Chapter 222: Discussing Marriage Matters in the Boudoir, Banquet with Hidden Calculations (6)

Out of respect for Master Liu, Mo Qingze maintained a humble attitude but didn't appear servile. Learning that Master Liu had specially taken time off to attend, he felt deeply moved.

"Ziyu, no need to be polite. I'm a few years older than you, so how about we drop the formality and I call you 'Brother Jianan'?" Master Liu smiled slightly, displaying the demeanor of a cultured scholar.

"That's right, Uncle Mo. When I hear you call my dad 'Master Liu,' it makes me feel like you're calling him an old man," Liu Tinglan said cheerfully, linking her arm with her mother's.

"Child, don't interrupt when adults are talking. It's rude!" Madam Liu tapped her daughter on the head reproachfully.

Liu Tinglan stuck out her tongue mischievously, making several adults chuckle involuntarily.

"In that case, Ziyu, let's drop the formality. I'll call you 'Brother Jianan,'" Mo Qingze readily agreed.

"Indeed, it should be so. Haha," Master Liu laughed heartily, stroking his beard in agreement.

It was Madam Liu's first time attending a house warming banquet in the countryside. Seeing the curious villagers around, she felt a little uncomfortable and quickly said to Mo Qingze, "Let's not talk here. It's not convenient with people coming and going. Let's go inside first!"

"My apologies for neglecting this. Brother Jianan, Sister-in-law, and Miss, please!" Mo Qingze gestured and promptly led the way inside.

The Liu family's coachman and carriage were led into the carriage shed by Li Zhong through a small side door. Li Zhong then brought fodder for the horses and arranged for the coachman to stay in a side room near the entrance.

Seeing that the hall was too crowded and noisy, Madam Liu obviously disliked it. So Mo Qingze led the Liu family of three to a nearby large study.

While Mo Qingze went to prepare tea, the Liu family of three began to look around the study.

Although the study was not in use at the moment, everything was already arranged properly. There were many books on the large bookshelves, some for Zhen'er's enlightenment and others collected by Mo Qingze. Although the number of books was fewer than in the Liu family's study, the arrangement was not inferior.

Seeing the books that had been thumbed through and worn out on the shelves, Master Liu nodded inwardly, realizing that Ziyu was diligent and hadn't neglected his studies.

Liu Tinglan was restless; she had come here to find her friend to play with. Staying with her parents would inevitably be boring, so she expressed her desire to go find Mo Yan.

Master Liu naturally didn't stop her but Madam Liu reminded her a few times to follow Mo Yan and not run around randomly.

With a cheerful smile, Liu Tinglan called out "Uncle Mo" when she saw Mo Qingze bringing tea and asked where Mo Yan was before hurrying off.

Mo Yan was helping out in the kitchen when she saw Liu Tinglan coming and was very happy. After finding her siblings to greet the Liu family, she took Liu Tinglan to her own small courtyard.

Mo Yan's small courtyard was a bit far from the hall, and the noise from the front couldn't be heard. The flowerbed in the courtyard hadn't been planted yet and looked a bit bare, but upon opening the door and entering, Liu Tinglan's eyes lit up at the structure and arrangement of the rooms.

The bedroom, study, and small living room were all fully furnished, with a canopy bed, dressing table, and couch that were very pleasing to the eye. The decoration was simple, elegant, and not clichéd, much more comfortable and beautiful than her own room.

After touring the rooms, Liu Tinglan sat down in the small living room. Mo Yan went to the tea room and soon returned with pastries and pear juice.

"Mmm, it's delicious. How did you make this pear juice?" Liu Tinglan took a small sip first, finding it exceptionally sweet and delicious, and then quickly finished the entire cup of pear juice.

"Just cut the pears into small pieces, then use a juicer to extract the juice, filter out the dregs, and add honey. That's it," Mo Yan explained.

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 Chapter 221: Discussing Marriage Matters in the Boudoir, Banquet with Hidden Calculations (5)

Nearly a dozen people worked for almost an hour, cleaning all the ingredients, cutting them, and placing them in large clean pottery bowls, filling up the backyard.

