchu went onto the bridal sedan chair and went through all the wedding procedures.


    Yuan Hui said softly, ¡°Chuchu, I just realized how tiring getting married is! Are you alright? You haven¡¯t eaten the whole day!¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯m alright. I¡¯m not tired,¡± Zhao Chuchu replied.


    She was no ordinary person, and it wasn¡¯t easy for her to feel tired.


    After the bowing ceremony, Zhao Chuchu was sent into the bridal chamber.


    Under the guidance of the wedding chaperone, Xie Heng used the beam of a weighing scale to lift the veil.


    His bride was so beautiful that he couldn¡¯t move his eyes away.


    Everyoneughed and said, ¡°Look! Dr. Zhao has the Number One Schr under her spell! Mr. Xie, don¡¯t forget to drink the cross-cupped wine with her!¡±


    Xie Heng blushed a little as he took over the wine ss and drank the wedding wine with Zhao Chuchu.


    From that moment on, they were officially husband and wife. In good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, they will be with each other for the rest of their lives.


    Xie Heng still needed to go outside to drink with the guests, so Zhao Chuchu was left alone in the room.


    Yuan Hui went over and said, ¡°He forgot to blink when he was looking at you just now. Chuchu, you are the prettiest bride in the world.¡±


    Kang Xiuwan smiled and said, ¡°Huihui, Heir Qiao will do the same when you get married. 1 noticed just now that Heir Qiao kept looking at you during the wedding.¡±


    Yuan Hui immediately got bashful. She hit Kang Xiuwan with her first and said, ¡°Eww! I¡¯m talking about Chuchu! Why are you talking about me? Hmph!


    I¡¯m going tough at you when you get married!¡±


    Kang Xiuwan looked down and smiled but did not reply.


    Zhao Men asked, ¡°Sis, is Mr. Xie doing this because you and he didn¡¯t have a bowing ceremony in Lengshui Vige, and he wants to make up for it?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Zhao Chuchu nodded and said.


    ¡°That¡¯s great. That means that brother-inw really cares about you. You don¡¯t know this, but when brother-inw became the Number One Schr, many people gossiped about it. I was so mad!¡± Zhao Men was still quite angry when she thought about those people. But Xie Hengs actions really helped her prove those people wrong.


    Why would they say that Xie Heng would abandon Zhao Chuchu after bing sessful? How dare they say that their marriage wasn¡¯t legitimate just because they didn¡¯t have a bowing ceremony? They even said that Xie Heng was going to marry someone more prestigious.


    Zhao Men wanted to argue with them, but she couldn¡¯t win.


    ¡°Men, there is no need to listen to what other people say. They control their mouths, and they can say whatever they want. 1 know you¡¯re mad for my sake, but I feel that they are not worth your anger. You know what kind of person your brother-inw is way better than them, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu consoled Zhao Men.


    Zhao Men nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s true. There¡¯s really no need to get mad. Anyway, news of your wedding with brother-inw will go back to the vige. I would like to see those people¡¯s expressions!¡±


    ¡°Huihui, your wedding ising soon also, right?¡± asked Zhao Chuchu looking at Yuan Hui.


    Yuan Hui nodded.


    Qiao Heting and Yuan Hui¡¯s wedding was supposed to happenst year. But they had to dy it because of some unexpected events. However, they had already chosen a new day, which would happen on October 16.


    ¡°Where are you going to start the ceremony from?¡±


    ¡°From Guangqing Province.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu thought about the distance. Guangqing Province is really far from the Imperial City. It will truly be a long-distance marriage.


    ¡°Are you nervous?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    She was nervousst year, but the wedding got dyed.


    So Yuan Hui didn¡¯t feel nervous about it anymore.


    Old Mrs. Yuan also knew that the Imperial City differed greatly from Guangqing Province. She had taught Yuan Hui how to deal with social asions and how to be a good female leader of the n. As a result, Yuan Hui looked a lot more mature now. She was no longer overly innocent or naive.


    After Yuan Hui married and moved into the Imperial City, Zhao Chuchu had another friend. Princess Jianan would probably like Yuan Hui as well.


    Yuan Hui didn¡¯t stay in their room for too long.


    Zhao Chuchu waited alone for Xie Heng to return.


    The Xie n had a few servants now as well. So Zhao Chuchu got them to prepare a tub of hot water so she could have a nice warm bath and change out of the cumbersome wedding clothes.


    When she came out of the bath, Xie Heng returned as well.


    He had drunk quite a bit of alcohol, but he wasn¡¯t drunk.


    When he saw Zhao Chuchue over, he stared at her with unflinching eyes.


    Zhao Chuchu took a hangover pill from her carry-on space and fed it to him. ¡°You¡¯re going to have a headache, and this will prevent it.¡±


    ¡°Chuchu, I¡¯m so happy,¡± said Xie Heng. ¡°We¡¯re finally married.¡±


    This asion belonged to him and Zhao Chuchu, and he had been nning for it for a long time.


    ¡°I¡¯m happy to marry you as well.¡± Zhao Chuchu smiled. ¡°But you smell like alcohol right now. Do you want to go bathe first?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Xie Heng felt a little ufortable as well. He immediately left after Zhao Chuchu suggested it.


    Zhao Chuchu couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    Xie Heng was only 17 this year. In her eyes, he¡¯s still underage.


    So, they couldn¡¯t really get intimate tonight..

 Chapter 536 Are You Feeling Threatened By My Brother?

    536 Are You Feeling Threatened By My Brother?


    In reality, Zhao Chuchu didn''t have the chance to do anything with Xie Heng, even if she wanted to.


    An urgent message was delivered from the northeastern side of the dynasty. The Rong Dynasty had dered war on the Wei Dynasty. There were more than one million Rong soldiers stationed outside Tiang Checkpoint. The general stationed at the checkpoint had requested reinforcements from the imperial court.


    The emperor was livid. He immediately summoned the cab to the pce to discuss possible solutions.


    Although the emperor wasn''t a great leader and was often quite oblivious to many issues, he knew that he could not back down when the nation''s integrity was threatened.


    The Wei Dynasty had no choice but to fight the war. All government officials in the Ministry of Revenue and Military Department were summoned back to their respective posts to await instructions. Mobilizing the troops, nning for weaponry and supplies...


    Xie Heng couldn''t even finish his bath when he had to put on his official gown and head out in a hurry.


    It would be three days before he returned.


    The emperor ordered the Dynasty Duke to lead 300 thousand troops and head to Tiang Checkpoint to reinforce the border army. Qiao Heting was on the list as well.


    Because of this, Qiao Heting and Yuan Hui''s wedding was brought forward. But unfortunately, the emperor gave Qiao Heting one month before he had to head to the battlefield.


    On the other hand, Xie Heng was in charge of delivering supplies for the army.


    This made Zhao Chuchu rather confused.


    Xie Heng''s position was very high right now. So why would he be put in charge of something so important?


    "The Great Prince is still alive. He absolutely hates me right now, so he''ll try everything to kill me." Xie Heng was rtively calm as he spoke. "Chuchu, I need your help this time."


    "Okay." Zhao Chuchu nodded and answered before Xie Heng even told her what he needed help with. She knew what Xie Heng meant. "Prepare the supplies, and I''ll go get them."


    "Thank you," said Xie Heng. "It''s going to be dangerous this time."


    "It''s fine. I''ve experienced things that are even more dangerous than this."


    Xie Heng sighed and hugged Zhao Chuchu.


    The Rong Dynasty had been rising rapidly in the past few years. It had already be the Wei Dynasty''s greatest enemy.


    They had previously maintained peace with the Wei Dynasty but had started to harass the Wei Dynasty''s border in the past two years. However, they seemed to have no intention ofunching an all-out war. No one expected this to happen.


    But Xie Heng was prepared for it. In fact, he had discussed it with Xie Yan before.


    A centipede can still continue moving after death. So although Sikou Zhendong and his family had been executed, some of his forces were still alive.


    Besides, the emperor had nine sons. The Great Prince wasn''t the only one who had ambition. The other princes were greedy, ambitious people as well.


    Xie Yan was destined to die, but Zhao Chuchu''s appearance allowed Xie Yan to be normal again. On top of this, the emperor had always favored Xie Yan, not to mention Xie Jun''s return to the royal family. All these things caused the other princes to feel increasingly threatened.


    To them, Xie Yan was a strong enemy, and so was Xie Heng.


    But they had no chance to do anything to them in the Imperial City. Now that the Rong Dynasty hadunched a war against the Wei Dynasty, it was an excellent opportunity for them to wipe out both Xie Yan and Xie Heng in one fell swoop.


    As for Xie Jun, no one really cared about the kid.


    "Chuchu, you get ready. They might summon you to be their military doctor," Xie Heng reminded her. "Before the army sets up, give me a list of herbs that you might need."


    "I thought women could not enter the army."


    "When they need you, they don''t care if you''re a woman or a man."


    Xie Heng''s eyes turned cold.


    There are many shameless people in the world, especially those in the royal court.


    They disallow women to enter the army during peacetime, then push the women out to try to form marriage alliances with the enemy during wartime.


    They certainly wouldn''t hesitate to summon a few female doctors.


    "Got it."


    Zhao Chuchu nodded.


    She had actually been trying to make high-concentration alcohol a long time ago and had seeded.


    But Zhao Chuchu didn''t tell Xie Heng about this.


    There was some high-concentration alcohol in her carry-on space, but it was certainly not enough for a war between the two dynasties.


    She had started thinking about this when they were still in Guangqing Province.


    The stock of high-concentration alcohol is still in Guangqing Province, and they would need to move it to the battlefield in the northwest as well.


    Zhao Chuchu came out with a list of herbs, passed it to Xie Heng, and then quietly returned to Guangqing Province.


    Ten dayster, everything was prepared. The army set off for the northwest border.


    As for the supplies, Xie Heng and Xie Yan swapped out part of them after the Great Prince''s men had verified them. Then they brought the supplies and headed to the northwest disguised as merchants.


    But Xie Yan didn''t know that the supplies they were delivering had been swapped again. The actual supplies were actually inside Zhao Chuchu''s carry-on space.


    The Great Prince''s men thought they could trick everyone by mixing sand and old supplies and using them to rece the "real" supplies being delivered.


    There were severalyers to thisplex scheme. Almost no one knew that the real person delivering the supplies was actually Zhao Chuchu.


    The day before the army was ted to set off, just as Xie Heng had predicted, Zhao Chuchu was enlisted as a military doctor to head to the northwestern border with Xie Heng.


    Upon learning about this, Xie Jun immediately went to look for the emperor. "Father, Sis is just a woman, and the battlefield is extremely dangerous. How can we send her to the border? Please retract your order, Father."


    The emperor said coldly, "Junjun, do you know who you are? As a prince, you should know that every citizen is responsible for fighting when our dynasty is threatened. Now, the entire Wei Dynasty was being threatened. If they break through Tiang Checkpoint, not one of our people will be safe! Zhao Chuchu is a great doctor. With her in the northwest, she will be able to minimize deaths and injuries for our army."


    The reason he agreed to the suggestion of the cab to let Xie Heng deliver the supplies was because it aligned with his n.


    His favorite prince, Xie Yan, didn''t have much time left. But Xie Jun was far more intelligent than the other princes. So if Xie Jun could follow Xie Yan for a few years and learn the ropes, he would undoubtedly be a worthy crown prince.


    However, Xie Heng and Xie Jun had a very strong bond. As the emperor, he couldn''t let a threat like this remain.


    If Xie Jun bes the emperor in the future and Xie Heng uses the opportunity to control Xie Jun, this dynasty could change hands and belong to the Xie n instead!


    The emperor couldn''t allow a threat like this to exist. Xie Heng was way too intelligent. If Xie Heng weren''t rted to Xie Jun, the emperor would greatly appreciate his wisdom, and he might even give him very important duties.


    But the emperor had too many other considerations. So no matter how much he liked him for his talent and intellect, he couldn''t let Xie Heng live. The same goes for Zhao Chuchu.


