Chapter 92

92 Karma

Li Yu asked Auntie He to boil a few pots of water and add cold water to it. She poured some rapeseed juice and grass ash lye into the warm water and placed the wool in to soak.

After the oil was soaked, Li Qing and Ji Xiang rubbed the wool clean and refilled it with the juice of the grass and ash lye. They removed the impurities and oil again and washed it in warm water. Then, they took it to the stream and washed it again.

They worked for a few days before washing out dozens of bags of wool and spreading them out to dry in the sun pads.

Li Qing looked at the wool that was as white as cotton after being washed. He took some and smelled it. “Yes! Not bad. It doesn’t smell like sheep after being washed.”

Auntie He looked at the white wool and nodded with a smile. “We’ve spent so much effort. How can it not be clean?!”

Uncle Zhou nodded and said, “That’s right! After spending so much effort, how can it not be good?!”

“Ah Qing, you and Ji Xiang can sun these last ones at Aunt’s house. Try to spread them out a little in the sun. Only by spreading them thin and sunning them will they dry quickly.”

“Okay.” Li Qing and Ji Xiang carried the wool towards Li Mei’s house.

Madam Liu saw Li Qing and Ji Xiang carrying the things to Li Mei’s house from afar. She slowly walked over and pretended to pass by the Zhou family. She pricked up her ears and heard Li Yu’s voice coming from the courtyard.

Madam Liu stood in the corner and thought for a while. She still didn’t dare to go in and call Li Yu. She looked around and turned around to walk back.

When Madam Liu arrived home, Chen Baozhen hurriedly looked behind Madam Liu. She didn’t see Li Yu and asked anxiously, “How is it? Did you call her?”

Madam Liu shook her head and said with a bitter expression, “I didn’t dare to call her here. Baozhen, I think we should forget it! If she finds out, that girl won’t be easy to deal with.”

Chen Baozhen’s desire to take revenge on Zhou Jia did not decrease at all. When she thought about how Zhou Jia had been so attentive toward Li Yu that day, the jealousy in her heart grew like weeds.

Chen Baozhen thought hatefully, You treat her so well, but you trample on my heart at will. When she becomes a slut, will you still treat her as a treasure?

Chen Baozhen felt her blood boil. She couldn’t wait to see Zhou Jia and Li Yu cry. She suddenly stood up. “It’s fine if you don’t dare to go. I’ll go myself!”

When Madam Liu saw Chen Baozhen leave in a hurry, she hurriedly ran out of the courtyard and whispered to Chen Baozhen, “Baozhen, Li Yu is at the Zhou family residence. Hurry up before your father returns from burning charcoal.”

Chen Baozhen nodded and put on the velvet flower before walking towards the Zhou family.

Chen Baozhen walked to Li Yu’s door and looked at her. She smiled and said, “Xiaoyu, my father went to burn charcoal. I want to ask you to go to my house to help carry the cabinet. That cabinet is too heavy for my mother and me to move.”

Li Yu glanced at Chen Baozhen and remembered Uncle Zhou’s words. She thought to herself, “One cannot guard against a thief for a thousand years. I might as well go and see what she wants to do.”

Li Yu stared at Chen Baozhen. “Move what? How heavy is it that even you and your mother can’t move it?”

Chen Baozhen said shamelessly, “It’s a big and heavy cabinet. Sorry to trouble you, Xiaoyu.”

“Let’s go!” Li Yu dried the wool in her hand and followed Chen Baozhen towards the village chief’s house.

Ye Lianggong saw Chen Baozhen and Li Yu walking out from afar and hurriedly hid in the bamboo forest.

When Li Yu arrived at the village chief’s house, Chen Baozhen pointed at the cabinet beside the bed. “There seems to be a rat under the cabinet that bit something bad. Sorry to trouble you, Xiaoyu.” Then, she said to Madam Liu, “Mother, move it with Xiaoyu. I’ll go get a glass of water.”

Madam Liu smiled at Li Yu awkwardly. “Xiaoyu, sorry to trouble you.”

Li Yu looked at Mdm Liu’s smile that was uglier than crying and sneered in her heart. “I’m not afraid. I’m strong.”

As Li Yu spoke, she pulled the leg of the cabinet and easily pulled it to the center of the room.

Chen Baozhen carried a teacup from the central room and handed it to Li Yu. “Xiaoyu, sorry to trouble you. Let me treat you to some sugar water.”

