Chapter Thirty-Seven: A scoundrel is a scoundrel
"Who do you think I'm talking about, you bitch?"
Chen Qing smiled slightly, while Chen Jiao was so angry that she stomped her feet.
"Pei Xuan! She insulted me! Aren't you going to do anything about it!?"
Chen Jiao was so choked by Chen Qing's words that her face turned red and her chest heaved violently. She pointed at Chen Qing and stammered "you" for a long time, but when she met Chen Qing's cold and sharp eyes, her momentum instantly diminished.
Chen Qing had lost a lot of weight. She had fought her way from the ruined temple, dealt with Liu Shoubei in Qibao Town, and now returned from a desperate situation. Her calm eyes now held a hint of murderous intent, and her aura was even stronger than before.
Suddenly, Chen Jiao felt a chill creep up from the soles of her feet.
"What do you mean, 'what do you mean, 'what do you mean'?" Chen Qing was too lazy to argue with her anymore. He turned his gaze to Wang Zhong, his tone regaining its composure. "Uncle Zhong, take stock of all our remaining supplies. Li Yi, check the surrounding environment to ensure safety. Pei Xuan, start a fire and get some hot water and food."
She issued a series of orders, clear and decisive, carrying an unquestionable authority. Having experienced life and death, the composure and decisiveness befitting a person in a position of power became even more evident in her.
"Yes, Miss!" Wang Zhong and Li Yi immediately accepted the order and carried it out without hesitation. Pei Xuan also quickly responded and ran to gather firewood and start a fire, with Xiao Wu obediently following behind him to help.
Chen Jiao was completely ignored; no one paid any attention to her earlier provocation. This disregard was even more humiliating than a direct rebuke. She watched as Chen Qing was carefully helped by Yinhe to sit on a relatively clean rock, and watched Li Yi and Pei Xuan obey her every command. Jealousy and resentment in her heart grew wildly like poisonous vines.
Soon, Wang Zhong finished taking inventory and reported with a grave expression: "Miss, our current food supplies are only enough to last for three days at most. The carriage and horses have been taken away by the master, so we have to walk. Moreover, the weather seems to be changing again."
He looked up at the increasingly gloomy sky, his worry growing stronger.
Li Yi returned and reported: "There are no signs of danger around us for the time being. The avalanche mainly covered the side of the valley, so our location is relatively safe. However, we should not stay here for long and need to find the main road or a village as soon as possible."
The situation is dire. Food is scarce, there is no means of transportation, the weather is harsh, and the road ahead is arduous.
Chen Qing pondered for a moment, then looked at Chen Jiao with amusement in his eyes.
"My dear sister, you went through so much trouble to come back to find me, surely you wouldn't have forgotten to prepare these things, would you?"
Chen Jiao was so engrossed in her gaze that she couldn't move. A bad feeling welled up in her heart. She wanted to back away, but she was like prey being watched closely by a beast, unable to move an inch.
"What...what do you want to do?"
Fifteen minutes later, Chen Qing sat in the warm carriage, while Chen Jiao was squeezed into a corner and kept hurling insults at her.
The carriage moved forward slowly. Chen Qing drank some tea and felt much better. He sighed and asked, "How much longer until we reach Qingzhou?"
Li Yi respectfully replied, "We should arrive in Qingzhou by tomorrow at the latest."
"Pass down the order: travel day and night, I need to get back to Qingzhou as soon as possible."
Chen Qing had already been delayed on the road for a long time, and she had a premonition that the real battle would only begin when she returned to Qingzhou.
As for the incessantly noisy Chen Jiao, Chen Qing found her too disruptive and simply sent her to another carriage.
No matter how unwilling Chen Jiao was, she couldn't go against the fact that Chen Qing had two highly skilled guards by his side.
Finally, the convoy arrived in Qingzhou before dawn the next day.
When the familiar, slightly mottled outline of Qingzhou City's walls came into view, almost everyone in the group, except for Chen Qing and Yinhe, breathed a sigh of relief.
The process of entering the city went relatively smoothly. Although the checks were much stricter than before and the number of refugees had increased significantly, the Chen family's name still held sway in Qingzhou.
When the grand mansion with the "Chen Mansion" plaque came into view, Chen Jiao's smugness became even more pronounced, and it was unclear what she was thinking about.
Many red silk ribbons were hung outside the Chen residence, creating a festive atmosphere, as if someone were celebrating a happy occasion.
Soon, Zhu Yan, the maid who had served Chen Qing since childhood, heard the news of Chen Qing's return and hurriedly ran to see him.
"Young Miss! They all say you're dead!" When Zhu Yan saw Chen Qing, she burst into immense joy. She rushed over and hugged Chen Qing tightly.
"Young Miss! I'm so glad you're still alive! Waaah! Young Miss, you've lost so much weight! It's all my fault, it's all my fault for not being with you! Waaah!"
Zhu Yan cried with tears and snot streaming down her face, clinging to Chen Qing and refusing to let go.
