“Village head, that pawnshop manager seems a bit strange.”
An Shi was driving the carriage outside, while Shi Jiu and Lu Qi Qi sat inside.
He recalled the pawnshop owner's appearance, and with his keen senses as an unofficial member of the Shadow Guard, he could detect something unusual.
As everyone could see, Lu Qiqi naturally took in the shopkeeper's reaction as well.
However, "Now the Shadow Guards are living in the mansion, and I revealed my identity as soon as I entered the pawnshop."
As long as the shopkeeper isn't my mortal enemy, I wouldn't dare do anything.
Upon hearing this, Nineteen felt relieved.
Since Lu Qiqi was going out, she took Shijiu and bought a lot of things.
Naturally, food is the main focus, since there are many people in the family and many children.
Li and Lu are reluctant to spend money on snacks, even though life is better now, they are still reluctant to buy more.
So the two of them did a big shopping spree before leisurely returning home in their carriage.
As soon as Lu Qiqi and Shijiu stepped through the gate, they had everyone unload everything from the car.
He even specifically instructed that one copy be reserved for the Shadow Guards.
Lu Qiqi was followed by Nineteen. The two walked through the corridor and were about to walk into the courtyard when they heard someone call her from behind.
"Seventh Girl".
"Huiniang has woken up and wants to see you. She asked me to invite you over."
Turning around, Lu Qiqi saw Hu Jinfei, who was running and out of breath.
It looks like it ran all the way here.
She walked quickly forward, and only when she reached Hu Jinfei's side did she ask, "Uncle Hu, what's the matter that you're in such a hurry?"
Hu Jinfei was clumsy with words and afraid that he wouldn't be able to explain clearly and would only waste time. "It's an important matter. If you don't go soon, Hui Niang will get out of bed and come looking for you."
He felt sorry for his wife, who was still recovering from a serious illness and had only just regained consciousness, and was very weak.
Hui Niang has a very good personality, but whenever it comes to her mistress's affairs, she can become stubborn.
He couldn't bear to see Hui Niang overworked, so he had no choice but to come and find Lu Qiqi.
Seeing Hu Jinfei's anxious expression, Lu Qiqi didn't suspect anything and quickly followed him to the courtyard where Zeng Shi lived.
As soon as she entered the house, she saw that there were quite a few people standing inside.
Third Uncle and Third Aunt, Eldest Uncle and Eldest Aunt, all sat at the round table outside the inner room, each with a strange expression on their face.
When the four of them saw Lu Qiqi, they looked hesitant to speak.
Seeing this scene, Lu Qiqi's heart sank. She wondered to herself, "She has only been away from home for a short time. Could it be that Madam Zeng is about to pass away?"
As she hurried into the inner room, Zeng, hearing the commotion, quickly got up.
With Lu Yao's help, she leaned against the bed railing.
As soon as Lu Qiqi entered the room, she grabbed Zeng's hand, preparing to take her pulse, when she saw a hand blocking her movement.
She looked up and met Zeng's eyes, seeing a soft glint in them.
“I’m fine,” Zeng explained. “Qiqi, your aunt has something to ask you.”
Seeing Zeng Shi's expression as if she were making her final arrangements, Lu Qiqi frowned slightly and nodded gently, "Please speak."
Zeng asked, "Qiqi, did your mother, Chen, leave you any messages?"
Lu Qiqi thought about it carefully, then shook her head blankly.
Then she saw Zeng's disappointed expression.
After a moment, Zeng said, "Your mother, Chen, was my former master and the legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Lin'an."
This bombshell news instantly opened up Lu Qiqi's mind.
She finally understood why Chen, a woman well-versed in literature, was able to teach her two sisters to read and write.
He also possessed a skillful craft, working as a master embroidery craftsman in the large embroidery workshop in Qingyuan Prefecture.
It turns out that Madam Chen came from a prestigious family and was a true lady of high birth.
Lu Qiqi asked in confusion, "Then why did she go to Qingyuan Prefecture, and why was she saved by my father?"
Madam Zeng explained, “Your mother was quite famous in Huating County. Before she even came of age, matchmakers were already crowding into her door, asking for marriage proposals from various young men.”
I was your mother's dowry maid.
On her wedding day, the wedding procession was massacred, but fortunately, some of the servants in the dowry were skilled in combat.
They risked their lives to help me and your mother escape.
The servant died by the blade while trying to buy them time.
However, after they fled the scene, Chen's leg was seriously injured and she was unable to walk.
Fortunately, she had only been away from home for two days. Zeng arranged for Chen to stay with a farmer before returning home to report the news.
Unexpectedly, the gatekeepers of the Marquis's mansion had not only changed, but they also did not recognize the jade pendant that was unique to the Chen family.
At that time, the Marquis's mansion had only recently moved to the new capital, and Chen was not familiar with the noble ladies of other mansions.
Just when Madam Zeng was at her wit's end, she saw the maid of the second young mistress of the mansion leave the mansion.
She held back the maid and made her tell the Marquis that the young lady's wedding procession had been intercepted and killed by villains.
Unexpectedly, the maid returned and told her that a married woman belongs to another family, and she should not return to the manor to disgrace the reputation of the Marquis's manor and jeopardize the future marriage prospects of the Marquis's daughters.
Enraged, Zeng was about to rush forward and catch up with the maid who was about to return to the mansion to argue with her.
Unexpectedly, he was drugged and rendered unconscious.
When she woke up, she found herself bound hand and foot and lying in a carriage.
Fortunately, she was quick-witted. After witnessing the complete annihilation of the wedding procession, she became cautious and sewed a small razor blade into her sleeve, using it to cut the rope.
Unfortunately, she was discovered by her kidnappers the moment she jumped off the carriage.
She injured her leg when she jumped off the vehicle, but luckily there was a river nearby, so she jumped into the river and escaped.
She spent three days, covered in injuries, to find the young lady.
But in return, she was chased and killed. Only then did she realize that the person driving the carriage did not really want to kill her.
Instead, they spared her life, intending to have her lead the way to the young lady and silence her.
So she took the young lady and fled, fled haphazardly, without any destination.
Both of them were injured and couldn't get very far.
Finally, the two escaped to the edge of the hillside, but the young lady slipped, and they both fell down the hillside.
She never saw the young lady again after that.
As mentioned earlier, Zeng remained composed, as if recounting someone else's experience.
But when she spoke of rolling down the hillside with Chen, she could no longer hold back her tears, which dripped onto the brocade quilt.
"After that, I was rescued by Brother Hu and we became husband and wife."
He led me to search all over the place where the young lady had fallen down the hillside.
I've traveled throughout the Great Jin Dynasty, all in search of the young lady.
As she spoke, Zeng's voice grew increasingly hoarse. "I never imagined that day would be the last time I saw Miss."
Madam Zeng took the jade beads that Lu Yao had worn, and then picked up the jade pendant on the side, pieced them together and handed them to Lu Qiqi.
"I couldn't find Miss, but I found two young ladies."
This jade pendant belonged to your mother; returning it to you is a way of returning it to its rightful owner.
Lu Qiqi never expected that the revelation of Chen's identity would reveal such a secret.
She took the jade pendant, feeling an indescribable sadness in her heart.
At that moment, she desperately wanted to know what had happened back then!
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