The gentle breeze of March cannot dispel the gloom of this chaotic world.
Chen Zhiqing stood by the window, the book in his hand trembling slightly, his thoughts tangled like a jumbled mess.
The chaos in Hunan Province seemed to be a microcosm of this turbulent era, filling him with endless worries.
The adjutant's words still echoed in his ears, "Young master, the situation has changed. The master said that things are not peaceful in the world recently, so it is safer to return to the manor. We will be on our way back in early April."
Chen Zhiqing understood that his father's concerns were not unfounded.
In these years of war and turmoil, home may be the only safe haven.
His gaze was fixed on the distance, in the direction of the Song residence.
He had been at the Song residence for some time, and during that time he had witnessed far too much intrigue and backstabbing.
Now, as the time for his departure approaches, what he misses most is the pear blossom.
Every smile and frown of the pear blossom was deeply imprinted in Chen Zhiqing's heart.
In this chaotic world, she was a warm light that illuminated everything about him.
Chen Zhiqing knew that he could not abandon Lihua and leave.
He put down the book in his hand and began to plan his return journey.
He summoned his trusted confidants to discuss the route and security measures in detail.
Bandits roam the area, making this a perilous journey.
But he was determined to protect Pear Blossom and the others no matter what.
As early April approached, Chen Zhiqing grew increasingly nervous.
He personally inspected the prepared supplies to ensure that everything was in perfect order.
At the same time, he also sent someone to inform Pear Blossom and the others, so that they could prepare.
The dry well in the backyard of the Song family mansion was like a mysterious black hole, exuding a sinister aura.
A chilling aura surged into the sky, seemingly capable of freezing the surrounding air.
The roars, seemingly coming from the underworld, lingered above the Song residence, filled with endless sorrow and anger.
The wind rustled through the leaves, as if echoing the eerie sound.
Under the shroud of gloom, the weeds around the dry well seemed to have lost their vitality, their withered yellow leaves drooping.
Every roar sent chills down one's spine, as if some terrifying thing was about to crawl out of the dry well and bring unimaginable disaster to the Song family.
When Pear Blossom learned of her impending departure, she felt both joy and worry.
"Grandma, we can get a ride, and we won't have to pay. We're also heading north." Ma Lihua sensed that her mother's condition was getting increasingly strange, and she had to leave quickly.
"Why not help out? Go pick up your mom tonight, she got paid today, so she doesn't have to work tomorrow."
"Okay, I understand, milk!"
It wasn't dark yet, but dark clouds covered the sky above the Song residence. She had to go to the dry well to keep watch. The older sister had told her that there was a ghost pearl in the well, so she had to keep a close watch and lay in ambush.
At seven o'clock in the afternoon, as dusk fell, the brothel was enveloped in a lively atmosphere, but the tranquility of the backyard was broken by a scream coming from Dongxue's room.
Ma Hehua was not far away when she heard the screams. Curious, she quickly hurried towards Dongxue's room.
Pushing open the door, the scene before her made her frown.
All that could be seen was Dongxue being held down tightly by Ye's mother, whose hands were constantly slapping Dongxue's mouth, each slap producing a crisp yet chilling sound.
Dongxue's cheeks were already red and swollen, and her eyes were full of fear and grievance.
Ma Hehua composed herself and asked in a deep voice, "What did she do wrong?"
Mother Ye stopped what she was doing, turned to look at Ma Hehua, her eyes filled with anger, and said through gritted teeth, "This little slut dares to hide her private money. Isn't that breaking the rules of the brothel? I have to teach her a lesson."
After listening, Ma Hehua felt that it made sense.
In this building, the rules are very strict, and hiding money from others is a serious taboo.
The boss made it clear beforehand that we couldn't hide any money from others, so why did something go wrong? Who's to blame?
But seeing Dongxue looking at her with such a pitiful expression, she felt she had to say something.
Ma Hehua said in a rough voice, "Mother Ye, she should be taught a good lesson. It'll be good if she changes her ways."
Seeing that she was about to be taken away by Mother Ye, Dongxue's strong will to survive erupted.
"Aunt Ma, please save me, please save me..."
She clung to Ma Hehua's legs, crying and shouting.
Seeing her mother's menacing approach, she immediately sensed something was wrong. Had Ah Si's scheme been exposed?
Ma Hehua kicked her away without hesitation. "So what if you were wrong? Why should I save you? Mother Ye won't do anything to you. What are you afraid of? It's normal for a boss to discipline an employee, isn't it?" What's there to be afraid of? You can just come to work as usual tomorrow.
With a fake smile on her face, Mother Ye said, "Dongxue, you've done something wrong, and I can't just stand by and do nothing. The rules of this building still need to be followed. If this isn't handled properly, others will follow suit, and that would be terrible."
As he spoke, he raised his hand again and continued to lecture Dongxue.
Seeing this, Ma Hehua stood aside and said, "Aunt Ye, if you want to get a shot, you should go somewhere else!" She was annoyed just watching.
Only then did Madam Ye reluctantly lower her hand. "Yes, Aunt Ma is right. Someone, quickly help the girl down."
Mother Ye glared fiercely at Dongxue.
Dongxue sobbed, her face covered in tears, whether from pain or fear, it was hard to tell.
This whole commotion didn't even cause a ripple in the entire building.
Mother Ye's light words, like a cold, sharp blade, pierced the air instantly and deeply penetrated Dongxue's heart.
"Get rid of this little slut and throw her into the river some distance away, so she won't offend my eyes." Mother Ye's tone was full of disgust and coldness.
Upon hearing these words, Dongxue trembled violently, as if she had been chilled by a sudden gust of cold wind.
Her eyes were filled with terror and despair; the faint light that had once shone in them was now dull and lifeless.
My heart felt as if it had fallen into an ice cellar, and a chill quickly spread from the bottom of my heart to my whole body.
She never imagined that she would face such a cruel fate simply because she had secretly hidden a little bit of money.
Dongxue's body trembled uncontrollably. She wanted to struggle and beg for mercy, but her throat felt as if something was blocking it, and she couldn't make a sound.
Fear grew stronger in her heart, and she could almost see herself being mercilessly thrown into the river, the water submerging her head.
Countless images flashed through her mind, and all the beauty and hope she once had vanished in an instant.
Dongxue closed her eyes in despair, tears streaming down her cheeks and dripping onto the cold ground.
She didn't know what fate awaited her, but she knew clearly that in this cruel place, her destiny was as insignificant as that of an ant.
Her mother's cold expression and heartless words will forever be etched in her heart, becoming the darkest memory of her life.
This will also be her last memory.
"You traitor, giving you a whole corpse is already being lenient. Just wait, your lover will be here to keep you company soon." Mother Ye's lips curled up slightly, her face filled with malice.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
