By noon, Lei Zhong still had not returned. Seeing Lu Youqing sitting anxiously in the courtyard the entire time, Li Nanqiao could only quietly signal to Han Qi.
"Madam hasn't had a single drop of water since morning. This can't go on."
Han Qi was still young and completely at a loss in the face of such trouble. "Then what should we do?"
"Let's make something simple to eat. At least get Madam to eat a little."
Li Nanqiao cooked some easy-to-digest porridge and prepared a few light side dishes. Carrying them over, she gently urged, "Madam, it's already noon. Please eat something first."
Lu Youqing picked up the spoon. She had no appetite at all and didn't want to eat anything, but she forced herself anyway. After mechanically swallowing half a bowl of porridge, she truly couldn't eat another bite.
At least she had eaten something. Li Nanqiao glanced at the untouched side dishes and let out a quiet sigh.
Not long after noon, loud knocking echoed at the courtyard gate again. After what had happened that morning, the sound made Li Nanqiao shudder instinctively, afraid the constables had returned to arrest someone again.
Lu Youqing, who had been sitting in the pavilion with one hand supporting her forehead and her eyes closed in thought, suddenly opened her eyes. Her amber-colored gaze was deep and sharp.
"Open the door! I know someone's inside!"
Hearing that familiar voice, Li Nanqiao's tense heart eased slightly. She turned her head and saw the familiar expression on Lu Youqing's face—the look of someone firmly in control.
She didn't seem surprised by these people at all. So the "someone" Madam mentioned this morning… was it them?
Had she already guessed it?
Li Nanqiao didn't know, but she felt that Lu Youqing was the most intelligent person she had ever met.
The woman Li Nanqiao admired most was already walking toward the gate. Startled, Li Nanqiao quickly jogged after her, staying close at her side.
Lu Youqing's expression was cool as she looked at the hostile group before her. Their eagerness, greed, and certainty were plainly written on their faces.
"I knew that ugly wench was at home. We knocked for so long, and you still dared to keep us waiting!"
"Exactly! Qin Ke's in trouble now—this is Qin family property. It should be taken over by us!"
"You've been with Qin Ke for so long and still don't even have a child. Could it be you're a hen that can't lay eggs?"
Grandmother Qin's cloudy yellow eyes shifted, landing on Lu Youqing's flat abdomen. "Qin Ke's fallen into trouble, and you couldn't even leave him an heir. A woman of unknown origins like you—we Qin family won't acknowledge."
"Enough!" Grandfather Qin tapped his cane on the ground. Only after letting the others finish speaking did he raise his voice. Looking at Lu Youqing, who had remained silent at the doorway, he said, "We're not unreasonable people. We'll give you a few taels of silver—go remarry on your own. The Qin family's property absolutely cannot be handed to an outsider woman like you."
His tone was lofty, as though he were bestowing charity.
Li Nanqiao knew exactly why they had come. That look, those words—it was exactly the same as when her father had just died and the Li family came to force her and her mother out.
The master had only just been taken away, and the truth wasn't even clear yet, but these people couldn't wait to seize the property.
She stepped forward, blocking Lu Youqing, lifting her chin as she declared loudly, "Master's case hasn't even been decided yet, and you already want to drive Madam away? Isn't that a little too eager? If you want to touch Madam, you'll have to go through me first!"
Han Qi turned back, grabbed a stick from the courtyard, and rushed back to stand protectively in front of Lu Youqing as well.
"Li girl, this is Qin family business. It has nothing to do with you—move aside!" Qin the eldest uncle shouted harshly.
"That's right! Why is someone surnamed Li meddling in Qin family matters? And you there, boy—you were bought by Qin Ke, right? That makes you Qin family property. You'd better recognize who your master is!"
Li Nanqiao was furious, her fists clenched so tightly they cracked.
Behind them, Lu Youqing raised her hand and patted Li Nanqiao's shoulder, signaling them to stay calm. Then she stepped forward, passing them and facing the Qin family directly.