    With Zhao Chuchu around, unless they could kill Xie Heng instantly, it would be tough to kill him.


    The emperor had pride. He couldn''t let the world think he intentionally tried to kill Xie Heng and Zhao Chuchu!


    Xie Jun had been with Xie Heng for a long time. Although he had always appeared naive and innocent when he was with Xie Heng, he wasn''t actually so.


    He looked at the emperor. He was tempted to ask, "Are you doing this because my bro raised me? Are you feeling threatened by my brother? Are you trying to kill him?"


    But as the words reached his tongue, he swallowed them back down.


    He knew that if he really asked those questions, his brother might die the very next day.


    Xie Jun had no choice but to use the fact that he was still a child. He asked the emperor with redness in his eyes, "There are so many doctors in the imperial physician academy. Why can''t they go?"


    "Come here." Xie Jun''s tears triggered a soft spot in the emperor''s heart. He waved and told Xie Jun to go closer.


    Xie Jun walked over and stood beside the emperor.


    The emperor rubbed his head and said, "I know you like them and care for them a lot. But you must understand that someone has to take the risk for the millions of people in the country. Besides, your Sis is just working behind the army. Nothing''s going to happen to her. Don''t worry."


    Xie Jun clenched his fists. Working behind? Do you intend to send her to the frontline and fight the enemies?

 Chapter 537 A Crime Punishable By Death

    537 A Crime Punishable By Death


    "I understand." Xie Jun looked down.


    "You will know what I mean in the future. I''m also doing this for their sake. That''s why I sent them to the northwestern border." The emperor spoke as though he were helping Xie Heng and Zhao Chuchu.


    Xie Jun''s expression was a little ugly.


    Although this man was his birth father, his love for him was not evenparable to what he felt for Xie Heng. No, it was probably even less than Xie Yan.


    Xie Jun didn''t believe a single thing that the emperor said.


    But he couldn''t leave the Imperial City either because that would threaten his brother''s safety.


    After exiting the emperor''s pce, Xie Jun looked up into the sky. Regardless of how luxurious the royal pce was, the ce that he missed the most was their little home in Lengshui Vige.


    While he ate the best food and wore the highest quality clothing, he was trapped behind those tall walls. He couldn''t even protect his own brother!


    As Xie Jun thought about Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng, who were heading toward the border in the northwest, he clenched his fists. He realized in the clearest way possible that if he wanted to protect the people he cared for, the only way was to get a hold of the highest position of power.


    He wanted to be the person who would give him the right to speak and make decisions rather than begging someone else to do it for him!


    Bro, Sis, and Third Brother, don''t worry. I won''t let you down.


    The supplies were always mobilized before the army itself.


    Before Zhao Chuchu set off with the army, Xie Heng had already moved off first with the supplies.


    The Dynasty Duke received a notification from Xie Yan, who asked him to take special care of Zhao Chuchu.


    "Mrs. Xie, just tell them whatever you need. No need to hold back."


    "Thank you, Duke. Since I''m a military doctor, I''m part of the army. Therefore, I should be treated equally with the other soldiers andmanders."


    When the Dynasty Duke heard her, he took a good look at Zhao Chuchu.


    He knew long ago that Zhao Chuchu was an outstanding doctor, but he didn''t think that she could get used to the speed at which the army was moving or their lifestyle.


    But now he realized that Zhao Chuchu wasn''t one of those fragile ceramic dolls.


    The Dynasty Dukeughed heartily and said, "I heard that your skills as a doctor are unparalleled. Thank you for being with us."


    Zhao Chuchu said, "Since I am a military doctor now, it is my duty to save lives and cure injuries for our soldiers. So don''t worry, Duke, I will do my best."


    The Dynasty Duke sighed and said, "The Rong Dynasty has been getting stronger in the past few years. I don''t know how long this war willst."


    The Dynasty Duke sincerely felt that the emperor was overly suspicious and very petty.


    Of course, he knew why the emperor sent Xie Heng and Zhao Chuchu to the battlefield.


    Regardless, be it for Xie Yan''s or Xie Jun''s sake, he had to protect this couple and not let them die on the battlefield.


    The Dynasty Duke couldn''t bring himself to harm Doctor Miracle and a future pir in the imperial court.


    That''s right, in the eyes of the Dynasty Duke, Xie Heng was way too outstanding. He appreciated Xie Heng''s abilities and talent.


    "With the Duke here, I''m sure we can end this war quickly," said Zhao Chuchu, looking toward the Dynasty Duke.


    "I''m getting old."


    "You''re still in your best years. Why do you say that?"


    The Dynasty Duke liked thatment a lot.


    After a while, he suddenly said somethingpletely unrted. "There are a lot of bandits on our way there. Please be careful."


    After that, he rode forward on his horse and left Zhao Chuchu behind.


    Zhao Chuchu looked at him and frowned.


    Did he mean that even the emperor might try to do something to them other than the Great Prince?


    Upon thinking about that, Zhao Chuchu couldn''t help but feel a deep disgust for the emperor.


    The emperor was already severely ill. He just didn''t know it yet. He only had one or two years left in his life.


    If he didn''t keep trying to kill Xie Heng and her, Zhao Chuchu might consider saving him.


    But now... Let''s just let him follow the natural cycle of life and death. After all, he wasn''t even a good emperor. If he didn''t have so many wise ministers and officials in the royal court, this dynasty would have fallen long ago.


    What a lucky emperor!


    How is Xie Heng doing? Zhao Chuchu looked forward and wondered.


    Someone was trying to make Xie Heng''s life difficult right now.


    The lieutenant who led the troops delivering the supplies was very upset that Xie Heng was in charge of this task despite not being part of the military.


    There are so many supplies here. So even if they just took a bit of it, they could use it to exchange for a lot of food for themselves.


    After all, food was far more expensive at the northwest border.


    But with Xie Heng there, they didn''t dare to do anything.


    "There are a lot of bandits on the way to the northwest. Should we just... get rid of him?" suggested someone to the lieutenant. "He''s just a weak, frail schr. It''s quite normal for him to die under the des of fierce bandits, right? Then you would be in charge of delivering the supplies again."


    "No, if we make any mistake, all of us will be executed. Haven''t you heard? Xie Heng''s former brother, Xie Jun, is actually the ninth prince?"


    "If the emperor really valued him, why would he send him to do such a dangerous task? In my opinion, the emperor definitely does not like him. No emperor would be willing to owe anything to his subordinates! Even if the emperor did owe anything to someone, it has to be in private, but everyone knows about Xie Heng and the ninth prince."


    "That''s true."


    "I heard that his wife, Zhao Chuchu, was also enlisted as a military doctor. This has never happened in the Wei Dynasty before. Lieutenant, have you ever heard of a female doctor in the military?"


    The lieutenant didn''t reply. Instead, he looked at the man riding a horse at the front of the formation. A killing intent shed across his eyes.


    Yeah, if the emperor was really nning to put Xie Heng in important posts, why would he let someone so young and experienced deliver the supplies?


    This was a task that could result in crimes punishable by death.


    There were far too many things that could be done with the supplies. From gathering to delivery, there were simply too many loopholes.


    Xie Heng wasn''t trained in the military. So he was alone here and depended on other people for almost everything.


    After making up his mind, the lieutenant rode his horse forward to catch up to Xie 15:49


    Heng. He then smiled and said, "Official Xie, I''m just a rather brutish person, and I say The lieutenant looked at the long line of horses and soldiers. He would be lying if he said that he wasn''t tempted.


    Besides, he was given orders to create some idents for the supply-delivery convoy!


    Xie Heng was the best scapegoat!


    After making up his mind, the lieutenant rode his horse forward to catch up to Xie Heng. He then smiled and said, "Official Xie, I''m just a rather brutish person, and I say whatever is on my mind. I wasn''t trying to offend you just now. So please don''t mind me, haha."


    Xie Heng said gently, "Lieutenant Qiu, I thought about what you said just now. I think you''re very right. We''re delivering these supplies to Tiang Checkpoint, and we can''t afford even a single day of dy. So we should continue to move. But I have a suggestion. Would you like to hear it?"


    "Please go ahead, Official Xie. I would love to hear it."


    "Since we can''t afford to waste any time, should we split the convoy into two? Then, we can work in shifts that allow us to keep moving throughout the day. That way, we won''t waste any time."


    Lieutenant Qiu was speechless.


    Is this guy trying to kill the soldiers delivering the supplies?


    Even a machine would break down if it worked around the clock!


    Lieutenant Qiu was about to get angry but saw Xie Heng''s serious expression. He didn''t seem to be joking.


    "What do you think, Lieutenant Qiu?" Xie Heng asked humbly. "That way, we can get to Tiang Checkpoint in the shortest possible time."


    Foolish!


    Lieutenant Qiu looked down on Xie Heng from the bottom of his heart.


    "Official Xie, you''ve never fought a war before. You don''t know what it means to work around the clock. Official Xie, we''re both in charge of delivering the supplies, but I''m a little more experienced in this. So I think it''s better for you to listen to me."


    "Of course, please teach me what to do."

 Chapter 538 Any Last Words?

    538 Any Last Words?


    Xie Heng''s obedience made Lieutenant Qiu think that he was scared.


    Lieutenant Qiu sneered, and his disdain for Xie Heng grewrger.


    "I''m d that you can think that way, Official Xie. After all, different professions can be worlds apart. I understand that you might be capable of managing the country in the royal court, but I believe I am the expert here when ites tomanding troops and fighting a war."


    "That''s very true, Lieutenant Qiu. Well, then, I''ll have to trouble you for the trip. Just let me know if you need me to do anything."


    "Okay, I will."


    Lieutenant Qiu felt he had the upper hand in the rtionship with Xie Heng. So he happily rode the horse and went ahead.


    Xie Heng looked at him, and he appeared rtively calm.


    For the next few days, Xie Heng and Lieutenant Qiu''s interactions became a lot more friendly.


    Lieutenant Qiu even asked about Xie Heng''s studies.


    The two of them interacted rather naturally and seemed to like talking to each other. It was almost as if they were good friends.


    With Lieutenant Qiu''s intellect, of course, he couldn''t tell what Xie Heng was actually thinking. So he thought that Xie Heng was just a weak schr without pride or a mind of his own.


    In the night, Lieutenant Qiu started discussing with his closest subordinates how to kill Xie Heng.


    They didn''t know that Xie Heng had heard all their ns.


    Xie Heng simplyughed when he heard them, and he wasn''t really bothered at all.


    He knew better than anyone else what these "supplies" really were.


    Just nice. He could use Lieutenant Qiu''s plot to create "alternate arrangements" for these supplies and deliver them to Tiang Checkpoint in advance.


    Lieutenant Qiu didn''t know that just as he was setting Xie Heng up, he had already be a pawn in Xie Heng''s game.


    Two weekster.


    Lieutenant Qiuunched the attack.


    He could have never imagined that the "weak schr" was actually an extremely powerful martial artist.


    Forget about the bandits that he had hired. Even he and his subordinates couldn''t defeat Xie Heng.


    When Xie Heng stepped on them and looked at them from above, Lieutenant Qiu felt a chill run down his spine.


    "Anyst words?" Xie Heng''s voice was emotionless, which made Lieutenant Qiu even more fearful.


    "How dare you kill me? I am an officer appointed by the imperial court..."


    "Lieutenant Qiu died in a fight with several bandits. He sacrificed himself to protect the supplies and our country."


    "You..."


    "Nost words, then."


    Xie Heng raised his sword and prepared to kill Lieutenant Qiu.


    Lieutenant Qiu was terrified. "If I die, things wouldn''t end up well for you either! Don''t you know how you became the person in charge of these supplies? So if you want to leave, you better let me go. I can protect you."


    Xie Hengughed. "Oh yeah? I''d love to see what happens."


    As he said that, Lieutenant Qiu drew hisst breath.


    After making the necessary arrangements, Xie Heng ordered one of his trusted subordinates to report the case to the local government.


    When the magistrate heard about this, he almost fainted.


