Chapter Twenty-Nine: Chen Qing, How Could You Be So Selfish?

The carriage continued its journey. Chen Qing thought that since they were going to encounter Wang Da and his group, they might also run into Chen Zhenyan and his group.

She really didn't want to deal with these people anymore, but she had no other choice but to keep walking forward, secretly hoping that she wouldn't run into them.

After walking ten miles, Chen Qing discovered that Chen Jiao and the others were trapped by the roadside.

"Useless trash! You traitorous good-for-nothings! When we get back to the Chen family, I'll teach you a lesson! Hurry up and catch the carriage! Hurry! Hurry!"

When Chen Jiao and her party left Qibao Town, they had a total of four horses and more than a dozen servants. However, after traveling for several days, they found themselves in a place with severe wind and snow, and extremely cold weather.

Chen Jiao forbade the servants from taking turns resting in the carriage, forcing them to walk in the heavy snow and eat only cold cornbread, without allowing them any rest at all.

The servants couldn't stand it anymore, so they stole a carriage and some food in an attempt to escape.

With eight fewer servants, there were even fewer servants left around the Chen family. The carriage needed to be manned, and Chen Jiao and the other two needed servants to serve them, making the already exhausted servants even busier and busier.

While resting at night, the horses were forgotten to be fed, and three horses died overnight.

Now that there was only one horse left, it was not enough to pull the carriage, so Chen Jiao asked the servants to take over and pull the carriage.

How could human strength compare to horsepower? The servants pulled the cart with all their might, but they were still scolded by Chen Jiao. No one knew where she got a whip, but she would whip the servants whenever they rested even slightly.

The servants were angry but dared not speak out.

"Jiao'er, come in and rest. Don't tire yourself out. We can buy horses and hire people when we reach a village." Zhang felt sorry for her daughter's exhaustion and quickly invited her in.

Chen Zhenyan added, "Exactly, if we have money, why should we be afraid of not being able to recruit people?"

He was furious with these lowly servants. He thought that his Chen family had never mistreated them, providing them with good food and drink every day, yet they had betrayed their master.

Chen Jiao's beautiful face was full of disdain and contempt. In her previous life, she had lived in the deep palace for a long time. The eunuchs and maids in the palace had all received strict training. Even the slightest mistake would result in a beating or, in severe cases, the loss of one's head.

They're nothing like the servants of the Chen family; they have absolutely no manners!

If she weren't still outside and needed these servants to drive the carriage, she would have had these unruly slaves dragged out and beaten to death long ago.

A hint of fierceness appeared on Chen Jiao's face. Just as she was about to turn back to the carriage, she saw a carriage slowly approaching from behind on the main road.

She had sharp eyes and spotted the man driving the car immediately, her breath catching in her throat.

In the vast expanse of heaven and earth, his eyes directly captured people's hearts and minds, captivating them completely.

His facial features were sharp and sculpted, his skin a pale white from prolonged lack of sunlight, yet under the sunlight, it shimmered with a warm, lustrous sheen like fine porcelain, silently proclaiming the privileged nobility of a life of ease. His nose was high and straight like a mountain ridge, below which were two thin lips, pale in color, now pressed into a cold, hard straight line.

A cold wind ruffled a few strands of his long, dark hair, brushing past his sharply defined jawline. He didn't wear a hair ornament, only securing most of his black hair with a simple black jade hairpin, adding a touch of unconventional nobility.

As the carriage drew closer, Chen Jiao's breath hitched, and a determined smile spread across her face.

She whispered, "Father! Mother! We're saved!"

Having said that, he ignored Zhang's attempts to stop him, jumped off the carriage, and, dragging his aching legs, ran with difficulty toward the carriage.

"Young master! Young master, save me!"

Chen Jiaojiao's sweet voice rang out, and just as she was about to pounce on the horse, Yinhe tightened the reins, causing the horse to come to a slow stop.

His fingers, with their distinct knuckles, were as smooth as porcelain, and were reddened by the black reins. Chen Jiao took in every detail.

Chen Jiao was breathing rapidly, secretly pleased with herself. She had always been confident in her looks, not to mention that she was still young and in her prime. No man in the world was not attracted to her beauty, and he would definitely be attracted to her!

"oops!"

Chen Jiao deliberately fell to the ground and said in a sweet voice, "Please forgive me, young master, my feet are cold and I can't stand up. Could you help me up?"

She raised her head, her eyes like autumn water, secretly conveying her feelings.

Unfortunately, it's like casting pearls before swine or trying to wink at a blind man.

Yinhe looked down at her as if she were a lump of rotten flesh, his eyes completely unmoved. He remained silent, sitting there motionless.

Chen Jiao's smile froze on her face as she tentatively asked, "Young Master?"

The Milky Way remained motionless, without even blinking.

Chen Jiao was somewhat annoyed and raised her voice: "Does the young master have an eye ailment?"

