Chapter 1 (Third Revision)

The son-in-law has disappeared!

"My Arrogant Husband Works Like a Horse for Me" by You Qingye

The moonlight was hazy, the shadows of the trees were dappled, and the night fell silently.

The servants moved about busily, their figures overlapping. After a long while, the busy, orderly footsteps gradually subsided.

The figures of people indistinctly moving under the porch gradually disappeared into the distance, and one by one the candles carrying the joy of the newlyweds were extinguished in the thick night. Only now did the Hao mansion, which had been bustling all day, return to its usual tranquility.

But the silence lasted only three seconds before a short, startled cry suddenly came from afar.

"Oh no! Young Master is missing!"

Exclamations pierced the night, and the lights that had been turned off were lit again one by one. The servants filed out and hurriedly divided up the tasks to search.

Red debris at the entrance was scattered by footsteps, while the red silk decorations under the eaves inside the mansion swayed uneasily in the cool night breeze.

In the chaos, a maidservant ran in the opposite direction from the crowd, through the eaves of the newlyweds' courtyard, towards the wide-open gate.

The maid paused slightly, and seeing that the candle inside the room was still lit, she dared to cautiously push the door open and enter.

"Miss, the young master..."

As she spoke, her voice rose an octave, cracking and almost piercing the night, "Miss! What are you doing!"

"..."

Just as Lu Qin threw off her veil and slammed her head against the wall, she heard a deafening scream. Immediately afterward, a maid rushed over, slid to her knees, and grabbed her leg.

Lu Qin cried out in pain, her body swaying slightly, but she quickly braced herself against the bed to steady herself.

The rough, gritty touch almost made her arm give way. When she looked down again, she noticed that the silk quilt was covered with many round longans.

Of course, there are also red dates, peanuts, and lotus seeds.

"Miss!" Before she could react, the maidservant pulled her back with all her might, wailing in her ear, "On such a joyous day, please don't do anything rash, Zhilan begs you!"

"Wait a minute, wait a minute."

Lu Qin's mind was in a mess, and she quickly stretched out a hand to cover Zhi Lan's lips.

"Hmm." Zhilan was forced to be muted, blinked in confusion, and listened to her muttering to herself.

"I did a live stream all night, then got up to go on 8 AM... and then I got hit by an electric scooter, hit my head, and then..."

Have we arrived in this unfamiliar place?

Lu Qin rested her chin on her hand and looked around. She found that everything around her was brand new, either with red "double happiness" characters pasted on it or covered with red wedding cloth.

When she woke up, she realized something was wrong; the bed in the dormitory was much bigger than that.

She thought she was dreaming, so she deliberately bumped her head against the wall to test it, but unexpectedly a live maid jumped out... However, it is known that the wall is solid, and bumping it will make a "thud" sound.

"hiss."

Thinking about this, my head started to ache dully.

Lu Qin gasped. She was wearing a head full of jeweled hairpins when she bumped into the wall. She didn't hit her head, but she was poked by a hairpin.

She struggled to hold her head, which was tilting downwards, and heard the crisp clinking of the hairpin pendants above her.

At the same time, a flood of memories rushed in, flashing before her eyes, overwhelming her senses and making her brain feel like it was about to explode.

"Qin'er is the only legitimate daughter of the Lu family, my most precious daughter. I will do everything in my power to cure her illness!"

"Master, Miss's illness is a matter of the heart. She has been grieving every day since the First Madam passed away. The doctors all say there is no cure. Perhaps we could try to bring her some good fortune?"

"Tell me about it."

“The young lady is of marriageable age. I have heard that the eldest son of Hao Shan, the head of the Hao family, is still unmarried. As you know, the Hao family is powerful and influential, and Hao Shan comes from the line of the first wife. His eldest son is a perfect match for our young lady.”

"Hao Shan? I do have some connection with him. If he hadn't been suspected by the royal family back then, he wouldn't have resigned from his official post to go into business... Hao Shan is an upright man, and he must have raised his son well. Well then, he can be considered the best match for Qin'er."

"Master, the auspicious time has arrived, but the groom has yet to come to fetch the bride. What should we do?"

“Father-in-law, I’m so sorry. My son has always been arrogant and spoiled. It’s my fault for neglecting to discipline him. Consider these gifts as an apology to Qin’er and the Lu family… On this joyous day, please calm down and let the two children complete their wedding ceremony first. I will definitely settle accounts with him properly afterward.”

"Oh no! Young Master is missing!"

"..."

Memories flashed back and forth, and a million alpacas galloped through Lu Qin's mind.

I understand now, I understand everything.

The story begins with a cataclysmic event, and she is transported to another world.

The person who advocated for the marriage was Aunt Zhao, the original owner's father's concubine, a true smiling tiger.

It was supposed to be a marriage to bring good luck, but in reality, they wanted to take the opportunity to get rid of her so that their own children could divide all of the Lu family's assets.