    Someone tried to rob the army''s supplies?


    Crap, crap, this is the end of him.


    Although he was just a county magistrate and not some big shot, he did his best on the job. But this massive disaster had juste out of nowhere and dropped on him. He couldn''t believe that something like this had happened at the ce where he was in charge.


    Those are military supplies. He could be held ountable with his life!


    Even then, the magistrate hurriedly brought some men and went to where the incident had urred.


    The sight of the corpses strewn around the path made the magistrate feel like he was about to faint.


    Xie Heng was also injured and could barely stand on his own.


    Fortunately, none of the supplies were robbed, which made the magistrate feel a little more at ease.


    After the case was handed over to the local government, Xie Heng continued to deliver the supplies despite his "serious injuries." Even the county magistrate admired his determination.


    Soon, the Dynasty Duke received the news as well.


    The Dynasty Duke was livid.


    When Zhao Chuchu heard that Xie Heng was hurt, she immediately requested to visit him. After the Dynasty Duke approved of her absence, she rode a horse and went toward Xie Heng as quickly as she could.

 Chapter 539 He Wont Be Able To Live For That Long

    539 He Won''t Be Able To Live For That Long


    By the time Zhao Chuchu caught up to Xie Heng, the sky had already turned dark.


    "Who are you?" The moment she got near, one of the soldiers protecting the supplies yelled, "Stand there. Do not get any closer!"


    "I am Zhao Chuchu. I came to look for Xie Heng," Zhao Chuchu stopped and said.


    Xie Heng immediately came over when he heard her.


    "Chuchu, why are you here?" Xie Heng walked over to Zhao Chuchu. His eyes were filled to the brim with gentle, loving emotion. "Did something happen over at the Dynasty Duke''s troops?" he asked.


    "No, I heard that you were hurt. I came here after seeking permission from the Dynasty Duke. Where are your injuries?"


    "I''m fine."


    Zhao Chuchu actually already knew that Xie Heng was alright. The "injuries" were all just light scuffs for others to see.


    But since Xie Heng wanted to put on a show, Zhao Chuchu had to help him.


    "Hold on."


    Xie Heng said to the soldier who had yelled at Zhao Chuchu just now, "This is my wife. The emperor asked her to join the army as a military doctor. She came by the orders of the Dynasty Duke."


    The soldier''s face turned red as he said, "Mrs. Xie, I''m sorry I didn''t recognize you. Please forgive me for my actions just now."


    "That''s fine. You were just performing your duties."


    "Thank you for your generosity, Mrs. Xie."


    "I''ll go check on my husband''s injuries first."


    "Yes, please, Mrs. Xie."


    Xie Heng held Zhao Chuchu''s hand, and they went to his carriage.


    That''s right. After he was "hurt," the magistrate arranged a horse carriage for him so he wouldn''t need to suffer a bumpy horseback ride.


    "They alreadyunched an attack?"


    "Yup, they couldn''t wait."


    "Where are those people?"


    "They died in the hands of the ''bandits.''"


    Zhao Chuchu frowned and said, "The emperor wants us both dead... Not surprising. Just look at his sons. Only the Third Prince is still human."


    "If he were a wise ruler, the imperial harem incident wouldn''t have happened," said Xie Heng as his expression turned cold.


    In his previous life, if he didn''t destroy the Great Prince together with Xie Yan, it was difficult to imagine how the Great Prince would ravage this dynasty.


    "But if we survive, he still has other ploys, right?"


    "He wouldn''t be able to live for that long."


    Zhao Chuchu was a little surprised. "Are you nning to overthrow him?"


    "What are you thinking? That''s Junjun''s father. I won''t do that to him." Xie Heng poked her forehead lightly and said, "It''s the Great Prince. The emperor hasn''t appointed a crown prince yet. He is the eldest son, so he has the best chance of taking the throne."


    "Sick bastard."


    The emperor couldn''t bear to kill him, yet he was trying to kill the emperor.


    "Does the Third Prince know about this?"


    "No."


    Xie Heng didn''t n to tell Xie Yan either.


    Of course, Xie Yan could very well find out himself.


    Zhao Chuchu could tell what Xie Heng meant.


    Since Xie Heng said it this way, she had no reason to interfere.


    The emperor was an overly suspicious person. Even if she saved him, he might think that they set the whole thing up to win him over. The emperor might even take out his anger on the people of Lengshui Vige.


    It''s probably a good thing for him to die early.


    "Stay with me and take care of me for this period."


    Xie Heng changed the topic. He was looking into Zhao Chuchu''s eyes throughout the conversation.


    Zhao Chuchu nodded and said, "I was nning to do that. Since I''m here already, I won''t return to the Dynasty Duke''s troops. It makes no difference if I go back after reaching the Tiang Checkpoint.


    "But Da Lang, have you made arrangements for the destination?"


    "Yes."


    Looking at the date, the "merchants" had probably arrived at their destination.


    Xie Heng wouldn''t let the emperor have any reason to charge him.


    On the contrary, sending Zhao Chuchu to the Tiang Checkpoint would only elerate his own death.


    The rest of their trip was a lot more peaceful.


    Of course, that was just rtively speaking.


    The bandits that kept popping out of nowhere were highly annoying.


    Xie Heng didn''t spare any mercy for them. Instead, he killed all the bandits that he could and handed them over to the local government.


    Reports kept being sent back to the Imperial City. As the emperor looked at reports of his men dying one after another, he was furious.


    However, he was in the Imperial City. Therefore, there was nothing that he could do to harm Xie Heng, who was far out in the northwest.


    Xie Heng could fight... The emperor felt like he had been lied to and cheated.


    There''s a saying: When an emperor gets mad, millions will die for his anger.


    As he continued to fail at killing Xie Heng, the emperor''s desire to kill him grew. This was humiliating for him.


    But the emperor still had some semnce of pride. He couldn''t just order Xie Heng''s execution. Otherwise, who knows what the historians would say about him?


    As he thought about the rtionship between Xie Yan and Xie Heng, the emperor felt really ufortable.


    So he started thinking about the Great Prince, who was currently grounded.


    The Great Prince had always been really good at pleasing the emperor. Although he was worse than Xie Yan in the emperor''s mind, the emperor still liked him quite a bit.


    The emperor released the Great Prince.


    After being grounded for quite a long time, the Great Prince was filled with hatred toward the emperor.


    On top of this, the Great Prince had heard that Xie Yan had been entering the emperor''s pce rather frequently. So, naturally, this made him feel very threatened.


    He thought about a lot of things.


    People often say that a truly capable man must be capable of being evil. Once he gets that throne, he will have supreme power. Otherwise, he would have to depend on that biased father of his.


    Even if Xie Yan died, there was still Xie Jun. The Great Prince felt that it was time for him to fight for what he wanted.


    Before entering the pce to meet the emperor again, he had a very long private meeting with his closest advisor.


    When the Great Prince went to the emperor, he kneeled on the ground and started crying. Heined that he was tricked by the former duke and lied to. He didn''t know what kind of person Sikou Zhendong really was. So he begged for forgiveness from the emperor.


    The emperor immediately softened his attitude toward the Great Prince.


    After reprimanding him a little, he forgave the Great Prince.


    From then on, the Great Prince appeared in front of the cab again.


    After the incident, the Great Prince seemed to have really changed for the better.


    He no longer tried to pick fights with Xie Yan in everything he did. Instead, he became humble and started asking Xie Yan about things that he didn''t know. He even became friendly toward Xie Jun.


    The emperor was delighted by his change.


    But Xie Yan felt that something wasn''t right.


    It''s easier to move a mountain than to change a person. Xie Yan didn''t believe that the Great Prince had changed for the better.


    The Great Prince had always felt that the throne rightfully belonged to him. However, Xie Yan was the biggest threat to the Great Prince right now. How could the Great Prince possibly coexist with him peacefully?


    There was definitely something strange going on.


    But Xie Yan couldn''t tell what the Great Prince wanted to do. So all he could do was take extra precautions to protect Xie Jun lest the Great Prince try to assassinate him.


    But on the surface, he pretended to be good brothers with the Great Prince.


    The emperor became even happier. He rarely even reprimanded the Great Prince anymore.


    Everything that was happening in the Imperial City was within Xie Heng''s control.


    When the Great Prince was once againmended by the emperor, Xie Heng and Zhao Chuchu arrived at Ganning City, a city close to the Tiang Checkpoint.


    They were supposed to hand over the supplies here.


    The supplies officer at Tiang Checkpoint came over to receive the convoy.


    "Sir, please, save me!"


    When the supplies officer arrived, a soldier in the convoy suddenly ran out and kneeled in front of him. He said, "There''s something that I need to report. Please protect me, sir."


    "What are you doing?!" yelled the supplies officer. "Don''t you know that you''re supposed to report to your direct superior?"


    "No, sir, if you don''t save me, I will die in the hands of Official Xie. Those supplies, they, they''re all fake..."

 Chapter 540 Dont Think I Dont Dare to Kill You

    540 Don''t Think I Don''t Dare to Kill You


    The moment he said that, everyone''s expression changed.


    The supplies officer''s face darkened. "What did you just say? Repeat it!"


    "Sir, only the supplies at the top are real. Everything below is old grain mixed with sand. I don''t want to see the soldiers at the border protecting our country go hungry!"


    The supplies officer nced at Xie Heng coldly.


    Xie Heng''s expression was calm as usual. He said impassively, "Can I have a word with you?"


    The supplies officer sneered and said, "Are you going to bribe me?"


    "You''ve misunderstood." Xie Heng didn''t seem nervous at all.


    "Wait, let me take a look at the supplies first."


    "It''s the same if you look at itter."


    "You..."


    "Sir, Xie Heng is an evil and insidious man. He''s trying to drag you into his ploy. Don''t fall for it!" yelled the soldier.


    Xie Heng looked at the soldier. Although his eyes contained no emotion, they somehow exerted so much pressure on the soldier that he could barely breathe. He couldn''t help but take a step back subconsciously.


    Upon seeing that, the supplies started to suspect that soldier instead.


    "Let''s go, Official Xie." The supplies officer was quite confident that Xie Heng wouldn''t dare do anything to him, so he walked away first.


    Xie Heng followed him.


    "Now it''s just you and me. You can just tell me what you want to say." The supplies officer''s tone still wasn''t very friendly.


    "He is right. Most of these supplies are filled with sand. This isn''t the supplies that the Ministry of Revenue had gathered for us." Xie Heng got straight to the point.


    "What?!" The supplies officer was furious. "We are putting our lives on the line out here, fighting off aliens. How can you guys do this to our supplies?!"


    "Please remain calm. I''m not done yet."


    "What else do you have to say? Xie Heng, don''t think I won''t kill you."


    "I know you dare to, but you''re no match for me."


    "You..."


    "You would''ve heard that our trip here wasn''t a peaceful one. I think you know better than me whether the ''bandits'' are actually bandits. I can just tell you straight up that there are quite a few people in the Imperial City who want me dead."


    The supplies officer sneered. "Is that your reason for messing with the supplies?"


    Xie Heng remained calm. "I''ve never said that. I want us to win the war at Tiang Checkpoint more than anyone else. That''s why I swapped out the supplies before setting off. The actual supplies were delivered to Ganning City several days ago.


    "As for these, they''re just to confuse our enemies. I am not a hero, but I know that everyone is responsible when our country is in danger. If we can''t deliver the supplies, our dynasty will be the enemy''s territory."


    "Good talk, but if I find out that you lied about any of it, I will make sure you pay for it, even if it costs me my own life."


    The supplies officer said, but his expression had clearly be less hostile.


    He turned and walked to one of the carts. He picked a random bag and sliced it open. As Xie Heng said, it was just sand mixed with old grain. He even saw some worms crawling around in the bag.


    The supplies officer felt his blood pressure rising. He checked ten other bags at random. Other than the bags at the top, all other bags are the same as the first.


    The supplies officer''s face turnedpletely ck, as if a storm was about to ensue.


