Isn't this about demanding an explanation?
Now it was Coral Girl's turn to be surprised.
She seemed unable to believe it, and after thinking for a moment, she said, "No, Fourth Madam, you are too kind. I should be thanking General Li. Your family really doesn't need to do this..."
Madam Wen helped persuade her, saying, "Miss Coral, my husband's surname is Wen, and Jiayi has to call me 'Shigu' (a term of respect for a senior female disciple), so I am considered his elder."
"Since I'm accompanying the Fourth Madam today, I can't help but say a few words. Please don't mind, young lady!"
"You may not have been to Xindu, so you probably don't know about the Li family's traditions. Everyone knows that the Li family is virtuous, kind, and just."
"Not to mention that you saved Jiayi and got injured, even if you encounter someone in need of help on the road, our family will not ignore them."
"Moreover, the girl's father's actions are truly admirable, and the girl's family's plight is even more heartbreaking."
"The Li family now has business and property in Quanzhou, and they have benefited from your father's protection. It is only right that they repay him."
"Please don't be shy, young lady. If there's anything we can do to help, please just say so."
Coral Girl carefully observed Tao Hongying and Madam Wen, and saw that their expressions were full of sincerity and pity, which did not seem like a feigned test.
For some reason, her originally straight back suddenly slumped down.
She wanted to speak, but her throat was choked and she couldn't make a sound.
When my father was alive, many people received his help, and our home was often visited by relatives and friends, making it a very lively place.
But after her father passed away and the whole family perished, leaving her all alone, not only did no one offer a helping hand, but she was also stigmatized as a "jinx."
Overnight, she went from being the pampered youngest daughter of her family to an "orphan" despised by everyone!
She cried and cursed, but it was no use!
Finally, she risked her life, narrowly escaping death, to avenge her family.
Just when she thought all her efforts were in vain, General Li appeared before her like a god and helped her kill her enemy!
At that moment, he took root in her heart, as if she had returned from hell to the human world.
She suddenly wanted to live, not wanting to let him down after risking his life to save her!
But reality was too cruel. She made it ashore alive, but faced even more rumors and strange looks...
She could only suppress all her thoughts, hide in the wounded soldiers' camp, recuperate, and do whatever chores she could manage, silently eking out a living...
But today, the Li family came to her door, and she was prepared to be beaten and scolded, after all, it was she who caused General Li to be talked about.
Unexpectedly, the Li family did this to thank her and to help her...
Is this a dream?
Both Tao Hongying and Madam Wen had daughters. Seeing that the little girl, Coral, had wide eyes and tears streaming down her face, yet stubbornly refused to utter a single sob, both of them felt heartbroken.
Tao Hongying sat down on the bed, took Coral Girl's hand, and whispered words of comfort.
"Coral Girl, don't cry! You've overcome the hurdle in your life. Once you've suffered the bitterness, everything will surely be sweet from now on."
Coral, longing for the warmth of Tao Hongying's palm, shed even more tears.
After a long while, she wiped away her tears and stood up to bow and thank Tao Hongying and Madam Wen.
"Madams, thank you for your kindness, and thank you even more for your esteemed family's generosity."
"But I still maintain that I am already extremely grateful to General Li for saving my life."
“I have hands and feet, and I can survive no matter what I do in the future. I don’t need any help.”
"Moreover, I... I have too many rumors about me. Getting close to me could easily implicate General Li and your family, leading to criticism..."
"There are too many people and too many eyes here, so please don't come here in the future. If there is anything I can do to help, just send a maid or steward to call me."
Tao Hongying wanted to speak, but Madam Wen pulled her back and gently shook her head.
Tao Hongying sighed, thought for a moment and said, "Alright, Miss Coral, since you have your considerations, we should respect them, but you can't let us come all this way for nothing."
As she spoke, she pointed to Sister Qiong standing at the door.
Sister-in-law Qiong was holding a carved wooden box containing a set of gold jewelry and one hundred taels of silver.
She added, "We originally prepared some jewelry and gold and silver at home, but I'm sure you won't want to accept them."
"Here's what I'll do: I'll have someone send you some everyday items later. They're not expensive, but they're practical. Please don't refuse, okay?"
"After all, you are recovering from your illness now. If you eat and stay in a better place, you can recover as quickly as possible and find a good way out."
Coral hesitated for a moment, then bowed again to express her gratitude.
"Thank you for your care, Madam. I hope that I will have the opportunity to repay your great kindness and that of the Li family when I live."
Tao Hongying sighed, patted her shoulder, and then walked out with Madam Wen.
Xia Qing was sore from talking to the women that she quickly stepped forward and stood next to Sister Qiong.
Soon, Jiayi also received the news.
He couldn't help but scrutinize his aunt's face, but unfortunately he couldn't discern anything, so he could only lead the way.
But he couldn't help himself and turned back to glance at the coral girl...
Madam Wen happened to see this, but she held onto Sister-in-law Qiong's hand and didn't say anything...
As soon as they saw them walk away, the women swarmed around Coral, bombarding her with questions.
"Miss Coral, what does General Li's family mean by this? Do they want to take you as a concubine?"
"How much dowry did they give? Things will get better from now on, you definitely won't have to live in a tent anymore."
Coral frowned slightly and said to everyone, "I am very grateful for your concern, but please don't say such things again!"
"General Li saved my life, and I am so grateful that I don't want to implicate him and ruin his reputation."
"Madam Li came to visit today because she admires my father and wanted to lend a hand. She had no other intentions."
"I'm struggling to survive right now, and I don't want to talk about marriage."
"If any of you sisters-in-law have any good jobs in the future, could you please introduce me to some?"
The women were very disappointed and wanted to ask more, but seeing how pale Coral's face was, they couldn't bear to.
So they put away their gossipy nature and let her go back to her tent to rest...
Not to mention the complex and indescribable feelings that Coral had as she sat on the bed.
All that was said was that Old Lady Li and the others were at home, eagerly waiting, and when Tao Hongying and Madam Wen finally returned, they couldn't help but rush forward to greet them.
Grandma Li asked repeatedly, "How is it? Is that girl alright?"
Tao Hongying and Madam Wen exchanged a glance and both sighed.
"What, is the girl not good enough?" Old Mrs. Li asked anxiously, "Tell me, what's wrong with her? Is it her looks, or her character?"
Tao Hongying replied, "Mother, the girl is truly a good girl. She is tall and slender, with thick eyebrows, big eyes, and jet-black hair. She is very beautiful and spirited."
"Moreover, even though the living quarters are simple, they are kept very clean, indicating a strong-willed personality."
"The most important thing is that I had a nanny at home who taught me manners from a young age, so I speak and act very well."
"Oh my, really? That's wonderful!" Old Mrs. Li couldn't help but laugh. "That rascal Jiayi is really lucky."
"I was worried about him, but I never expected that the girl he casually saved would be such a good girl!"
Fearing that the old lady would start arranging a marriage proposal if she continued talking, Madam Wen quickly said, "Auntie, we didn't mention the marriage to the girl at all during our trip."
"It's because this girl has suffered a lot and seen the coldness of human nature, so she's very guarded and has a very strong personality."
"At first, she thought Hongying and I were there to confront us, and she was afraid that Hongying would pester Jiayi, so she repeatedly assured us that she would not implicate our family."
"Later, when she heard that we had gone to visit her and wanted to help her, she still refused to accept our help, and even refused the thank-you gift that we had prepared at home..."
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