"Pfft," Chen Qing couldn't help but laugh out loud.

She put a finger to her lips to signal the others to be quiet, and said in a disguised voice, "Is the young lady alright? My driver has some eye problems and couldn't help her up in time."

Upon hearing that there was another woman inside the carriage, Chen Jiao angrily scrambled to her feet from the snow, shouting, "So, you dare to play tricks on me! What kind of logic is it to have a blind person drive the carriage?!"

Chen Qing suppressed a laugh: "Miss, you are mistaken. We are complete strangers, how could I possibly play tricks on you?"

"He caused me to break my leg, and you're saying it wasn't your fault?! You have to compensate me!"

Chen Jiao stood with her hands on her hips, speaking arrogantly. She was willful and capricious, and didn't think she was wrong at all. If an ordinary man saw her like this, he would probably give in.

After all, although she was quite unreasonable, she did have a pretty face.

Unfortunately, Chen Qing was sitting in the car.

Chen Jiao's behavior opened Chen Qing's eyes once again.

Chen Jiao secretly examined the carriage. From the outside, the carriage looked very luxurious, and the owner must be rich. They must also have plenty of food and charcoal. If they could be given a ride, they would definitely not suffer afterward.

Chen Jiao stood outside the car and could feel the warmth inside. She didn't even want to imagine how comfortable it would be to sit inside.

Just then, the carriage curtain was lifted, and Pei Xuan, young and spirited, with a mischievous look on his face, exclaimed, "Oh, Miss, it turns out that the one shamelessly asking for favors outside is none other than the esteemed Third Miss!"

Xiao Wu chimed in, "How could that be? Didn't the Third Miss marry the Liu family's young master? You must have mistaken her for someone else."

"Have you forgotten that she was kicked out? I see she has injuries on her face; she must be the Third Miss!"

The two of them talked back and forth, and Chen Jiao, who had been so proud just moments before, was now as disheveled as she was. She was like a hedgehog whose quills had been plucked out, and she was instantly exposed to everyone's gaze.

Chen Jiao angrily lifted the car curtain, and sure enough, sitting inside was none other than Chen Qing!

After not seeing each other for several days, Chen Jiao looked extremely disheveled, while Chen Qing was still the noble eldest daughter of the family. She wore a comfortable warm robe, looked at Chen Jiao calmly, and smiled.

That laugh was absolutely irritating!

Chen Jiao gritted her teeth, wishing she could bite Chen Qing's neck off. Her eyes were bloodshot as she said, word by word, "Chen Qing, you bitch, how dare you mock me!"

The next second, a flash of silver light appeared, and the sharp blade pressed against her vulnerable neck, a trace of red instantly seeping out.

Yinhe moved so fast that no one saw when he drew his knife. His voice was as cold and clear as shattered jade: "What did you say?"

His pale eyes looked coldly at Chen Jiao, like those of a bloodthirsty beast.

Chen Qing was not surprised by Chen Jiao's anger and embarrassment. She put down her book and slowly said, "Yinhe, put down the knife."

"Jiao'er! What's wrong with you!"

Chen Jiao had been there for too long, and Zhang Shi, worried about her daughter, brought along the servants of the Chen family and Chen Zhenyan. Yinhe had already sheathed her knife, and Chen Jiao, with red eyes, hurriedly ran to her father to complain.

"Dad! The one sitting in the car is my eldest sister! Look at her! She doesn't even recognize us anymore! And she's making fun of me!"

"What? It's Qing'er!?"

Chen Zhenyan was struck dumb. He rushed over and saw that the person sitting in the car was none other than his eldest daughter.

He never expected that Chen Qing, who had been sent to Liu's residence to persuade Liu Wei, would still be alive and well!

"Qing'er! Are you alright?"

Chen Qing's eyes were extremely cold.

"Oh, it's Patriarch Chen. If you're alright, how could I possibly be in danger?"

Her words were extremely unfilial, and Chen Zhenyan had a bad feeling. He quickly smiled and said, "Qing'er, are you still upset that your father left first? You don't know, the city was in chaos at the time. Your father originally planned to escape the city first and wait for you, but I was separated from you by the refugees and had to go further away. I even specially left Wang Zhong behind..."

"See, you've caught up now, haven't you?"

"Yes, Qing'er, your aunt can testify that what your father said is absolutely true!" Madam Zhang was very good at changing her tune. Seeing that Chen Qing's carriage was more comfortable than her own, she immediately had the idea of ​​taking over the carriage and tried to fool Chen Qing as before.

"Look at your dad, he's lost weight because he's worried about you. Come down and help him into the car to rest. Let's talk this out as a family!"

Chen Qing understood these people's thoughts all too well; they simply wanted to take advantage of her.

If Chen Qing were to appear in her current disheveled state, these people would undoubtedly mock her just as they had done in the dilapidated temple.