At this time, the villagers who were invited to the house warming began to arrive one after another, with Lin Yong and others being the first. They each prepared a string of firecrackers and set them off at the entrance of the courtyard.

The continuous sound of firecrackers was deafening. Just as the firecrackers were about to stop, Li Zhong quickly lit the firecrackers he held in his hand one after another. Mo Qingze stood at the door, welcoming the guests with a smile and ushering them into the hall.

The tea table was already set with hot tea and fine tea leaves. After seating the guests, Mo Qingze personally brewed a cup of tea for each of them.

There were quite a few tea lovers among them, but better-quality tea leaves were relatively expensive. Throughout the year, they could only afford the cheapest tea leaves. Now, tasting the fragrant and refreshing tea, they felt that the Mo family respected them and didn't use inferior tea to deceive them just because they were commoners.

Mo Qingze still had to greet the guests and couldn't stay to accompany them, so he entrusted the task of entertaining them to Zhen'er. Zhen'er was just a little child and naturally didn't know how to entertain guests, but he couldn't let the guests sit dryly in the hall either.

Zhen'er was familiar with Lin Yong and the others and not shy at all. He pretended to be mature and chatted with them, making Lin Da and the others chuckle endlessly. They kept teasing him, and with their back-and-forth banter, the atmosphere didn't feel dull at all.

Before long, Zhang Dayou, Zhang Erniu, and others arrived one after another. They were all from the same village and had worked at the Mo family, so they were quite familiar with each other, and they quickly got into a lively conversation.

With Zhen'er having no "use" at the moment, he quickly ran out to play with his little friends.

Not long after, Yang Bao also arrived, setting off a long string of firecrackers. His wife, son, daughter-in-law, and grandson also came to congratulate. Mo Qingze hurriedly welcomed them into the hall.

Looking at the spacious and magnificent hall, the village head's wife, Hu Shi, was full of envy. Her daughters-in-law were the same. They looked around the hall for a while before sitting down, holding white porcelain teacups and smelling the pleasant aroma of tea, feeling even more envious.

This, was the life of a wealthy family, wasn't it?

One after another, about forty to fifty people arrived, and with their wives and children, the entire hall was soon filled with people.

Although the Mo family's hall was quite large and there were plenty of chairs and stools, there were still too many people. Lin Yong and the others went back to fetch their own chairs and stools before they could sit down.

Originally, they thought that the next to arrive would be the elder members of the Mo family, but after waiting for a while, they didn't see any sign of them. Quite a few people subtly asked about it, and upon learning that the Mo family had indeed sent invitations, they sneered without saying anything.

Just then, there was a series of intense firecrackers outside the door, louder than the ones before.

Everyone thought it was the elders of the Mo family arriving, but then shook their heads. Although firecrackers weren't very expensive, a common string still cost more than ten big coins. It was unlikely that the Mo family would be willing to set off so many firecrackers all at once.

The people who arrived were indeed not the elders of the Mo family, but the Liu family of three who came in their own carriage.

"Ziyu, congratulations, congratulations," as he got off the carriage, Master Liu smiled and congratulated Mo Qingze, who came to greet him.

Master Liu's name was Anping, a gentle and refined middle-aged man. After failing to make any progress in officialdom, he started teaching at a private school after passing the imperial examinations. With his profound knowledge and humorous teaching style, he became quite famous in the private school.

"So it's Master Liu, Madam Liu, Miss Liu, welcome to our humble abode, please come in," Mo Qingze welcomed them warmly.

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 Chapter 106: Care

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  Chapter 3: Feng Xuanrui

Suisui blinked her eyes hard, and when her vision cleared, she realized that the figure ahead was indeed a person.

The one who fell was a young boy. Although the hillside wasn't very steep, the fall was still painful enough. After falling, the boy groaned a few times and then began to curse, "What a lousy mountain path! Blocking my way? I'll have it flattened when I get back!"