    Xie Heng waited for him to finish checking before giving an order. "Take him down!"


    The officer was infuriated. "Xie Heng, how dare you..."


    Before he couldplete his sentence, he saw Xie Heng''s men go over and tie up the soldier who tried to report Xie Heng.


    "Let''s go. We''ll go see the real supplies."


    Xie Heng pretended not to see the embarrassment on the officer''s face as he walked away.


    Chuchu said that she just needed some time to swap out all the supplies. However, it''s been quite a while, so she should be done by now.

 Chapter 541 - 541: Apologies For My Rash Actions

    Chapter 541: Apologies For My Rash Actions


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Xie Heng brought the supplies officer to the warehouse, where they stored the actual supplies. Zhao Chuchu had already been waiting outside.


    When the supplies officer saw that there was a woman outside the warehouse, his expression turned dark again. ¡°Official Xie, I¡¯m here to receive the supplies from you. I have no time for this nonsense. If you can¡¯t hand over the supplies today, don¡¯t me me for taking drastic action!¡±


    The moment he said that, all the soldiers behind him drew their des and stared at Xie Heng coldly.


    Xie Heng took a deep breath and told himself not to take the words of these military men to heart. ¡°You¡¯ve misunderstood. That¡¯s my wife. She came to Tiang Checkpoint because she was appointed as a military doctor. So it¡¯s not what you think.¡±


    The supplies officer¡¯s tanned face instantly turned red.


    He thought that Xie Heng had brought a prettydy here in an attempt to do something to him. But, unfortunately, it seemed that he had misunderstood.


    But the supplies officer knows when to yield and admit his faults. So he immediately apologized. ¡°Official Xie, I apologize for my impulsivements.


    Mrs. Xie, too, please forgive my rash actions.¡±


    Xie Heng pushed open the warehouse door and stepped inside as he said, ¡°Take a look at the supplies.¡±


    All three warehouses were filled with the supplies that they were tasked with delivering.


    The supplies officer suppressed his embarrassment and went inside with Xie Heng.


    Bags of supplies were neatly stacked up and filled the entire warehouse.


    Xie Heng said, ¡°This is just 40 percent of it. There are more in the other warehouses.¡±


    The supplies officer went forward. He sliced open one of the bags and picked out its contents. It was all good, new grains.


    He checked twenty other bags at random. None of it was old grains mixed with sand.


    The officer then checked the other two warehouses, and all of them were the same.


    He asked Xie Heng, ¡°Official Xie, why did you go through so much trouble to swap out the supplies before delivering them?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps because l i m a very cautious person. It turns out I was right. So it¡¯s good to be a bit more careful. Otherwise, if anything happens to our supplies, there is no way for the Dynasty Duke and his troops to hold Tiang Checkpoint against the Rong Dynasty.¡±


    The supplies officer knew that there was a tussle for power in the Imperial City, but he didn¡¯t ask about the actual reason behind Xie Hengs actions.


    As long as the supplies were in ce, he did not need to worry about anything


    ¡°Allow me to apologize for my actions previously. Official Xie, could you allow me to bring that soldier who tried to report you back to my camp?


    ¡°Do what you want with him, but don¡¯t kill him yet. We still need to report this to the imperial court.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know how important this is.¡±


    ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s finish up the takeover. The Dynasty Duke¡¯s reinforcements should be here soon as well.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Xie Heng spent three days verifying the supplies with the supplies officer and handing them over to him. After that, he finallypleted his mission.


    But Xie Heng wasn¡¯t in a rush to return to the Imperial City.


    Three dayster, the Dynasty Duke and his troops finally arrived at Tiang Checkpoint.


    During this time, there had been a ceasefire at Tiang Checkpoint.


    The Rong Dynasty¡¯s troops would stand outside the walls and scoff at the Wei Dynasty¡¯s army every day, saying that they were cowardly rats who could do nothing but hide in their fortress.


    The soldiers were outraged by it, but their general ordered them not to leave the checkpoint and fight the Rong Dynasty¡¯ s army. They weren¡¯t allowed to leave without permission.


    When the Dynasty Duke¡¯s troops arrived, the soldiers felt their spirits lifted. The past few weeks had been extremely irritating and annoying for them.


    Now that their supplies and reinforcements had arrived, they could finally fight these Rong Dynasty bastards.


    Upon arriving at Tiang Checkpoint, the Dynasty Duke did not stop to rest. Instead, he immediately went onto the walls to see the deployment of the Rong Dynasty¡¯s troops.


    The Rong Dynasty¡¯s troops had pitched their tents just ten miles away from Tiang Checkpoint. They were extremely arrogant, to say the least.


    ¡°Dynasty Duke, when are we going out there to kill those sons of bitches?¡± asked the deputy general excitedly. ¡°We¡¯ve been suppressing our anger this whole time. We¡¯re just waiting to go out there and kill those bastards.¡±


    ¡°How long have they been here for?¡±


    ¡°About half a month. They woulde here every day to taunt us and shout at us to go out and fight them.¡±


    ¡°Since they are at our doorstep, how can we not fight them?¡± The Dynasty Duke sneered.


    He started to deploy the troops when he came down from the wall. The soldiers of Tiang Checkpoint had been waiting for this day.


    When the gates opened, their roars made the earth tremble.


    The Rong Dynasty had been yelling at them for two weeks but received no response from the Wei Dynasty. So after a substantial amount of time, their morale would definitelye down.


    But the Wei Dynasty¡¯s soldiers were different. They were all extremely furious.


    On top of this, their confidence had been boosted by the arrival of


    reinforcements..

 Chapter 542 - 542: Why Are You Afraid If I Am Not?

    Chapter 542: Why Are You Afraid If I Am Not?


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The Wei Dynasty won an overwhelming victory against the Rong Dynasty.


    The Dynasty Duke won in the first battle, significantly boosting the soldiers¡¯ morale.


    However, the Wei Dynasty also suffered tremendous casualties.


    Zhao Chuchu was busy non-stop in the medical tent.


    At first, the military doctors did not believe she was proficient in medicine.


    That was until they witnessed her saving the life of a lieutenant general that they had dered a lost cause right before their very eyes. Only then did they know that although Zhao Chuchu was young, her medical skill was far superior to theirs!


    They also changed how they addressed Zhao Chuchu from Mrs. Xie to Military Doctor Zhao.


    Mrs. Xie meant that Zhao Chuchu was merely Xie Hengs wife and that her glory was due to her husband. It was different when she was referred to as Military Doctor Zhao. Zhao Chuchu was no longer treated as Xie Heng¡¯s subordinate but as an independent existence.


    This was the soldiers¡¯ first time dealing with a female military doctor. They were bashful and embarrassed, unwilling to show Zhao Chuchu where they were injured.


    The first reason for their reluctance was that Zhao Chuchu was already married, which would affect her reputation. The second was because they were all male, and they felt that it was embarrassing to be seen by a woman in such a manner.


    ¡°Do you want to live, or do you wish to preserve your honor? Why are you afraid when my husband has said nothing? Are you afraid that I will eat you all up? If you wish never to have children, just pretend I didn¡¯t say anything!¡¯


    Her words were too bold. This caused all the military doctors and patients in the medical tent to focus on her.


    The person who was injured turned beet red. Zhao Chuchu looked at him with


    a small, strange knife in her hands. She asked, ¡°Do you wish never to have children?¡±


    The man gritted his teeth and hardened his heart as he said, ¡°Since you are not afraid, I won¡¯t be afraid too. I will find courage. Military Doctor Zhao, please do your thing!¡¯


    As he finished saying this, he tore off a piece of cloth and covered his eyes. As long as he was not embarrassed, everyone else would be the ones who were embarrassed.


    There were too many injured people Except for the start of themotion, no one else paid attention to what happened here after.


    The alcohol that Zhao Chuchu had brought was put to good use in Tiang Checkpoint.


    In the past, even if many people survived the battlefield, they would still die due to their wounds not being thoroughly sterilized and getting infected.


    Aside from alcohol, Zhao Chuchu also cultivated penicillin. Due tocking syringes, Zhao Chuchu could only use unique methods to process the penicillin into anti-inmmatory drugs.


    External injuries were the most prevalent type of injury on a battlefield. With anti-inmmatory drugs, the death toll would significantly decrease.


    After a few days, the military doctors realized that with Zhao Chuchu around, many people they had deemed beyond saving had been saved.


    Zhao Chuchu saw their confusion. She did not hide anything and taught the military doctors how to treat external wounds properly. This significantly increased the chances of survival for the soldiers.


    Of course, for those on the brink of dying, Zhao Chuchu had used her healing power to snatch them from the clutches of Death.


    Fortunately, her healing power had mainly recovered. She would not easily overdraw it if she used it on ordinary people.


    Xie Heng remained at Tiang Checkpoint.


    After the Dynasty Duke achieved total victory with Xie Heng¡¯s n, he kept Xie Heng by his side as a strategist.


    Xie Heng presented miraculous strategies, one after another, allowing the soldiers of the Wei Dynasty to defeat the Rong Dynasty time and time again.


    After three months, the Rong Dynastys army had lost two cities.


    With Xie Heng¡¯s strategies, the Wei Dynasty seized the initiative of the war.


    Qiao Heting, who had only arrived at Tiang Checkpoint two months ago, had also achieved repeated military exploits.


    Within three months, Zhao Chuchu had be a leading figure among the military doctors. All of them subconsciously obeyed her instructions.


    Her medical skills were impressive, and she even generously corrected their technique, helping them improve their skills.


    If conditions had allowed it, they would have be her disciples.


    The Emperor became unhappy as good news poured in from Tiang Checkpoint. Thetter even felt that the Dynasty Duke and Xie Heng were joining forces against him.


    While the Emperor became unhappy, the Great Prince also began to panic.


    Xie Heng had achieved repeated military exploits, which would be counted under Xie Yan and Xie Jun¡¯s names. Would the Great Prince still have any chance of being crown prince?


    The Great Prince was troubled. In the end, he decided to take a gamble..

 Chapter 543 - 543: Loss of a War God

    Chapter 543: Loss of a War God


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Just when the Dynasty Duke and the army he led reached the capital of the Rong Dynasty, they received shocking news from Imperial City.


    The Great Prince had revolted.


    He even poisoned the Emperor!


    The Emperor was still alive at this point but was not far away from death.


    The court members delivered the news to the army, intending to summon Zhao Chuchu back to Imperial City to save the Emperor.


    Even though the Emperor was Xie Jun¡¯s biological father, Zhao Chuchu did not like him at all because he trusted no one. He even nned to use this border war to eliminate Xie Heng.


    In her 0Dinion, the Emperor should just die quickly.


    The victory of the Northwest War would soon be determined.


    Zhao Chuc.hu felt that even if she went to Imperial City, she wouldn¡¯t be able to save the Emperor.


    The Great Prince had risked everything he had in this revolution. He must have used the most deadly poison he could get on the Emperor. For all she cared, thetter might already be dead now.


    However, she could not tantly show indifference to the Emperor¡¯s wellbeing.


    Their army would soon im victory in this war. If nothing went wrong, there wouldn¡¯t be many casualties. The other military doctors could handle the situation here with ease.


    Zhao Chuchu packed her things and prepared to leave. The military doctors were all very reluctant to let her go.


    One of them asked, ¡°Military Doctor Zhao, will we be able to meet again in the future to discuss medicine?


    Another doctor added, ¡°Yes, I wish to ask the same. We might not be able to meet again if you are stationed in Imperial City.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for everything. I learned a lot from you. My art of healing has improved too. If it weren¡¯t because Official Xie objected, I would have requested to study medicine under you.¡±


    The military doctors expressed their gratitude for Zhao Chuchu one by one.


    Zhao Chuchu interrupted them with augh, ¡°Hahaha. Me being your teacher? In your dreams! You are stationed at the border all year round. You can¡¯t offer me enough to teach you. I won¡¯t ept you as my disciples.¡±


    After she said this, she took out a handbook detailing how to treat physical injuries that she had written during her free time here. She passed it to the military doctors and said, ¡°Take this. You might need it in the army. Study it well. Maybe one of you¡¯ll be the next Doctor Miracle.¡±


    The military doctors were stunned.


