There was heavy rain, thunder and lightning, and the sky was dark.
"Gee!" Liao Xiaodie gritted her teeth and hurriedly drove the carriage, fearing that she would be locked up in a nunnery and suffer.
Gong Yipeng led three of the Guo family's servants, chasing them through the muddy road and rain, shouting, "Stop!"
"Xiaodie, stop coughing, cough cough cough." The rain rushed into Gong Yipeng's mouth and nose, choking him and making him cough. He shouted helplessly:
"You can escape for a while, but you can't escape forever. Atone for your sins honestly!"
Liao Xiaodie was filled with resentment and rage, shouting hoarsely, "I did nothing wrong, what sins do I need to atone for? If you want to atone for your sins, go and do it yourself. I won't stop you!"
In fact, she had never driven a car before, but her courage suddenly increased due to fear. As soon as she broke free from the ropes, she impulsively grabbed the whip and hit the horse, eager to escape punishment.
A person with only two legs cannot outrun two horses with eight legs. In a blink of an eye, she ran away.
Gong Yipeng was extremely anxious and helpless, and subconsciously tried his best to catch up.
"Ouch!" A maid accidentally stepped into a puddle and fell down with a plop, grimacing in pain. Her companion hurried to support her.
Gong Yipeng and the driver continued to chase after her. The experienced driver pointed out firmly, "She doesn't know how to drive at all. She's hitting and slapping people like that. Sooner or later, she'll fall into a ditch!"
Sure enough, in the distance, two horses were pulling an empty cart, running crookedly, sometimes fast, sometimes slow.
The rain was coming down hard and the wind was blowing fiercely.
Not to mention the people, the horses were also in pain. The two horses were frightened by the thunder and lightning and originally refused to run, but Liao Xiaodie whipped them violently and beat them hard, making them run away whimpering.
“Gee! Gee!”
"Beast, run faster!" Liao Xiaodie's heart was beating like a drum, and blood rushed to her head. There was only one thought in her mind: escape, she must escape.
The carriage was shaking violently, and she leaned against the door frame, whipping harder and harder.
The next moment, a flash of lightning lit up the sky, and the bright white light streaked across the dark sky, which was very dazzling. Almost at the same time, thunder sounded, deafening.
"Neigh~" The two horses were frightened, stopped, raised their front hooves high, stomped the ground heavily, and then no longer obeyed the drive, neighing anxiously. One went north and the other went south, pulling the empty cart left and right.
"Ah——" Liao Xiaodie was caught off guard and almost fell out of the car. She hurriedly held onto the door frame to steady herself. She turned her head in fear and saw:
Gong Yipeng led the driver in pursuit, getting closer and closer.
I must not be caught! If I divorce you, then I will divorce you. I am still young and pretty, so I won’t have any trouble finding a good man to remarry. Liao Xiaodie made a decision in a panic, gritted her teeth, grabbed the whip again, and whipped the horse hard, "Go! Go, go!"
"Beast, run!"
As a result, the two horses got angry! They struggled, neighed wildly, and rushed around, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, and suddenly rushed out of the road and ran towards the farmland.
Liao Xiaodie was frightened. She tried her best to steady herself, pulled the reins, and yelled, "Whoa! Whoa!"
However, the two horses ignored the command and ran with their heads down, nimbly crossing a ditch. But the carriage could not jump, and the right wheel sank into the deep ditch, shaking crookedly.
In a flash, Liao Xiaodie lost her seat and was thrown out of the car, falling into a ditch, with her left cheek scratched by a dead branch.
Immediately, the two angry horses continued to pull, and with a loud "bang", most of the car fell into the ditch and was completely stuck.
——The moment the empty car fell into the ditch, Liao Xiaodie was unable to dodge and her legs were crushed. She felt severe pain and screamed in fear.
When Gong Yipeng and the driver arrived breathlessly, they took a closer look:
The empty carriage got stuck in a ditch, and the two horses couldn't break free, so they gradually quieted down. Meanwhile, Liao Xiaodie lay on her back in the mud, her legs pinned down by the carriage, her face bruised and bloody, and she was desperately begging for help:
"Brother Peng, help, help!"
"My legs, my legs!" She raised her hand to touch her face and felt blood. She screamed, "Ah! My face, what happened?"
"Mirror, do you have a mirror? Bring me a mirror!"
