A sprightly old man with a white beard emerged from the thatched hut.
Upon seeing this man, Qiao Dongzi quickly cupped his hands in greeting and respectfully greeted him, "Greetings, Elder Mo."
When Old Mo saw Qiao Dongzi, he smiled and said, "Dongzi's back! Where's Xiao Fu?"
Qiao Dongzi said, "The eldest brother is coming back by water. He was delayed on the way, but if all goes well, it should only be a day or two."
Old Mo nodded. "And who is that young lady?"
Qiao Dongzi replied, "She is the chief's wife, her name is Mu Run."
Mu Run immediately retorted, "He forced me. I never admitted to being his wife."
Old Mo sized up Mu Run for a moment, then asked Qiao Dongzi, "Was it really Xiao Fu who forced her?"
Qiao Dongzi raised his hand and scratched his head. "They've already registered their marriage, so it doesn't really matter whether they force them or not."
"Oh? The marriage contract has been completed." Old Mo looked at Mu Run. "If you and Xiao Fu hadn't had a marriage contract, I could have some say in the matter. But now, I'm afraid Xiao Fu will have to agree to write you a divorce agreement."
"A divorce agreement?" Mu Run stared in disbelief. "No, I didn't even sign the marriage contract, so it can't stand up to that."
"It's not necessary for the woman to write the notes herself." Old Mo chuckled and stroked his white beard. "Is there something wrong with what you did, Xiao Fu?"
Does poisoning me count as poisoning me?
"Huh?" Old Mo asked in surprise.
Qiao Dongzi explained, "That's because my sister-in-law ran away while she was in Xiangcheng, which angered the eldest brother."
"Are you really unwilling to be with Xiao Fu?" Old Mo asked.
"Yes." Mu Run nodded firmly. "If possible, I can go down the mountain right now. Of course, the prerequisite is that you cure me of the poison first."
"Grandpa—" A girl in pink, carrying a purple bamboo basket, walked out from the deep forest path, her voice as clear and melodious as a nightingale's.
Mu Run looked over at the sound and saw a girl with bright, beautiful eyes and a charming appearance. There was a cute little mole on the tip of her upturned nose.
"Xiao Wan, come here quickly." Old Mo beckoned to the young girl, "Meet your sister-in-law."
"Sister-in-law?" The girl looked at Mu Run.
"Little Fu's wife is the matriarch of our Bianyun Village."
Suddenly, Mu Run felt a chill run through her body! It made her feel cold from the soles of her feet to the tips of her hair.
"Are you Brother Chen's...wife?"
"……no."
Qiao Dongzi was also helpless. This little hen was really stubborn. "Sister-in-law, no matter how you deny it, the facts are already set."
Hearing Qiao Dongzi's words, the girl's charming smile stiffened almost imperceptibly for a moment, then she smiled even more brightly and sweetly, "Third Brother Qiao, I'm here to take care of my sister-in-law. You should go and see her. When I went to deliver the eggs just now, she had already started having contractions. Second Sister Liu said that my zodiac sign is a bit incompatible with Third Sister-in-law's, so she told me to come back and wait for news."
Upon hearing that his wife was about to give birth, Qiao Dongzi immediately forgot everything else. "Okay, okay, I'll go right now. You can take care of my sister-in-law; you're about the same age, so you'll get along well. I'll invite you to my wedding banquet, Mr. Mo." As he spoke, he had already run off, carrying several bundles of various sizes on his back.
Mr. Mo smiled and replied, "Okay, I'll be waiting for your good news."
Mu Run wanted to go too. He was the only person she knew here, and she inexplicably wanted to follow him. Besides, the bundle on his back… it was hers!
Mo Xiaowan took Mu Run's arm and said, "I'll take you to Brother Chen's place."
"Xiao Wan, take good care of your sister-in-law. Xiao Fu should be back in the next couple of days," Old Mo instructed.
"I know, Grandpa, I will definitely take good care of my sister-in-law." Mo Xiaowan smiled charmingly at Mu Run.
Mu Run suddenly felt even colder...
...
Chongyi Peak, the main peak of Chongyang Mountain, has a huge flat area halfway up the mountain where a palace-like building is built. Mountain springs meander around the palace, and the lush forests on the mountain and the thin mist on the mountaintop cover the palace, giving it a fairyland-like feel from a distance.
Mu Run stood at the foot of Chongyi Peak, looking up at the palace buildings. "This building is quite well-built."
Mo Xiaowan glanced at her and said, "This was built by Guan Xiongtian, the first chief of Bianyun Village, who invited Gongsun Qi, the most famous craftsman in the martial arts world and a direct descendant of Gongshu Zi, to personally design it. Naturally, it is extraordinary."
"The first chieftain, Guan Xiongtian? And who is Fu Yunchen?"
"Brother Chen is the sixth-generation chieftain. Bianyun Village is a martial arts sect, where people live on the edge. As the chieftain of Bianyun Village, one must be a powerful and ruthless leader. The former chieftain, Mai Jichang, was also a very capable person, but he was too arrogant and challenged Brother Chen to a duel. If Brother Chen wins, Bianyun Village will belong to Brother Chen."
"So that's how he became the chieftain."
"Yes. The succession of the chieftains of Bianyun Village has always been based on challenge and defeat. The winner becomes king, and the loser is skinned alive and devoured. The new chieftain always steps over the corpse of the predecessor to sit on the throne. And the people in the village also undergo a change of leadership. Those who do not want to be loyal to the new chieftain will inevitably be killed. Right now, Brother Chen has only been the chieftain for a short time. There are still those in the village who are dissatisfied and are secretly plotting to avenge the previous chieftain or trying to challenge for the chieftain's position."
Listening to Mo Xiaowan's words, Mu Run seemed to see an extremely bloody struggle for the throne, just like the struggle for the imperial throne in history.
Climbing up the mountain from the bluestone steps at the foot of Chongyi Peak... it's another test of physical strength.
Mu Run watched Mo Xiaowan leap gracefully upwards ahead, then looked back at the steep stone steps of the mountain path, which had no safety handrails at all, and her two thin legs felt slightly weak...
"I think we could install some handrails to reduce the danger."
"If you can't even walk this easy mountain path, as a member of Bianyun Village, you might as well just leave the village." Mo Xiaowan turned to look at Mu Run, a flash of disdain crossing her eyes.
Mu Run: "..." I want to leave! But I need to be able to leave!
Halfway up the mountain, Mu Run began to see stars and felt dizzy, so he quickly sat down on the spot.
Mo Xiaowan turned around, "What's wrong?"
Mu Run said, "Let's rest, I can't climb anymore."
Mo Xiaowan's eyes grew colder, but her words were full of concern, "Do you want me to help you?"
"No need, no need, I just need to rest for a bit, it'll be ready soon. Why don't you go up first?"
"I'll stay with you."
"I'm so sorry."
"It's okay, just rest if you're tired. By the way, how old are you this year, and how did you meet Brother Chen?"
"I'm eighteen. As for how I met Fu Yunchen... it wasn't a pleasant experience, so let's not talk about it."
Mu Run sat on the steps by the side, pressing one hand on the step and the other on her forehead to relieve the sudden dizziness.
Mo Xiaowan sat behind her, her eyes glazed over as she looked at her back. Her hand, which had been hanging by her side, slowly rose and reached towards Mu Run's back...
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