She remained silent, while Yinhe stood guard by the door, exuding a chilling aura that kept the Chen family members at least a meter away, preventing them from approaching.

Chen Jiao covered the bloody mark on her neck that he had made, and shouted that Chen Qing should move the car out of the way immediately.

"Father! If she doesn't let you in, kick her out of the Chen family! Don't acknowledge her anymore!"

Pei Xuan jumped out of the car, crossed his arms, and looked at Chen Jiao with a half-smile: "Third Miss, don't worry, Eldest Miss didn't say she wouldn't help you."

Upon seeing Pei Xuan, all of Chen Jiao's dissatisfaction vanished.

Her imposing aura suddenly weakened, her mind filled with the glory of Pei Xuan ascending the throne. How could she have forgotten this! Pei Xuan was going to be the emperor!

"It's...it's you?"

Chen Jiao suddenly changed her attitude, her eyes darting around. She had to find a way to bring Pei Xuan over, otherwise how could she remain a Noble Consort?

No, in this lifetime, she wants to be the empress!

Thinking of this, Chen Jiao became pitiful again and quickly admitted her mistake, saying, "Pei Xuan, I didn't mean that. I was afraid that my sister wouldn't help us. Is she really so heartless as to watch her family freeze and starve to death?"

"Hmph, even if Sister Qing is a hundred times more ruthless, she can't compare to your heartlessness in leaving her all alone in Qibao Town!"

Pei Xuan sneered, mercilessly exposing their hypocrisy.

“It’s all in the past,” Chen Zhenyan pleaded, “Qing’er, please help your father!”

Chen Qing naturally wanted to help them, after all, she still needed to enter the Chen family. Once she got all her things back, especially the generous dowry left to her by her own mother, she couldn't let those despicable people in the Chen family benefit from it.

After she took the things home, the Chen family members had nothing to do with her anymore.

So, I'll just have to put up with them for a while longer.

Chen Qing convinced herself that she really couldn't be bothered to look at these idiots; just a few more glances would trigger her aversion to stupidity.

However, I still need my mother's dowry.

Thinking of this, Chen Qing said, "Alright, Dad, let's go together then!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Zhenyan was overjoyed and immediately tried to climb into the car.

Chen Qing replied, "I only said I would travel with you, not that you should get on the bus."

She slightly raised her chin and pointed to the dilapidated carriage not far away, "Look, isn't there a carriage over there? You can ride in that one."

Chen Zhenyan said angrily, "There's no charcoal fire in that car over there, it's freezing cold, how can anyone sit there?"

"Qing'er, how can you be so selfish? Your car is so big, it wouldn't be a problem for us to get in!"

Zhang was even more self-righteous.

Chen Qing looked around and pointed to his own people, "This car is just big enough for us. There won't be room for one more person. If you want to leave, you can come with us. If you don't want to leave, you can stay here."

After she finished speaking, she was about to catch her train and leave.

No matter how much she wanted her dowry, Chen Qing would never do something like kicking her own people out of the car to suffer or letting the Chen family members into the car to disgust her.

"Wait...wait!"

Seeing that Chen Qing was about to leave, Chen Jiao quickly called out to them, "We can take our own car, let's go together!"

She had to find a way to win back Pei Xuan's heart and get him to come back to her!

Chen Jiao thought to herself, it seems she has to think of a way to seduce Pei Xuan.

I wonder if he wants the Chen family's vast wealth?

There is no man in this world who is not greedy for money or lustful. As long as he returns to the Chen family, Chen Jiao will use both methods to seduce him. I don't believe Pei Xuan will not be tempted!

Chen Zhenyan and his men returned to the carriage that had been on strike. In order to get the servants to pull the carriage and catch up with Chen Qing and the others, Chen Zhenyan went to great lengths, promising each servant one hundred taels of silver and giving them meat to eat. Only then did they manage to catch up with Chen Qing.

"Sister Qing, we've been walking for a long time, do you want to rest?" Around noon, Pei Xuan replaced Yinhe as the driver outside. When he saw an abandoned village ahead, he asked.

"Alright, let's rest for a bit. How's the weather outside?"

"It's getting dark again, it's probably going to snow again."

There hasn't been a single good day in this weather.

After hearing this, Chen Qing said, "If we go any further, we might not be able to find a place to stay tonight. Tell the people behind us to rest here tonight and continue on our way tomorrow."

In just a short while, Pei Xuan's exposed hands, which were driving the carriage, turned bright red from the cold, the chill penetrating to the bone.

Chen Qing had to take into account the physical condition of his own people.

The abandoned village seemed to have been uninhabited for a long time. Upon hearing the news that they would stop to rest, the servants who followed Chen Zhenyan breathed a sigh of relief, finally able to rest.

"You lot, why aren't you cleaning up the house? Do you expect me to do it myself?"

Chen Jiao's angry rebuke came from behind them again, and the servants' eyes suddenly tightened, their hearts filled with resentment.