The driver was stunned and at a loss. After all, they were husband and wife. Gong Yipeng couldn't help crying and jumped into the ditch without hesitation, urgently urging: "What are you doing? Save him!"
"Oh, yes, yes." The driver came back to his senses and called the two maids who were a little slower to help.
Late Night · Guo Mansion
"What?"
The sick Wang sat on the headboard and asked in surprise, "Both legs are broken?"
Jiang Yushu sat in front of the couch and nodded. "Not only is his leg broken, but there's also a deep scratch on his face. It's likely to leave a scar and disfigure him."
"Liao brought this upon herself!" Guo Hongxuan gestured, "I heard she stole a carriage and tried to escape, but she didn't know how to drive. When the carriage fell into a ditch, she was thrown out. Her legs were broken, and her face was scratched by a branch."
Guo Honglei also sat in front of the couch, "So, my brother stayed in the suburbs to take care of her while he chose a nunnery."
"Alas." Wang was exhausted, filled with regret and self-blame. She said guiltily, "Yi Peng is kind, generous, and loyal, but Xiao Die is so ungrateful and has completely let me down. If I had known this would happen, I would never have been the matchmaker! Poor Yi Peng, he's been ruined by me."
At this point, Guo Honglei could only offer comfort, "Don't blame yourself. Brother Shi has never blamed you."
Jiang Yushu continued, "You can only know a person's face but not his heart. Before this incident, no one knew that she was that kind of person."
"Hmph, if you want to blame someone, blame that guy named Liao. He has a vicious heart and repays kindness with enmity. He's a complete troublemaker!" Guo Hongxuan was disdainful and angry.
Jiang Yushu said thankfully, "Thank goodness we found out. Otherwise, if we had let her stay in our house, who knows what kind of trouble would have happened in the future!"
"God has mercy on her, and the Bodhisattva has blessed her." Wang was also thankful. "She has received her retribution."
Guo Honglei informed him, "As for Chen Xijin and Qian Laoliu, I have already sent people to take them to the government office. Brother Pei will personally conduct the trial. Everything has been arranged properly. There is no need for the family to worry."
"Okay, okay." Wang felt relieved.
Jiang Yushu then asked, "Also, my cousin's two maids, Ping'er and Xiaomei, and the people they accused, haven't committed any unforgivable crimes. Their main faults are instigation, aiding and abetting the disturbance, and failing to report the incident. What does the old lady think should be done with them?"
"You are a person with your own ideas, so you can do whatever you want." Wang was so sick that she was upset and had no energy to take care of the household.
Jiang Yushu had already made plans and sighed, "I dare not employ those who are restless. But if we drive them away directly, they will definitely resent us and spread the shameful things we did, or even spread rumors to slander the Guo family. It would be better to send them to Liuzhuang to farm and raise sheep. With a manager to supervise them on a daily basis, they should behave themselves."
"Yes, let's do it this way. Consider it a good deed." Wang was absent-minded and pondered for a moment before saying seriously:
"This house has bad feng shui."
"How long have you lived here? Accidents keep happening one after another, and people are in a panic. Did the master you hired do a careful calculation at the beginning?" Wang looked around and couldn't help but become suspicious.
"This..." Several juniors looked at each other in surprise.
Guo Honglei was stunned for a moment, then answered frankly, "At that time, Ye'er had just been born, and you led your family from Changping to Heqin. The whole family was reunited and urgently needed a place to live. You had no time to carefully choose, so you were indeed a bit hasty when buying this house."
"Alas." Wang said worriedly, "This place is unsuitable for living."
Jiang Yushu thought for a moment and suggested, "My father felt deeply guilty about Yushan's situation. After returning to the capital, he sent me three thousand taels of silver, saying it was to calm his grandson. I think buying land and building a house is too slow, so I might as well buy a house and renovate it carefully. I hope the new house will have a new look and bring peace and prosperity to the Guo family."
Guo Hongzhe rarely interrupted, "More importantly, it's to reassure my mother."
"Yes, for peace of mind!" Wang nodded in agreement.
Guo Honglei had no objection and said, "I must leave for camp tomorrow. My third and fourth brothers should stay at home and work hard. Let's see if we can get this important matter done before the New Year."
"What's the point of talking about 'hard work'? It's what we should do." Guo Hongzhe and Guo Hongxuan solemnly agreed.
The next morning
Guo Honglei knelt down to bid farewell to his mother, and the others saw him out.
