The force of that collision knocked Su Wan’ning down as well.
But she had landed on top of Madam Li, so she did not feel a thing. Seeing what had happened, she rolled to the side and immediately shouted in concern, “Auntie, what happened to you? Auntie, get up! Don’t die!”
Madam Li felt as though her brain were about to explode. She was in pain, frightened, angry, and utterly irritated.
“Stop shouting! You idiot!”
The corners of Su Wan’ning’s lips curled slightly.
Already can’t take it?
Her face, however, immediately filled with disbelief before turning aggrieved. Large tears rolled down her cheeks.
“Auntie, y-you scolded me? All this way, the only thing keeping me going was the thought of coming home to you and taking good care of you… I never imagined that you would…”
She sobbed softly, but every word was perfectly clear.
“I was just missing you so much. I wanted to give you a proper hug, but you scolded me… Sob… You might as well just kill me with a knife. I…”
Madam Li’s mind was still muddled. Only after hearing this did she slowly come to her senses.
She was both delighted and alarmed.
Delighted that the girl’s hand tendons really had been severed.
Alarmed because she had just lost control and accidentally blurted out what she truly thought!
She absolutely could not anger this girl now.
“Auntie didn’t mean it that way! Good child, it’s all Auntie’s fault!”
Madam Li hurriedly began comforting her, even putting on a pitiful expression.
“Ouch, my head! Wan’ning, hurry and take a look for me~”
Just then, the village doctor arrived.
Wang Chunxiu hurriedly said, “Quick, take care of Second Brother Lin’s wife first.”
Seeing Madam Li’s blood-covered head, the village doctor immediately opened his medical kit.
“How did she end up like this?”
The others immediately started talking over one another.
Who would have thought that simply recognizing a relative could somehow result in a head injury?
The girl obviously hadn’t done it intentionally, and her arm was already injured. She was in such a miserable state, yet Madam Li had still scolded her!
Su Wan’ning took advantage of the commotion to slip into the house.
She locked the door and quickly began searching.
The Lin family knew how much silver she had and even knew approximately when she would arrive.
That meant Lin Yuwei must have sent word ahead.
There had to be more detailed plans hidden somewhere.
The information from her previous life alone was far from enough.
She needed to know more!
The wardrobe was packed with clothes, every piece made from good-quality fabric. There was even a pair of silver bracelets inside the dressing box.
They were living quite comfortably!
Soon, Su Wan’ning found a letter hidden beneath the mattress.
The ink was still fresh.
She carefully unfolded it.
Sure enough, it contained instructions for Escort Leader Zhao to sever the tendons in her hands. It also carefully instructed Madam Li on how to trick her into revealing her recipes and silver without making her suspicious.
But the final sentence made Su Wan’ning’s heart jolt.
“Beware of the Su family!”
The Su family?
There was something involving the Su family too?
No.
It specifically said to be careful?
“Wan’ning, let the village doctor take a look at your arm. How exactly did you hurt it?”
Wang Chunxiu began knocking on the door.
It seemed they had finished bandaging Madam Li’s head.
After hesitating for a moment, Su Wan’ning did not put the letter back.
She simply held it in her hand and replied in a frightened voice,
“No! I don’t want to see a doctor! It hurts!”
Her refusal made Madam Li even more certain that the injury had affected her mind.
She began ushering everyone away.
“Forget it. The child doesn’t want to see the doctor, so let’s leave it for now. I’ll ask her what happened later. Thank you, everyone.”
“How can we do that?”
Wang Chunxiu was warm-hearted and curious by nature, so she refused to leave just like that.
“This child was a cook in the Imperial Food Bureau in the palace. She made her living through her cooking.”
Madam Li lowered her voice, sounding deeply concerned.
“I imagine something happened on the way home. And it’s her right hand that’s injured. I’m afraid she won’t be able to chop vegetables or handle a wok anymore. The shock must have affected her mind…”
She did not finish the sentence, but Wang Chunxiu understood.
She sighed.
“What a poor child. What will she do in the future?”
“Her parents aren’t around, but doesn’t she still have me, her aunt?”
Madam Li raised her voice.
“Everyone thought she was a burden back then, but in my heart, she’s always been precious. When I took her in, I was already prepared to support her for the rest of her life. What is there to fear?”
Madam Li thought she had spoken perfectly.
She had demonstrated her kindness while subtly reminding everyone of the favor she had done by taking Su Wan’ning in.
