Liu Qingyu nodded.
“Exactly. That’s what I was thinking too. Since we’re still resting, let’s quickly check what’s on the cart so we’ll know what we’re dealing with.”
She had just started to take inventory when she heard someone call her name.
Turning around, she was surprised to see it was Yu Yiniang—Yu Zhu—and the Imperial Guard captain from before.
“Go on. Your father and I can handle things here,” Tian Chunzhu said with a smile.
Liu Qingyu walked over, puzzled.
“Yu… Sister Yu Zhu, why are you here?”
She had almost called her “Concubine Yu,” but then remembered that Yu Zhu was no longer anyone’s concubine. Since Yu Zhu was also a bit older than she was, she called her “Sister” instead.
“Ah, I had just settled down when I heard that you were leaving the capital today, so I hurried over to see you. Here, take these. They should be useful on the journey.”
Hearing Liu Qingyu address her as “Sister Yu Zhu” made Yu Zhu very happy. She immediately handed over the things she had brought.
Looking at the bundle in her hands, Liu Qingyu didn’t know whether to accept it or not.
The two of them had never really had any interactions before, much less any deep friendship.
“Qingyu, just take it. I’m truly grateful for how you spoke up for me yesterday. If it hadn’t been for you, I might have continued suffering under Jiang Shi’s abuse. I’m very happy now. He… he treats me very well too.”
After saying that, Yu Zhu shyly glanced at the Imperial Guard captain beside her.
Only then did Liu Qingyu take a closer look at him.
He looked to be in his thirties, with slightly tanned skin, thick eyebrows, large eyes, and thin lips pressed together. He appeared rather stern.
But whenever he looked at Yu Zhu, there was a trace of warmth and gentleness in his eyes.
“His name is Zhang Jingping. His wife died from difficult childbirth a few years ago and left behind a son and a daughter. At first, he only wanted to help me and let me stay at his house for a few days after rescuing me.
“But unexpectedly, the two children liked me very much the moment they met me. And because of the poison Jiang Shi gave me, I can no longer have children of my own. So after discussing it, we decided to become a family and spend the rest of our lives together.”
Yu Zhu smiled as she explained how they had ended up together.
Liu Qingyu hadn’t expected these two to come together because of such a coincidence.
Still, she was happy for Yu Zhu.
At the very least, this Imperial Guard captain was far more pleasing to the eye than her second uncle, whose middle-aged figure had long since gone soft and fat.
“Thank you for coming to see me off, Sister Yu Zhu. I wish you both a harmonious marriage. Sister Yu Zhu is a good person, so I hope you’ll cherish her.”
She spoke to Zhang Jingping with complete sincerity.
Liu Qingyu was the type to repay both grudges and kindness.
Since Yu Zhu had come to see her off, she would remember this favor and repay it if she ever had the chance.
After hearing her words, Zhang Jingping nodded, a faint smile appearing on his lips.
Then he said gently to Yu Zhu,
“Wife, I know the officer in charge of escorting the prisoners. Let me go have a word with him. Perhaps I can make things a little easier for their family.”
“Really? Then hurry and go! Qingyu and I will wait here for you.”
Yu Zhu looked delighted.
After watching Zhang Jingping leave, the two women continued chatting, and for a while the atmosphere was surprisingly pleasant.
Unfortunately, there were always people who couldn’t stand seeing others happy.
“Yu Yiniang! How dare you cuckold me in public!”
An angry male voice suddenly rang out nearby.
Liu Qingyu looked up.
Well, if it wasn’t her Second Uncle, Master Liu.
“Master Liu, there is no more ‘Concubine Yu’ anymore. Under the witness of the Imperial Guards, I no longer have any connection to the Liu family.
“Instead of yelling at me, why don’t you go check whether your Yingyings and Yanyans are still in your courtyard? Hahaha!”
Yu Zhu laughed as she mocked him.
Master Liu had only just arrived and hadn’t had time to reunite with his family, so he didn’t know what had happened.
But hearing those words, he instantly understood that most of his beloved concubines had probably run away.
Unfortunately, he cared deeply about saving face.
Now that Yu Zhu had publicly ripped away his last shred of dignity, how could he let her off so easily?
Wearing his cangue, he stormed toward them, the fat on his belly jiggling angrily.
“You shameless, immoral woman! Let’s see how I deal with you!”
As he spoke, he raised his thick leg and kicked toward Yu Zhu’s stomach.
Without hesitation, Liu Qingyu pulled Yu Zhu aside and kicked Master Liu squarely in the knee.
He immediately fell flat on his face.
Then she shouted toward the officers’ resting area in the distance,
“Brother-in-law! Sister Yu Zhu is in danger!”
A figure immediately shot over, using lightness skills to sprint through the air.
After landing, Zhang Jingping first checked on his wife.
Then he turned around and kicked Master Liu, who was struggling to get back up.
As a result, the man fell flat on his face yet again.
This time, his face hit the ground directly.
As an Imperial Guard captain, Zhang Jingping naturally knew exactly where to strike to inflict the most pain.
After pressing a few spots on Master Liu’s body, the latter immediately howled miserably on the ground.
“Brother Zhang, you’ve already punished him, so let it end here. We still have a long journey ahead of us. If his leg is injured, he’ll only slow down our travel.”
The lead escort officer, Lu Youguang, called out from the pavilion where he stood.
Zhang Jingping nodded.
“Since you’ve spoken, Brother Lu, let’s leave it at that. But don’t forget what I mentioned earlier. When you return to the capital, come to my house for a drink.”
“Don’t worry, that drink is inevitable!” Lu Youguang laughed heartily.
After chatting for a while longer, Zhang Jingping left with Yu Zhu.
As soon as Liu Qingyu returned to her parents, she heard her mother say bitterly,
“That Madam Ning is truly vicious. The cart looks full of supplies, but the grain at the bottom is all mixed with bran. The very bottom layer is nothing but rice husks.”
“She really wanted our entire family’s lives. Even if we somehow managed to keep the cart, those starving people would still try every means possible to steal it.
“And if they discovered that the cart only contained inedible rice bran, their hatred would blind them, and they’d definitely kill us to vent their anger. This borrowed knife to kill scheme is truly ruthless.”
A fierce light flashed in Liu Hongyi’s eyes.
Liu Qingyu looked at the supplies her parents had already sorted through, her gaze flickering.
It seemed the things on this cart needed to find a new destination.
After all, they had to expose Madam Ning’s “good deeds” before all the people who had come to see them off left the capital.
With that thought, Liu Qingyu said a few words to her parents and headed straight toward the pavilion where the escort officers were resting.
By now, the officers had stopped chatting and were packing up, preparing to continue the journey.
Lu Youguang had just stepped out of the pavilion when he came face to face with Liu Qingyu.
He knew this young girl was the one old Zhang had asked him to take special care of.
So he spoke kindly.
“Young lady, what brings you here? If it’s nothing important, hurry back to the group. We need to get moving soon.”