At the gate of the mansion, a small group of followers were waiting with horses. When Guo Ye saw them, his eyes lit up and he excitedly shouted to his father, "Horse! Ride!"
Jiang Yushu hurriedly held him steady, "Don't move, be careful not to fall!"
Guo Honglei pinched his son's cheek and said, "I don't have time to play with you today, maybe next time."
"Ah?" Guo Ye was confused. Jiang Yushu patiently explained, "Didn't Mom tell you? Your dad is going back to the camp and has a lot of things to do. He can only come home next time when he's free. Then you can learn to ride a horse."
When Wang Qiaozhen was alive, Guo Yu naturally followed his mother. Since his mother's death, he has subconsciously stuck with his second aunt, besides his grandmother. At this moment, he stood beside Jiang Yushu, thinner, less talkative, and sullen. He looked up and asked, "So, when will my second uncle be free?"
Guo Honglei rubbed his nephew's head, bent down and replied: "I can't say for sure, but I will come back as soon as I have time."
"Oh." Guo Yu thought for a moment, his eyes eager, and asked tentatively, "I really like that set of wooden weapons I got a few days ago. If you come home next time and my studies have improved, can you give me a horse as a reward? Alas, when I mentioned it to my grandmother, she immediately refused, saying it was too dangerous."
Guo Honglei raised his eyebrows and asked, "Are you afraid of danger?"
"Don't be afraid!" Guo Yu puffed out his chest.
"good!"
"There are few men in Northwest China who can't ride a horse," Guo Honglei promised solemnly. "Study hard. When I come back next time, I'll test your knowledge. If you've made progress, I'll give you a pony as a reward! However, this must be kept secret from the old lady. Raise the pony quietly and learn riding skills quietly. Do you understand?"
"I understand!" Guo Yu nodded rapidly, full of anticipation and inexplicably high morale.
Jiang Yushu and the others watched with laughter, and finally urged, "Set off early and be careful on the way."
"Second brother, take care!"
"Well." Guo Honglei gave some instructions, pinched his son's cheek, mounted his horse, whipped it, and led his entourage away.
A few days later, another farewell
In the hall, Wang sat at the head of the table.
"Daddy," Gong Baozhu pouted, tears in her eyes, and sobbed, "When will Mom come back? Can you please not leave?"
Gong Yipeng held his daughter in his arms, reluctant to let her go. He suppressed his sadness and coaxed her, "Your mother has gone on a long trip to visit relatives. Be patient and wait. In the future, you will still have your mother."
The girl didn't understand the hidden meaning and answered obediently: "Yes, Zhu'er is obedient."
"Good boy!"
Gong Yipeng handed his daughter to the wet nurse, knelt down before Wang, and kowtowed, saying, "Thank you, aunt, for your magnanimity and understanding! Please, everyone, take care of Baozhu for a while. I will settle down and start a family as soon as possible."
"What's the rush? Some things can't be rushed."
Wang Shi, worried about her mistake in being a matchmaker and fearing resentment from the Gong family, said kindly, "Get up, get up quickly. You wanted to take your daughter to Yongzhou earlier, but I didn't agree. Who would take care of her then? Baozhu is already used to living here, and the three children are very close. Let her stay. Unless you're worried."
"Where? Please don't say that. I'm terrified and just don't want to cause you trouble." Gong Yipeng was helped up by Guo Hongzhe. He was young and strong, but his hair turned white due to a series of blows.
Jiang Yushu felt a surge of sympathy, but before she could open her mouth, she heard Gong Yipeng say earnestly, "Azhe, Xuan, I've already made arrangements for that matter, but I'm about to go to Yongzhou. I hope you two will keep an eye on the nunnery. If anything happens, please write to let me know."
"We'll keep an eye on it." The brothers responded cautiously.
Since then, Wang Qiaozhen passed away, her trusted maid was transferred to Liuzhuang, Liao Xiaodie was imprisoned in a nunnery, the mansion became much quieter, and the servants talked about it behind her back.
Fortunately, the Guo family quickly arranged to buy a house. Jiang Yushu was obliged to take charge and led the manager and two brothers-in-law to run all over the county during their days off. They selected houses during the day and discussed with Wang with the drawings at night. The busy and lively atmosphere gradually diluted the gloomy atmosphere.
In the blink of an eye, winter has arrived.
In mid-October, it started snowing in the northwest. By the winter solstice, it was covered with ice and snow, and the border was covered in white.
