"Find a man who treats you well." Cui Mubai said gently.
Liu Yaozhen bit her lip and nodded. She wiped away her tears and called all the members of the Cui family in.
The room was full of people. It was heart-wrenching to see an old person send off a young person. Cui's mother stood by the bed and cried uncontrollably. Cui's father said to his son with red eyes: "My son, it's all your fault..." He shouldn't have sent Cui Er to the East Palace as a companion to his studies, and he shouldn't have harmed his son for the future of the Cui family.
Cui Mubai shook his head at Cui's father and coughed again, "Don't... think like that..." He doesn't blame anyone for what has happened today. He blames himself for not being so determined when he was young, and not having the knowledge and ability that he has later, so he gave in easily.
Cui Mubai could feel his consciousness slipping away. He glanced around at the Cui family members gathered around the bed, and his dim eyes finally focused on Liu Yaozhen. He said in an almost inaudible voice, "It's fine, everything is fine. Don't be sad for me. I'm free..." As he finished speaking, the light in his eyes faded and he closed his eyes.
It started to rain heavily outside the house at some point, with bursts of muffled thunder. Yu Jiao and Liu Yaoyu were standing in the corridor, and suddenly heard people screaming in surprise from inside the house, followed by bursts of crying.
“Second brother!”
"Husband!"
The heart-wrenching cries merged into one, dark clouds covered the sky, thunder roared, and the entire Cui family was shrouded in an atmosphere of grief. The ignorant Lingbao also burst into tears.
Liu Yaozhen had already fallen to the ground crying and didn't care about Lingbao at all. Yu Jiao went into the house, brought Lingbao out, and rocked him gently in her arms to comfort him.
Liu Yaoyu wiped her tears and murmured, "How could he suddenly die of illness..."
Yu Jiao was in a very complicated mood. If Wei Lichu had not given Cui Mubai the Five Stones Powder, he might have been saved. But she had a vague thought that Cui Mubai had not left her any way out. He did not want to live and was going to die.
An hour later, the rain gradually subsided and Yu Jiao waited for Yu Qizhe.
He got the news from somewhere, but he came to Cui's house in the rain to pick up Yu Jiao.
The Cui family was immersed in grief and in chaos. The servants were all crying. Liu Yaozhen was unwilling to leave and wanted to stay in the Cui family to finish Cui Mubai's funeral before returning to the Liu Mansion. Yu Jiao consulted her opinion and took Lingbao away, and waited until the day of the funeral to have Lingbao delivered.
Otherwise, if Lingbao stayed in Cui Mansion at this time, I'm afraid no one would be able to spare the time to take care of him.
Liu Yaoyu also left the Cui family with Yu Jiao, and they returned to the Liu Mansion together. Logically, Yu Jiao should return home tomorrow and not today, but because of Cui Mubai's funeral, even if she returns home tomorrow, she has to keep things simple. Although the two families are no longer in-laws, the relationship between Liu Yaozhen and Cui Mubai is still there, and considering Liu Yaozhen's feelings, the family doesn't want to hold a grand ceremony.
Yu Jiao and Liu Yaoyu sent Lingbao to Madam Liu's courtyard. When Madam Liu heard the news of Cui Mubai's death, she felt mixed emotions. It was she who had personally agreed to this marriage. Cui Mubai was the husband she had personally chosen for her eldest daughter. However, she had never expected that after a few years, the situation would become like this. She couldn't help but wipe away her tears.
No matter how much dissatisfaction there was with Cui Mubai's taking a concubine and divorce, it disappeared with the departure of the person.
"Mother, don't invite any guests when you return home tomorrow. We can just have a simple meal together as a family," said Yu Jiao.
Mrs. Liu hugged Lingbao and said apologetically, "I'm sorry for putting you through this." She always knew that Yu Jiao was a sensible person. Now, hearing Yu Jiao say this on her own initiative, she felt a little guilty.
"It's nothing to be wronged." Yu Jiao comforted her, "The world is unpredictable, no one can predict it."
Yu Jiao did not stay in the Liu Mansion for long. Liu Yu was busy with official business in the cabinet, while Liu Ziqi was at home. Yu Jiao went to Fufeng Pavilion and heard that Cui Mubai had passed away. Liu Ziqi was also a little sad.
When Yu Jiao was about to leave, Liu Ziqi asked her, "Have you seen Wei Lichu in the past two days?"
Yu Jiao shook her head. "I haven't seen him. He was there on the wedding day. What happened to cousin Li Chu?"
Liu Ziqi said, "After you got married the day before yesterday, he never came back to the mansion. The servants in the courtyard didn't know where he was. My aunt kept urging him to return to Pingliang Mansion. I don't know where he hid and forgot to come back."
Yu Jiao couldn't help but think of the time when Wei Lichu was being hunted by the Eastern Depot thugs. Her cousin was very likely to cause trouble outside.
"Brother, you should ask someone to go out and look for it." Yu Jiao said worriedly.
Liu Ziqi nodded and said, "I have already sent someone to look for him." He then asked, "Will Yu Qizhe treat you well after the marriage?"
Yu Jiao pursed her lips and smiled: "Very good, he is still waiting outside the mansion, big brother, I will go back first."
Liu Ziqi asked his servant to bring an oil-paper umbrella and sent Yu Jiao out of the mansion gate.
Yu Qizhe got off the carriage and said to Liu Ziqi calmly, "Big brother."
Liu Ziqi responded indifferently, and after helping Yu Jiao into the carriage, he turned around and went back home.
Yu Jiao was quite helpless. Her elder brother was always finding fault with Yu Qizhe, and they both had cold personalities. Fortunately, her elder brother did not enter the civil service, and they were not officials in the same dynasty, so the two would have few opportunities to meet in the future.
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