Jiang Ling thought of the scratches on Shen Congxin's legs and the bruises on her body, and knew that this girl was also very virtuous and loyal. If she continued to press her for answers, Shen Congxin would definitely not tell her anything.

Moreover, they had only known each other for less than a day, so it was impossible for Shen Congxin to tell Jiang Ling everything without any warning.

Jiang Ling nodded and said to Shen Congxin, "May I call you Congxin?"

Shen Congxin nodded, and Jiang Ling continued, "Congxin, you can settle in here with peace of mind. However, my family is just a small household and cannot compare with yours. Our food, clothing, and housing are not as good as yours, so I hope you will understand! If the neighbors ask, just say that you are Jiang Suihe's distant cousin!"

"Jiang Suihe?" Shen Congxin was slightly surprised when she heard the name. The two characters sounded very cultured. How could a village woman who couldn't read a single word have come up with such a name!

Shen Congxin secretly looked up and sized up Jiang Ling. This aunt in front of her seemed different from the other farmers. Her skin looked very fair and her overall temperament was outstanding.

However, Shen Congxin knew that she couldn't talk too much while living under someone else's roof, so although she was curious, she could only nod.

"And as you can see, our house is so big. The new house has only just started renovations, so you and Suihe will have to squeeze in together!" Jiang Ling continued.

"Auntie, it's nothing. Don't worry, I won't have any spoiled princess temper!" Shen Congxin nodded and whispered.

Jiang Ling told Shen Congxin everything to give her a heads-up. Most daughters of wealthy merchants tend to have a bit of a spoiled brat attitude, having been pampered since childhood. However, to Jiang Ling's surprise, Shen Congxin didn't look down on anything here and readily agreed.

"Suihe, you go to your studies with your uncle first. I have something I want to talk to your 'cousin' about!" Jiang Ling glanced out the window and then sent Jiang Suihe away!

Jiang Suihe nodded and said to Shen Congxin, "Cousin, don't worry, my mother is doing very well!"

After saying that, he turned and left the house.

"Study? This..." Shen Congxin was surprised again. She was increasingly feeling that Aunt Jiang in front of her was unusual. She would actually encourage her daughter to study. You should know that in this era, even in merchant families like hers, most of the boys were the ones who studied. Girls would just stay at home embroidering and doing needlework, and read books about female virtues such as "Rules for Women" and "Instructions for Women".

"What's wrong? You also want to go to school with Suihe? But you have to wait. Your sudden appearance here is too conspicuous. I'm worried that some gossip will spread outside. If those thugs hear it, it won't be good for us. How about we wait a few days until you get to know some of the villagers and then go to school together?" Shen Congxin was still a child after all. Although her nanny had taught her from a young age not to show her emotions, she still showed a shocked expression when she heard about this.

"No...nothing..." Shen Congxin was about to explain something when a loud voice suddenly came from outside the door.

"Yaojie's mother, are you home?"

The sudden sound startled Shen Congxin. She instinctively shivered and shrank back towards the foot of the bed.

"Don't be afraid, she's just a family next door. You can call her Aunt Chen in a bit!" Jiang Ling said, looking at Chen Congxin with a heart full of comfort.

Shen Congxin nodded obediently and walked out of the house with Jiang Ling.

"I'm so sorry, Lightning Girl, I was so busy with business today that I forgot to buy you the seeds. Don't worry, I'll definitely buy them for you tomorrow, and I'll also give you five extra ducklings, how about that?" Jiang Ling knew that Lightning Girl had come to see her because of the seeds.

As soon as Jiang Ling finished speaking, Lightning Girl's face showed disappointment, but she still forced a smile and said, "It's okay, it's okay, um... Yaojie's mom, you must bring it back for me tomorrow!"

"Oh my, who is this little girl? She's so pretty!" Lightning Girl's gaze suddenly fell on Shen Congxin, and she asked in surprise.

“Call me Aunt Chen from the bottom of your heart!” Jiang Ling said.

"Hello, Aunt Chen!" Shen Congxin said cautiously.

"Oh my, this little girl is so cute. She looks about the same height as our Xiaoyu!" Lightning Mother was also very kind-hearted, and she especially adored a fair-skinned and pretty little girl like Shen Congxin.

“Suihe’s distant cousin has come to visit Suihe!” Jiang Ling quickly explained.

"Congxin, you must be tired from the journey, go inside and rest! I'll chat with your Aunt Chen for a while!" Jiang Ling said, glancing at Shen Congxin behind her.

Shen Congxin was incredibly clever and immediately understood Jiang Ling's intention. She glanced at Jiang Ling with gratitude, said goodbye to Lightning Girl, and quickly ran back into the house.

After Jiang Ling saw Lightning Girl off, she went inside. Looking at Shen Congxin, whose eyes were still wary, she continued to reassure him, "Don't worry, it's safe enough here. You should rest for a while. I'll call you for dinner!"

Without waiting for Shen Congxin to say anything more, Jiang Ling got up and left the room.

Now only Shen Congxin was left in the room. For the past two days, Shen Congxin had been living in fear, hunger and exhaustion. Although she was still highly vigilant, a great deal of drowsiness gradually overwhelmed her, and even her firm will was broken. She huddled in the corner, leaned against the wall, and slowly closed her eyes.

While asleep, Shen Congxin had a dream. She dreamt of her stepmother, who forced her to marry an old and ugly man. When her veil was lifted, the man had three eyes. Shen Congxin was so frightened that she struggled to sit up from the dream.

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