Nunnery in the mountains outside Heqin
"Hiss, it's so cold!"
"Recently, Alio finally stopped crying and cursing, and finally slept soundly for a few nights."
Two middle-aged nuns, one tall and one short, were wearing cotton jackets that had been washed white. They folded their sleeves and shivered, talking as they walked.
The "A Liao" they mentioned was Liao Xiaodie.
The nunnery was austere and devoid of any joy. Not all the nuns were willing to practice, and some were there just to earn a living. The higher-ups asked, "Do you think she's crazy?"
The dwarf replied, "She's been like that since she came in, mad and sane at times. She's always angry and full of resentment. She's very aggressive. I guess she must have made a serious mistake, which is why she was divorced."
"Alas, a disfigured cripple with a bad temper who always wanted to escape, forcing the master to lock her up. No wonder she was abandoned by men."
The tall one sighed and said, "She wrote letters almost every day. Master ordered us to mail them all for her. At first, there were frequent replies, but later on, they became less and less frequent. A while ago, guess what reply she received? Since then, she has honestly accepted her fate."
"What? Stop keeping me in suspense and tell me what's going on!"
The taller one revealed, "Yesterday, it was my turn to deliver food, and Alyo went crazy again, muttering things like 'unfaithful man, abandoning his first wife, dying a miserable death, marrying again in the blink of an eye'."
"Oh?" The dwarf suddenly realized and clapped his hands crisply, "Could it be that her husband has remarried?"
"Most likely. Not surprising, I heard she has a daughter. A man has to marry, take care of the house and the children."
They walked and talked, then quickly walked to the kitchen and said happily, "Haha, today is the winter solstice, we have dumplings to eat!"
"It's a pity that the filling is vegetarian."
"Hush! Be careful! If Master hears you, he'll chase you away and send you down the mountain to starve."
The two of them talked and laughed as they gradually walked away.
Half an hour later
Another nun carried a food box and approached a locked room.
She took out the key, unlocked the door, pushed it open and said:
"Alyo, today is the winter solstice, we have dumplings to eat!" The nun looked up and saw two shoes. She stared up at them blankly:
Liao Xiaodie tried to escape several times but failed. She was driven mad by imprisonment and hanged herself in the middle of the night. Her body was already cold.
The nun's smile froze, her grip loosened, the food box fell to the ground, and she stumbled back, screaming in fear: "Ah - someone, hurry, hurry, someone!"
"Alia hanged himself!"
At the same time, the county
A three-story house was renovated and a plaque with the words "Guo Mansion" was hung on it.
During the Winter Solstice, people worship the Kitchen God and the sound of firecrackers is loud and lively, full of joy.
In the warm room, three children in thin clothes were chasing and playing: Guo Yu was holding a short wooden sword, proclaiming himself a "general", and was majestic. He led his cousin and two soldiers to hunt down the "bandits" dressed up by the maids.
Wang leaned back on a low couch, leaning against a pillow, watching with a smile on her face. She said cheerfully, "The new house is nice and spacious. They've even built a warm room for the children to play in. Look at those three monkeys; they're having so much fun!"
"That's right!" Several maids chimed in cheerfully, "It's much more spacious than before."
"There is a garden where both young gentlemen like to visit."
"Plant some lotus flowers and raise fish in the pond, and watch the fish and enjoy the flowers."
Wang sighed, "Although it's far from the Marquis' Mansion, it's pretty good in the local area."
"The new house has a new atmosphere. We can arrange marriages for the Third Master and the Fourth Master. We want to give you a grandson soon and give the two little princes playmates." The old servant was clever and only spoke words that interested Wang.
Wang was indeed very excited. "I am anxious too. The third and fourth sons are already quite old and still unengaged. I am anxious, but I haven't found a suitable girl yet."
"Alas, we must not be hasty." Wang suddenly sighed, her smile fading. "Marrying an unvirtuous wife will bring disaster to three generations."
The servants looked at each other and hurried to interrupt, fearing that they would upset Wang.
At this time, Jiang Yushu was still in the yamen.
County Magistrate Liu Tong and Xipingcang Deputy Envoy Wei Xu looked solemn.
Wei Xu sympathetically informed him, "According to reliable information, you have been impeached."
"What?"
Jiang Yushu was shocked and uneasy. She asked hurriedly, "Who impeached me? What did I do wrong?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