On the day of her wedding, Aunt Zhao bribed the wedding party to make them carry the sedan chair along the longest and most winding route. She also arranged for bandits to cause trouble. The original owner of the body, who was already terminally ill, could not withstand the ordeal. By the time she arrived at the Hao family home, she had already passed away.

Her new husband, Hao Jingshi, was no better; he not only refused to take her in, but also refused to perform the wedding ceremony.

The sedan chair landed, and he ran away without even glancing at her to see if she was alive or dead.

...

Milk candy my foot. Forget the surname Hao, go for the surname Huai, you're a complete bastard.

Lu Qin cursed inwardly, and couldn't help but raise her hand, wanting to take off all the hairpins in her hair and throw them out the window to vent her anger.

But when she caught sight of Zhilan kneeling on the ground, she paused, calmly raised her delicate fingers, and gracefully rubbed her temples.

Well, she must have scared the maid by bumping her head against the wall. People call her "Miss," so she should act like one.

"Miss..."

Seeing Lu Qin like this, Zhi Lan thought she had been stimulated and swallowed hard, at a loss for what to do.

"Don't worry, Mr. Hao has already sent someone to look for the son-in-law. Mrs. Hao said that if you are tired, you can go to sleep first and there is no need to wait for the son-in-law."

Upon hearing this, Lu Qin put on a pitiful expression: "Young master... husband, will you come back?"

Bah, don't come back. A man who's never home is better off dying out there.

“The matchmaker should have brought dumplings for the wedding night, but the groom…” Zhilan lowered her head, her voice growing weaker with each word, “I’ve been searching for him for so long, and I think he’s probably not coming back…”

Lu Qin ignored it, secretly picked up a soft, large red date from the bedding, wiped it, and stuffed it into her mouth.

After Zhilan finished speaking, she lowered her head. After a long while, when no one from her mistress spoke, she cautiously raised her head again.

Lu Qin quickly covered her mouth, nodding as she squeezed out a few tears, then, under the guise of feigning sobs, chewed the date and swallowed it.

"It was my negligence." Seeing her mistress's state, Zhilan felt extremely guilty and released her legs, beginning to kowtow. "I deserve to die; I have failed Master's trust..."

"Hey, hey, get up, get up—" Lu Qin almost choked to death on a jujube pit and quickly went to help her up. "It's not your fault. He has legs, and if he wants to run, no one can stop him."

Zhilan lowered her head and obediently stood up as her young mistress wished, still feeling guilty: "This servant will definitely be more careful in the future. Miss must be tired today, so let me remove this hairpin for you first."

Lu Qin nodded weakly, pretending to cough and spit out the jujube pit she hadn't had time to spit out.

Just from these descriptions, she could imagine that her husband was a short-tempered and ugly man.

However, not finding him now doesn't mean she won't find him later. If she does find him, she'll have to share a room with him...

No!

Lu Qin felt uncomfortable just thinking about it. Considering that she had kowtowed to travel through time, she decided to kowtow a few more times to try.

Now that the burden on my head is gone, maybe this time I can make a breakthrough and go back in a flash.

Lu Qin quietly prepared herself, and after Zhi Lan finished dismantling the paper, she lowered her face, looked out the window and wept at the moon: "Zhi Lan, go to sleep. I'll wait for my husband a little longer, in case he changes his mind."

“Miss…” Zhilan hesitated for a long time before whispering, “I’ve heard that the young master is stubborn and never listens to discipline. You should rest early…”

"No." Tears streamed down her face. Lu Qin raised her head, lifted her fingertips, and wiped away the tears. "Why is my husband so heartless..."

"Miss……"

"What's the point of me living!"

After letting out a heartfelt wail, Lu Qin mustered her courage and rammed her head into a candlestick that didn't look too expensive.

The candlestick crashed against the wall with a loud bang, and the candle flame on it went out.

Lu Qin felt a sharp pain in her head, and after hearing Zhi Lan's exclamation, her vision went black and she collapsed.

Not long after.

Lu Qin heard someone call her "Miss" again, and she opened her eyes a crack in confusion.

Through layers of gauze curtains, she could vaguely see a maid with her hair tied up with a plain hairpin, stuffing something into her sleeve.

Looks unfamiliar, where have you run off to this time?

Lu Qin broke out in a cold sweat, sat up, and looked around. It seemed she hadn't traveled back in time, but rather to a different place in the same era.

"Miss, it's time to take your medicine."

While Lu Qin was lost in thought, the unfamiliar maidservant approached with a bowl of medicine. Her eyes were timid and she didn't seem like a good person.

She glanced at it and, upon smelling the bitter and foul odor of the medicine, immediately thought of the wicked Aunt Zhao who had poisoned the original owner of this body.

"What does this taste like?" Lu Qin frowned. "It's disgusting, I can't drink it."

As she spoke, she deliberately swung her arm and spilled the medicine, staining the floor a shade darker and filling the room with a pungent smell.