    Zhao Chuchu had been giving them pointers to improve their medical skills. They were already very grateful to her for it. To their surprise, she even summarized all her notes in a book for them. Recorded in the book were all tips on how to treat physical injuries. There were some notes about how to deal with the gues too.


    One of them said, ¡°Military Doctor Zhao, this book is too precious. We can¡¯t eDt it.¡±


    Such a helpful handbook was equivalent to an heirloom for military doctors.


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°Consider it a farewell present from me. Hopefully, in the future, you will also teach young doctors selflessly, just like how I taught you. The battlefield is cruel, and the military doctors are the most important people who can save the injured soldiers from the Gates of Hell. There will always be wars. I hope we can reduce the number of deaths.¡±


    The military doctors were so touched that they were at a loss for words.


    ¡°Alright, I must continue packing and rush back to Imperial City. All of you, take care. Hope we¡¯ll meet again.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu saluted them with her fists and hurriedly left the medical tent.


    When she returned to her tent, Xie Heng was almost done packing.


    They had stayed here for more than half a year. Even though the war was cruel, Zhao Chuchu preferred living in the army over Imperial City. She had an innate sense of belonging to the military.


    ¡°The Dynasty Duke has already prepared horses for us. The people from the pce are urging us to leave immediately,¡± said Xie Heng when he heard Zhao Chuchu¡¯s footsteps and looked up at her.


    Although Xie Heng was only an aide in the military camp, this half a year had made him a calmer person, and his expressions were less readable.


    ¡°Hmm, but can you bear it?¡± asked Zhao Chuchu in concern. ¡°After all, to oversee the siege of the capital of the Rong Dynasty, you have not slept for even two hours across several days!¡±


    ¡°I am still young. I will manage,¡± replied Xie Heng with a faint smile. ¡°Chuchu, when we return to the capital, it will bepletely different fromst time. Are you afraid?¡±


    Zhao Chuchu shook her head and said, ¡°There is nothing to be afraid of. We will deal with anything thates our way. What is the worst that could happen?


    ¡°The road ahead for us will not be an easy one,¡± said Xie Heng sternly. ¡°Junjun and the Third Prince¡¯s situation in Imperial City also seems bleak.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu seemed to have understood something and asked, ¡°Have you already made arrangements?¡±


    Xie Heng was somewhat surprised. However, he also felt that this was to be expected. They had developed a tremendous tacit understanding between them.


    ¡°Once we reach Tiang Checkpoint, we will return to the capital before the rest. There will be people waiting for us,¡± said Xie Heng as he lowered his voice.


    ¡°Alright.


    Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng were about to return to the capital. The Dynasty Duke found time in his busy schedule to see them off personally.


    In truth, the Dynasty Duke truly appreciated Xie Heng.


    This youth was wise and resourceful. He always offered unexpected strategies, causing their attack on the Rong Dynasty to go unbelievably smoothly.


    The Dynasty Duke had repeatedly advised Xie Heng to cease being a schr and join the army. He was convinced that if Xie Heng joined the military, the Wei Dynasty would have a war god that could strike fear in the hearts of enemy nations.


    However, Xie Heng turned down his suggestion.


    The Dynasty Duke felt that it was regrettable. However, whenever he had the chance, he would advise Xie Heng again.


    As a result, whenever Xie Heng saw the Dynasty Duke, he would keep his distance.


    ¡°Da Lang, will you really not consider joining the army?¡± Even when they were about to part, the Dynasty Duke still had not forgotten about this. ¡°It is a waste for you not to be a general.¡±


    Xie Heng had led troops to ambush the enemy and had killed countless foes. Although he was just an aide, he had achieved many military exploits.


    ¡°Many thanks for thinking so highly of me, Dynasty Duke. I will await for you to return in victory to court in Imperial City,¡± said Xie Heng as he saluted with his fists.


    The Dynasty Duke sighed and said, ¡°Will you truly not consider?¡±


    Qiao Heting said, ¡°Father, have you considered my feelings in this matter?¡±


    The Dynasty Duke chided, ¡°You have to acknowledge when other people are excellent! ¡±


    Zhao Chuchu could not help butugh.


    However, this was just lip service on Qiao Heting¡¯s part. He was not genuinely jealous of Xie Heng. He too, admired Xie Heng very much. Thetter was practically a perfect all-rounder who left no chances for others to surpass


    ¡°Dynasty Duke, we will part ways here. We will head back to the capital first and await your return in victory,¡± said Xie Heng as he mounted his horse. ¡°May your battles go smoothly.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu also mounted her house. They waved at the crowd and then galloped off.


    The Dynasty Duke watched as Zhao Chuchu and her group left. Only after he could no longer see their silhouettes in the distance did he return to camp with Qiao Heting.


    Since the session of the throne was the most turbulent time in the dynasty, even though Xie Heng had already arranged everything in the capital, he was eager to return to Imperial City as soon as possible.


    Otherwise, when other parties made their moves, Xie Jun would be powerless to do anything. Even with Xie Yan around, Xie Heng could not be at ease.


    When they arrived at Tiang Checkpoint, just like Xie Heng had said, they were joined by two hidden guards whom Zhao Chuchu had never seen before. The two guards disguised themselves as Xie Heng and Zhao Chuchu, substituting them in traveling together with the people from the pce. Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng returned to the capital in secret instead.


    Initially, the journey would take half a month, even with riding swift horses without sleep or rest. Yet, Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng managed to rush back to the capital in three days.


    The Great Prince had failed in his revolt. His whereabouts were unknown.


    On the other hand, the Emperor was on the brink of death and was breathing hisst.


    Xie Yan and Xie Jun stayed by the Emperor¡¯s bedside. They had severe expressions as they watched the Emperor, whose eyes were closed.


    No one had imagined that the Great Prince would actually go mad and attempt to kill his father to seize the throne.


    The imperial physicians did everything they could to treat the Emperor. However, they could only manage to keep him alive. They were unable to neutralize the poison within him..

 Chapter 544 - 544: It Is Too Late, I Can ‘t Do Anything

    Chapter 544: It Is Too Late, I Can ¡®t Do Anything


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The Emperor had been unconscious for days. All the imperial physicians were stationed around him.


    Xie Yan took pity on the Emperor, who was tormented by poison and had aged rapidly in a short amount of time.


    Unfortunately, the poison used by the Great Prince was deadly. It corroded the Emperor¡¯s internal organs. All the imperial physicians came to the same conclusion after their diagnosis. Even with an antidote, the Emperor would not be able to recover.


    Xie Yan knew that the Great Prince would revolt, but he did not expect the Great Prince to collude with a servant whom the Emperor trusted to poison thetter.


    If the Emperor did not send Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng to the war, she might be able to save him.


    Unfortunately, the Emperor made the wrong choice.


    Now, even if Zhao Chuchu rushed back to Imperial City, she would most likely be of no help.


    ¡°Third Brother, will Father wake up again?¡± asked Xie Jun with red eyes. ¡°Can Sis save him?¡±


    Xie Yan gently patted Xie Jun¡¯s head and said nothing in response.


    Everyone was well aware that the Emperor would soon pass away.


    At this moment, someone reported, ¡°Third Prince, Official Xie, and Mrs. Xie are here.¡±


    ¡°Quickly invite them in,¡± urged Xie Yan.


    Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng soon entered the imperial chamber.


    Zhao Chuchu could tell from a nce that the Emperor could not be saved.


    Her healing power was useless against poison.


    Even though she could keep the Emperor alive for some time, she did not intend to.


    The Emperor intended to kill her and Xie Heng.


    If he regained consciousness, he might decree their deaths immediately. ¡°It¡¯s toote. I can¡¯t do anything,¡± said Zhao Chuchu as she shook her head and sighed.


    ¡°Sis, can¡¯t you do anything?¡± asked Xie Jun as he looked at Zhao Chuchu with puppy eyes. Actually, he was not really that upset. After all, his father-son bond with the Emperor did not run very deep. He was merely putting up an act because Third Brother had told him that in the pce, he could not express himself however he liked like before.


    The Emperor had never raised him. However, the former wanted to execute his Bro and Sis, who had raised and saved him. He favored his Bro and Sis over the Emperor both emotionally and rationally.


    ¡°No,¡± said Zhao Chuchu as she shook her head. ¡°The poison has already spread. I am powerless to do anything.¡±


    When the imperial physicians heard this, they could not help but breathe sighs of relief.


    If Zhao Chuchu could neutralize the Emperor¡¯s poison, thetter would most likely chop off their heads once he recovered.


    Xie Yan looked at Zhao Chuchu and said, ¡°Does Father¡­¡±


    Zhao Chuc.hu lowered her head and said, ¡°Your Highness, please ask everyone toe inside.¡±


    Everyone around understood what she meant by that.


    Zhao Chuchu took out her silver needles and prepared to administer acupuncture to the Emperor. Thetter had to make arrangements for matters ahead.


    After she performed the acupuncture, the Emperor gradually awakened. She then stepped aside.


    The ministers of the imperial court and the concubines of the imperial harem had alreadye to see the Emperor for thest time.


    When the Emperor saw everyone gather around his bed, he knew that he was on the verge of death. He did not stir up any trouble and told them his will immediately. ¡°After I die, Xie Jun will take the throne. Xie Yan will be the regent until Xie Jun is old enough to rule the country independently.¡±


    In the Emperor¡¯s mind, the best candidate for the throne had always been Xie Yan. Unfortunately, Xie Yan would also not live a long life. Even if the Emperor passed down the throne to Xie Yan, thetter would not be able to reign for long. When he passed away, the Wei Dynasty would be in turmoil again.


    The Emperor had been unable to eliminate Xie Heng. Now, killing him was also unrealistic. Thetter had made a name for himself on the battlefield.


    Aside from Xie Yan, Xie Jun was the only suitable candidate for the throne. With Xie Heng assisting Xie Jun, the other princes were no match for him.


    In the future, Xie Heng would have greater power in his hands. Therefore, the Emperor might as well give the throne to Xie Jun now. With Xie Yan as the regent, he could keep Xie Heng in check. By the time Xie Yan passed away, Xie Jun would be older. The Emperor believed that by then, Xie Jun would have much experience dealing with different court members and would trust Xie Heng less.


    The Emperor only appointed Xie Yan as the regent. He did not appoint anyone to be the grand secretary.


    On top of that, he ordered all his concubines, who had powerful family backgrounds and had given birth to princes, to be buried alive with him after he died. He did this to make up for his lost time with Xie Jun and to make Xie


    Jun¡¯s reign easier.


    After the Emperor delivered his will, he passed away.


    The bell rang, informing everyone to go into a period of national mourning. Wailing could be heard in the imperial chamber. The concubines who were ordered to be buried alive cried loudly.


    Zhao Chuchu was unperturbed by the sad atmosphere. She lowered her head and said nothing.


    As soon as the Emperor died, Xie Jun was crowned the next Emperor. Xie Yan and the Ministry of Rites were in charge of handling the funeral.


    Xie Heng¡¯s position in the court was low, so he did not need to stay in the pce for the Emperor¡¯s wake. He went home with Zhao Chuchu.


    ¡°How¡¯s the Third Prince?¡± asked Xie Heng. Just now, he noticed that Xie Yan¡¯s health seemed to have worsened.


    ¡°Not good,¡± replied Zhao Chuchu. ¡°He needs quiet time to recuperate. After the Emperor was poisoned, the Third Prince most likely stayed beside him without rest. Sigh. He doesn¡¯t take care of himself properly. I¡¯m not sure whether he canst three years.¡±


    Xie Hengforted Zhao Chuchu by saying, ¡°This is his fate. You have done what you can for him.¡±


    However, Xie Heng¡¯s facial expression turned serious when he thought of Xie Jun bing the next Emperor.


