Liu Qingyu took a few steps toward Liu Jinyao’s dressing table and casually glanced around. Her eyes suddenly stopped on a crack beside the vanity.
There seemed to be a faint, warm green object wedged inside. It looked like a jade ornament.
She crouched down and gently pulled it out.
Looking at the jade pendant in her hand, with its obvious crack running through it, Liu Qingyu’s eyes widened.
Th-This was actually the heroine’s jade pendant with the hidden space!
Her luck was simply unbelievable.
The novel had specifically described the pendant’s appearance. Besides the conspicuous crack, there was a large steamed bun carved on it, making it completely different from the usual jade pendants engraved with Guanyin or Bodhisattvas.
Without hesitation, Liu Qingyu tossed the pendant into her Spirit Spring Space.
Although she already possessed a space of her own, who would ever complain about having another treasure like this?
The extra space could be given to her family. That way, if anything unexpected happened during their exile, they would at least have a way to protect themselves.
Now that she had obtained the heroine’s cheat item, all that remained was to take a look around the Second Branch’s private treasury.
With a smile on her face, Liu Qingyu walked inside.
At this moment, the treasury door had already been smashed open.
All the portable gold, silver, and jewelry had been looted, leaving behind only grain, cloth, furniture, and other bulky items that were difficult to carry away. The storeroom itself was completely empty.
The maids and servants weren’t stupid. They had all moved quickly, grabbing what they could and fleeing immediately. No one would stay behind and get caught red-handed.
Besides, with so many people involved, who could possibly remember every culprit?
Since the masters had fallen into misfortune, these servants—being registered slaves—would inevitably be sold off again anyway. They might as well seize this opportunity to make a fortune. Perhaps they could even buy back their freedom and start new lives.
Looking at the grain and bolts of cloth before her, Liu Qingyu nodded in satisfaction.
Although there wasn’t as much as in Old Madam Liu’s treasury, it was still enough to support an ordinary family for several years.
Just as she was about to store everything in her Spirit Spring Space, she suddenly felt a gentle force pushing back against her consciousness.
Her Spirit Spring Space was actually preventing her from entering.
What was going on?
She hadn’t done anything, had she?
She had merely thrown in a jade pendant with another space inside it.
Could she have accidentally broken her own space?
Liu Qingyu stood there, slightly stunned.
[Host, there’s no need to worry. The system has detected that your space is currently undergoing an upgrade. It is estimated to take twenty-four hours. If you have any storage needs, you can activate the System Backpack with points. It’s very affordable.]
Just as Liu Qingyu was thinking things over, Liu Aotian appeared to answer her questions.
“So the Spirit Spring Space can level up by devouring another space? Then… what about the recipes inside the jade pendant? Are they gone?” Liu Qingyu asked in surprise.
[Of course not. Products from this system are always top quality. The Spirit Spring Space only absorbs energy. Those recipes will not disappear. You will still be able to see them after the upgrade is complete.]
After hearing the system’s explanation, Liu Qingyu relaxed.
Ever since transmigrating, her luck had been extraordinarily good. It was as if heaven itself couldn’t wait to feed her opportunities one after another.
Could she actually be Heaven’s favorite daughter?
Forget it. Right now, she needed to exchange for a System Backpack and store these supplies.
“Aotian, how many points does it cost to unlock the System Backpack?” she asked.
[Host, one point can be exchanged for one backpack slot. Each slot can hold up to 999 items of the same type. I recommend purchasing two slots.]
Following the system’s suggestion, Liu Qingyu exchanged for two backpack slots and stored all the grain and cloth inside.
At that moment, a voice suddenly rang out:
“The Second Madam and the Young Miss have returned!”
“What are you lowly servants doing? Stop right now!”
Just as Liu Qingyu was about to leave the Second Branch’s courtyard, she heard those words.
Then she saw Jiang Shi, so furious that she fainted from anger, while Liu Jinyao hurried back to her room to check on her belongings.
“Ahhh! My hairpins! My bracelets! They’re all gone! Who did this?!”
Even from outside, Liu Qingyu could hear the despair in Liu Jinyao’s voice.
“Someone, come here! Arrest everyone who entered my room!” Liu Jinyao shouted, her eyes red.
Liu Qingyu couldn’t help but think that the current Liu Jinyao was still far too inexperienced.
At a time when the entire residence was in chaos, how many people would still obey her commands?
Sure enough, the servants in the courtyard acted as though they had heard nothing, quietly standing where they were.
This was something the usually commanding Liu Jinyao couldn’t accept.
She stormed out of her room and roared at the maids,
“Are you all deaf? Didn’t you hear what I said?”
Looking at the nearly crazed Liu Jinyao, memories of all the things she had done to the original host flashed through Liu Qingyu’s mind.
If she didn’t take this opportunity to strike a few blows, she’d be letting the original host down.
She quickly approached Liu Jinyao, who was standing among the servants, and viciously kicked her leg.
“Ah! Who was that? Who kicked me?”
The kick sent Liu Jinyao crashing to her knees.
Yet all the servants stood some distance away from her. No one had touched her.
They simply stared at their young mistress kneeling on the ground in confusion.
Years of servitude had made them hesitant. None of them knew whether they should step forward to help.
Liu Qingyu lowered her voice and changed her tone, deliberately inciting them:
“We’ve already gone this far. How much worse can things possibly get?
Why not take this opportunity to settle old scores? I hate the Second Madam and the Young Miss with all my heart.”
“That’s right!” one maid immediately agreed. “I once accidentally upset the Young Miss, and in the middle of winter she forced me to kneel in the snow for an entire hour. I ended up bedridden for a month and spent all the money I’d saved on medicine!”
Her words seemed to break the seal on everyone’s resentment toward the Second Branch.
One after another, people began recounting the miserable ways they had been bullied by the mistress and her daughter.
The more they talked, the angrier they became.
First, Liu Jinyao’s personal maid stepped forward and kicked her.
Then came everyone else’s punches and kicks.
Very soon, Liu Jinyao’s screams echoed throughout the courtyard.
As for Jiang Shi, who had already fainted earlier, she also failed to escape everyone’s wrath. She was literally beaten awake.
Even Old Su, who had been strutting around arrogantly before, was dragged into the chaos.
For a time, curses and cries filled the entire courtyard.
Liu Qingyu also took the opportunity to kick Liu Jinyao and Jiang Shi a few times.
Then, with a satisfied flick of her sleeve, she left the courtyard while listening to their miserable screams.
This was all “blessing” that the heroine’s family had accumulated for themselves over the years.
What did it have to do with the weak and bullied Eldest Branch?
Liu Qingyu hurried all the way to the Third Branch’s courtyard and went straight into the main room.
Liu Shi wasn’t there.
Without caring whether the items were useful or not, she simply looted everything in sight.
Looking at the system interface and seeing that the Invisibility Cloak had very little time remaining, Liu Qingyu quickly headed toward the Eldest Branch’s courtyard.
The Liu Residence was in such chaos right now. She wondered if her mother was safe.
As soon as she entered her own courtyard, she found it just as quiet as when she had left.
Liu Qingyu hurried back to her room and removed the Invisibility Cloak.
Her timing was perfect.
The instant the cloak left her hands, it dissipated into nothingness.
She quickly stepped out of her room, intending to check on her mother.
Then—
A shrill, heart-wrenching cry suddenly rang out.