Chapter 63 - 64: Coming to Cause Trouble
Mrs. Lantian carefully took out the bamboo tube, which was still half full of water. "Drink just a little. We still don’t know if we’ll find anything tomorrow."
"Has that boy from the Gu family returned yet?" Lan Tian took two large gulps before Mrs. Lantian managed to pull the bamboo tube from his hand.
"So what if he has? Your sister isn’t here, so he probably wouldn’t bring water over anyway." Liu Xiaoli used to find her sister-in-law a nuisance, but now she desperately hoped for Lan Ying’s safe return.
"If I’d known, I would have pushed them harder before. Look at us now, with nothing." Mrs. Lantian watched as the water level dropped by another half, her heart sinking with growing panic.
Liu Xiaoli glanced back in the direction of the Gu family. "Mother, do you think our little sister was taken away by that Gu boy? Let’s go over and demand an explanation."
Mrs. Lantian clutched the bamboo tube, looked at her husband and son lying on the ground, and nodded forcefully. "Right. Your sister was taken by their boy. They have to give us an explanation."
Lan Tian remained silent, clenching his quilt and closing his eyes in tacit agreement.
***
"What the hell are you talking about?" Li Cuicui thought there was something wrong with her ears and even scratched them.
"Our daughter was abducted by your boy! We’re here to demand an explanation. A living, breathing girl like her can’t just be ruined by your son for nothing!" When Liu Xiaoli saw her mother-in-law falter after just a few words, she stepped up to take over.
"That’s hilarious! My son is missing too. I was about to say your daughter ran off with him! He’s the son who’s supposed to carry on our family name, and you have the gall to accuse us first?" Li Cuicui had long disliked the Lan family, so her words were especially sharp.
"I never thought much of that daughter of yours. Seducing my son and making him lose his head without any proper engagement process... She’s just so... Well, only your family would treat her like a treasure.
"If this were a few years ago, a girl like her would have been drowned in a pig cage. She wouldn’t be allowed to prance around here."
Liu Xiaoli shot back, "Hey, can you be a little more polite, you old hag? Everyone saw it was your son who was always pestering our sister-in-law! And now he’s gone too far, running off with her without our family’s permission. Do you have any idea how hard it is to raise a daughter to her age?"
"How do you know they left together?" Gu Dashishi suddenly blurted out, earning him a swift kick from Li Cuicui.
"See? Isn’t that a confession?" Liu Xiaoli pointed directly at Gu Dashishi. "So your whole family knew! Hand over my sister-in-law right now! What you’re doing will ruin her reputation!"
Li Cuicui laughed humorlessly. "Her? Reputation? She hasn’t had a shred of reputation since she shamelessly started seducing our youngest to work for you as a free laborer.
"Besides, our youngest isn’t here either. I’d say your little vixen is the one who bewitched him, turning him into an unfilial son who abandoned his own parents."
"No matter what, it’s my sister-in-law who’s at a disadvantage. If you give us some compensation, we’ll consider this marriage settled." Seeing her daughter-in-law rebutted into silence, Mrs. Lantian had to step forward again.
Li Cuicui sneered, "Look, the fox’s tail is finally showing. So you came here to extort us. It seems your family has a fine tradition passed down through the generations—each one more shameless than the last.
"Both our children are missing. On what grounds should our family be the one to compensate you?"
Liu Xiaoli chimed in, "Actually, our request isn’t unreasonable. Just give us the betrothal gifts, and when my sister-in-law returns, she’ll be your family’s daughter-in-law. We’ll be in-laws either way, and we can help each other out on the road ahead."
"Help each other?" Gu Yuanjin, who hadn’t fallen asleep yet, heard the commotion and came over. "Hasn’t our foolish youngest son been the only one giving anything this whole trip? What help have you offered?"
"They helped us finish our water," Li Cuicui said sarcastically. "Encouraging your brother to sneak our family’s water out to supply their whole family, and now you have the nerve to talk about being relatives? With relatives like you, our family must be cursed for eight lifetimes.
"Let me tell you, I’m ready to disown my unfilial son. You think I’m going to acknowledge you people? Get lost and go back where you came from. It’s the middle of the night, and you’re disturbing everyone’s rest."
The onlookers lying in the corners listened quietly. ’...’ ’No, don’t stop! We haven’t heard enough yet!’
"That’s your family’s business! The fact is, our daughter disappeared because of your Gu family. And just now, your father-in-law here admitted it! He said the young couple went into the city together. You can’t deny that!"
Li Cuicui turned and stared daggers at Gu Dashishi. If looks could kill, she would have torn the man before her to shreds. "You said your son ran off with that vixen?"
Hearing the sound of his wife grinding her teeth, Gu Dashishi instantly wilted and quickly shook his head. "I didn’t say that! I was just curious and asked how they knew the two of them left together. There was nothing wrong with my question."
Li Cuicui spread her hands. "You hear that? If you want to slander someone, you need to show some proof first. You don’t even have a shred of evidence. What kind of hysterical fit are you throwing in the middle of the night?"
The Lan mother-in-law and daughter-in-law couldn’t find a single word to refute her and finally could only trudge back to their own spot, supporting each other dejectedly.
"Those injuries of yours are all thanks to that ’filial’ son of yours," Li Cuicui said through gritted teeth. "I suggest you keep your mouth shut. If you cause any more trouble for this family, you can get lost right along with him." She was terrified this oaf of a husband would drag her down again.
Gu Dashishi was speechless.
***
「At the crack of dawn」
Ancient Wenheng and his companion were already struggling through the jungle. Perhaps due to the Beast Repellent Medicine, even the mosquitos and other insects seemed to avoid them along the way.
"This stuff works really well," Jin Qianqian said, holding the medicine pouch to her nose and sniffing. Aside from the medicinal fragrance, she couldn’t identify a single ingredient.
Wenheng replied, "It seems we met an expert last night. I just don’t know if we’ll ever have the chance to meet him again. If we do, I’ll have to swallow my pride and ask to trade for some more of this."
Jin Qianqian followed behind him. Freed from the nuisance of insects, she had the leisure to look around. Suddenly, she stared at a spot, completely frozen in her tracks.
By the time Wenheng noticed and turned back, they were already more than ten meters apart.
"Qianqian? What is it?"
Jin Qianqian waved him over.
Puzzled, Wenheng followed the direction she was pointing and his eyes suddenly widened.
"Qianqian, you really are a lucky charm! To think you could spot this." Wenheng had been clearing the path at the front, which required him to be observant of his surroundings. ’To have missed this... I guess it just wasn’t meant for me to find.’