    He analyzed, ¡°Burying the concubines alive along with thete Emperor does


    not benefit Junjun. The families of the concubines might rebel. This is a trap that thete Emperor has left for me. Ultimately, he was still worried that I would seize the throne.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu frowned andmented, ¡°He was suspicious of everything. Now that things havee to this, we can only figure out our next move one step at a time. In your opinion, will the families of the concubines force Junjun to alter thete Emperor¡¯s will?¡±


    ¡°Of course they will!¡±


    ¡°Does it mean Junjun will be in danger?


    ¡°With the Third Prince around, he will protect Junjun. The Great Prince and the families backing him have been arrested. The Sikou n has long been eradicated. There are only a few families left that will stir up trouble. Junjun does not have a personal rtionship with any of them.¡±


    ¡°Do you think the Third Prince will me me?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked out of the blue.


    Xie Heng understood what she meant by that.


    ¡°All is in the past now. You can¡¯t do anything if he really wants to me you.¡±


    If Zhao Chuchu had saved the Emperor because she pitied Xie Yan, then she would have put herself in danger. She and Xie Heng could run away from Imperial City, but it did not sound wise.


    ¡°We¡¯ll face everything together,¡± promised Xie Heng as he held Zhao Chuchu¡¯s hand. ¡°Regardless of what happens, I¡¯ll always be with you.¡±


    Zhao Chuc.hu smiled as she leaned into Xie Heng¡¯s embrace. ¡°Hmm. We¡¯ll face everything together.¡±


    After Xie Jun was coronated, he adopted the era name of Yongping.


    The rebellion that Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng were worried about did not happen.


    The funeral of thete Emperor proceeded smoothly. All the concubines who had to be buried alive epted their fate without putting up a fight.


    After thete Emperor was buried in the imperial mausoleum, Xie Yan asked Xie Jun to issue a decree: all the other princes had to go to their enfeoffment immediately, and they could note to Imperial City without the Emperor¡¯s orders. However, their sons could not leave with them and had to stay in Imperial City.


    The court members looked down on Xie Jun because he was young. Some even probed Xie Yan to see whether he was interested in being the Emperor. In the end, these court members were all demoted or fired by Xie Yan.


    The court members¡¯ intention to overrule Xie Jun was nipped in the bud after they witnessed Xie Yan¡¯s harsh punishment towards those who disobeyed Xie Jun.


    However, all the court members were eager to see how Xie Yan would treat Xie


    Heng.


    After all, Xie Heng¡¯s identity was intricate.


    He raised Xie Jun, but he was not royalty. Thete Emperor was suspicious of him. The court members reckoned that Xie Jun would likely not trust him either.


    To their surprise, after Xie Yan dealt with the court members who disobeyed Xie Jun, he promoted Xie Heng and made him the teacher of the Emperor. He was now the grand mentor.


    In all seriousness, Xie Yan told Xie Heng, ¡°Zizhao, I don¡¯t have long to live. I can¡¯t teach Junjun much. The court is at peace now because of me. I will entrust you to teach Junjun how to manage a country. I trust no one in the court but you because you¡¯ll never revolt against Junjun. After I pass away, you¡¯ll have to take on the huge responsibility of maintaining the stability of the court..¡±

 Chapter 545 - 545: We Are Related by Blood, But We Desired Each Other’s Death

    Chapter 545: We Are Rted by Blood, But We Desired Each Other¡¯s Death


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°Third Prince¡­¡± Xie Heng advised worriedly, ¡°Why don¡¯t you let Chuchu treat


    In dismissal, Xie Yan waved his hand and said, ¡°It¡¯s useless. I know my body well. Every day I¡¯m alive now is a day I seize from the hands of Death. I¡¯m already satisfied to be alive to see Junjun crowned emperor. Zizhao, regardless


    of what happens in the future, I hope you will always be by Junjun¡¯s side like you¡¯re doing now.¡±


    He continued, ¡°If Junjun changes and does not trust you one day, you should resign. You should not stay in the imperial court. Power corrupts people. At that time, Junjun should be able to control the court memberspletely, and he will not need your service anymore.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu, who was beside them, felt uneasy when she heard Xie Yan speak as though he was delivering his will.


    Xie Yan, indeed did not have long to live. He could, at most) live for another two years.


    His love for Junjun was unquestionable. He had nned everything for thetter. However, because of this, Xie Yan would most likely exhaust himself and stir up radical changes in the imperial court over the next two years.


    Only by doing so could he help Xie Jun eliminate all the potential threats in the court in the shortest amount of time.


    Even thete Emperor, Xie Jun¡¯s biological father, did not treat him this well.


    Xie Jun was lucky to have two elder brothers who devoted their lives to protecting him.


    ¡°Third Prince,pared to me, Junjun needs you more. You are the person who knows the imperial court best. In terms of managing the court, I¡¯m inferior to you.¡± Xie Heng was worried that as soon as he agreed to Xie Yan¡¯s request, thetter would lose his will to live and pass away.


    Xie Yan smiled and changed the topic, saying, ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s not speak so formally. Zizhao, it has been a long time since Ist tasted your cooking. Can you cook for me tonight?¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Xie Heng agreed.


    He nced at Zhao Chuchu before standing up and leaving for the kitchen.


    After he left, Xie Yan spoke to Zhao Chuchu. ¡°Mrs. Xie, thank you for treating my illness. As the regent, I have lots to do now and cannot rest as you wish. Is there a medicine that allows me to stay in my current state?¡±


    Zhao Chuc.hu frowned as soon as she heard his request. ¡°Third Prince, your body is your most important asset. You don¡¯t have to do everything on your own. If you consume strong medicine, it is no different from poisoning your body slowly. You need to have a proper work-life bnce. It is best if you can recuperate quietly.¡±


    Xie Yan shook his head in disagreement and said, ¡°I don¡¯t have much time left.


    Mrs. Xie, I would have passed away long ago if I hadn¡¯t met you. Every moment I¡¯m alive now is the extra time I snatch from Death.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu disagreed with Xie Yan, saying, ¡°I know you¡¯re doing this for the sake of Junjun. However, have you ever considered whether Junjun needs you to sacrifice yourself for him? Since you know you are living on extra time snatched from Death, you should appreciate it more instead of squandering it. The affairs of the imperial court areplicated. It¡¯s not something you can solve in a short amount of time.¡±


    As a doctor, she advised Xie Yan to put all his duties on hold and focus on recovering his body. Perhaps he could live longer that way.


    If Xie Yan exhausted himself for the sake of Xie Jun and died at an early age, thetter would most likely not be able to forgive himself for the rest of his life.


    ¡°What should Junjun do if you pass away? You¡¯re Junjun¡¯s only blood rtive on Earth now. Do you wish to see Junjun bing an orphan at such a young age?¡±


    ¡°You and Zizhao are around.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not the same.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the same. Zizhao is also Junjun¡¯s brother. Kinship is not that important. Look at the princes. We¡¯re rted by blood, but we desired each other¡¯s death for the sake of the throne.¡±


    Xie Yanughed in a self-deprecating way after saying this. Then, with a serious expression, he looked at Zhao Chuchu and pleaded, ¡°Mrs. Xie, I know you can fulfill my request. This is thest time I will ask for your help.¡± Zhao Chuchu frowned and rejected, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t agree to your request.¡±


    Xie Yan was stunned momentarily before he sighed, ¡®Even if you don¡¯t help me, I¡¯ll still continue my course.¡±


    He made it clear that he would not change his mind.


    Zhao Chuchu was at a loss for words.


    Xie Yan left the room to avoid any misunderstanding about his rtionship with Zhao Chuchu. He then went to the kitchen curiously to watch Xie Heng cook.


    He had never had such an experience before. They were like brothers in an average family, living peacefully without scheming against each other.


    Xie Yan left the Xie residence after dinner.


    At night, Zhao Chuchu told Xie Heng the Third Prince¡¯s request.


    Zhao Chuchu said, ¡°The Third Prince insists on working so hard. If I help him, he will most likely spend his remaining days under stress. What should I say to Junjun if I help him? Even though you raised Junjun, he is the Emperor now. I do not wish to see any conflict between the two of you.¡±


    Xie Heng kept quiet momentarily before saying, ¡°Actually, Junjun has long guessed the truth. He asked me to change the Third Prince¡¯s mind. However, nobody can change his mind once he has decided to do something. Tomorrow, I will let Junjun know what happened. Let the two of them discuss on their own. You can prepare the medicine first. Most likely, Junjun will be convinced by the Third Prince.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu felt helpless.


    ¡°We are not gods. We can¡¯t have everything we want. We can only try our best. Don¡¯t overthink this,¡±forted Xie Heng as he hugged Zhao Chuchu. ¡°Junjun also needs to grow up and learn to let go. We can¡¯t make all his decisions for him for the rest of his life.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu gradually calmed down as she listened to Xie Heng¡¯s heartbeat.


    That¡¯s right. God¡¯s ns superseded theirs. idents could happen at any minute. If humans could predict and n everything in advance, there would not be so many regrets in the world.


    She had always treated Xie Yan as her friend. Now, she would put this matter aside and let it take its course.


    As predicted by Xie Heng, Xie Jun was convinced by Xie Yan.


    When Zhao Chuchu met Xie Jun in the pce, he could not stop crying. He wanted his Third Brother to stay by his side as long as possible, but he knew no one could save Xie Yan since even Zhao Chuchu, the Doctor Miracle, couldn¡¯t do anything to prolong his life.


    After Zhao Chuchuforted Xie Jun, she left the pce with many medicinal herbs. She began making pills for Xie Yan.


    As expected, Xie Yan became more and more radical in his administration. He promoted many new talents while taking harsh actions against the greedy court members who formed cliques and had underground businesses.


    He appeared in the imperial court looking refreshed every day. Some people even thought that he had fully recovered. They instigated him to snatch the throne from Xie Jun.


    However, the people who did so all suffered terrible consequences. They were either fired or demoted to some remote areas.


    During these two years, the atmosphere in the imperial court was always tense. Many court membersined that the regent had outshone the Emperor and that Xie Yan was an autocrat. However, no one dared to talk badly about him in official reports.


    After all, Xie Jun had yet to start ruling the country on his own. Aside from the morning assembly with the court members, he spent all his time with Xie Heng learning how to manage the country.


    Unbeknownst to the court members, Xie Yan consulted Xie Jun before making any major decision. He would ask Xie Jun to give his opinion about the issues. If Xie Jun¡¯s ideas were good, Xie Yan would implement the ideas. If Xie Jun could not develop a satisfactory solution, he would discuss the matter with Xie Yan and Xie Heng. With this approach, Xie Yan managed to let Xie Jun be familiarized with court affairs in a short amount of time.


    Even though Xie Jun did not rule the court directly now, he was not a dumb emperor who knew nothing.


    Just when the court members thought Xie Jun would be Xie Yan¡¯s puppet, Xie Yan fainted without any signs during the morning assembly one day. Since then, he remained bedridden.


    Xie Yan turned from an energetic regent to a sick man on the brink of death in just a few days.


    Xie Jun stayed by his side and sobbed non-stop. ¡°Third Brother, get well. I still have many things to learn from you. The Wei Dynasty can¡¯t survive without you.¡±


    With much difficulty, Xie Yan extended his hand and wiped away Xie Jun¡¯s tears. He said, ¡°I¡¯m exhausted. I want to rest now. Ninth Brother, you can¡¯t ck off from now on. You are the Emperor. You must lead the Wei Dynasty well. I will watch over you in heaven. I hope you will make me proud.¡±


    Xie Jun pleaded, ¡°Third Brother, can¡¯t you keep mepany? I don¡¯t want you to watch over me in heaven. I will handle the court affairs personally from now on while you slowly recover. In the future, after I get married and have kids, you will help me take care of my children.¡±


    ¡°Why am I the only one you think of when you need help?¡± teased Xie Yan. ¡°Ninth Brother, I am d I found you before I die. I have appointed your brother as the grand secretary. He will help you from now on. Promise me. Never raise your sword against Xie Heng.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t. Third Brother, stay alive and watch me carry out my promise.¡±


    ¡°Silly child. I am beyond satisfied to have lived a few more years than I should have. You areing of age now. I have chosen a few suitable marriage


    candidates for you. Have a look at who you like and crown her the Empress Consort. Remember. Do not give too much power to the family of the Empress.


