Exile with Storage Space: Family Fortunes in the Barren Lands-Chapter 691 - 644: Bringing Baili Rui Home (2)

The four of them saw Ling Yuezi return and stood upright together, "Princess Yue."

Ling Yuezi glanced at them coldly without a word, and strode into the village.

She went straight into the Big Master’s courtyard.

The Big Master was waiting for her.

Seeing her return, the Big Master immediately said, "Yuezhi, Prince Ping’s people are urging, why did you come back so late? Where did you go?"

Ling Yuezi smiled slightly, "Made godfather worry, I went into the city to see a friend."

"Went to see Li Xingsheng?" The Big Master looked at her.

Ling Yuezi’s smile froze, "No, it was someone else."

"You..." The Big Master sighed, "If you had left with Li Xingsheng back then, would you be facing today’s situation?"

Ling Yuezi sat down in front of the Big Master, "Godfather, even if I had left with him back then, what about my little brother? What would he do? His days now must be dark and hopeless."

At the mention of the current little emperor of Nanyue, the Big Master fell silent. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Ling Yuezi forced a smile, "Godfather, he and I have no fate, please don’t mention him again."

The Big Master said, "Now that you are returning to Nanyue, the Prefect of Zhen’an and the Southern Yue people have always been like fire and water, what fate could you have?"

Ling Yuezi appeared to smile easily on the surface, but inside she felt very uncomfortable, as if a stone was pressing on her heart, making it hard to breathe.

Prince Ping’s people kept urging Ling Yuezi to leave quickly.

Ling Yuezi was also worried about her brother, so she hurriedly ate some dinner, changed into the Nanyue Palace attire, and left Feihu Village overnight with the Big Master and their followers.

The carriage jolted on the mountain road.

From time to time, the strange calls of owls came from the roadside, hinting at desolation.

Ling Yuezi lifted the curtain and looked backward, she sighed softly and let the curtain fall back down.

.

It was nightfall when Li Xingsheng returned from the government office.

At the bedroom door, he saw Li Yuzhu leaning against the door looking at him, "Second Brother." Li Yuzhu called out with a bright smile.

"You little brat, not sleeping, what are you doing blocking my door?" Li Xingsheng pulled her away, pushed open the bedroom door, and walked inside.

Li Yuzhu followed him in, "In the morning, did Miss Ling come?"

Li Xingsheng paused for a moment, "No."

He lit the candle and tossed the hat of his official uniform onto the table.

Li Yuzhu walked to the stove in the corner of the room and made tea for him, "Even if you don’t admit it, I know she came. The Liu Brothers told me a woman in red came. They described her appearance and saw you angrily chasing someone away. Who else but Ling Yuezi?"

Li Xingsheng looked at the bed, where a pair of wooden puppets had been moved.

He had hidden them well, Li Yuzhu hadn’t mentioned the puppets, so it must have been Ling Yuezi who moved them?

"Second Brother, I’m talking to you, did she come?" Li Yuzhu asked him again.

"So what if she came? Cold and unlikable." Li Xingsheng sat on the bed, shielding the pillow with his body.

Li Yuzhu moved a chair to sit opposite him, "Second Brother, when you were in the Capital, you were so good at wooing girls, why can’t you woo Miss Ling?"

"She’s different from those people." Li Xingsheng’s voice was chilly.

The ones in the Capital were just a bunch of people who approached him for a purpose, they pretended, and he pretended too.

"Then why don’t you use a different method to woo her, is it so hard?" Li Yuzhu was almost speechless.

The usually charming Li Xingsheng fell flat with Ling Yuezi, was his pride challenged by Ling Yuezi’s toughness? With her assertiveness, did he become assertive too?

A standoff between stubbornness, what result could there be?

"Do I need a little girl like you to teach me? Go woo your Yuanxiu!" Li Xingsheng didn’t want to chat idly with Li Yuzhu anymore and pushed her out, "It’s late, go to sleep."

He closed the door.

Li Yuzhu laughed in anger, "Fine, stay a bachelor! I’m done with you."

Li Xingsheng hurried back to the bed, grabbed the pillow and tossed it aside, to look at the wooden puppets.

At this moment, he unexpectedly saw a new scratch on the male doll’s surface.

Li Xingsheng’s face immediately turned grim, throwing the puppet back onto the bed.

"Ling Yuezi, you’re ruthless!" he muttered angrily through gritted teeth.

Run away after daring to provoke!

If she dares to appear before him again, just see what happens!

He is determined to skin her alive!

.

A few more days passed, and Second Lady Lou’s sister-in-law’s surgery had fully recovered.

Li Yuzhu gave her a thorough examination and confirmed no signs of relapse. She planned to return home.

Many people in the city sought her for medical help and would come to Lady Lou first.