Li Yu glanced at the sugar water in Chen Baozhen’s bowl and thought to herself that something must be amiss with this bowl of water.

Seeing that Li Yu didn’t take the teacup, Chen Baozhen pretended to be apologetic and said to Li Yu, “Xiaoyu, I didn’t have a good temper in the past. Now, I really want to thank you. I don’t have anything good at home except a bowl of sugar water. Please don’t mind it.”

Li Yu looked coldly at Chen Baozhen’s pretense and smiled evilly. She took the teacup and placed it to her mouth.

When Chen Baozhen saw Li Yu put the bowl to her lips, she kept shouting in her heart, Drink! Hurry up and drink!

Li Yu looked at Chen Baozhen’s anxious expression and suddenly lost the mood to tease her. She pulled Chen Baozhen over and grabbed the back of her neck. “I think you’re worried that I won’t drink this bowl of water. Let me guess what’s strange inside.”

Chen Baozhen raised her head and blushed. She argued, “If you don’t like my things, just say so. Why are you finding these excuses?”

Madam Liu went forward to snatch the tea bowl from Li Yu’s hand. “Xiaoyu, it’s fine if you don’t drink it, but you can’t spout nonsense and ruin our intentions!”

“You’ll know if it’s ruined or not after you try.” Li Yu pushed Madam Liu away and pressed Chen Baozhen against the wall. She pinched Chen Baozhen’s mouth open and poured the sugar water into her mouth.

Chen Baozhen began to struggle desperately, but she couldn’t escape Li Yu’s hold. Madam Liu was so frightened that she went forward to help. She wanted to pull Li Yu away, but she was knocked to the ground by Li Yu.

Madam Liu lay on the ground and kept shouting, “Xiaoyu, how can you do this! Let go of Baozhen quickly. You can’t let Baozhen drink it.”

“If your Chen Baozhen can’t drink it, why should I drink it? I want to see what’s in it.” Li Yu covered Chen Baozhen’s mouth and watched her swallow it.

Zhou Jia returned from town and saw Auntie He at home alone. “Auntie He, did Xiaoyu go up the mountain?”

Auntie He smiled. “No, Miss was still here just now. She was called by the village chief’s daughter to help move things.”

When Zhou Jia heard this, he turned around and ran towards the village chief’s house. When he was about to reach the village chief’s house, he saw a man sneaking into the house. Zhou Jia hurriedly followed him in.

When Auntie He saw that Zhou Jia’s expression had changed on hearing that Li Yu had gone to the village chief’s house, she hurriedly ran to Li Mei’s house and shouted at Ji Xiang, “Ji Xiang, Young Master went to the village chief’s house. Hurry up and go to the village chief’s house to take a look.”

When Ji Xiang and Li Qing heard this, they ran towards the village chief’s house. When the women making bags in the house heard Auntie He’s words, they put down their needles and followed.

Zhou Jia followed the man into the courtyard and saw that the door of the central room was wide open. Madam Liu’s cries came from the room. “Xiaoyu, how can you treat Baozhen like this? Baozhen, what’s wrong?”

Li Yu looked at Chen Baozhen, who was choking and trying to get the sugar water out. She shouted coldly, “Didn’t you and Chen Baozhen want me to drink it? If I can drink it, why can’t she? Auntie Liu, tell me honestly, what’s in this bowl?”

When Ye Lianggong reached the door of the central room, he heard that something was wrong and turned to run. Only then did he see Zhou Jia following behind.

Zhou Jia stopped Ye Lianggong and shouted in a low voice, “Who are you? Why are you at the village chief’s house?”

Ye Lianggong did not make a sound. He reached out and wanted to push Zhou Jia away. Zhou Jia pressed his hand down and pinched his fingers to break them. However, he did not use enough strength, allowing Ye Lianggong to break free. Zhou Jia grabbed Ye Lianggong and the two of them started fighting.

At this moment, Ji Xiang arrived. Seeing Zhou Jia fighting with a man, he stepped forward and kicked Ye Lianggong to the ground.

“Don’t let him go,” Zhou Jia shouted at Ji Xiang. “Xiaoyu, are you okay?” He ran into the anxious royal court.

“Don’t come in. I’m fine,” Li Yu replied loudly.

Li Yu watched as Chen Baozhen became confused. Her face was flushed, and she let out a blush-inducing moan. She even kept tearing off her clothes and twisting her body. Chen Baozhen felt that she might have drunk something like an aphrodisiac.

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