Chapter 118

Chapter 118: Fortune Cui Lingrong felt she was being foolish—why had she come looking for Song Shulan again? Disappointment flashed instantly in her eyes. Song Shulan noticed the change in Cui Lingrong's expression and defended himself, "What I said isn't wrong. For the sake of Cui Zeyu, you went out in public to find Xie Yunting before, and I didn't say a word about it. Lingrong, you've always been thorough and sensible. You should trust the court—they will definitely find Cui Zeyu." "Is that so? In truth, the Marquis doesn't want Zeyu to live, does he?" Cui Lingrong turned and left. "What kind of talk is that? Am I such a vicious person?" Song Shulan chased to the doorway but didn't see Cui Lingrong look back. Cui Lingrong's retreating figure was utterly resolute. She had acted out of desperation, thinking to turn to Song Shulan. She still regarded him as her husband, despite the deep rift between them—such matters still instinctively made her think of Song Shulan. Not anymore. She had been muddled-headed. Cui Lingrong walked swiftly and went to the Jiang family. Upon learning that Cui Zeyu had been ambushed, Yuan Mingzhu quickly sent someone to fetch her husband. When Jiang Kun arrived, he initially wanted to mention Song Shulan, but seeing his wife's meaningful glance, he changed his words, saying, "I'll write a letter right away and have the local officials help search for him." Only after Jiang Kun left did Yuan Mingzhu vent, "Song Shulan is utterly inhuman. Doesn't he stop to think—who earned the money that kept the Jiangyuan Marquis Mansion going all these years?" At the mention of Song Shulan, Yuan Mingzhu was seething, "That bastard doesn't know gratitude at all. Zeyu is such a good person, and he could say something so heartless?" Cui Lingrong remained silent. "If you didn't have three children, I'd definitely urge you to seek a mutual divorce!" Yuan Mingzhu said fiercely in her anger, "He's living off his wife now, clinging to the Rong Prince Mansion. Doesn't he think about what people outside say about him? Is that his real ability? Pah! A contemptible thing, doing nothing but despicable deeds!" She grabbed Cui Lingrong's hand, "Come on, curse with me—Song Shulan is a bastard!" "Say it!" Cui Lingrong looked at Yuan Mingzhu and couldn't help but laugh, her mood lifting considerably. "Forget it, forget it. In all the years I've known you, I've never heard you curse anyone." Yuan Mingzhu snorted, "You, you—what's the use of such refined upbringing? If it were me, I'd have long since made a huge scene with Song Shulan. If he had the nerve to secretly marry an equal wife behind your back, then he should agree to anything you ask!" "It's that I misjudged him." Cui Lingrong said. "It's not your fault. People change. You're my dear sister, and you can never be wrong." Yuan Mingzhu wrapped her arms around Cui Lingrong. "Then if I were to kill someone or start a fire, would I still not be wrong?" Cui Lingrong asked. Yuan Mingzhu said she wouldn't be wrong, "If it ever came to you killing or setting fires, it would definitely be the other person's fault. In short, whatever you do, I support you. Let me tell you, from now on, if Song Shulan comes to you for anything again, you hold your head high and don't believe a word he says. He's got women on both arms now, only seeing the smiles of the new—men are all the same!" Jiang Kun, who had just walked in, immediately declared, "I'm not like that." "Hmph, if you ever dare to be like that, I'll take our two sons and go back to my parents' home!" Yuan Mingzhu clenched her fists. Jiang Kun quickly waved his hands, saying the letter had already been sent. Hearing this, Cui Lingrong expressed her gratitude repeatedly and took her people back. Meanwhile, Cui Zeyu had been swept from the upper reaches of the river to the lower reaches, where a farming family had rescued him. He had been awake for a day now. His left arm bore a gash as long as a hand's width from a tree branch, the pain making his scalp tingle. "Oh my, you're awake." The farm woman saw Cui Zeyu come out and hurried over to ask how he was, "Are you hungry?" The woman was surnamed Li. Her husband had taken their eldest son to the fields to plow, leaving only Madam Li and her younger son to work at home. Cui Zeyu said he wasn't hungry, "I've been lying in the house for a whole day. I'd like to see if there's anything I can help with." His arm was bandaged, but he still had a slight fever. Madam Li saw how pale he looked and told him to sit down