Chen Qing inherited the original owner's memories and knew that Zhu Yan had a deep bond with her, so she quickly patted Zhu Yan's shoulder and coaxed her gently, "Good Zhu Yan, don't cry anymore. I'm back safe and sound, aren't I? Who told you I was dead?"
Zhu Yan is fifteen years old this year. When Chen Qing was six years old, he left the manor and met Zhu Yan, who had sold her father after his death. The original owner felt pity for her and paid for her to bury her father. He then brought Zhu Yan back to the Chen manor and made her his personal maid.
Over the years, the original owner of this body suffered greatly in the mansion and had a difficult life. She relied entirely on Zhuyan for survival.
Despite being younger than Chen Qingnian, Zhu Yan was the one who made the decisions between the two.
Sobbing, Zhu Yan revealed the truth: eight days ago, Chen Zhenyan had brought Chen Jiao and her daughter Zhang back to the mansion in a hurry, looking quite disheveled.
Zhu Yan was extremely anxious, worried about Chen Qing's safety. She ran to ask about Chen Qing's whereabouts, only to receive news of Chen Qing's death.
She even jumped into a well to join Chen Qing, but luckily she was rescued.
Chen Qing learned about Zhu Yan's suicide attempt from other servants. In front of her, Zhu Yan showed no pressure whatsoever. She quickly adapted to Chen Qing's return and immediately mobilized all the servants in the Qin Courtyard where Chen Qing lived to serve him comfortably.
Wang Zhong betrayed Chen Zhenyan and became Chen Qing's man. Neither he nor Pei Xuan could enter the backyard, so Zhu Yan arranged for them to live in the outer courtyard.
Only Xiao Wu is allowed into the backyard.
Upon learning that Xiao Wu was taken in by Chen Qing, Zhu Yan, who shared a similar background with Xiao Wu, took extra care of him.
Back in her room, Chen Qing felt a sense of familiarity and immediately felt extremely relaxed.
She was soaking in a wooden tub, the hot water steaming, sprinkled with flower petals and essential oils, while incense given to her by Zhang was burning in the room.
This kind of incense, if burned for a long time, will affect the user's appetite, causing the original owner to lose control and keep eating.
Over the years, the servants at the Qin Academy have also been somewhat affected, and they appear to be more prosperous than the servants elsewhere.
Chen Qing's expression turned cold as he thought of the Zhangs.
Just then, she heard familiar footsteps. When she opened her eyes, she saw Yinhe standing behind the light veil.
"I'm leaving." Yinhe's clear, cold voice was like the gentle clatter of shattered jade.
Chen Qing didn't ask him how he got there, because for Yinhe's abilities, sneaking into her room would be a piece of cake.
Knowing this day would come, Chen Qing wasn't surprised. He simply asked, "When will you return?"
Upon hearing this, Yinhe smiled and said, "I'll come back to you after I've dealt with those people."
"Okay, be careful in everything you do. Oh, and don't forget what you promised me when you come back."
Chen Qing wasn't greedy; Yinhe should at least compensate her with a lot of things, enough to fill a garrison headquarters.
Yinhe didn't ask Chen Qing what he wanted the treasure for; he simply nodded solemnly, "I will definitely come back as soon as possible."
"Okay, hurry up, I probably won't be staying in the Chen family for long."
Chen Qing planned to take her mother's dowry and leave the Chen family. It didn't matter to her where she went, especially since the people in the Chen family were really too stupid and annoying.
Chen Qing had already thought about what she wanted to do next. She wanted to create her own power base, recruit talent, and build her own business empire.
Therefore, she needs a lot of people and a lot of money.
Or perhaps, she needs a city.
Chen Qing also had a city building blueprint she got from blind boxes in her backpack. She had to admit, she really liked that city and hoped that one day she could build it...
Yinhe leaned in and kissed Chen Qing. Chen Qing protested, saying she wasn't wearing anything, but Yinhe acted as if she didn't see that and continued kissing her.
"Young Miss," Zhu Yan pushed open the door and entered. Upon entering, she saw the light gauze curtains fluttering gently in the wind, and Chen Qing sitting in the bathtub, her face flushed, her lips as red as if dripping blood, and her eyes like clear autumn water, making her look pitiful.
Zhu Yan's eyes lit up, and she said happily, "Miss, you've lost so much weight and become so much prettier. You must have suffered a lot, right?"
She felt sorry for Chen Qing.
This year's abnormal weather has made life difficult for people everywhere, and Qingzhou is no exception.
However, Qingzhou was at least a large city. The government opened its granaries to distribute grain and asked wealthy households to donate porridge for disaster relief. Although the people were having a hard time, they did not end up like the people in Qibao Town.
Chen Qing asked her to tell him about the happenings in the city. Although Zhu Yan was curious as to why the young lady was so interested in these things, she gave him a detailed account.
Rumors are circulating among the people of the city that the emperor has been imprisoned in the Hall of Diligent Governance, and that the original King You has entered the palace to seize power, threatening chaos in the land. The people are filled with fear, not to mention the continuous heavy snowfall, which is causing countless people to freeze to death in the streets and alleys every day.
