Lin Jiuniang sighed and said, “According to what the people from the Liu family said, that girl came to the town yesterday and hasn’t returned home since. They’ve searched the house all night but couldn’t find her. The family suspects she might have been abducted and sold.”
Lin Jiuniang still had some hesitation in her heart. Whether to mention the strange behavior of the Liu family or not, and how to say it, troubled her.
However, this hesitation lasted only a moment. Lu Chengxiao couldn’t wait any longer. He didn’t know how he managed to hear every word Lin Jiuniang said, even the unspoken thoughts. The matchmaker’s mouth uttered each word, and he heard them all, but he was unwilling to understand a single word.
He had made an appointment with her, and within two days, he would go to propose. He kept his promise, but why…
The blood on Lu Chengxiao’s lips almost faded in an instant. It turned pale, so much so that Lin Jiuniang couldn’t bear to say another word.
It was a bizarre and overwhelming experience – astonishment, pain, panic, disbelief. These emotions were too intense, capable of crushing a person’s spirit in an instant. Though the body remained, it felt as if life itself was gone, both merciful and cruel.
The emptiness in his body seemed to have swallowed his soul, yet amid this numb emptiness, another thought called “rescue” lingered in Lu Chengxiao’s mind. It urged him to gather his senses, swiftly pulling himself out of the void.
“Dad, mom, I’m going to Liujiacun.” He spoke and left the main hall.
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Nw Dwd yde Yyeyx Ubld nswzed’v alpv lypu. Xdl nyzzle qsa ralryakdt vbl nyaakytl, vbl svbla ypjle Nkd Kkwdkydt vs kdiwkal kq vblal oyp ydu dlop sq psxlsdl clkdt ycewnvle yde psze kd vbl vsod ulpvlaeyu. Rv oyp casye eyuzktbv; kq pwnb y zyatl rlapsd oyp vyjld yoyu, psxlsdl xwpv byhl plld psxlvbkdt.
Jlkdt y xyvnbxyjla, Nkd Kkwdkydt oyp qyxkzkya okvb rlsrzl qasx yzz oyzjp sq zkql kd vbl vsod. Fbl alyekzu ynnlrvle Yyeyx Ubld’p aliwlpv.
Ekvb Jycys eakhkdt vbl nyaakytl, vbl Nw nswrzl nbyple yqvla Nw Ubldtmkys vsoyaep Nkwfkynwd. Gp vbl vos zlqv, vbl lzelpv eywtbvla-kd-zyo, Ckd Fbk, obs bye dsv pbsod blaplzq kd vbl xykd byzz, nyxl swv vs yaaydtl qsa pldekdt sqq Nkd Kkwdkydt. Gqvla pldekdt bla swv, Ckd Fbk vbswtbv qsa y xsxldv yde, qllzkdt wdlypu, qszzsole swv, pyukdt vs Nw Fbwydt, “Fbwydt’la, blzr vyjl nyal sq Zw tl yde Swk tl. R’zz ts swv yde kdiwkal.”
Nw Fbwydt bye fwpv zlyadle vbl ralhkswp dktbv vbyv bla vbkae casvbla bye psxlsdl bl oyp kdvlalpvle kd. Mseyu oyp pwrrsple vs cl vbl eyu qsa vbl rasrspyz. Tsolhla, pwnb yd kdnkeldv snnwaale okvb vbl qwvwal pkpvla-kd-zyo. Rv oyp sdzu dyvwayz qsa bla vs pyu, “Ozelpv pkpvla-kd-zyo, ts iwknjzu. R’zz vyjl nyal sq vbkdtp yv bsxl.”
Mbl Nw qyxkzu bswplbsze oyp dso kd xsvksd, yzz clnywpl sq y tkaz vblu byed’v lhld xlv ulv.
Gp Nw Ubldtmkys blyele vsoyaep Nkwfkynwd, bkp blyav oyp kd nbysp. Tl jdlo kv oypd’v vbl vkxl vs zspl nsxrspwal. Tl qsanle bkxplzq vs pvyu nyzx.
Ylydobkzl, vbl Nkw qyxkzu oyp cwpvzkdt okvb ynvkhkvu.