    It will only cause trouble for you.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± answered Xie Jun in tears.


    Xie Yan looked at Xie Heng and said, ¡°Zizhao, can I have a moment to talk with you


    Xie Heng nodded. Xie Jun was dragged out of the room by Zhao Chuchu.


    No one knew what Xie Yan discussed with Xie Heng.


    When Xie Heng came out of the room, he asked Xie Jun to go in and see Xie Yan for onest time.


    During the third year of Yongping, Xie Yan, the regent revered by the court members and loved by the people, passed away due to sickness. The entire country mourned his death..

 Chapter 546 - 486 Your Father Has Been Awaiting Your Arrival 1

    Chapter 546: Chapter 486 Your Father Has Been Awaiting Your Arrival 1


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Xie Yan was only the regent when he was alive. After he died, Xie Jun crowned him Emperor Yuanxing and buried him as an emperor.


    Xie Yan did not have any children. During his three years as regent, he established many beneficial policies for the people. Therefore, he had a high reputation among the public.


    On the day of Xie Yan¡¯s funeral procession, themoners all came to send him off. The entire Imperial City mourned his death by wearing in colored clothes.


    Zhao Chuchu had never seen a funeral like this. Even though the court members hated Xie Yan, themoners loved him. If Xie Yan were watching this from heaven, he would surely be delighted. The people appreciated everything he had done.


    Xie Jun personally carried Xie Yan¡¯s coffin and sent it into the mausoleum.


    After the funeral ended, Xie Jun took over the court affairs officially.


    During the past three years, he had never once cked off.


    Xie Heng and Xie Yan had done so much for him. He could not let them down.


    The court members, who had been suppressed by Xie Yan all this while, heaved a sigh of relief. They were confident they could control the young Emperor and make him do as they pleased.


    To their surprise, Xie Yan had appointed Xie Heng as the grand secretary before he passed away. Xie Heng popped out of nowhere and suddenly became the head of the court members.


    The veteran court members were all very dissatisfied with this appointment. It was because Xie Heng was too young. He was only slightly older than the Emperor. Moreover, Xie Heng had never been an intern in any of the six ministries. How could he possibly do his job as the grand secretary well? So, a few veteran court members joined forces and nned to give a warning to Xie Heng. They wanted to force Xie Heng out of the position of grand secretary.


    However, before they managed to do so, Xie Heng seized the initiative. Many ministers of high authority and status were dismissed from their positions by Xie Heng in one fell swoop. Thetter brought out conclusive evidence of their embezzlement of disaster relief funds.


    Those whom Xie Yan had left untouched were left for Xie Heng to assert his dominance.


    Everyone in the imperial court was in a panic. Xie Heng dismissed such high-ranking officials as he pleased. Did he not fear that the imperial court would be in turmoil?


    Unbeknownst to them, right after Xie Heng reincarnated, he began cultivating the talents he had encountered in his previous life.


    The ministers who had been dismissed were reced by these talents, who by now had gained enough experience.


    Xie Heng¡¯s methods were even more terrifying and resolute than Xie Yan¡¯s.


    The ministers in court were all afraid. What thete Emperor had feared was urring. As expected, Xie Heng seized power and sidelined the Emperor, bing the true authority in the Wei Dynasty.


    In merely half a year, Xie Heng solidified his grand secretary position.


    The ministers knew that they could not do anything to Xie Heng. So, they wanted to win him over to their side.


    Hence, they sent over countless gifts and beautiful women to his residence. They wanted to curry favor with him. When Xie Heng seized the throne one day, they would have the favor of the new emperor!


    Zhao Chuchu could not do anything about it.


    She and Xie Heng had been married for many years and still had no children. There were rumors in Imperial City that she was sterile. The rumors also strengthened the determination of some people to present Xie Heng with beautiful women.


    Moreover, Xie Heng was the youthful Number One Schr. In his early twenties, he had already be the grand secretary who was only second to the Emperor. Many young maidens would marry him, even if they only became his concubine.


    If they could bear him a child, a vige girl like Zhao Chuchu would have to give up her status as the head wife.


    Xie Heng had clearly heard of these rumors.


    He was outraged.


    Zhao Chuchu believed they were still young and should focus on their careers first. Children could wait. Xie Heng followed everything his Darling said, so he naturally took her opinion as his benchmark.


    Moreover, thete Emperor had left behind too many loose ends. Xie Yan had tried to turn the tide, but he only managed to treat the symptoms rather than the root cause. Xie Heng wanted to help Xie Jun eliminate the Wei Dynasty¡¯s old ways. After he had done so, he would resign from his post and apanied Zhao Chuchu in traveling the world while treating the sick and dying.


    He knew where these rumors hade from.


    Once anyone gained authority, they would be the target of many. It was the same in his previous life.


    ¡°Chuchu, I will deal with the affairs outside. You do not need to concern yourself with them. You only need to focus onpiling your medical book,¡± said Xie Heng. He was worried that Zhao Chuchu would be distracted by these rumors.


    ¡°It does not matter. The rumors cannot hurt me one bit. I know better than anyone whether or not I can bear children,¡± said Zhao Chuchu with a smile.


    She paused momentarily. She then blinked and said, ¡°How about vou, grand secretary? What did the beauties look like? Can you bring some home for me to check out?¡±


    Xie Heng begged for mercy, saying, ¡°Darling, I was wrong. I guarantee there will be no more gifting of beautiful women from tomorrow onwards. You know that recently there was a flood in Guangqing Province. I have been busy with disaster relief, so I have not had time to settle these matters.¡±


    Of course, Zhao Chuchu knew about the flood. The Yuan n had already written to her more than once about it. Unbeknownst why, the floods in Guangqing Province this year were particrly severe. Even with the Yuan n aiding in disaster relief, they have yet to stabilize the situation..

 Chapter 547 - 547: Your Father Has Been Awaiting Your Arrival 2

    Chapter 547: Your Father Has Been Awaiting Your Arrival 2


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    More and more areas were affected by the floods. If the imperial court did not act to alleviate the situation, the people in Guangqing Province might start a revolution.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t I travel to Guangqing Province on your behalf?¡± Zhao Chuchu suggested. ¡°Even though the Third Prince implemented many policies that lessened the people¡¯s burden before he passed away, our people had been living in agony for years. These three years are only a brief window for them to take a breather. They have yet to build enough resources to withstand the floods. The imperial court does not have much money left either, right?¡±


    Xie Jun and Xie Heng faced many troubles while trying to poprize high-yield crops. They had just managed to solve most of the issues this year. Therefore, Xie Jun was now a poor emperor with limited funds.


    Zhao Chuchu still had lots of resources in her storage space. She had not been using much of it over the past few years. The items were useless if they were not used. She had saved all of them in preparation for the post-apocalyptic world. However, instead of experiencing the post-apocalyptic world again, she


    hade to this world.


    ¡°Chuchu,¡± said Xie Heng while holding onto her hands. ¡°You have helped us a lot during the past few years. This is Junjun¡¯s empire. We can¡¯t always rely on your stuff. Don¡¯t worry. The Ministry of Revenue wille up with some disaster funds.¡±


    Zhao Chuchu objected, ¡°When the imperial court issues a disaster fund, how much of that money actually reaches the hands of themoners after the lengthy process? It just so happens that Qiao Heting is in Imperial City. Why don¡¯t you send him to Guangqing Province to visit the flood victims? He can bring Huihui there to visit her rtives too.¡±


    After Yuan Hui and Qiao Heting got married, he led the army to war while she was pregnant. When he returned from war, she had delivered a daughter. Now, they had given birth to a younger son as well. They had been living happily with a daughter and a son.


    ¡°There will always be some corrupt officials. You can¡¯t catch them all. However, the floods are severe. Let¡¯s try to avoid losing money to corruption as much as possible. Consider my contribution as a loan to Junjun. He is my brother, too,¡± advised Zhao Chuchu. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will not spend everything I have on the flood victims.¡±


    Xie Heng hugged Zhao Chuchu tightly and said, ¡°Why is God so good to me by sending you to me?


    ¡°Both of us had probably done a lot of good deeds in our previous lives, so God wants to reward us,¡± said Zhao Chuchu as she leaned into Xie Hengs embrace. She was delighted with her current life. She was lucky to have her soulmate with her.


    After Xie Heng discussed this with Xie Jun, thetter agreed to Zhao Chuchu¡¯s proposal.


    Therefore, amidst the rumors of her infertility in Imperial City, Zhao Chuchu left for Guangqing Province along with Qiao Heting and Yuan Hui.


    Too many people desired to be the emperor. Xie Jun was young and had not grown up in the pce. The other princes were always thinking of ways to seize his throne.


    They used the floods in Guangqing Province to stir up trouble furtively. They nned to instigate the flood victims and start a revolution.


    However, before they could devise a proper n, Zhao Chuchu and Qiao Heting arrived.


    Zhao Chuchu freed the flood victims from gues with her extraordinary medical skill. She also suppressed the rebels with her outstanding martial arts.


    Her actions shocked everyone in Imperial City.


    The imperial court members who had sent beauties to seduce Xie Heng had terrible nightmares. In their dreams, Zhao Chuchu threatened to kill them while wearing a smile.


    While Zhao Chuchu was busy with flood relief in Guangqing Province, countless people were on pins and needles and couldn¡¯t sleep or eat well back in Imperial City.


    Zhao Chuchu and Qiao Heting spent a month settling the floods in Guangqing Province. She also gave medical books to the local doctors, who had been working hard to save the flood victims.


    The doctors were ecstatic to receive such precious gifts. They were grateful to


    Zhao Chuchu.


    Zhao Chuchu also made a trip to Lengshui Vige since it was nearby. The vige was no longer a poor ce like it used to be.


    Lengshui Vige had given birth to an emperor and a grand secretary. It had be the holynd for schrs in Guangqing Province. The Yuan n used the opportunity to establish an academy in the vige. They invited great teachers toe to teach. Now, the vige was very lively.


    Now that tofu skins had be a staple dish on the tables of the citizens of the Wei Dynasty, the watermill workshop was frequented by merchants who offered up money begging for partnerships.


    Chief and the other vigers remembered what Zhao Chuchu had done for them. They resolved not to sully her reputation. They conducted business carefully, never turning away customers just because their business was booming.


    Walking around Lengshui Vige, Zhao Chuchu saw the changes there. No one was happier than she was.


    The Xie n residence was still around. Even though she and Xie Heng no longer had many opportunities to return, Chief and the other vigers maintained the ce. Zhao Chuchu secretly checked the ce out. It was still spotlessly clean, and everything was as she left it. It waspletely untouched.


    Time indeed flew past in the blink of an eye.


    Zhao Chuchu recalled when she had just transmigrated to this world. It felt like a lifetime ago.


    Zhao Men and Hu Yiming were a loving couple. Hu Yiming was talented. In


    thest Imperial Examination, he obtained fourth ce. Now he had been dispatched and was performing well in administration.


    Last year, Zhao Men wrote to Zhao Chuchu, informing her that she had given birth to twin daughters. Whenever Hu Yiming got off work, he would rush back happily. Every night, he would coax his daughters to sleep. He treasured them immensely.


    Zhao Guitang and his wife managed the tofu business. Although they had not gained enormous wealth from it, their son was obedient and well-behaved, so their days were very peaceful.


    On the other hand, life for the Zhao n and Xie Heng¡¯s maternal grandfather¡¯s side was getting worse. When they learned that Xie Jun had be Emperor and Xie Heng had be grand secretary, they even regretted their previous actions.


    They wrote to Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng in Imperial City more than once to beg for forgiveness. They wanted to start over but were turned down by thetter time and time again.


    Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng did not seek revenge against these people because doing so was not worth it.