"And this stupid rock? It hurt my foot! I'll have it crushed when I get back!"

The boy continued to curse as he tried to stand up, but the excruciating pain knocked him down again.

Tears welled up in the boy's eyes as he tried to maintain his composure, but the pain was too much to bear. Then, he noticed Suisui, who was staring at him with her big, watery eyes.

The boy swallowed the curses he was about to shout and tried to straighten his face, pretending he was okay.

Feng Xuanrui thought, "I'm a man; a little injury can't bring me down, right?" His eyes, round and full of tears, told another story.

Feng Xuanrui thought the pain wouldn't defeat him, but it certainly could make him cry!

"Ow ow! Is my foot broken?" Feng Xuanrui looked at Suisui, then at his foot again. It didn't look different, so why did it hurt so much?

Suisui was thrilled when she realized it was a person, and the system was equally relieved. It had been worried sick! It had almost filed multiple complaints to the main system. "Couldn't they provide some protection? My young ward is so little!"

Feng Xuanrui's smooth actions startled Suisui. But being so young and without anyone teaching her about the differences between boys and girls, she didn't know it was inappropriate to stare. When she saw the boy's injured foot, Suisui's eyes widened in concern. She wanted to speak, but her mouth was still gagged, so she could only lower her head in frustration.

They were no more than three meters apart, and Feng Xuanrui, with his sharp eyes, noticed Suisui's every move from the corner of his eye. At first, he didn't plan to pay her any mind.

But then, he thought... he was lost, separated from his servants, and had no idea where he was. He needed a local to help him find his way.

With this thought, Feng Xuanrui raised his chin arrogantly and asked, "Are you from around here?"

"Local? What does that mean?" Suisui didn't understand and looked at Feng Xuanrui with a confused expression.

Her response annoyed Feng Xuanrui. He instinctively lifted his foot to kick, only to hit the injured one.

The pain curled him up like a shrimp, but it brought him closer to Suisui. And then, Feng Xuanrui smelled something on Suisui.

She had spent the whole morning in a chicken coop, so the smell was... indescribable. Suisui, who usually slept in the woodshed or a doghouse, was used to it and didn't find it offensive. But for the pampered young master of a princely family, this smell was a direct assault on his senses!

Feng Xuanrui instinctively recoiled. Then, noticing the ropes tied around Suisui, the gag in her mouth, and her blood-stained face, his expression softened with a hint of sympathy.

Suisui, still looking at him with those clear, bright eyes, was as pure as a calm, crystal-clear lake. Feng Xuanrui, feeling strangely compelled by this gaze, reached out and removed the gag from her mouth.

Realizing what he'd done, Feng Xuanrui immediately started shaking his hand in disgust, "Ah! What a filthy thing! How can you smell so bad? Are you a little beggar?"

The little lord, who had never seen real suffering, assumed that only a beggar could smell like this.

Hearing him say that, Suisui thought for a moment. Her uncle's family didn't want her anymore, so she'd soon be wandering on her own—almost like a beggar. She obediently nodded, "Yes, I am, brother."

The word "brother" came out soft and sweet, like a cloud of sweetness floating through the heart.

The words of mockery Feng Xuanrui had planned to say were swallowed back down. He sat there awkwardly, wanting to speak but not finding the right words. Especially when looking into Suisui's pure eyes, he was at a loss for words. Finally, all he could manage was a muttered, "No wonder you smell so bad."

After he spoke, he noticed that Suisui was still tied up. Dragging his injured foot, he managed to maneuver himself closer to Suisui. Under her surprised gaze, he began to untie the rope. Not being familiar with ropes, Feng Xuanrui got his hands pricked by the small thorns on the hemp, making him roll his eyes in frustration, thinking, "What kind of heartless person would tie up a child like a pig and leave them here?"

If they didn't want her, he would take her!

He knew how desperately his family longed for a daughter. Especially his father, who would light up like a Christmas tree at the mention of a cute little girl. His grandmother even considered calling in a shaman to help.

