Exile with Storage Space: Family Fortunes in the Barren Lands-Chapter 791 - 742: Don’t Come to Our Family in the Future (2)

Chapter 791: Chapter 742: Don’t Come to Our Family in the Future (2)

The Princess Consort Luling did not tell Chai Eying why the Li family father and son returned to the Capital; she did not want Chai Eying to worry.

However, the Pei and Wei families successively sent messages to the Li family. What they said, in the standard official language of Beijing, aroused the suspicion of the other members of the Li family.

For example, Uncle Gui, Nanny Jiang, several mother and daughter of the family’s cook Lady Song, and some people who came to do short-term work every day.

They spread the affairs of the Li family out.

The villagers had long known that the Li family were people from the Capital who came here to seek a life of refuge.

This time, when several family members hurried back to the Capital, everyone suspected that something must have happened in the Capital that was not good for the Li family.

Chai Eying listened to these rumors and couldn’t help but feel heavy-hearted.

Because when Li Xingmao left, he only said he was going back to the Capital to look at the old house and to worship the ancestral burial ground, without mentioning anything else.

Although the Princess Consort Luling comforted her, saying that once the father and sons finished their business, they would return, Chai Eying still worried.

After Prince Luling left, the affairs of the school were managed by Chai Eying instead.

On this day, an unexpected guest came to the school.

It was a young woman in her twenties.

The woman’s attire was not ordinary, but her eyes were unfriendly.

She sneered at Chai Eying in front of a group of children, "Third sister, you have now stopped visiting your natal home? Do you look down on the Chai family?"

This was the eldest daughter of Chai Eying’s stepfather, the elder sister of Miss Chai.

Back then, to prevent the Luo family from marrying Chai Eying and to let Miss Chai marry into the Luo family, Miss Chai’s elder sister often spread slander about Chai Eying in front of the Luo family.

Chai Eying was schemed against by her two sisters and lost the betrothal to the Luo family.

Although Chai Eying did not like that past engagement, the thought of being bullied by her stepfather’s two daughters still made her angry.

She sneered, "Who in this vicinity, a good ten miles around, doesn’t know that the Chai family kicked me out? It’s not that I look down on the Chai family; clearly, the Chai family looks down on this orphan of mine!"

Miss Chai’s elder sister chuckled, "Sigh, we haven’t seen each other for years, and you’re still so stiff, do you know that something happened to your husband’s family? Why are you so stubborn?"

Chai Eying missed Li Xingmao, worried about Li Xingmao, and worried about the Li family too.

She spent her days overthinking, already agitated, and was further agitated by the provocations of Miss Chai’s elder sister.

"You came all the way here, what exactly do you want to say? Speak if you have something to say, and if not, please leave, I’m busy here!" Chai Eying tapped the books on the table and pointed to the door, making a gesture to see her out.

"There is indeed something. Otherwise, I wouldn’t want to see you. Old Mrs. Chai is sick; she might not make it. Go back and see her." Miss Chai’s elder sister finally revealed her intention.

Chai Eying was stunned. The old lady who didn’t like her, isn’t going to make it?

She didn’t want to go back.

"I’m no longer a member of the Chai family, why are you notifying me?" Chai Eying picked up a book and started flipping through it.

Miss Chai’s eldest sister chuckled, "Why notify you? Isn’t it so that you won’t have no place to go in the future? You go back to serve the old lady and give her a proper send-off, and the Chai family will still be your maternal home in the future."

Old Mrs. Chai fell at the end of last year and hasn’t recovered since.

Lately, she has become more and more confused, unable to control her bladder and bowels, resolving everything in bed.

The doctors all say that the old lady won’t hold on past the Mid-Autumn Festival.

And now, it’s only ten days until the Mid-Autumn Festival.

When an old person is near the end, it requires close family members to come and wash and dress them in burial clothes.

Second Master Chai and Miss Chai, along with Miss Chai who has recently returned home, all don’t want to arrange for Old Mrs. Chai.

The woman Second Master Chai remarried is even more cunning, directly feigning illness and claiming to be bedridden.

As the family was pushing the responsibility around, they thought of Chai Eying.

Miss Chai was afraid to meet Chai Eying, so Miss Chai’s elder sister came to fetch her.

A relative of Miss Chai’s elder sister’s in-laws, who works as a Capital Official in the Capital, recently returned home to handle some affairs. During casual conversations, that distant relative mentioned the matters of the Lu Ling Royal Mansion to the in-laws of Miss Chai’s elder sister.

The family speculated about where in Zhen An Prefecture the family of Prince Luling would endure penal servitude.

Miss Chai’s elder sister immediately thought of the Li family.

She described the situation of the Li family to that distant relative of her in-laws.

The distant relative told Miss Chai’s elder sister that the Li family were most likely the exiled family of Prince Luling.

This led to Miss Chai mocking Chai E Ying, mocking that something was about to happen to the Li Family.