Lady Lou made a small profit, and upon hearing her desire to return, earnestly tried to retain her.

However, she smiled and said, "I’ve been away from home for nearly two months; my parents must be terribly worried."

Li Yu En also wished to keep her for a few days, but upon hearing mention of her parents, he refrained, saying, "Third Sister, once you return, send my regards to our parents."

She spoke with tears in her eyes.

Li Yuzhu held her hand, "I will."

Lady Lou hoped Li Yuzhu would stay longer next time and invited her to visit the mansion again when she was free. Before Li Yuzhu’s departure, Lady Lou gave her some gifts.

In addition to those from Li Xingsheng and Li Yu En, gifts from the elder lady of the Lou Family, Second Lady Lou, and several other ladies filled every corner of Li Yuzhu’s mule cart, leaving barely any room for her to sit.

Li Yuzhu and Mu Yuanxiu chose a bright sunny day and embarked on their journey home.

Li Xingsheng and Lou Chengye escorted them ten miles outside the city gates before returning to the city.

The mule cart was packed with gifts and some luggage belonging to the two, making it travel slowly. It took until the third afternoon to reach the Li Mansion.

Uncle Gui was sweeping at the gate and, upon seeing their cart return, greeted them with a smile, "You’re back? We were just about to send someone to notify you, and here you are."

The mule cart stopped, and Li Yuzhu cheerfully jumped off saying, "Had some special patients, delayed a few days. Is everyone at home well?"

"All good, but Xiao Rui..." Uncle Gui frowned slightly, "Third Lady, Yuanxiu, you should see the Madam, she has something to discuss with you."

Li Yuzhu noticed Uncle Gui’s frown and quickly asked, "What’s wrong with Xiao Rui?"

"Yesterday, County Magistrate Li sent a letter mentioning Xiao Rui. The master and madam discussed it inside, and Xiao Rui heard them. The child cried all night, demanding to return to the Northern Land," Uncle Gui shook his head, "Poor child."

Mu Yuanxiu’s brow also furrowed as he asked urgently, "Where is Xiao Rui now?"

"At the school. The master worried about his sadness, allowed him to sit and play with other children to distract him," Uncle Gui explained.

Mu Yuanxiu turned to Li Yuzhu, "Yuzhu, go to the North Courtyard to see Mother, I’ll move the gifts."

Li Yuzhu nodded, "Alright."

She strode into the mansion heading for the North Courtyard.

In the main room of the North Courtyard sat Chai E Ying and Princess Consort Luling, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were talking. The household’s little treasure, Li Yu, was sitting in a small chair playing leisurely with a wooden ring toy.

The little fellow was half a year old and already quite a likeness of Li Jing.

"Mother, Sister-in-law, I’m back," Li Yuzhu greeted with a smile as she entered the room.

"We were just talking about you and here you are," Princess Consort Luling gestured for her to come over.

Li Yuzhu patted Li Yu’s head, played with him for a moment before sitting next to Princess Consort Luling.

Chai E Ying inquired if Li Yuzhu had a tiring journey and personally went to fetch tea.

Li Yuzhu smiled, "The weather these past few days has been fine, not too tiring." She took the tea Chai E Ying handed over, sipped a bit, and asked about Baili Rui’s situation.

Princess Consort Luling sighed, "The County Magistrate received a letter from the Northern Land saying Baili Rui is gone, and arrangements for the funeral are being made. Baili Rui’s mother is beside herself with grief, and she’s critically ill."

"What?" Li Yuzhu was shocked, "Wasn’t Baili Rui doing well? Alive he should be seen, dead he should be found, who’s responsible for investigating at the Baili Family, talking nonsense!"

Princess Consort Luling added, "Isn’t it so? How can people from the Baili Family be so muddle-headed? While discussing the matter from the letter with your father, Baili Rui overheard, now he’s desperately wanting to return to see his mother. But with so much happening around the harvest time, your eldest brother can’t leave, your third brother’s busy with business in the county, and your second brother newly appointed to his post cannot go either. I thought about Yuanxiu, just as you two returned."

Li Yuzhu nodded, "Yes, Yuanxiu and I are free, we can go."

Her husband Yuanxiu was like a brick, wherever needed, there he goes.

Mu Yuanxiu and Uncle Gui moved the gifts into the storeroom, and Li Yuzhu sorted them so everyone got a share.

After distributing the gifts, Li Yuzhu discussed the matter about Baili Rui.

Mu Yuanxiu didn’t seem too surprised. He said, "Baili Rui went missing in Zhen An Prefecture, such a significant incident, yet no stir from the Baili Family, I’ve long suspected something amiss."

Li Yuzhu suggested, "Should we take Baili Rui to the Northern Land?"

Mu Yuanxiu pinched her cheek, "You just returned and haven’t rested, can you handle leaving again?"