Si He frowned and asked, “What do you mean, General?”
“What do I mean? Just now I asked her to explain a few words to our ancestors, but she refused to say a single word. Does she even see me as her father?”
Not daring to question Qing Bao directly, Su Xiao turned to Si He and continued,
“Now the ancestors have scolded all of us. Are you satisfied? Isn’t this exactly what you wanted—to use the ancestors’ words to make me bring you back to the General’s Residence to live in comfort? You’re unwilling to endure hardship here, is that it?”
Hearing this,
Si He looked at Su Xiao with an unfamiliar, distant gaze. “How have you become like this!”
She had grown up here since childhood, and she and Su Xiao were childhood sweethearts. Although Old Madam Su favored Su Mengmeng and her mother, and had made things difficult for her repeatedly, she still believed that this man had some affection left for her and Qing Bao. As long as Su Xiao returned, even if their daughter couldn’t live in luxury, she could at least grow up safely.
But she never expected that on the very day her husband returned, she would see his true character clearly.
She had waited bitterly for two years, protecting their only daughter.
Yet he thought she couldn’t endure hardship and was eagerly waiting to return to a life of comfort.
“I was about to ask how you and Qing Bao have become like this—unable to bear even the slightest hardship. Si He, I am deeply disappointed in both of you!”
“Since you and Qing Bao wish to follow me home, I will send someone to escort you back. But I will not personally take you there. You’d better take care of yourselves!”
Su Xiao shook his head at Si He in disappointment, then flicked his sleeve and prepared to stride out of the Ancestral Hall.
Qing Bao’s eyes sparkled as she said, “You’re not taking us back? That’s wonderful!”
Without Su Xiao around, they might encounter danger, but with him present, they would definitely face peril!
On the journey back, Su Xiao was destined to meet with a calamity—a great disaster was imminent.
But Su Xiao remained completely unaware and was nearly driven to vomiting blood by Qing Bao’s remark.
The earlier lesson made him unable to scold or strike her, for fear that the ancestors might come after him again. How helpless that would be!
He had no choice but to endure silently. Once outside the main gate, he saw his mother approaching with a beaming smile.
Su Xiao’s face darkened. “What are you so happy about?”
Old Madam Su was instantly baffled. “Son, I’m happy for you! How did the worship go? Was it smooth?”
“Very smooth. Even the ancestors showed up.” Su Xiao said impatiently, then flicked his sleeve and left.
Old Madam Su stamped her feet and called after him, “Hey? Why are you leaving so suddenly?”
The Clan Leader emerged right after, just in time to run into her.
Old Madam Su quickly grabbed the Clan Leader. “Clan Leader, I heard the ancestors came to congratulate Xiao’er. Is it true?”
Clan Leader: …
He had just barely recovered and nearly fainted again.
“It’s true. Next time, I’ll have the ancestors come find you.” After saying this, the Clan Leader hurried away.
Old Madam Su was so delighted she clapped her hands. “Wonderful! The ancestors are going to personally visit me.”
She quickly chased after the Clan Leader, calling out as she ran:
“Clan Leader, did the ancestors say when they’ll come see me? Should I make some preparations? Hey? Clan Leader, why are you limping? How can you walk so fast with a limp?”
Chased by her, the Clan Leader hobbled away faster and faster. “Damn it, even a cripple would be cured running from this crazy woman!”
After worshiping the ancestors, Su Xiao had to immediately return to the capital and enter the palace to receive the Emperor’s rewards.
“Father, are you really not going to wait for Qing Bao Jie and the others? Mengmeng doesn’t hurt anymore, please don’t blame Qing Bao Jie, alright?”
Su Mengmeng bit her lip, tears shimmering in her pleading eyes.
She deliberately brought up her injury to make Su Xiao concerned about the wound on her head from when Qing Bao had bumped into her last night.
Seeing the bandaged wound on her forehead, Su Xiao’s eyes instantly filled with heartache. He reached out and pulled Su Mengmeng into his embrace.
“I heard from your grandmother. Even after Qing Bao treated you like this, you still speak up for her. She made me, your father, lose face in front of the clan, so I don’t need to spare her any dignity either.”
“Mengmeng, when we return to the capital, your mother has brought many gifts for you. I will always be by your side and not let Qing Bao bully you.”
Those things were all prepared by Si Yao for her daughter—they absolutely must not be taken by Qing Bao.
“But if Father doesn’t bring Qing Bao Jie back with us, she and the others will be deeply embarrassed in the village,” Su Mengmeng said with a pitiful expression.
“Embarrassed? She didn’t even spare me, her own father, any face in front of our ancestors. Why should I care about her dignity? I’ve already sent two people to fetch them back. Whether they come or not is up to them. If they don’t, all the better. From now on, you and your mother will be my only wife and daughter.”
Si Yao could still assist him in battles and help him earn military merits—she was an exceptionally impressive woman.
But Si He? She could do nothing and was nothing but a burden to the General’s Residence or the Si Family.
If not for the ancestors’ instruction that Qing Bao should not suffer anymore, he would be somewhat reluctant to bring them back.
Si He had grown up in the village her whole life. Surely, spending the rest of her life the same way wouldn’t feel like a hardship to her.
Su Mengmeng buried her head in her father’s chest, looking soft and adorable. In reality, she had secretly curled one corner of her lips.
Qing Bao, even Father detests you now.
Once I find the chance, I will definitely gouge out your eyes again!
General Su rode on horseback, followed by a grand procession of carriages carrying the womenfolk as they departed.
In Si He’s courtyard, two plainclothes soldiers waited at the gate. Not even a carriage had been prepared—they were to return to the capital on foot.
She was looking at the complete disarray in the yard, slowly cleaning up the items scattered on the ground and arranging them neatly.
Last night, she and Qing Bao had personally buried three little kittens. Si He had even set up a small tombstone for each of them.
“Madam, the General has already left. How much longer are you going to clean?” the soldiers outside the courtyard gate urged impatiently.
Qing Bao was holding an old rag, struggling to climb onto the table to help her mother clean.
The little milk bun had rolled up her sleeves, revealing chubby arms, and looked as small as a dish lying on the table.
Hearing the soldiers’ urging, she plopped down on the table, displeased, and furrowed her tiny brows.
“This is my mother’s home. What’s wrong with cleaning it properly? If you’re unhappy, you can leave first.”
Her voice was milky and soft, yet carried a serious tone, as if she had long been accustomed to being in a position of authority.
The two soldiers actually felt a chilling sense of pressure wash over them.
“We wouldn’t dare, we’ll help you clean right away.”
They quickly set to work.
Somehow, two grown men found themselves obeying Qing Bao’s orders.
Qing Bao snorted lightly, “Consider yourselves kind. The disasters on the road ahead, you’ve just avoided them.” The little one had an excellent memory—once she saw the course of someone’s life, she would never forget it.
The reason she was glad her scumbag father didn’t take her along was that a disaster would occur on the way back to the capital.
Coincidentally, her mother had deep emotional attachment to this courtyard and wanted to clean it thoroughly.
She could tell her mother didn’t want to return to the General’s Residence.
So, swinging her little legs, she persuaded, “Mother, don’t you want to know the whereabouts of Grandfather and Grandmother?”
The Grandfather and Grandmother Qing Bao referred to were actually Si He’s adoptive parents.
That old couple from the Si Family didn’t deserve to be called Grandparents by Qing Bao.
Si He stopped what she was doing and looked at Qing Bao, her eyes filled with hope:
“Qing Bao, do you really know where my parents are?”