Once the ropes were undone, Feng Xuanrui noticed the crisscrossing scars on Suisui's exposed skin. Some were fresh, clearly made in the last few days.

Seeing this, Feng Xuanrui's eyes reddened with anger, and he yelled, "Who did this?"

"Who dared to hurt such a cute little girl?" he thought, his fury boiling over.

Feng Xuanrui's outburst frightened Suisui, who instinctively shrank back, her voice trembling with fear as she answered, "My uncle and aunt."

"Uncle? And your parents? Didn't they care?" Feng Xuanrui's anger surged.

"I don't have parents," Suisui whispered, lowering her head.

The curses on the tip of Feng Xuanrui's tongue died. He felt like an angry rooster with nowhere to vent his rage, so he stomped his foot—only to hurt himself again.

"Ow ow!" The pain shot through him as his injured foot collided with a rock, making him yelp.

Suisui, startled, crawled over to him on her knees, anxiously asking, "Brother, what's wrong?"

"Are you hurt, brother?"

"Suisui will make it better; don't cry, brother."

The soft, sweet "brother" soothed all of Feng Xuanrui's pain.

At that moment, he began to understand his father's obsession. Who wouldn't want a sweet, caring little sister?

But...

Feng Xuanrui gently touched Suisui's dry, brittle, unevenly cut hair, as if a dog had chewed on it, and said with a heavy tone, "Suisui, you’d be perfect if you smelled nicer."

**"Brother arrived before the Grim Reaper."**

—Suisui's Journal

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  Chapter 2: Life Was Stolen

As soon as Suisui heard the voice, she closed her eyes in fear. A ghost! There was a ghost in the chicken coop! Suisui was terrified but too scared to leave. She kept her eyes tightly shut, curling up and holding herself tightly, looking small, pitiful, and helpless in the corner.

The system, observing her, felt even more heartbroken. "Suisui, don’t be scared. I’m a little friend from another world. My name is Lele."

Another world? Is that the underworld? Suisui thought, confirming to herself that it was indeed a ghost! It took the system half a day to finally convince Suisui that it wasn’t a ghost but a friend who could keep her company.

The Growth Happiness System was designed to be a companion, ensuring children’s physical and mental well-being so they could have a happy and fulfilling childhood. 

"If you follow Lele every day, learning, playing games, and completing your daily tasks, in the evening, a nice auntie or uncle will tell you a bedtime story to help you sleep."

When the system mentioned this, it felt a bit guilty. The person telling the story at night was chosen randomly and could range from an ordinary person to a legendary historical figure. But Suisui, who had just been comforted, didn’t need to be scared.

A bedtime story? Suisui had never heard of such a thing before. The system explained it to her, and she learned that happy children get to listen to stories before they sleep. She was a little envious. Suisui bit her dry lips, her beautiful almond-shaped eyes blinking very slowly. 

To be honest, Suisui wanted that kind of companionship. She wanted a bedtime story. She wanted a friend. She wanted... a home. But she didn’t dare say it out loud. 

She had no father, her mother had died early, and her uncle’s family didn’t treat her well. But she had nowhere else to go. Suisui didn’t know what happiness was, or what warmth felt like. She only knew she was still alive, and that should be good enough, right?

Listening to this little child trying to convince herself, the system was so angry it could grind its teeth. If it had a physical form or other abilities, it would’ve loved to go out and teach that family a lesson!

How could anyone be so cruel to such an adorable little girl? The system held back its frustration, not wanting to scare Suisui, and continued to speak in a gentle voice to comfort her.

Meanwhile, after a bumpy journey, the servants of the Jin Yang Marquis Household finally arrived in the village, almost bursting with anger at the rough roads. But what could they do? The old lady had been sleeping poorly lately, and the women in the household were all desperate to help her find peace of mind.

The head maid of the Jin Yang Marchioness, Aunt Guo, and the maid of Concubine Su, Aunt Ma, had won the opportunity to make themselves useful by coming to pick someone up. The two had always competed with each other in the household, but on this journey, they found some common ground. 

