Chapter 19 Grandmother Decides, Otherwise the Funeral Won't Be Held
The several old women knelt silently under the eaves.
Li Qingluo was also kneeling among them, the shocking wounds on her neck causing Old Madam Pei to feel a pang of heartache upon seeing them.
She was quite bold, daring to confront her brother with scissors; that shows she had some guts.
"Luo'er, get up quickly! You are indeed innocent in this matter."
Granny Zhang went forward to help Li Qingluo up, but Li Qingluo refused to get up.
She looked up at Madam Pei with a worried expression and made her plea.
“Grandmother, although Cui’er is not my person, she has served and taken care of me for a few days. Today, she was implicated by me and that’s why the eldest young master is angry with her.”
"Although she used to be by Mother's side, she was only a third-class maid, so naturally no one would care whether she lived or died. But please, Grandmother, help Luo'er, at least save Cui'er's life!"
Li Qingluo's sincere desire to protect a maid deeply moved Zhang Mama and the others.
Is there any master in this world who would kneel down and beg for mercy for the sake of these worthless lives?
And the two, mistress and servant, had only spent a few days together.
There was no deep affection involved.
This clearly shows that Li Qingluo is a very loyal and affectionate person.
Everyone's eyes reddened as they looked at Madam Pei, waiting for her to make a decision.
How could Madam Pei be such a heartless and ruthless person?
What she values most has always been loyalty and affection.
She instructed Zhang Mama to help Li Qingluo up first, and then had another nanny take her token and go to Li Kechuan's courtyard to bring Cui'er back.
"Don't worry, although your father says he wants to let this matter drop, your grandmother will definitely stand up for you!"
The reason why Madam Pei wanted to support Li Qingluo was not only because Li Kechuan had acted so cruelly and excessively, but also because Li Kechuan dared to come to her courtyard to cause trouble, which was tantamount to completely disregarding her as his grandmother. This made Madam Pei extremely angry!
It's true that no one in this family takes her seriously!
Madam Pei made a harsh statement, saying that if Li Kechuan did not take a stand after today's events, then there was no need to continue with Li Qingzhu's funeral.
Upon hearing this, although the whole family was furious, they had no choice but to compromise.
Li Qingzhu was the jewel of the entire General's Mansion, but in Madam Pei's eyes, she was just a bastard.
Although Madam Pei has only just returned and has not managed the General's Mansion for thirty years, it is clear that Li Chaojing and his wife cannot go against the principles of filial piety and morality. Therefore, they can only order Li Kechuan to hand over the person as soon as possible.
That evening, Cui'er was sent back to Jingci Hall.
Although she suffered some minor injuries, thankfully her life was not in danger.
Moreover, perhaps to show some sincerity, Madam Qu had Cui'er's indenture sent to Jingci Hall as well.
"Madam said that the household has been in a lot of turmoil these past two days, and she really doesn't have the energy to arrange things for the second young lady, so she would appreciate it if the old lady could help her settle things down."
"These are two bolts of cloth and some jewelry that Madam sent to give to the Second Miss.
"As for the rest, we'll make careful arrangements for the Second Miss after this period of time has passed."
After Qu's people finished speaking, they quickly left, leaving behind two pieces of ordinary, dark-colored fabric that even Old Madam Pei wouldn't approve of, as well as a small box.
When Madam Pei opened the small box, there were only two or three pieces of jewelry inside. Not to mention that the styles were old, they were obviously worthless.
Madam Pei's face was so dark it could drip ice.
"Even if you're giving alms to a beggar, this isn't a proper way to treat him!" Granny Zhang muttered to herself.
Madam Pei snorted and threw back the thing she had been examining.
"What a clueless idiot! Does the General's Mansion lack such a small thing? This is her own flesh and blood! She hasn't shown any affection for him in over a decade, yet all she's prepared is this shameful little thing. It's truly disgraceful!"
Madam Pei originally intended to have everyone throw them away, but Li Qingluo stopped her.
“Luo’er doesn’t feel ashamed. These are the best things Luo’er has ever seen. Grandmother, please leave them to Luo’er.”
Li Qingluo was not lying.
She used to wear tattered, coarse linen clothes that were almost entirely patched up when she lived with the Liu family.
In the dead of winter and the sweltering heat of spring, we always wear the same two outfits. Wanting a set that is appropriate for the season or in good condition is always a luxury.
The two clean and simple clothes she is wearing now were prepared by Granny Zhang and brought to her for her to change into. They are the best clothes Li Qingluo has ever worn.
Zhang Mama originally thought that since the journey was long, she should dress simply so as not to attract attention.
But I didn't expect that it would take so long to arrive, and I still haven't been able to change her into a new outfit.
Even Madam Pei felt a pang of sadness watching this.
However, she felt that she couldn't let things continue like this. If the girl were to be filled with resentment towards her parents, it wouldn't do her any good!
"Your parents... are probably still grieving over Li Qingzhu's tragic death, so... don't blame them. Once your mother has recovered from her grief, she will see you and remember you. At that time, won't she dote on you the most? You are her only biological daughter."
Li Qingluo lowered her head and answered yes, but her heart was not stirred by these words.
Grandmother, no.
Even if Li Qingluo were to die, her own father, mother, and brother would not feel any pain for her, let alone give her a second glance.
This lack of effort now is something she had already anticipated, and perhaps even experienced before.
In this life, at least there's Jingci Hall to shelter her from the wind and rain; the misery of her previous life... let's not dwell on it.
Perhaps fearing that Madam Pei might actually obstruct Li Qingzhu's funeral and cause some trouble that would disturb his beloved younger sister's peace even in death, Li Kechuan gritted his teeth and took out some things as an apology to Li Qingluo.
His things were actually better than what the Qu family had given him.
It was a box of pearls that weren't in very good condition.
"Even if you grind this into powder and use it as a face mask, it's still not very good."
Granny Zhang sighed with heartache, knowing that this family was completely shirking their responsibilities, and her gaze towards Li Qingluo was filled with even more pity.
Li Qingluo did not take it to heart.
In her previous life, she didn't even get these things; in this life, this is already a pretty good start.
Besides, she has her own uses for keeping these things.
After thanking Madam Pei and the nanny, Li Qingluo took all the items and went back to her room.
After seeing her leave, Madam Pei asked Zhang Mama to go and buy some fine, brightly colored fabrics, hair ornaments, and hairpins that were currently the most popular among young women in Jinling.
"By the way, tomorrow you go to Fangxiangzhai yourself and buy a few boxes of Snow Skin Pills and Skin Cream, then send them to her to use!"
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