But Su Wan’ning nearly laughed when she heard it.
In her previous life, Madam Li had used exactly the same words to coax her.
She had believed her and allowed the family to bully her and take advantage of her.
This time, she had smashed Madam Li’s head open.
Yet in order to squeeze every last bit of value out of her, Madam Li not only dared not tear off the mask, she still had to coax her and cater to her.
How amusing.
The courtyard soon became quiet.
Madam Li gently knocked on the door.
“Wan’ning, Auntie has sent everyone away. Open the door. Let’s have a little talk, just the two of us.”
“Auntie, y-you’re not angry, are you?”
Su Wan’ning pitifully opened the door.
“I really didn’t mean to. You have no idea how difficult it was for me to make it home…”
“What exactly happened? Why did you arrive early? Your bundle…”
Madam Li could guess all she wanted, but she still needed to hear it with her own ears and see it with her own eyes before she could feel at ease.
But before she could finish, she caught sight of the familiar sheet of paper in Su Wan’ning’s hand.
Her voice suddenly trembled.
“What are you holding?”
“Yuwei’s letter.”
Su Wan’ning wiped away a tear and looked at her reproachfully.
“Auntie, my little sister sent a letter and you didn’t even tell me. If I hadn’t been tired and wanted to rest for a while, I wouldn’t have discovered it.”
“I-I didn’t have time to think about it. You only just got home.”
Madam Li stared at her suspiciously and slowly reached out to take the letter.
“Did you… read it?”
Su Wan’ning deliberately released her grip.
“Of course not. A family letter should be read together. When will Uncle and Jiabao be back?”
Madam Li breathed a huge sigh of relief.
Her mind was completely occupied by the letter, and she had forgotten what she had wanted to ask earlier.
Her thoughts were easily led elsewhere.
“Jiabao is working in the county, and your uncle is busy too.”
She still did not say exactly what they were doing.
Su Wan’ning was not in a hurry.
She held her stomach and said,
“Auntie, I want to eat the wontons you make. The ones filled with elm seeds, spring bamboo shoots, and fresh meat. Use pure white flour, and roll the wrappers until they’re thin and springy.”
“…Huh?”
Madam Li felt terrible all over.
Elm seeds were delicious this time of year, but she would have to pick them herself and wash them one by one!
The spring bamboo shoots would have to be peeled, blanched, finely chopped, and squeezed dry.
And Su Wan’ning wanted meat and white flour too!
Why didn’t she just eat feces?
Madam Li forced a smile.
“I’ll prepare the wontons tonight and cook them for you tomorrow morning. You’ve only just arrived home, so you should eat something quick. I’ll heat up a couple of flatbreads and make you a bowl of egg-drop soup. It’ll be nice and warm…”
“Auntie, do you think it’s too much trouble?”
“Forget it. I might as well find an inn in the county and stay there. That way, I won’t have to be a burden or feel unwanted here. From now on, I…”
Su Wan’ning turned as if to leave.
Madam Li panicked.
She squeezed the words out through clenched teeth.
“Auntie will prepare the wontons for you right now!”
After saying that, she stuffed the letter into her clothes.
She also did not dare leave Su Wan’ning alone at home, so she grabbed her and headed outside.
“Let’s go pick some elm seeds.”
There was an elm tree right outside the Li family’s house.
Unfortunately, most of its elm seeds had already been picked, leaving very little behind.
Madam Li took a bamboo pole, hooked a branch, and slowly stripped the seeds off.
The elm seeds, each about the size of a fingernail, fell rustling into the bamboo basket.
After quite a while, they had only gathered half a basket.
“Little Radish, come here. Help your sister buy some meat.”
Wang Chunxiu’s daughter was only seven or eight years old and was standing nearby, drooling.
Su Wan’ning called her over.
“I won’t make you run errands for nothing. I’ll give you some elm seeds. Take them home, coat them with flour, steam them, then add some minced garlic, oil, and vinegar. They’ll be delicious.”
“Really?”
Little Radish was constantly hungry and had long been eyeing the elm trees.
But they stood in front of someone else’s house, so she couldn’t simply pick the seeds herself.
Hearing this, she became so excited that she nearly drooled.
She immediately held out her hand toward Madam Li.
“Auntie, give me the money!”
“…”
Wasn’t picking elm seeds hard enough already?
And now she had to give some away?
She even had to spend money on meat?
Did this brat know how expensive meat was these days?
Madam Li’s face darkened.
Then she fainted.
:::