No matter how much Su Yushan neglected him, ignored him, or even argued with him, Hongli was always tolerant and willing to unconditionally coax and indulge her. He had never cared for a woman like this before. He didn't expect her to reciprocate with equal affection, but at the very least, she shouldn't have any thoughts of running away.
He was determined to bring this heartless woman back to him and teach her a lesson about the consequences of betraying him!
Hongli thought that as long as he guarded the city gate, she would not be able to escape. Little did he know that Su Yushan had already changed her appearance.
Women's cloaks in the Qing Dynasty were all loose. She tied a men's garment around her abdomen and then put on the cloak to cover herself up, so no one could tell that she was wearing a cloak.
Once she reached the outhouse, she quickly changed into men's clothing and then escaped by climbing over the wall.
Demin followed the footprints, but the footprints were only a short distance away. Then she took off her shoes, held them in her hand, and ran forward.
Without footprints, Demin couldn't determine which direction she went, so he could only lead his men to search separately.
Su Yushan had already left the city before they even reached the city gate.
The moment she stepped out of the city gate, she felt a great weight lifted off her shoulders, letting out a long sigh of relief as the tension that had gripped her for days finally eased a little.
Looking back, it all seems like a dream. Over the past year, she's laughed genuinely and cried her heart out; the happiness was real, and so was the sadness and despair. Some feelings, once experienced, become part of life's journey. She has no regrets, nor does she wish to relive them; she simply wants to move on.
Su Jiafeng and He Yuning have reconciled and are about to get married. As for her elder brother and younger sister's marriage, she can no longer witness it and can only silently wish them to find their own happiness.
All good things must come to an end. Her relationship with Hongli came to an end, all grudges were settled, and there was no more entanglement.
Hongli might resent and hate her, but before long, he will forget her. New confidantes will appear in his life, while she will be buried in the dust of his memory and slowly forgotten, as if she had never existed.
Thinking of this, Su Yushan felt a moment of sadness, but more than that, she looked forward to a new life!
She tried to smile, tilted her head back, and looked at the vast, clear blue sky.
Everything will be alright. With that thought, Su Yushan felt no more burdened and strode forward, dressed in men's clothing.
Although walking was tiring, the scenery along the way and the joy of gaining freedom made her ignore the feeling of fatigue.
After traveling for two days, her provisions were exhausted. By evening, her stomach was growling with hunger. Looking around, the peanuts in the fields seemed to have been pulled up, but some peanuts were still scattered in the fields, hidden in the soil, and she had to dig them out by hand.
Driven by hunger, she disregarded the dirt and went straight to the field to pick up peanuts along the ditches. She put all the peanuts into her cloth bag, thinking that it would be enough for tonight, and she would prepare some dry food when she found an inn the next day.
They had only been picking peanuts for a short while when suddenly someone shouted, "Who goes there, you little thief? How dare you steal peanuts here?"
Su Yushan turned around at the sound and saw a man holding a bow and arrow walking behind her. The man was dressed in a dark blue robe, and his simple clothes could not hide his tall and imposing aura. He looked her over with sharp eyes and a cold expression.
Su Yushan was a little scared and quickly explained, "I'm not a thief. I just saw these peanuts lying on the ground and it was a pity that no one wanted them, so I took some."
"Those scattered on the ground also belong to someone; anyone else picking them up is stealing!"
"Is this your land? Sorry, then I'll return it to you." Feeling guilty, Su Yushan was too embarrassed to argue any further and immediately handed him the cloth bag.
Just then, a girl called out from afar, "Brother Qinghe, dinner is ready! Mom sent me to call you home for dinner!"
Noticing a stranger, the girl jogged over and asked what was going on. Upon learning that the young man was on a long journey, she offered to help:
“It’s just a few peanuts! We don’t need them. Brother Qinghe, let’s keep them and give them to him. He can eat them on the road.”
That's wonderful! Su Yushan gladly accepted, thanking him repeatedly, "Thank you so much for your generosity, young lady. Farewell, may we meet again someday!"
Su Yushan cupped her hands in greeting and was about to leave when the girl called her back. "Hey—there's no one around ahead. It will take at least an hour to reach the next village. The sun is about to set, and it will be inconvenient for you to travel alone at night. Why don't you stay at my house for the night and continue your journey tomorrow?"
Asking to stay at a stranger's house? That... isn't quite appropriate, is it? "Thank you for your kindness, young lady, but I'm sorry to have bothered you unnecessarily."
Qinghe didn't stand on ceremony, only saying to his sister, "If he doesn't want to stay, then let him go! Wild beasts in the forest love his delicate skin and flesh, which will be a perfect meal for them."
These words successfully intimidated Su Yushan. She thought about it again and realized that it was better to stay somewhere else than to sleep in the wind and moonlight. If she got sick from the cold or really encountered a wild beast, she would be in a real predicament.
Thinking of this, Su Yushan changed her mind and said, "Then I shall respectfully comply."
So Su Yushan followed the brother and sister. On the way, out of curiosity, the girl asked her some questions, which Su Yushan answered one by one. Little did she know that Qinghe, who was standing silently to the side, was quietly observing her.
It was only because he noticed with his sharp eyes that the boy had pierced ears. Historically, weak boys would also get their ears pierced, but usually only one. However, this person in front of him had three piercings in one ear. This was clearly a custom of Manchu women!
Qinghe saw through it all but didn't say anything, and continued walking forward without asking any further questions.
Upon learning that guests had arrived, Liu quickly asked her daughter Yunfang to help prepare the dishes, and she cooked two more dishes: stir-fried mung bean sprouts, stewed cabbage with tofu, stir-fried green peppers with cured meat, and scrambled eggs.
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