Chapter 713: Years of Nightmare

Zou Pingping sneered and made a move to walk out: "Well, then I'll go talk to the old lady of Duke Xin!"

Yu Mingzhu's face was extremely cold.

She took a deep breath.

Anyway, this bastard won’t survive for more than a few days even if he keeps jumping around.

Yu Mingzhu said solemnly, "Grandmother is not in good health, don't bother her with this matter... I really can't guarantee that you can marry my elder brother." As soon as these words came out, Zou Pingping's face became very ugly. Yu Mingzhu immediately added, "But I can do my best to bring you two together. You have to give me some time."

Zou Pingping stared at Yu Mingzhu for a while, then nodded reluctantly: "Okay. But..."

Zou Pingping naturally stretched out her hand to Yu Mingzhu: "Fourth sister, give me some silver flowers."

The veins on Yu Mingzhu's forehead twitched a few times and she almost couldn't hold it in.

It's not that she felt sorry for the money, but Zou Pingping's look as if she was dominating Yu Mingzhu really touched Yu Mingzhu's heart.

Yu Mingzhu closed her eyes.

She was afraid that she could not suppress the murderous intent in her eyes and would be seen by Zou Pingping.

Yu Mingzhu took a deep breath, turned around, and took out a gold bracelet inlaid with rubies from her dressing table. She said in a somewhat stiff tone, "I don't have much cash on hand. You can pawn this, and it can at least get a few hundred taels of silver."

Zou Pingping glanced at the jewelry box on Yu Mingzhu's dressing table and sneered, "You are the eldest daughter of the Duke of Xin, and this is all the jewelry you have? You are treating beggars like this!"

She walked forward without hesitation, put Yu Mingzhu's bracelet on her wrist, put a pair of kingfisher earrings on her ears, and finally took out a white jade hairpin with excellent water head, inserted it into her bun in front of the mirror, and then nodded with satisfaction: "That's it."

Zou Pingping smiled brightly at Yu Mingzhu: "Fourth sister, don't forget what you promised me. I am waiting for your good news. Since you can marry the fourth prince as his consort, we are all sisters, so there is no reason why I can't marry your eldest brother as his wife. Don't you agree?"

Yu Mingzhu took a deep breath, her expression a little cold.

But Zou Pingping didn't care at all. She walked away in a charming manner with a smile on her face.

After Zou Pingping left, Yu Mingzhu was so angry that she brushed away the tea set on the table.

Before Zou Pingping walked out of the yard, she heard the sound of porcelain falling to the ground in the room behind her and snorted nonchalantly.

That's right. If Yu Mingzhu agreed to help her get together with someone in a nice manner, she would be suspicious.

Zou Pingping went to the pawnshop and pawned Yu Mingzhu's bracelet for three hundred taels.

She became more and more jealous.

When Zou Pingping thought about the luxurious life Yu Mingzhu had lived over the years, she became more and more resentful.

Zou Pingping took the three hundred taels of silver and bought herself three new sets of clothes. She also bought some jewelry and the best rouge and powder, and dressed herself up.

When Zou Pingping returned home like this, Zou Wanshi saw her like this and her eyes widened: "You are going to die!"

She circled around Zou Pingping, and the more she looked at her, the more annoyed she became: "Where did you get the money from?!"

Zou Pingping still secretly hated her parents for planning to kill her. Upon hearing this, she just smiled coldly: "Isn't mother clear about it in her heart?"

Zou Wanshi was upset by Zou Pingping's attitude. She subconsciously took a step back: "...What do you mean by that?"

Zou Pingping sneered and raised her voice: "You and Dad know it very well! Why can my fourth sister marry a prince as a rich lady, but I have to marry an eighth-rank official and become a stepmother to a bunch of brats!"

When Zou Wan heard what Zou Pingping said, she was so shocked that she rushed forward and covered Zou Pingping's mouth.

Zou Wanshi's face turned pale. She looked around hurriedly. Seeing that no one was around, she lowered her voice and said hurriedly, "...You stupid girl, how did you know this?"

Zou Pingping broke away and sneered at Zou Wanshi: "I know a lot! Not only do I know about Fourth Sister, I also know that you and Dad are planning to let me die so that I won't be a burden to the family, right!"

Zou Wanshi felt inexplicably guilty, her eyes wandering: "No, kid... don't get excited! Speak softly! If something like that happens to you, your father and I can't do anything..."

Zou Pingping still sneered: "I see that you and dad have a lot of ways to get my fourth sister into the Duke's Mansion to be the eldest daughter. I just lost my virginity, how difficult is that?!"