"I follow my husband in calling you Grandfather and Grandmother. But my husband's case has not yet been decided—how do you already know he won't come back? Do you know why he was arrested?"
Her calm words sent a cold sweat down their backs.
How would they know? It was all because that Song family brat had been whispering in their ears, saying Qin Ke was involved in a murder case and would never return.
"Moreover," Lu Youqing continued, "if you want to drive me out of this house, there's something you may not know. The house deed and the servant contracts are all in my hands."
When Qin Ke had first given her these things, she had been surprised—but he had been firm. She understood he was trying to give her a sense of security, and holding them truly did make her feel at ease. She never expected they would one day become her means of resistance.
Her thoughts flickered back to Qin Ke. She didn't know what state he was in now. A jail was no place for a person—had he suffered?
She forcibly pushed those thoughts aside and stated her position firmly and decisively.
"You shameless woman! Don't push your luck! Hand over the property right now—and the melon fields too! They were allotted to Qin Ke by the Qin family, so they belong to us!" Qin the eldest uncle snarled, utterly disbelieving her words. Contracts or not, in Qinghe Village, they were the ones who made the rules.
As his words fell, his son Qin Li rolled up his sleeves, ready to use force.
He'd heard the melons from Qin Ke's fields sold for five hundred coins apiece. If they got them, how much money would they make?
They'd already coveted it days ago, but Qin Ke had refused to yield. Now it was perfect—he'd finally met retribution. All the Qin family property, including this newly built grand house, would be theirs.
This was how villages worked. Contracts and laws meant nothing compared to clan power.
Seeing them about to act, Li Nanqiao also assumed a fighting stance, determined not to let them lay a finger on Madam no matter what.
Qin Li and the others didn't take Li Nanqiao and Han Qi seriously at all—just two people. Surely they couldn't stand against a group.
Han Qi swallowed nervously, gripping the stick tightly.
But just as Qin Li and the others approached, a fierce shout rang out. In the next instant, a powerful rush of fists followed.
Before they could even react, they were struck down by swift, brutal blows.
"Brother Lei, you're back!" Li Nanqiao cried out in delight when she saw Lei Zhong.
"I dare to see who tries anything again!"
Lei Zhong's face was dark as thunder, his brows drawn tight as he shouted sternly.
The previously aggressive Qin family immediately fell silent at the sight of Lei Zhong's imposing frame. They'd heard Qin Ke had later bought a martial man from an escort agency—someone whose hands had supposedly been stained with blood.
The situation froze. They were afraid—but giving up such a prize right at their fingertips was hard to swallow.
"Enough! Stop this nonsense! Look at yourselves!"
A commanding voice sounded from behind.
They looked up to see Wu's youngest son supporting the village head as he approached.
"Qin family," the village head said sternly, "Qin Ke was just arrested, and you rush to his house to make trouble. Don't you have any humanity? The matter hasn't been decided yet—it's far too early to say anything."
He scolded the Qin family first, then softened his tone. "Whatever you do, wait until things are settled. All of this can be discussed after the authorities make an announcement."
The meaning behind his words was clearly in Lu Youqing's favor, and Qin the eldest uncle wasn't foolish enough to miss it.
In any case, if Qin Ke never returned, everything would still fall into their hands. Let that woman be smug for a couple more days.
"Fine. We'll listen to the village head today. Let's go."
Only after the Qin family left did Li Nanqiao finally relax her tightly wound nerves.
Before leaving, the village head cast one last look at Lu Youqing without saying anything.
Lu Youqing understood. This was as far as he could help—entirely because of the "promises" Qin Ke had dangled before him earlier.
If Qin Ke returned safely, they would owe the village head this favor. But if Qin Ke never came back, he would no longer interfere with the Qin family.
All under heaven bustle for profit; all under heaven scramble for gain.
Lu Youqing found nothing strange about it. Once everyone had left, she hurriedly asked, "Did you find out what actually happened?"
"Madam, I've already found out everything."
---
Currently at chapter 166 for advance chapters
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