first. "In your condition, you should rest. My husband said we barely pulled you back from death's door—this is a good deed that earns merit. We can't let you lose your life now. Besides, you gave us silver, so we ought to take good care of you." Madam Li smiled warmly and brought him hot water. Cui Zeyu had been fortunate—his money pouch hadn't been lost. When he regained consciousness, he'd told the family to use the money to call a doctor, for an ordinary farming household would hardly have spare funds for medical treatment and medicine. Cui Zeyu leaned against the wall and finished the hot water, beads of sweat beginning to form at his temples. He thought of the ferocity of the mountain bandits. Normally, when encountering such highway robbers, it was always about money. If he offered up a portion of his wealth, most would let them pass—there was no need to fight to the death. After all, he had hired escorts for his business travels. If the bandits clashed head-on, they too would suffer heavy losses. Yet those bandits hadn't listened to a word he said. They came at him swinging blades without hesitation. And more than that... he felt they were targeting him specifically. Cui Zeyu was puzzled for a moment. Who had he offended that they would want him dead? The Qian family? Or the Rong Prince Mansion? The Rong Prince Mansion shouldn't go that far. Then the Qian family? He thought it was possible. After all, Qian Jin had been demoted because of his matter, and the entire Qian family had incurred the Emperor's wrath. It would be reasonable for the Qian family to harbor thoughts of revenge. If that were truly the case, he could not return to the caravan. He would have to take a different road back to Bianjing. Cui Zeyu took a deep breath. He had never expected to encounter such a situation. Madam Li was also cursing the mountain bandits. "Life for ordinary folks is already hard enough. We toil in the fields all year round, and only just manage to feed our families. Those bandits—did they have no fathers or mothers? They stir up trouble day and night, and the authorities don't even lift a finger!" While she was cursing the bandits, her youngest son, Ertou, who was holding a boiled taro, broke off half and handed it to Cui Zeyu. The boy was only five years old, but he was exceptionally well-behaved and sensible. He then offered the other half to his mother. "Mother doesn't want any. You eat it," Madam Li said, pushing his hand away. But Ertou stubbornly insisted that his mother take a bite before he would eat. Only then did Madam Li take a bite, then turned to look at Cui Zeyu. "Brother, you're a cloth merchant. Our village also grows hemp and weaves cloth, but we only know how to make the most ordinary hemp fabric. It never fetches a good price. Do you know how to improve it?" To his lifesaver, Cui Zeyu was generous with his knowledge and shared much about weaving with Madam Li. By the time it grew dark, Madam Li's husband returned. Cui Zeyu asked if they could take him to a nearby town. "Why the rush?" Madam Li urged Cui Zeyu to rest a few more days. "You don't need to worry about saving food for us. The silver you gave us is enough to buy you rice for a whole month." Cui Zeyu smiled and said, "I got separated from the caravan. If I don't get back soon, they'll worry, and my elder sister at home won't sleep a wink. You see, I have a sister who is especially good to me." "That's truly a blessing for you," Madam Li said with a smile, adding that she too had sisters. Though they often bickered, when trouble came, her sisters always stood by her. "Since you put it that way, tomorrow I'll have my husband take you to town on the ox cart." Cui Zeyu thanked her gratefully. "Once I'm settled, I'll come back and buy cloth from you." Early the next morning, Cui Zeyu climbed onto the ox cart. Before leaving, he quietly slipped a piece of silver under the pillow. The couple had refused to take it, but he owed it to them. When they reached the town, Cui Zeyu told Madam Li's husband, "If anyone asks later, don't mention that you saved me. I'm afraid the bandits might seek revenge." He then hired a carriage, planning to take a roundabout route back to Bianjing. But halfway there, he was stopped by people blocking the road. "It's him!" The moment the leader caught sight of Cui Zeyu's face, he drew his sword. The terrified driver whipped the horse desperately, but the men behind gave relentless chase. Those two words—"It's him"—made Cui Zeyu understand at once: these people were after him.