Zou Wanshi was so angry that her head hurt. She clenched her handkerchief tightly and said in a tense voice: "Don't talk nonsense!... You... You..."

At this point, Zou Wan suddenly reacted, "You are..."

Zou Pingping sneered and said nonchalantly, "Yes, I went to find my fourth sister and asked her to match me with the eldest young master. She, a lowly merchant, can become the prince's consort, so why can't I marry her eldest brother as his legal wife?"

Zou Wan's head was throbbing with pain and she couldn't speak.

Zou Pingping stared at Zou Wanshi: "Mom, don't worry, I know what's good for me. If I marry Fourth Sister's eldest brother, it will also be a great help to our Zou family. It's better than putting all the eggs in Fourth Sister's basket, right? ... If Fourth Sister gets into trouble in the future, won't I still be there to support Minglei and the others?"

Zou Wanshi really heard these words.

Her heart was slightly moved, and she actually felt that what Zou Pingping said made some sense.

As soon as Zou Pingping saw Zou Wan's expression, she knew that her mother had been moved by what she said.

Zou Pingping sneered in her heart.

What's the point of talking about family love to her good parents?

Still, the benefits have to be laid out in the open before they will be tempted.

Zou Wanshi softened her tone: "... Although that's what you said, it was too reckless for you to ask your fourth sister for money. It's okay this time, but don't do it again in the future. If something goes wrong, our family will be in trouble."

Zou Pingping sneered in her heart. She was already in this state, so what was there to be afraid of?

Zou Wan looked at Zou Pingping's outfit with some heartache, wondering how much money this little girl had wasted.

"I bought something for Minglei," Zou Pingping said calmly, "I'll go see Minglei."

When Zou Wanshi heard this, she felt that her daughter was still thinking about her son, and she felt a little relieved.

She said unhappily, "If you buy less, you can buy a lot of supplements for your brother. What's the point of buying all this..." Seeing Zou Pingping's expression, Zou Wanshi stopped nagging and only said, "Your brother is simple-minded. Miss Yu is your fourth sister's business. Don't let him know. Otherwise, if he makes a big deal, our whole family and your fourth sister will be in trouble."

Zou Pingping responded perfunctorily: "I know, I know." Then she turned around and went to look for Zou Minglei.

Zou Minglei was severely beaten with twenty boards by Shuntian Prefecture without holding back. He barely managed to save his life and now lay on the bed groaning.

When Zou Pingping passed by, Yan Shou was holding the medicine and was about to feed it to Zou Minglei. Zou Minglei simply overturned the boiling medicine bowl and splashed it all over Yan Shou: "Get out! I don't want to drink the medicine!"

A few drops of hot liquid medicine splashed onto Yan Shou's face, which immediately turned red.

Tears rolled down Yan Shou's eyes, but she didn't dare let them fall. She just squatted on the ground and cleaned up the mess.

Zou Pingping stepped forward and said, "What happened? How can you get better without taking medicine?"

Zou Minglei yelled irritably, "I won't take the medicine! I'm going to find that little bitch!"

Zou Pingping rolled her eyes.

Even after all this, you are still thinking about that damn princess!

Why don’t you take a piss and look in the mirror to see if he is worthy of her?

Zou Pingpingsi didn't realize that this could also be applied to herself. She put the things she bought for Zou Minglei next to the bed: "This crispy cake, if you find the medicine unpalatable, you can eat this."

Zou Minglei was in great pain, and it was only when he saw the cake that he noticed the difference in Zou Pingping.

Look at this brand new clothes and all the jewels!

"You stole the money?!" Zou Minglei screamed.

Zou Pingping rolled her eyes again: "What are you talking about! I just found a way to make money."

Zou Minglei became suspicious and squinted his eyes to look Zou Pingping up and down.

Zou Pingping's purpose of showing off was achieved. She stepped forward and patted Zou Minglei on the face: "Take your medicine well, okay? When you are healed, Third Sister will help you make money."

Zou Pingping chuckled and walked away.

Zou Minglei spat on the ground and became annoyed again: "Bah! Look at her smug look!"

He was lying on the bed at the moment, and suddenly he recalled what happened that day. All he could think of was Princess Fusui frowning and getting angry at him.

Zou Minglei felt severe pain all over his body and was burning with anger.

He gritted his teeth and called Yan Shou over again: "You, go and find out where Princess Fusui's mansion is! Go there and guard it. If you see the princess leaving the mansion, tell her that I am dying and ask her to come and see me!"

When Yan heard the news, his thin and dull face moved slightly.

She said in a low, hoarse voice: "...Master, that's the princess, what if she beats me to death?"