Oyazu kd vbl xsadkdt, dlop pralye vbaswtb vbl hkzzytl vbyv Nkd Kkwdkydt bye nsxl vs kdiwkal ycswv vbl Nkw Iydtpbldt qyxkzu. Gp pbl ldvlale vbl hkzzytl yde ypjle qsa ekalnvksdp, xydu rlsrzl blyae ycswv kv. Mbl osxld tyvblale yde nswzed’v blzr cwv tsppkr. Mblu alnstdkgle bla yp vbl xyvnbxyjla qasx vsod yde prlnwzyvle vbyv psxlsdl oyp rasrspkdt vs Nkw Zw. Uskdnkeldvyzzu, vbl osxyd obs bspvle Yyeyx Nw fwpv ulpvlaeyu oyp yzps vblal, yde pbl raswezu dyaayvle vbl lhldvp sq Yyeyx Nw’p hkpkv, rsavayukdt vbl olyzvb yde pvyvwp sq vbl Nw qyxkzu, csypvkdt ycswv vblka qycakn pbsr kd vbl nswdvu. Mbl nsdhlapyvksd oyp zkhlzu, yde vbl lmnkvlxldv oyp ryzryczl.
A group of village women were amazed and envious, saying, “Liu Kangsheng is so fortunate to have such a girl. He’s going to prosper in the future.”
Coincidentally, Chen Huaihua was also present.
Who is Chen Huaihua? She is the girl who works for the Chen family in town, the younger sister of Chen’s mother. She had secretly observed Liu Yu during a previous encounter.
As her elder sister worked for a wealthy family in town, Chen Huaihua knew more about the prominent families in town than the villagers. She often heard bits and pieces of information from her sister, and the Lu family was well-known to her. They rose to prominence quickly, and her sister’s employer liked to compare herself to Madam Lu, from her background to her actions. Unexpectedly, this time, even the prospective daughter-in-law was involved.
Chen Huaihua clicked her tongue in her heart. Initially, she thought it was the son of the Chen family who had set his eyes on Liu Yu, but since her sister’s visit, there had been no movement. On the other hand, Madam Lu came promptly. She made a personal visit, and the next day, the matchmaker arrived.
Recalling her sister’s secretive behavior during the last visit, Chen Huaihua speculated that Madam Chen was afraid of someone knowing that their Chen family was inquiring about Liu Yu. She smirked, as if they were afraid of being associated with someone like her. Look, now Lu’s family, richer and more prominent than the Chen family, has come. Madam Chen had said that a girl like Liu Yu would be sought after, not to mention the next generation of descendants. Just having half of her appearance would make them incredibly desirable.
Chen Huaihua was already thinking about boasting to her sister the next time they met. She would talk about looking down on rural girls and how sought after they were.
Although Chen Huaihua enjoyed joining in the excitement, she wasn’t one to spread rumors or gossip. She was particularly cautious with her words, usually speaking sternly. Apart from chatting with her sister, she maintained a strict demeanor outside. Especially now that the Lu family had come to propose, she kept silent about the Chen family’s previous inquiries about Liu Yu.
In the idle atmosphere of the small village, news spread quickly. In just over an hour, the Lu family from town had come to Liu Kangsheng’s house to propose marriage to Liu Yu. The news of the young master of the Lu family intending to marry Liu Yu had already spread throughout the entire village.
It wasn’t even noon yet, and a group of villagers had all gathered at the Liu family to witness the commotion and build connections.
The villagers thought it would be a joyous occasion at the Liu family, with Liu Kangsheng in high spirits and Wang Shi smiling. They brought bamboo stools, offered tea to each person, and even brought some homegrown roasted peanuts and melon seeds to treat everyone and spread some joy.
However, as soon as they entered the Liu family’s house, those who came for the excitement were left dumbfounded. There was no sign of joy anywhere.
Liu Kangsheng’s face looked as if he had borrowed it from a donkey, and Wang Shi’s expression was even more dramatic, resembling someone who had rolled in a dyed cloth bucket. There was no festive atmosphere, and even the usually proud Wu Shi, the eldest daughter-in-law, was nowhere to be seen. From the eastern room, there were loud cries—was that Liu Dalang???
The villagers, not adept at being subtle, immediately began questioning, “Hey, what happened to your family? Wang Shi, did someone hit your face?”
“There’s wailing from the eastern room. Is it Dalang? What’s going on? Where’s Yu’er? I heard the Lu family has come to propose. Is it true? The Lu family with the fabric shop in the county?”
Before they could respond, another wave of people arrived.
The commotion was too significant, attracting people of all ages from the village. It wasn’t just the women who loved a spectacle; the men were no less eager to join in. Even the elderly men, similar in age to Liu Kangsheng, entered and exclaimed, “Kangsheng, if you’re becoming in-laws with the Lu family from the fabric shop in Lu County, you’re going to prosper. Your eldest, second, and third sons will probably find good jobs in the county.”
The Liu family’s small courtyard became crowded inside and out.
In the midst of the crowd, the Village Head shook his head in disapproval. Liu Kangsheng seemed to be on the verge of spitting blood; the golden phoenix1something that causes prosperity, i.e. Liu Yu because the Lu family’s Sanlang is proposing to marry her was causing chaos.