What good could come from bringing a girl back from such a desolate place? If it weren’t for the old lady... Thinking of the old lady, both maids gritted their teeth and swallowed their grievances. However, their haughty postures and disdainful glances made their contempt clear.

As for whether they were picking up Suisui or Chen Yueyao, what difference did it make? Both were just country bumpkins. Bringing back one of them would be enough to fulfill their duty. After all, they were from the Marquis household. Would these villagers dare try to deceive them?

Chen Yueyao was unhappy with the attitude of the two maids, but she was currently weak and couldn’t do anything. She thought to herself, "Once I return to the Marquis household and become the young mistress, I’ll make sure to discipline these servants!"

As the carriage rolled away, Tian Cuihua still found it hard to believe that everything had gone so smoothly. This reminded her of the time when Chen Yueyao was born, and she had gritted her teeth and spent ten copper coins to have a scholar name the child. It seemed that the child really was destined for greatness!

Thinking about what Chen Yueyao had said before leaving, about how she would take care of her family once she established herself in the Marquis household, Tian Cuihua’s heart was filled with warmth. But she hadn’t forgotten Chen Yueyao’s repeated instructions: get rid of Suisui!

Tian Cuihua planned to tie Suisui up and throw her on the back mountain when the fields were quiet during midday. Tomorrow morning, they could just say the child had gone missing and report it to the village head to have her name removed from the registry.

At this moment, Tian Cuihua was especially grateful that Suisui’s household registration was under her family’s name. Even if the Marquis household became suspicious later on, there would be nothing to trace back to them.

But whenever she thought about how she had given away the jade pendant left by her sister-in-law earlier to make the recognition believable, Tian Cuihua couldn’t help but feel a pang of heartache. 

Damn that worthless Suisui!

By noon, the villagers were home for their rest, and many were curious about the elegant carriage. Some people came over to inquire, and those who had seen the commotion in the morning exchanged stories. 

Tian Cuihua told them that it was Suisui’s father’s people who had come to pick her up. Most of the villagers knew that Suisui was the child her sister-in-law had brought back. But they hadn’t seen who actually boarded the carriage, so they had no reason to doubt what Tian Cuihua said.

As for removing Suisui’s name from the registry? Tian Cuihua would say that Suisui had been jealous of Yueyao’s name, and as a caring aunt, she had taken it upon herself to give it to Suisui.

The villagers were shocked, realizing that Chen Sanniang, who had given birth out of wedlock, had indeed climbed the social ladder. After the villagers left, Tian Cuihua exchanged a glance with Chen Dalan, who understood immediately and went to the chicken coop with a rope.

Suisui was listening to Lele sing a children’s song when a large hand grabbed her by the ankle and dragged her out. Before she could react, she was tied up tightly, and a dirty rag was stuffed into her mouth. Her eyes widened in horror, and despite her fear of being beaten, she struggled violently.

Annoyed by her resistance, Chen Dalan slapped the back of Suisui’s neck hard. Suisui felt dizzy again, and her struggles weakened.

The couple cursed and carried her to the back mountain, but didn’t dare go too far. They found a secluded spot in a mountain hollow, dumped her there, and ran back as quickly as they could. After all, there really were wolves in the mountains, and they didn’t want to stay longer than necessary.

Suisui’s mouth was gagged, and she couldn’t cry out. Dizzy and desperate, she wriggled and squirmed, hoping her uncle and aunt would take her back. She was terrified of wolves and of dying.

Her muffled cries seemed to be pleading: she would work harder, eat less, and be obedient, just don’t leave her behind. She was scared. Scared of wolves and scared of dying.

After struggling for a long time, Suisui’s hands and feet were deeply bruised by the rough rope, but it didn’t bring her heartless uncle and aunt back.

Tears blurred her vision, and the pain in her limbs slowly registered in her mind. Suisui thought, “Am I going to die? Probably, right?”