    The greatest revenge was letting them live the rest of their lives in regret.


    When Zhao Chuchu emerged from the Xie n residence, she suddenly felt a sense of nauseae over her.


    Zhao Chuchu was stunned. She was so busy with disaster relief that she had forgotten that her period was over two weekste.


    On the night before she came to Guangqing Province, Xie Heng was reluctant for her to leave, so he made love to her all night.


    To her surprise, they hit the jackpot the one time they had not used protection.


    Zhao Chuchu caressed her stomach, which was still t, and whispered, ¡°Baby, we need to rush back to the capital to see your father! Although he has never said it, he has been awaiting your arrival for a long time.¡±


    Xie Heng did not show it, but Zhao Chuchu knew that Xie Heng was actually very insecure. He feared that she would suddenly leave this world one day.


    Now that they had a child, he did not need to worry anymore!


    Zhao Chuchu secretly left Lengshui Vige. After informing Qiao Heting and the others, she returned to Imperial City before them. However, she did not notify Xie Heng.


    On the day Zhao Chuchu returned to Imperial City, Xie Heng had sternly chastised the ministers in court who enjoyed defying him in secret. He was in a foul mood because Zhao Chuchu had been away for so long.


    However, gaining the upper hand in the imperial court did not make Xie Heng feel better.


    Next time, no matter what, he would not let his wife participate in disaster relief. Being away from each other for so long was truly unbearable!


    He did not want to return to even his residence, which used to be his favorite ce, just because Zhao Chuchu was not there.


    Xie Jun was also very frustrated. When Sis was not home, his Bro seemed to have lost his mind.. Thetter could not stand anyone having a good time!

 Chapter 548 - 548: Finale

    Chapter 548: Finale


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Under the monitoring of Xie Heng, Xie Jun read the proceedings diligently until thetter felt like throwing up. Only then did Xie Heng leave him alone and go home.


    Xie Jun heaved a sigh of relief. He summoned a servant and ordered, ¡°Send someone immediately to Guangqing Province. The disaster relief has already ended. Heir Qiao shoulde back to Imperial City!¡¯


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    The servant went to do so right away. They knew that the Emperor feared the grand secretary. Xie Jun hoped his Sis would return to the capital soon to keep thetter upied.


    By the time Xie Heng left the pce, it was already curfew time. Aside from the patrolling soldiers, no one else was on the streets. The streets were as empty as his heart.


    Once he recalled that his wife was not home, Xie Heng wanted to leave the capital and drag her home.


    How could she have gone for so long?


    The disaster relief had already ended. What was keeping her in Guangqing Province.


    As Xie Heng pondered on this matter, he arrived home.


    ¡°Master, we have arrived at the residence,¡± his servant gently informed him.


    Only then was Xie Heng pulled back to reality.


    After he got off his pnquin, Xie Heng was momentarily stunned. He then strode into the main courtyard.


    His heart was beating fast.


    Before the servants could even greet him, Xie Heng had zoomed past them.


    The main courtyard was lit.


    ¡°Master.¡±


    ¡°Is the Mistress back?¡±


    ¡°Yes. ¡±


    ¡°When did she return?


    ¡°This evening.¡±


    ¡°You are dismissed.¡±


    Xie Heng waved off the servants and immediately entered the house.


    Zhao Chuchu stood in the middle of the room. She smiled at Xie Heng and said) ¡°You are back.¡±


    Xie Heng stepped forward and pulled Zhao Chuchu into his arms, embracing her tightly. He said, ¡°Chuchu, you are finally back. If you weren¡¯t, I was about to go to Guangqing Province to find you.¡±


    He did not say he missed her outright, but every word he uttered was heavilyced with his longing.


    ¡°Da Lang, you are hugging me too tightly. I might just throw up,¡± said Zhao Chuchu as she smiled and pushed him away.


    Xie Heng felt his heart tighten as he hurriedly released her. He asked, ¡°What is the matter? Are you unwell? Wait here. I will call for the imperial physicians.¡±


    ¡°The imperial physicians serve the pce. If you summon them, what will others think of you?


    ¡°Many treacherous officials already im that I am abusing my power. If I do not do what they im I am doing, I will disappoint them.¡±


    As Xie Heng said this, he supported Zhao Chuchu to the bed to lie down and prepared to leave to summon the imperial physicians.


    Zhao Chuchu could not help butugh and say, ¡°How could you forget I am also a physician? In truth, those imperial physicians¡¯ medical skills are inferior to mine! Da Lang, I want to tell you something.¡±


    ¡°Are you really okay?¡± asked Xie Heng, still concerned.


    ¡°I am a little ufortable, but that is unavoidable. Da Lang, you are going to be a father.¡±


    ¡°Then, we¡¯d better let the imperial physicians check you out¡­ What did you say?¡±


    It took a while for Xie Heng to respond to what Zhao Chuchu had said.


    Stunned, he stared at Zhao Chuchu nkly. He stood still like a statue.


    Zhao Chuchu repeated, ¡°I said, ¡®You are going to be a father.¡¯ I¡¯m not feeling well because I¡¯m pregnant!¡±


    Xie Heng suddenly stood up. He paced around the bed. The grand secretary, who was only second to the Emperor, could not keep calm.


    For a moment, Zhao Chuchu did not understand what Xie Heng was thinking.


    ¡°Do you not like children?¡±


    In dismissal, Xie Heng waved his hand and said, ¡°Chuchu, hush. Give me a moment to calm down.¡±


    How could he possibly not like his own child?


    In his previous life, he had been alone. Up until his death, he had no children. Everyone admired him for having power and authority in court, but no one knew that he envied the family rtionships of ordinary people. He also wished to have children whom he could y with.


    After a while, Xie Heng returned to the bedside and sat down. He held Zhao Chuchu¡¯s hands and said, ¡°Do you have any cravings? I will make them for you right now. You just sit here and do not move. If you want water, just call a servant to serve you.¡±


    Zhao Chuchuughed out loud and said, ¡°Da Lang, I am not a porcin doll. I am not that fragile. I also do not have any cravings now. Quickly go bathe ande to bed. Since I learned I am pregnant, I have been especially fond of sleeping.


    ¡°Alright, I will go bathe now. Tuck yourself in first,¡± said Xie Heng as he helped Zhao Chuchu lie down. He immediately ordered for hot water to be prepared.


    He cleansed himself quickly and then joined Zhao Chuchu in bed. He hugged her gingerly.


    Before he managed to have a heart-to-heart talk with her, she was already sound asleep.


    The grand secretary, overwhelmed by immense happiness, stayed awake the entire night.


    The next day, he still had to go to the morning assembly.


    Zhao Chuchu was still sleeping soundly. Xie Heng couldn¡¯t bring himself to wake her up, so he got ready and went out quietly.


    During the morning assembly, Xie Jun and all the imperial court members discovered that the grand secretary was exceptionally kind today. Even when the censor criticized him, he did not retort the former.


    Everyone was puzzled. Could this be the grand secretary¡¯s new strategy to torture them?


    Xie Jun was also feeling uneasy. Sometimes, when Xie Heng got angry, even Xie Jun feared him.


    Sigh. Why was Sis still away?


    Everyone was on pins and needles. When the morning assembly ended, the court members could not believe it had ended without a hup.


    Xie Heng approached the Minister of Personnel and asked, ¡°Minister Zhao, you have many children. I would like to ask for your pointers.¡±


    ¡°Grand Secretary, ask away.¡± The Minister of Personnel was on the brink of tears. He believed that he was an honest man. He had no idea why the grand secretary targeted him.


    When Xie Heng noticed that the other court members were furtively checking out the situation, he smiled and called out, ¡°Everyone, gather around. I could use all your opinions.¡±


    Everyone was at a loss for words.


    They scolded themselves for not running away sooner. Why did they want to be rubbernecks? Now, they were being called over.


    ¡°When your wives were pregnant with your first child, what symptoms did they have? Did they show any signs of difort? How did you take care of them? Are there any taboos that I should avoid? Also, did they experience a change in appetite?¡±


    Xie Heng asked almost ten questions in one breath.


    The crowd was speechless.


    What was happening? Could the grand secretary be meddling in even their family affairs?


    The crowd held back their tears as they answered his questions one after another.


    Xie Heng was unsatisfied with their responses.


    He suggested. ¡°How about this? In the afternoon. you can all tell me more in greater detail. For now, go on with your business.¡±


    The ministers still could not understand what the grand secretary wanted to do. They exchanged nces as thetter left.


    The court members were tormented by Xie Heng¡¯s unending questions for a few days. Someone could not stand it and ranted about it back home to his wife. His wife rolled her eyes at him instead. She said, ¡°No wonder you have not been promoted after so many years. You are so dumb. Mrs. Xie is


    pregnant!¡±


    Word got around, and the ministers finally realized that the grand secretary was bragging that he was about to be a father!


    Because of the rampant rumors in the capital these years, everyone believed that Zhao Chuchu was sterile. After all, Zhao Chuchu herself was Doctor Miracle. Every woman would give birth and have children as soon as they married. However, Zhao Chuchu did not do so. Therefore, the court members did not immediately figure out Xie Heng¡¯s intention in asking all those pregnancy questions.


    Xie Jun also learned that Zhao Chuchu was pregnant. Gifts poured into the Xie residence like flowing water Xie Jun was delighted. His wish of having a little nephew was finally about toe true.


    Hence, Xie Jun left the pce frequently to visit Zhao Chuchu. Xie Heng could not stand it. He took out the list of beauties that Xie Yan had chosen for Xie Jun and asked thetter to select a candidate for marriage.


    Xie Jun was so scared that he rushed back to the pce instantly. He did not dare visit the Xie residence until after Zhao Chuchu gave birth to avoid being forced into marriage.


    Nine monthster, Zhao Chuchu gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl. Xie Heng gave them the names Xie Huanzhang and Zhao Wanjun.


    Xie Huanzhang¡¯s temper was exactly like Zhao Chuchu¡¯s, whereas Zhao Wanjun¡¯s was like her father¡¯s.


    Xie Jun kept resisting getting married. However, when Xie Huanzhang was three years old, he found a true love for Xie Jun. Emperor Yongping, who had refused to marry, was finally wed. The imperial court members all cried tears of joy.


    During the 18th year of Yongping, envoys from countless foreign countries came to establish diplomatic ties with the Wei Dynasty. The dynasty enjoyed a long period of peace and prosperity.


    As for Grand Secretary Xie Heng, he resigned from his position and left the capital together with his wife, Zhao Chuchu, in secret.


    By the time Xie Jun discovered this, they were long gone!


    Xie Jun rejected the letter from the officials asking him to invite Xie Heng back.


    His brother had spent half his life helping him govern the country well. Now that the country was in an era of peace, it was time for his brother to rest well.


    Xie Jun thought to himself, ¡°Bro, I¡¯ll rule over the Wei Dynasty independently.


    You can apany Sis in peace and do whatever you want.¡±


    Xie Huanzhang came running to the pce. He came to cry before Xie Jun, saying, ¡°Uncle, I am an unwanted child from now on!¡±


    Xie Jun¡¯s forehead twitched as he said, ¡°What a coincidence. Before your father left, he instructed me to arrange marriages for you and your sister. I now decree that you will be married. In the future, you can have your own¡­¡±


    Xie Huanzhang ran off without a second nce. He returned home to warn Zhao Wanjun to frequent the pce less to avoid being sold off by Xie Jun.


    ¡°Do you think the kids wille after us?¡± Zhao Chuchu asked Xie Heng. ¡°Are we really leaving them behind in Imperial City?¡±


    ¡°We spent half of our lives serving others. From now on, it is just the two of us. Our children have grown up. We also need to let go. With Junjun around, they can¡¯t cause much trouble. Chuchu, the rest of my life is yours.¡±


    Xie Heng embraced Zhao Chuchu as they watched the sun on the horizon. The rest of their lives would be spent traveling the world. They would keep each otherpany till the end of their days. What a life!


    The End..


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