Zou Minglei sneered, "Then go to hell! If you can't even handle such a small matter, what's the point of living! Get out! Hurry up! Go to see the princess, kneel down, or do anything else, make sure she comes to see me! If she doesn't come, you'll kneel and die there!"

Zou Minglei threw the bag of biscuits that Zou Pingping brought directly at Yan Shou.

Yan Shou could only lower his head and agree, then retreat.

Yan was thin and dazed, picking off the biscuit crumbs on his body as he walked out of the house.

Coincidentally, Zou Wan saw it.

Zou Wan frowned.

This little rascal is not staying in the house to take good care of Minglei, where is he going?

Zou Wanshi became suspicious and quietly followed Yan Shou out.

Yan Shou had a dull look on his face. Following Zou Minglei's instructions, he asked people about Princess Fusui's residence.

"You mean Princess Fusui? She lives in the General's Mansion in Wuyi Lane. You don't know this, do you?"

"How do I get to Wuyi Lane? The houses there are now being sold at sky-high prices! Oh, I thought everyone in the capital knew where Wuyi Lane was!... Come here, let me tell you, go this way first, then that way..."

Yan Shou thanked the enthusiastic tea shop owner and went to Wuyi Lane.

Zou Wan clutched the handkerchief, with eight hundred thoughts running through her mind.

What is this little brat doing asking where the princess is?

Don’t let any inappropriate thoughts come to your mind!

Zou Wanshi made up her mind and followed him.

It was not known whether it was fortunate or unfortunate, but when Yan Shou arrived at Wuyi Lane, he just happened to catch up with Xingxing who was about to go out to watch an opera at the Meimu Opera Troupe.

Yan Shou's skinny little face was still red and swollen from the boiling liquid medicine. Her eyes lit up and she went forward, calling out in a hoarse voice, "Princess!"

Zou Wan burst into anger.

Well, this bastard, is he trying to collude with that little princess to kill her son? !

Before Zou Wanshi took a step out, she saw a pretty girl turn around and look at Yan Shou curiously.

A breeze blew by, and Zou Wan saw the girl's face clearly, and was shocked as if struck by lightning!

For more than ten years, she always dreamed of the skinny little girl who was thrown from the boat into the surging river in her dreams at midnight...

And at the moment the girl fell into the river, endless black air surged up from the surface of the river and rushed straight towards her face, as if she had done an unforgivable evil by throwing the girl into the river!

The overwhelming black air surrounded her completely, making it hard for her to breathe even in her dreams!

This is her deepest nightmare in all these years!

Clearly more than ten years had passed, but the moment she saw the girl's face clearly, she almost immediately recognized that the girl was the girl she had thrown into the river!

Zou Wanshi's face was pale, her heart was beating like a drum, and her whole body was in turmoil.

How, how could this happen!

Didn't she also find an expert, gave the girl's birth date and horoscope, and sent her to the eighteenth level of hell, where she would never be able to get out?

How, how can you return it?!

Zou Wanshi was unable to move. She stared at Yan Shou standing in front of the girl and calling her "Princess".

Princess?!

Is this the princess who killed her son? !

Zou Wan clutched her chest tightly, and she couldn't breathe.

"Princess, my eldest master said..." Yan Shou said in a thin voice, "He is dying. Let me go and see him."

Xing Xing frowned slightly.

She recognized the little maid in front of her.

She refused: "I won't go."

Yan Shou said: "But, but..."

Zhaoying frowned and laughed angrily: "Even if your eldest master is dead, so what! Who is he to come to our princess and say such things!"

Yan Shou could only kneel down as Zou Minglei instructed.

Xing Xing frowned: "What are you doing?"

Yan Shou said truthfully: "...Our eldest master said that if the princess does not go, I will kneel and die here."

Zhaoying was so angry that she wanted to call someone to drive her away, but Xingxing stopped her.

Xing Xing looked at the thin maid in front of her. She was very thin. That was not normal thinness. It was the abnormal thinness that seemed like she had met with some accident and lost weight rapidly.

Her face was still red and swollen from the fresh burns.

Xing Xing pursed her lips and took out a tiny porcelain bottle from the sachet at her waist. The bottle contained an excellent burn medicine that could be applied once or twice for emergency use.

Xingxing dug out the burn medicine with her slender fingers and applied it to the red and swollen area on the face of the little maid in front of her.

Yan Shou was kneeling with his eyes lowered in despair, but suddenly he felt a sense of coolness spreading from the painful part of his face that was burned.

She looked up at Xing Xing in a daze.

Xingxing concentrated on applying plaster to the several burned areas on Yanshou's face, and she used up just enough of the small porcelain bottle.