Duan Wenrou probably wanted to kill Xiang Shulan and then go directly to Shen Qiaoyue's house to kill her.

It was Ye Hualan's appearance that disrupted Duan Wenrou's plans.

After the child was examined at the hospital and found to be healthy, Shen Qiaoyue walked alone towards the family compound.

After the heavy rain, the road was blocked by mud and leaves washed in by the rain.

The soldiers on duty took advantage of the dry weather to sweep mud and leaves off the road.

"Sister-in-law, are you back from the hospital? Are you feeling unwell?" Duan Jiahe, who was working, went up to greet Shen Qiaoyue when she saw her.

When Shen Qiaoyue saw Duan Jiahe, she excitedly asked, "Jiahe, you're back! Where's your commander?"

"Sister-in-law, the regimental commander needs to wait two more days. He's currently handling the aftermath. Yang Weiming is with him, so he sent me back first." Duan Jiahe is Lu Chen's bodyguard. He's only nineteen years old, and he looks much more haggard than he did in just a few days.

Shen Qiaoyue sighed and said, "Jiahe, you just got back, why didn't you rest for a bit before coming out to work?"

"It's okay, there are many people, so we'll finish quickly."

Duan Jiahe explained with a simple, honest smile.

Shen Qiaoyue was a little disappointed to learn that Lu Chen had not returned yet, but she was relieved to know that he was not injured.

"Sister-in-law, shall I take you home?" Duan Jiahe was still holding a broom. He was also frightened after hearing about how Shen Qiaoyue had been hurt by Duan Wenrou, so he offered to take his sister-in-law home.

Shen Qiaoyue waved her hand and said, "No need, it's safe in broad daylight. You should get back to work. Come to my house later, my sister-in-law made something delicious today."

"Yes, thank you, sister-in-law." Shen Qiaoyue said and left.

Duan Jiahe was extremely excited, and his sister-in-law was concerned about him.

Thinking about the delicious food that would follow, he worked even harder.

When Liu Xinlan went grocery shopping at noon, she bought an old hen, which Shen Qiaoyue planned to stew into soup after she got home.

When I got home, I saw Lu He sweeping the yard.

"Lu He, you're back."

Upon seeing Lu He, Shen Qiaoyue quickened her pace and returned.

"Sister-in-law, where have you been?" Upon hearing Shen Qiaoyue's voice, Lu He immediately put down the broom and went to the door to help Shen Qiaoyue. "Sister-in-law, I heard you were almost bullied by someone. I only found out this morning!"

"I'm fine now, it's all taken care of." Shen Qiaoyue smiled awkwardly, wondering how everyone already knew.

Lu He complained worriedly, "Brother, you really are something. Your sister-in-law is in such a bad situation, and you didn't even come back to see her."

Shen Qiaoyue smiled and said, "Your brother has his own things to do, and besides, nothing has happened, so there's no need to worry."

Lu He looked at Shen Qiaoyue with concern and said, "Sister-in-law, you should rest first. I'll clean the yard and then cook something for you. I've already started stewing the chicken in the pot, and we can start cooking later."

"Have you eaten the cake in the kitchen?" Shen Qiaoyue suddenly remembered that she had left several mochi she had made earlier.

Lu He thought for a moment and said, "I ate it. Did you make that yourself, sister-in-law?"

"Yes, is it delicious?" Shen Qiaoyue nodded and asked.

Lu He nodded and said, "It's delicious. This is the best cake I've ever eaten."

Shen Qiaoyue knew that Lu He was praising her, and she felt a little excited.

"I'm glad you like it. You just got back, why are you already working? You shouldn't be resting." Shen Qiaoyue looked at Lu He. It seemed like she hadn't slept properly for days.

While working, Lu He said, "I'm fine, I can rest after I finish sweeping."

Shen Qiaoyue could not persuade her.

I know that both Lu He and Lu Chen are clean.

Shen Qiaoyue had already cleaned the courtyard last night, but a strong wind and rainstorm this morning brought in a lot of fallen leaves.

Lu He started working as soon as she got back, without stopping.

“Lu He, you need to change this habit, otherwise you’re destined to suffer after you get married!” Shen Qiaoyue didn’t believe that a girl could gain respect just by being diligent. “Being too diligent is not a good thing. You should use your time wisely.”

Lu He understood what Shen Qiaoyue meant, and while working, he looked up and said, "Sister-in-law, I know, don't worry."

Shen Qiaoyue had heard this sentence many times, but each time Lu He would just respond and continue working without stopping.

Helpless, Shen Qiaoyue walked into the kitchen.

It's getting late, so I'm starting to think about what to cook for dinner.

"Lu He, Duan Jiahe is coming over for dinner later. He likes spicy food. I've been thinking of making spicy dishes. Can you eat them?" Shen Qiaoyue noticed the red chilies in the basket and wanted to make a stir-fried chili with meat.

Lu He, who was sweeping the yard outside, replied, "I'm fine with anything."

Shen Qiaoyue put the vegetables in the sink to soak.

Seeing that Shen Qiaoyue was about to start working, Lu He said, "Sister-in-law, I'll finish sweeping soon, I'll do it."

After quickly sweeping the floor, Lu He went into the kitchen to help cook, taking over Shen Qiaoyue's chores.

Shen Qiaoyue broke free and said with a smile, "Wash the dishes after dinner. I definitely won't let you be idle. Jiahe is coming over for dinner later. Take the fruit basket in the living room and wash it, and take the cake to the living room."

"Alright then." Lu He didn't struggle. She took the cake that Shen Qiaoyue mentioned into the living room, put the oranges on the table, and washed the apples and pears and put them on the table as well.

Lu He glanced into the kitchen and saw Shen Qiaoyue cutting meat.

Since my sister-in-law wouldn't let me do any chores, I decided to just look at my notes in the living room.

Exhausted, Lu He fell asleep on the sofa.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!