Cui Shi first put on an expression of being utterly heartbroken, as if her organs were being torn apart, and then suddenly raised her voice and burst into loud, wailing cries.
Her crying was truly tragic and miserable, enough to move anyone who heard it.
After crying for a while, Cui Shi slowly stood up, thanked the villagers with a sorrowful expression, and then staggered back toward her home.
As she walked, she kept murmuring, “My poor daughter! Where have you gone? Please, you must not have any accidents!”
However, while she appeared so grief-stricken on the surface, in her heart she was viciously cursing Gu Shiyi: You wretched girl, where have you run off to cause trouble? If you dare come back tomorrow, I’ll skin you alive!
Gu Chang’an did not know Cui Shi’s true thoughts. He was worried that she might be overwhelmed with grief over her daughter’s safety.
So he quickly asked his wife and another woman to follow behind Cui Shi, fearing something might happen to her.
In this way, the two of them safely escorted Cui Shi back home.
Everything was seen by the villagers.
Everyone sighed in admiration, praising Cui Shi as a truly kind woman!
To be able to care so deeply for a daughter who was not even related to her by blood was truly admirable.
One must know that in ancient times, the idea of preferring sons over daughters was extremely severe.
Many people treated their own daughters harshly, either beating or scolding them.
After returning home, Cui Shi felt extremely heavy-hearted.
She paced anxiously back and forth in the main hall, constantly thinking about how she could avoid repaying the twenty taels of silver to Liu Yuanwai.
She racked her brains but still could not come up with any good solution.
Now, she was the only one left in the household, with no one to help her think of a plan.
Her son had left early in the morning to return to the county academy to study. Even if he were home, he would not help her.
That wretched girl—perhaps she had been bitten to death by a wild wolf, just like her dead father.
“Die, so be it. You’re just a worthless life anyway, a money-losing burden,” Cui Shi cursed Gu Shiyi inwardly. “But her death caused me to lose dozens of taels of silver—truly hateful! A money-loser!”
The more Cui Shi thought about it, the angrier she became, and her resentment toward Gu Shiyi grew deeper and deeper.
She lay on the bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.
Thinking about how there was no man left in the household and how life would go on in the future filled her with panic.
Although the family owned a few mu of farmland, she did not know how to farm at all.
Without a man to help, those fields would likely be left barren.
With that in mind, Cui Shi decided to go to the county the next day to see if there was any way to resolve her current difficulties.
Additionally, her embroidery skills were quite excellent, so it seemed she could only embroider handkerchiefs and take them to the county to sell to supplement the household income.
As for farming, she decided to give it up.
She planned to rent out the family’s farmland to others after the New Year and collect rent to support herself.
Not only was Cui Shi skilled in embroidery, but she was also quite attractive. She had just passed thirty, still in the prime of her beauty.
Cui Shi knew clearly that a woman living alone was not a long-term solution; she needed a man to rely on again.
In truth, she had been quite satisfied with the deceased man of the Gu family.
Although the Gu family lived in the village, their household was relatively well-off—they had enough to eat and wear, and could even afford to send their son to study. This had always pleased her.
Not only that, but the man of the Gu family was tall and imposing, with a strong build and great physical strength.
More importantly, in their nighttime relations, he had performed exceptionally well, always bringing Cui Shi immense pleasure, leaving her feeling as though she had reached the heights of ecstasy.
Thinking of this, Cui Shi couldn’t help but feel her thoughts wander, her body heating up.
She could no longer restrain her inner urges and had no choice but to take care of it herself, which eased her somewhat. After that, she gradually drifted into sleep.
The next morning, just as the sky began to show the faint glow of dawn, Cui Shi got up early.
She quickly washed up, carefully dressed herself to look refreshed and full of vitality.
She slung a basket over her back, locked the door, and set off toward the county.
Today was not a market day, and there was no ox cart in the village to take her to the county, so Cui Shi could only walk.
It was still early, and she did not encounter anyone from the village along the way.
If she had met anyone, she had already thought of what to say.
She would tell them that her daughter was missing and that she was going to the county to report the case, asking the authorities to send people to help search.
When she arrived in the county, she was already too tired to walk further, so she stopped at a wonton stall and ordered a bowl of wontons.
The steaming wontons were brought to her, emitting an enticing aroma. She ate slowly, savoring the warmth of the broth and the delicious filling spreading in her mouth.
Each bite seemed to replenish her energy, gradually restoring some of her strength.
After eating her fill, Cui Shi felt somewhat refreshed again.
She stood up, straightened her clothes, and then headed toward the residence of Liu Yuanwai.
Although she did not want to repay the twenty taels of silver, she also did not dare to provoke Liu Yuanwai, who was wealthy and powerful.
Coincidentally, just as she arrived at the gate of Liu Yuanwai’s residence, a carriage happened to stop at the entrance.
A person slowly stepped down from the carriage—and that person was Liu Yuanwai himself.
Upon seeing Liu Yuanwai, a thought suddenly flashed through Cui Shi’s mind.
She looked at him. Although he was already in his forties, he was short in stature and plain in appearance.
Compared to him, her own looks were still quite attractive—perhaps…
Cui Shi pondered this secretly, and a bold idea gradually formed in her mind.
Taking a deep breath, she softened her voice and called out in a gentle tone, “Liu Yuanwai~”
Her call carried a hint of flirtation.
Hearing her voice, Liu Yuanwai turned around and immediately saw the woman walking toward him.
She had a graceful figure, and every movement of her hips exuded a unique charm.
Liu Yuanwai’s gaze was instantly drawn to her, and a certain desire within him was ignited at once.
In the past few days, Liu Yuanwai had been busy with business outside the region, working nonstop like a spinning top, leaving him no time to relax with women.
This morning, he had finally finished his work and was preparing to return home for a good rest—only to see such a curvaceous woman, with a slim waist and full hips, subtly casting him flirtatious glances.
Liu Yuanwai’s eyes lit up immediately, and he thought to himself, “What a beauty!”
However, when he looked more closely, his expression quickly turned awkward.
It turned out that this woman was none other than his future mother-in-law—Cui Shi.
Liu Yuanwai inwardly groaned in distress: “Oh no, what am I supposed to do? How could I possibly have improper thoughts about my future mother-in-law?”