Lu Shiman stared at him for a long time.
If Song Zhibai could make such an offer purely out of gratitude, then why hadn’t the original Lu Shiman accepted it in the book?
Once she escaped this identity, even if her life wouldn’t be luxurious, it would certainly be better than being sent down to the countryside.
Was it her exclusive pride—refusing to give up the identity of a Lu family daughter?Or the so-called dignity of a young lady, unwilling to marry a former lackey?Or was it simply that the conditions of accompanying the army were too harsh?
“Where would I be stationed if I followed the army?” she asked.
“Qiong Island,” he replied. “The environment there isn’t as good as here, but I’ll do my best to give you the best conditions possible.”
Song Zhibai pressed his lips together, discouragement creeping into his heart. Qiong Island’s climate was nowhere near as comfortable as Zhejiang’s, supplies were relatively scarce, and border postings were even harsher. How could such a place ever be worthy of the young miss?
How could he even bring himself to make such a request?
He lowered his head, guilt flickering in his eyes. If only he had worked harder—if only he had risen higher and been stationed inland.
Qiong Island.
In Lu Shiman’s mind instantly appeared the image of a vacation paradise. She had been there two or three times on holiday in her previous life—blue seas, clear skies, utterly delightful.
To say it was bad wouldn’t be fair; to say it was good would also be a lie. At this time, border regions definitely lacked the supplies of Zhejiang.
But compared to being sent down to the northwest, Qiong Island was an excellent option. Perhaps refusing had been the original owner’s sense of pride.
But Lu Shiman wasn’t the original owner. She had no such pride. Survival—living comfortably—was what mattered most.
If she was going to bring the Lu family down, she needed a way out for herself as well. On the surface, she had no privileged background anymore, no suitable job either. Maybe…
She studied Song Zhibai carefully, torn inside. Leaving this place full of familiar faces was, admittedly, tempting.
“It’s not impossible,” she said finally. “Draft the terms clearly—three rules. Come find me tomorrow with Wu Hongfei.”
Then she paused.
“But, Song Zhibai,” she said calmly, “this is repayment of a debt. We’re not playing emotional games.”
Feelings were dangerous. She would never touch them. They could only be partners—nothing more. Never more.
“I understand.”
Someone like him—how could he ever be worthy of the noble young miss?
If the Lu family hadn’t fallen into crisis, perhaps they wouldn’t even have had the chance to speak. Still, being able to help her made him happy.
“Then that’s settled.”
With the discussion over, there was no reason to stay. This place wasn’t friendly to her in the slightest.
She scratched her reddened arm and sighed.
Right now, she felt like the Princess and the Pea—absurdly delicate. Who knew when she’d finally build up tolerance?
She rode her bicycle home. The house was eerily quiet. She first wandered into the kitchen and raised an eyebrow at the cold stove and untouched cookware.
Xiang Hongmei really was thoughtful—afraid she might lack an excuse to scold someone, she had kindly left herself wide open. If Lu Shiman didn’t seize the opportunity, she’d be letting them down.
She made another round downstairs, mentally tallying all the filthy and messy spots, then slowly headed upstairs.
“Dad! What’s wrong with the nanny you hired?” she shouted.“The floors aren’t swept, the food isn’t cooked—are we supporting an ancestor here?”
The sudden yelling nearly scared the two people inside the room into fainting.
Li Shichuan patted Xiang Hongmei’s back. “It’s fine. I’ll discipline that little beast.”
Bullying Hongmei was the same as slapping him in the face.
Lu Shiman looked at the tightly shut door and snorted. If she weren’t waiting for the right moment to catch them in the act, she’d kick the door in and scare Li Shichuan limp.
She knocked. “Dad, why is the door locked?”
Inside, the two hurriedly straightened themselves up before Xiang Hongmei finally opened the door.
The moment it opened, Lu Shiman slapped Xiang Hongmei across the face—fast enough that she didn’t even have time to react.
“Locking the door—what, seducing a man?” Lu Shiman sneered. “Disgusting.”
“I hired you to do housework. How do you have the nerve to take my family’s wages acting like this?”
“Pack your things and get out. Shameless trash. Mother and daughter—both equally revolting.”
She hurled insults without pause. Li Shichuan and Xiang Hongmei’s faces turned ugly.
“Manman, how can a young girl speak so viciously?” Li Shichuan scolded.
Lu Shiman crossed her arms and glanced sideways at Xiang Hongmei.“I’m just stating facts. I came home hungry, and there’s no food. Isn’t that her fault?”
“Dad, don’t tell me you like this kind of old, ugly, ignorant country bumpkin.”
“She can’t even compare to a single leg hair of my mother. A man of taste like you wouldn’t possibly like someone like her.”
She spoke with open disdain, thoroughly dragging both of them through the mud.
“Since there’s no dinner, I’m eating out,” she continued aggressively,不给 Li Shichuan any chance to respond.
“I’m out of money. Give me a hundred—and food coupons.”
She held out her hand, brazenly demanding cash.
Li Shichuan gasped for breath, the rage stuck in his chest with nowhere to go. Xiang Hongmei’s face was dark as well; she ignored him and instead touched her cheek, silently lamenting.
“You unfilial beast!” Li Shichuan shouted.
“Dad, you’re supposed to be educated,” Lu Shiman replied impatiently.“Why do you only know how to repeat that one insult? Have you forgotten everything you read after spending too much time with villagers?”
“That won’t do. I suggest you read more books—before your brain completely disappears.”
She picked at her ear, utterly unimpressed. The insult wasn’t even creative—no ancestors involved at all.
But she knew he wouldn’t dare. After all, insulting her ancestors meant insulting himself.
Her gaze flicked to the leather wallet on the table. A faint smile curved her lips.
She dashed forward, grabbed the wallet, and waved it smugly at Li Shichuan.
“I won’t be polite, then.”
With that, she strode off, leaving Li Shichuan and Xiang Hongmei staring at each other.
Downstairs, Lu Shiman pulled the money out of the wallet.
Clink.
The sound was soft, but she didn’t miss it. She crouched down and picked up the key that had fallen to the floor, her smile widening slightly.
What a stroke of luck.
She knew exactly where Li Shichuan hid the gold. As a child, the original owner had often followed her grandfather—she’d been to the Lu family’s secret vault far more times than Li Shichuan had.
The original owner had once had a key of her own, but the careless fool had lost it long ago. Lu Shiman had planned to use special methods to open the door—now she didn’t need to.
And with this key, she could make this quiet house far more entertaining.
Internal strife—wasn’t that much more fun?
“Time to eat.”
She put the key into her space, cash in hand. As for the wallet, it disgusted her—she tossed it straight onto the ground.
When Li Shichuan came downstairs and saw it, he rushed over to pick it up. The moment he saw it empty, his heart seized.
He hurried after her.
“Manman! Did you see the key that was inside the wallet?”