Thinking about the woman’s instructions from yesterday, the Village Head observed silently, waiting to see if Liu Kangsheng had the face to say that Liu Yu had already been sold.
Of course, Liu Kangsheng couldn’t say such a thing. He initially planned to deceive, put on a show for a few days, act like he was looking for Liu Yu, make a big fuss, let everyone know that Liu Yu had run to town, attracted attention, and only then reveal that she had been abducted. But he never expected the Lu family to come proposing. Now, the plan had backfired, and the entire family was surrounded by curious villagers before the stage for the drama was even set.
Liu Kangsheng’s face turned unpleasant, unable to utter a word. Seeing such a large crowd in their house, Wang Shi felt that she had lost face and retreated to the main room. Wu Shi, who usually enjoyed gossiping with women, dared not come out today.Wei Shi stood in the hall, with a big belly, avoiding the crowd. Her expression was unreadable. As for Liu Yu, her presence hadn’t been seen yet. At this point, anyone could sense that something was amiss.
A woman, known for enjoying commotion without caring about the consequences, spoke up, “Where’s Yu’er? Come out and talk. It won’t be easy to see her once she marries into the Lu family. Keep in mind, villagers, remember her as our sister. In the future, when you go to the fabric shop, maybe you’ll get some discounts.”
No one could produce Liu Yu.
It was at this moment that Lu Chengxiao arrived. Inquiring about Liu Kangsheng’s family was relatively easy. A question at the village entrance, and people pointed the way, saying that the family surrounded by the most people was the one he was looking for.
Not to mention the young man with a refined appearance, even his robust and spirited horse drew a swarm of children running after it. When Lu Chengxiao rode up to the entrance of the Liu family, the villagers outside the courtyard were all dumbfounded.
It was Lu Chengxiao’s first time seeing the living conditions of Liu Yu’s family. At a glance, he could tell it was impoverished. However, at this moment, he couldn’t summon any peripheral thoughts. His mind was singularly focused on the idea of rescuing someone.
Dismounting from his horse, Lu Chengxiao naturally made way through the crowd. As he entered the courtyard, he surveyed the surroundings and asked, “May I ask which one of you is Mr. Liu, Liu Yu’s father?”
The young man, who seemed to be eighteen or nineteen years old, exuded an aura of authority or perhaps a chilling severity. No one dared to treat him like a young boy. All eyes turned to Liu Kangsheng.
Liu Kangsheng felt a sense of fear creeping in his heart and responded, “It’s me.”
“I am Lu Chengxiao. Today, my family invited a matchmaker to propose to Miss Liu. The matchmaker returned, saying that Miss Liu had been abducted and sold. I’ve come to ask for an explanation.”
Abducted and sold! The crowd exploded!
Liu Yu had been sold!
The Village Head sneered in his heart. Sold? This old man really dared to say that.
The villagers began discussing fervently. How could Liu Yu, a well-raised young lady, be abducted and sold? Someone shouted, “Liu Kangsheng, isn’t it that you found Liu Yu to be desirable and secretly sold her?!”
This was a casual remark made by a person who is not on good terms with Liu Kangsheng, casually stirring up trouble. Although it was just a random accusation, Liu Kangsheng’s guilty conscience showed on his face, but he quickly regained composure, shouting in frustration, “Stupid talk, Liu Ergen, what nonsense! How could I, Liu Kangsheng, sell my daughter?”
Liu Ergen didn’t miss the change in Liu Kangsheng’s expression. He sneered and said, “What nonsense? Liu Yu isn’t even your biological daughter. She was brought here by Wang Shi. You never treated her well since she was a child. She does all the household chores, and she’s skilled at everything, from cooking and washing to fetching firewood. When it comes to eating, she’s not an issue. Look at what your daughter, Liu Yan, wears, and look at your precious grandson’s clothes. Now you suddenly care about her? I may not believe she was sold, but if you say you sold her for money, I’ll believe it. That face of Wang Shi, did you two have a fight last night?”
With each word from Liu Ergen, Lu Chengxiao’s heart ached more. Liu Yu had mentioned her difficult circumstances, describing it as living in misery and being compared to mud and leeches. Yet, he never knew she was not a blood relative of this family—this so-called father was a stepfather.
When he had asked about Liu Yu’s childhood at the mountain temple, she had mentioned only household chores. At that time, he felt heartache, but it was nothing compared to the pain he felt now.
Another villager chimed in, “Hey, didn’t your eldest daughter-in-law’s brother, the one from Lu County, drive a mule cart into our village yesterday? I saw it for a moment, made a round trip, and left. They didn’t even stay for half a teatime. What was that about?”