But Chai E Ying, thinking of the grievances she suffered in the Chai Family, refused to go back, "Thanks for the reminder, but I don’t want to return."

Seeing that she was ignored, Miss Chai sneered, "Chai E Ying, you still seem oblivious, don’t you realize the seriousness of the situation?

Let me tell you the truth, your husband’s family didn’t flee here because of any relatives in trouble, they offended the Emperor, and it is the Prince Luling’s family that was exiled here to do hard labor!

If they return to the Capital without a decree, they might face imprisonment, possibly never to return! If the entire family is beheaded, will you go back to your maternal home? Or go to the Capital and lose your head along with them?"

Chai E Ying drew a sharp breath, her eyes widening, "What did you say? Lu...Luling...Prince Luling’s family?"

"You don’t believe it? You can have someone go to the Capital to inquire! My husband’s family has a relative who was recently appointed as Minister of the Ministry of Justice in the Capital. He came back to the hometown for business a few days ago and personally told my husband." Miss Chai smiled.

Chai E Ying was so frightened her face turned white.

The Li Family was exiled here for hard labor, and returning to the Capital without permission could result in punishment, but why did all the men of the Li Family leave?

Will something happen to them? 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Chai E Ying sat weakly in her chair, gasping for air.

Miss Chai walked over and pushed her, "Hey, are you going back to your maternal home? Your family is waiting for you!"

Chai E Ying’s mind was in turmoil, and she became even more worried about the Li father and sons.

"That’s not my home, you should leave, I’m not going." Chai E Ying stood up and started to walk outside, intending to return to the Li Family to ask her mother-in-law for clarification.

Miss Chai, unwilling to have come for nothing, walked over and grabbed her, "You have to come back with me! We’re doing this for your own good! If something happens to the Li Family, the Chai Family, being your maternal family, won’t ignore you."

Chai E Ying shook off her hand, scoffing, "For my own good? Was it for my good when you incited your second sister to snatch my marriage? Your father seized my father’s hundred acres of land and refused to return it even after ten years! If it weren’t for me and my elder brother coming up with ways, it probably would never be returned! I really ought to thank your family, Miss Chai!"

Many of the older children in the school already knew the situation with the Chai Family.

They liked the Li Family and also liked Chai E Ying as their substitute teacher, and they rallied to cry out for injustice, laughing and shouting, "Oh, oh, oh, don’t you know shame, bullying people and yet coming to seek scolding, ha ha ha ha ha—"

Miss Chai, embarrassed and infuriated, shouted outside the door, "Get in here, take the Third Miss away!"

Four robust women rolled up their sleeves and rushed into the school to grab Chai E Ying.

Chai E Ying’s face turned pale with anger, "In broad daylight, you dare to snatch people?"

"They bullied my mom, let’s all go drive them away! Someday I’ll help you with arithmetic!" Guoguo, who was sitting at the back listening, suddenly shouted loudly.

A few naughty kids, who were bad at arithmetic and relied on Guoguo to help with their assignments, all jumped up from their seats and rushed over to Chai E Ying.

Around a dozen twelve or thirteen-year-old boys surrounded the four women and Miss Chai, some punching heads, others kicking legs.

The five of them ran away, holding their heads, screaming as they escaped.

"Come on, come on, let’s see if you dare to come back!"

"Yowl yowl yowl yowl, come again and we’ll strip you of your clothes and throw you in the river to feed the turtles!"

"Dare to bully our lady teacher again, and we’ll force you to eat dung!"

The naughty kids chased them for about three miles, only returning happily once they had driven them off.

In the school, Chai E Ying sat in a chair, reflecting on Miss Chai’s words, speechless for a long while.

Guoguo glanced at her, tapping the teacher’s large desk with a small stick.

Although she was small, her voice was stern, "Anyone who makes noise will have their name written down! We’ll double the punishment when my grandpa returns!"

He was someone not to be messed with.

All the children feared Prince Luling.

At Guoguo’s shout, all the children sat quietly, not daring to whisper.

Chai E Ying calmed herself down for a moment, and said to the older child, Song Baoshun, "Baoshun, come sit in the front, take charge of the classroom for me, the fifteen on the left practice writing this morning’s words, and the fifteen on the right do arithmetic and memorize page ten of the book."

Song Baoshun, who wasn’t keen on studying, had become very loyal to the Li Family after a family incident where Li Yuzhu and Mu Yuanxiu helped him out.

"Don’t worry, Mr. Chai, I’ll keep an eye on them."

Chai E Ying stood up and returned to the Li Family with Guoguo.

In the South Courtyard, the Princess Consort Luling had just settled Li Jing and Li Yu for their afternoon nap, and now she was mending one of Li Yu’s outer garments. Chai E Ying walked into the room, holding Guoguo’s hand.

"Mother, no, Princess Consort." Chai E Ying sighed, "Why didn’t you tell me about such a big thing?"