"This servant deserves to die!" The maid was startled. After kneeling on the ground and begging for forgiveness, she ran out and brought back a bowl.

Lu Qin resolutely refused to drink it, but unexpectedly, the maid was about to call someone to hold her hands and feet and force-feed her the medicine.

She stared in disbelief: No, it's reversed Heavenly Gang, who is the young lady here?

Seeing that everyone was about to crowd forward, Lu Qin had no way out. With a determined heart, she slammed her head against the wall again—

She opened her eyes, still shaken, and found herself back in the Hao family's house, in the newly built room where the red decorations had not yet been removed.

No way, they're back again?

Lu Qin sat up abruptly, a sharp pain shooting through her forehead, and cried out in pain.

Hearing the commotion, Zhilan, who was standing beside her, quickly got up to look. Seeing blood seeping from her forehead, she exclaimed in alarm, "Don't press your head down, it's bleeding again! I'll go and fetch the doctor again!"

After saying that, Zhilan left like a gust of wind. Luqin was very unwilling and puffed out her cheeks in anger.

She's a beauty and fashion blogger with hundreds of thousands of followers, so what's it to be stuck in this godforsaken place!

She couldn't just sit there and wait to die, abandoned by her husband and schemed against by her concubine, and live like that for the rest of her life.

Thinking it over, Lu Qin hardened her heart and slammed her head against the wall.

A group of people surrounded her, casting a shadow over her: "Miss, drink your medicine obediently..."

The deer was so frightened that it quickly bumped into the ground again.

Zhilan rushed in, exclaiming, "Miss, why can't you stop the bleeding from your forehead!"

Lu Qin bumped into it again.

A devilish whisper reached my ear: "Miss, drink your medicine..."

She refused to believe that Lu Qin would bump into her again!

Then they heard Zhilan wailing, "Doctor, please save our young lady!"

"..."

"..."

The deer scutellaria was exhausted.

When she woke up for the last time in the Hao mansion, she stared blankly at Zhilan walking towards her and decided to give up struggling.

“The young master has not returned for three whole days.” Zhilan brought some ointment to apply to her, and said with heartache, “But don’t worry, Miss. Master Hao said that if he catches him, he will definitely cripple his leg and bring him to you to confess.”

The ointment felt cool and relieved the pain. Lu Qin, feeling dizzy, closed her eyes and nodded wearily.

Well, it's good that he's crippled. She'll make him kneel on the ground and kowtow a hundred times before she'll stop.

"Miss, don't be too sad." Seeing her mistress like this, Zhilan comforted her, "Master Hao and Madam Hao know that you have been wronged, so they specially sent a doctor to come and also brought you a betrothal gift, which I have already accepted on your behalf."

What, a betrothal gift?

Lu Qin suddenly felt full of energy, opened her eyes abruptly, and said with great joy, "Enough, enough! I had secretly pledged my heart to my husband long ago, and now that my wish has been fulfilled, why should I care about these things? Tell the master that I only want my husband to come back, and there is no need for severe punishment."

"..." Upon hearing that she had secretly given her heart to him, Zhilan sighed, concluding that her mistress had been overly upset. She closed the indigo medicine box and said with a worried face, "This servant will go and find a doctor to take another look."

"No need, no need. I'm much better." Lu Qin quickly stopped her, changing the subject, "What are you holding?"

Zhilan paused, then opened her palm: "This is a scar-removing ointment. I went to get it for myself."

"Let me see."

Zhilan obediently handed it over. Luqin took the box, opened the lid, dipped her hand in the jelly-like ointment, and applied it to her arm.

"Such a delicate texture!"

As she applied the ointment, Lu Qin's eyes lit up, and she regained the feeling she had during her live stream. She then excitedly showed it to Zhi Lan, saying, "Family members, look! This ointment is moisturizing and easy to spread, as smooth as ice cream!"

"..." Zhilan looked completely bewildered.

"No 999, no 998! Today, Little Deer is offering a special price of 19.9 yuan for everyone. You can get one item, two items... We don't have much stock left, so grab them while you can! Three, two, one, assistant, here's the link!"

"..."

Why isn't the assistant responding?

When Lu Qin turned her head and met Zhi Lan's gaze, she was suddenly brought back to her senses.

Oh right, her assistant isn't with her right now.

Lu Qin felt bored and sighed. However, she soon had a flash of inspiration.

No matter where you travel to, people always need to buy things.

What's the difference between a personal maid and a junior assistant? She has so much money now, and her husband never comes home...

Returning to his old ways, his momentum is unstoppable!

As Lu Qin thought about it, she felt a sudden surge of inspiration. She immediately jumped out of bed and searched for paper and pen to write down her plan.

Zhilan, standing to the side, was terrified when she saw her mistress talking nonsense and drawing ghost talismans on paper with a brush. She started crying again.

"Miss, please hold on! I'll go and fetch a Taoist priest to exorcise the evil spirits for you, Miss..."

With that, he took off running.