It could be said that everyone was on edge.
The Chen family also had a hard time.
The Chen family is the richest family in Qingzhou. In recent days, they have been forced to donate a lot of their family property due to pressure and suppression from the government. Not long after Chen Zhenyan returned, he wrote a letter and sent it to the Zhao family in Cangcheng by carrier pigeon, hoping to promote a marriage between the two families.
Upon hearing this, Chen Qing frowned, thinking of the red silk hanging in the mansion. "Those red silks are for my marriage to the Zhao family?"
Zhu Yan's face turned extremely ugly; this was another matter she wanted to discuss.
"Master has made the decision to marry the Third Miss in place of the Eldest Miss to the Zhao family. The Zhao family's young master, Zhao Liyou, just arrived in Qingzhou a couple of days ago and is resting at his residence. Tomorrow will be the wedding day of the Third Miss and the Zhao family's young master."
"Young Miss, what should we do?"
Since the Zhao family sent Zhao Wuyou, it means they have accepted that their future daughter-in-law has changed from Chen Qing to Chen Jiao. Who the daughter-in-law is is not important; what is important is the marriage alliance with the Chen family, which the Zhao family is very concerned about.
Chen Qing quickly understood these things, and she did not show sadness or disappointment.
Zhu Yan thought she was very upset and quickly comforted her, "Miss, why don't we sneak out of the manor to find Young Master Zhao and reveal our identities? We can say that you are the one he should marry properly, and that Third Miss was just a substitute. Now that you're back, this marriage should be yours!"
It's no wonder that Zhu Yan kept giving Chen Qing advice. The main reason is that the two of them had never had a good life in the Chen family. Chen Qing, a legitimate daughter, was constantly squeezed by Chen Jiao, a concubine's daughter.
Both master and servant hoped that one day they could go to Cangcheng, at least to get away from this place.
Unexpectedly, Chen Jiao still interfered and stole her marriage.
Chen Qing didn't know Zhao Liyou, and she wasn't interested in a marriage alliance. It would be too much of a loss to exchange herself for an investment with such a high risk.
So Chen Qing waved his hand and said, "Zhu Yan, let her marry if she wants to. Once I get her dowry back, I'll take you away from here."
Zhu Yan's eyes lit up. "Young Miss, where are we going?"
"I'm fine with going anywhere, I'm not staying here anymore."
After a moment's thought, Chen Qing took a bath and changed his clothes, then asked Zhu Yan to invite Wang Zhong into the inner courtyard.
She had a dowry list in her hand, which her mother had personally given her before she passed away. Chen Qing asked Wang Zhong to make a copy of the dowry list and go to the Chen family's storeroom to count out the dowry belonging to her.
Wang Zhong accepted the order and quickly copied down the fake carrying pole.
As Chen Zhenyan's manager of other businesses, Wang Zhong had seen a great deal of the world, but he was still shocked when copying Chen Qing's dowry list.
The First Madam truly has a very wealthy family background; these fakes alone are at least a third of the Chen family's assets!
The matter of moving the dowry should be done as soon as possible. After Wang Zhongyi finished copying, he took Li Yi and Pei Xuan to the storeroom.
Chen Qing was drinking tea in her room when she told Zhu Yan to throw away all the incense that Zhang had sent.
"You're not allowed to light this incense anymore; it's bad for your health."
"What? Did Aunt Zhang poison the incense?" Zhu Yan's eyes widened, and she quickly ordered someone to extinguish the incense and throw it away.
"Yes, they've administered a poison that makes people obese."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yan immediately understood and began to berate Zhang Shi through gritted teeth. She was extremely quick-witted and didn't stop once she started cursing.
It wasn't until Wang Zhong ran back, clutching his bleeding forehead, that he told Chen Qing, "Miss! The steward of the main courtyard wouldn't let me into the storeroom. When he heard I was going to move out your dowry, he even brought people to beat me on the head!"
Chen Qing slammed her hand on the table and stood up. She knew it wouldn't be easy to get the dowry back, but she never expected that the people she sent out wouldn't even be able to get into the storeroom. And yet, these lowly servants dared to injure her people!
In an instant, Chen Qing's expression turned fierce and chilling. Her voice was also like ice, devoid of any warmth, filled only with anger.
"How dare you! I'd like to see who's stopping me from taking back what's rightfully mine!"
"Zhuyan, bandage Uncle Zhong's wound. The rest of you, follow me!"
By the time Chen Qing and his men arrived at the warehouse entrance, Zhang had already rushed over upon hearing the commotion. Her voice was shrill as she shouted, "These two villains want to take over the warehouse! Their intentions are clear! Guards! Seize them! Beat them to death!"
Li Yi shielded Pei Xuan behind him, looking somewhat disheveled. They were surrounded by dozens of guards and servants armed with knives and clubs, who were watching their movements warily.
"Let's see who dares to touch my people!!"
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