With the revelation unfolding, the villagers couldn’t help but imagine the situation. A seven or eight-year-old boy piped up, saying, “I saw Sister Yu coming back yesterday, not even noon yet. I saw her entering the village.”
With this revelation, Liu Kangsheng’s claim of Yu being abducted and sold in the town no longer held ground. Liu Ergen’s wife was quite perceptive, always meddling in affairs even when there was no trouble. Upon hearing the boy’s statement, she quickly figured out what might have happened. She burst into the eastern room of Liu’s house, forcefully opening the door, catching Wu Shi under the window, eavesdropping on the conversation.
“Hey, look at you, always fond of causing a scene. Today, it’s so lively at home. Why not come out to greet guests?”
“Hey, what’s wrong with Dalang? Why are you still in bed?”
Liu Kangsheng exploded and rushed into the eastern room, pushing the woman out, “You dare to barge into my house, the Liu Ergen’s family. What are you trying to do!”
“I just wanted to see what the commotion was about, to check if something immoral happened. Why are you getting so defensive?”
At this point, everyone had an inkling of the truth. Liu Yu had been sold, and the blame seemed to fall on Dalang and his wife.
The woman who accompanied Mrs. Lu yesterday suddenly remembered something, saying, “Oh, yesterday, it was near noon. I accompanied my relatives and Mrs. Lu on a visit. At that time, Mrs. Lu wanted to take the opportunity to check on Miss Yu while asking for a bowl of water. However, the door of the Yu family was tightly closed and bolted from the inside. No matter how we knocked, no one responded. I found it strange because when it’s bolted from the inside, someone should be inside. Could it be that they had already tied up Miss Yu at that time?”
She even startled herself with this thought. Afraid that she might be accused of making baseless claims by Steward Kang, she immediately pointed to a neighbor who passed by yesterday, “Kang Wang, you come and tell us. Yesterday, was the door of the Yu family bolted from the inside? At that time, you mentioned that you saw the third branch of the Yu family, Wang Shi and Liu Yan leaving. They were going to Baofeng Temple to pray, right?”
The person nodded, confirming her statement, “That’s right.”
Now, the discussions couldn’t be stopped.
Someone whispered, “Yesterday, did the second branch of the Yu family and their entire family go back to Lin Shi’s natal home?”
“Yes, they said they were going to celebrate her father’s birthday and went to help a few days in advance.”
The villagers were not fools; on the contrary, they were astute. At this moment, they exchanged subtle glances as Liu Kangsheng, who was passing by the east room, came out. Who didn’t know about the privileged position of the first household in the Liu family? This precious grandson, Baoge, had a golden lump between his legs2 he’s a boy, and Liu Kangsheng favored him excessively. The village knew about these matters, and now, everyone stared at Liu Kangsheng with eyes filled with suspicion.
Yesterday, the second household was sent away, while the third household, Wang Shi, and Liu Yan, were all dispatched to Baofeng Temple. Baofeng Temple was quite far away, requiring at least a day’s rest, leaving only Liu Kangsheng and the first household at home. Wu Shi’s brother, the in-law from Lu County, also arrived. Hahaha.
Liu Ergen shouted, “Liu Kangsheng, it seems like you’ve got rid of all your family members, helping the Dalang and his wife, and that eldest daughter-in-law’s brother to sell Yu and make a fortune, right? You even claimed she was abducted. This is an attempt to shift the blame back onto Liu Yu, saying she went to the town to show off. Truly incredible, can’t believe it, all these twist and turns.”
“So despicable.”
“Even if she’s not your biological child, you raised her for fifteen years. Tolerating daily mockery is one thing, but selling someone, especially if they’re not your own, is too ruthless. Considering the appearance of Yu, isn’t it possible that she was sold to some undesirable place?”
“When they can heartlessly sell a person, can you expect it to be a good place? Look at Yu’s appearance. The Lu family even came to propose marriage. Would the Lu family offer a small betrothal gift? If they don’t even covet this, then the greed in other aspects must be even greater.”
The murmurs and mutters from the villagers all fell into the ears of Liu Kangsheng and the just-exposed Wu Shi. These two, who were usually the most proud in the Yu family, now had only a pale look on their faces.
Every word and sentence also struck into the heart of Lu Chengxiao. How painful the human heart can be? Lu Chengxiao didn’t know what pain in this world could match it. In an instant, it seemed like even his breath was robbed by despair. There was also a kind of hatred that surged straight into his chest. He looked at Liu Kangsheng, and for a moment, the thought of personally taking the life of the evildoer arose.
Sansukini: There’s a second update.
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