But she had just made a friend. She hadn’t even heard a bedtime story yet...

Thinking of these things, Suisui cried even harder. Exhausted from crying, she thought of trying to roll down the mountain. Maybe, if her uncle’s family didn’t want her, she could go live in the abandoned hut at the edge of the village.

As she wriggled her body, trying to find the right angle to roll, she saw something floating in front of her. 

Bang! A loud noise erupted, kicking up a cloud of dust.

The dust made Suisui’s tears fall even more, and through the haze, she faintly saw what seemed to be... a person?

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When the dignitaries of the capital came to recognize their marriage, the aunt stuffed Suisui into the henhouse and pushed her cousin out.

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 Chapter 504 Inquiry

At the same time, she couldn't forget to remind him in a low voice, "Mother, there are outsiders present, don't get angry, maintain composure."

Ye Muyu's face alternated between pale and flushed, not knowing how to deal with this child.

Indeed, he had a thick skin. Even at this moment, he was still concerned about saving face.

However, since Luo Qisheng was a relatively important outsider, since she was entertaining him, she couldn't just rush him to finish his meal and leave, to avoid making a fool of herself.

She could only endure it for the time being.

She lightly tapped the table with her hand, intentionally showing a fierce expression, "Finish your meal first, then come to the study!"

Chu Jin's face was filled with pleading.

Chu Ziluo could only give him deep sympathy and reminded him, "Brother, remember to tell the truth later, otherwise, if you anger mother, dad won't treat you kindly."

"Mother..." Chu Jin subconsciously wanted to wail but was immediately glared back by Ye Muyu.

He quickly quieted down, sniffing back his tears feeling that this meal was no longer enjoyable.

Fifteen minutes later.

Zhang Shu saw off Luo Qisheng and Luo Xiaoqi.

In the study.

Ye Muyu held a ruler in her hand.

She decided that she needed to keep a closer eye on Chu Jin in the future. He was much bolder than she had imagined. Regardless, the fact was that her previous lenient attitude was a mistake.

"Mother, I was wrong." Chu Jin looked at the ruler with regret, trying to fake crying.

Ye Muyu wasn't fooled by his fake tears. Her voice remained very gentle as she smiled and said, "Come, start with ten palm slaps. This is your punishment for selling the bracelet mother gave you without informing her."

"Mother, ten is too many." Chu Jin hurriedly threw himself over to hug Ye Muyu's thigh, begging for mercy.

Ye Muyu still smiled, "Ziluo, come help your brother stand steady."

"Yes, mother." Chu Ziluo felt that her brother had really dug his own grave this time. It seemed that there was no escaping this lesson now. She knew that mother was usually gentle, but if she got angry, even dad's words wouldn't matter.

So little brother, you better brace yourself.

Chu Ziluo looked at Chu Jin with great pity.

Then she pulled him back to his original position and opened his hand.

Ye Muyu didn't miss a single slap, ten in total, just enough to sting but not too heavy.

"Alright, now tell me what happened with selling that bracelet." Ye Muyu sat on the chair nearby, while Chu Jin stood pitifully in front of her.

His palms were slightly red, not too serious.

Chu Jin endured the pain and suppressed his tears, afraid of losing face. "Mother, it was Wu Huzi who actively approached me to buy it. Some time ago... oh no, actually it was a month ago. I wore the bracelet when I went to see him and he happened to have just received his test results that day. I casually mentioned that the bracelet had been blessed and that he would pass the exams."

"Um?" Ye Muyu snorted, glared at him.

Chu Jin's small figure trembled, his mouth opening and closing, stuttering a few times before finally saying, "Mother... mother, I was wrong, I'm not good with words. Um, actually, it was because I couldn't bear to see him pitiful."

"Then I agreed."

"He went back to get the silver."

"I didn't take it directly. I exchanged it with Wu Huzi in front of Wu's mother." Chu Jin said.

Ye Muyu was somewhat suspicious, "Does Wu's mother really know about this? Are you not lying again, kid?"

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