Su Changle collapsed onto the ground, panting heavily, but his expression was still dazed.
Su Qingli had just called him Second Brother.
How long had it been since she last called him that?
He should have been angry at Mengmeng for betraying him, but when he remembered the smile on Su Qingli’s face just now, his eyes suddenly grew hot, and he nearly shed tears.
It was clearly the same face, yet somehow, he felt that something about her was different.
Could Mengmeng feel it too?
Was that why it had become so affectionate toward her and listened to everything she said?
And also…
Su Changle thought back.
The gesture Su Qingli had just made to make the bull kneel was something only the little Su Qingli from his childhood used to do.
And Mengmeng was the only one who could understand it and was willing to obey.
Could it be that she really remembered?
Or rather…
Had the old Su Qingli returned?
Su Changle had been thinking too much.
When he finally came back to his senses, the person and the bull in front of him had already disappeared without a trace.
…
It was October, the busy autumn harvest season, when the rice fields turned golden beneath the autumn sky.
It was already approaching noon, and the sun was gradually becoming hotter.
Most of the villagers were busy harvesting in the fields, leaving the village unusually quiet.
Not far away, figures could be seen working in the fields.
Someone spotted a pretty young woman riding on the back of a bull.
They looked surprised at first, then began exchanging knowing looks and whispering among themselves.
Not a single word they said was pleasant.
Su Qingli sat sideways on the bull’s back and ignored them, her eyes darkening slightly.
If the Su family’s three mu of farmland hadn’t been sold by the original owner, her family should have been in the fields harvesting rice right now.
When it came down to it, the root of all this trouble was still that scumbag.
Following the route from her memories, Su Qingli headed straight toward the household at the eastern end of the village.
The person living there was the only scholar in the village, Cheng Siwen.
He was the very scumbag who had tricked the original owner into bankrupting her entire family.
Su Qingli even suspected that the original owner’s encounter with the human traffickers had definitely not been a coincidence.
Every time Cheng Siwen used the excuse that he was “protecting her reputation,” he would make the original owner take a secluded path to his house.
Villagers never passed through that road, so there was no way two outsiders who happened to be human traffickers could have simply appeared there by coincidence.
Damn it. Even in this desolate land, a shameless little punk dared to bully me!
Today, she was going to settle both the old and new grudges.
She would make Cheng Siwen spit out everything the original owner had poured into him—twice over!
Mengmeng seemed to sense its master’s anger.
It snorted a cloud of white vapor through its nostrils, and its footsteps became heavier and more forceful, carrying an intimidating momentum.
As they turned around the corner of the alley, a sharp scream suddenly pierced the peaceful atmosphere.
“Ah! Su Qingli? Why are you here?!”
The person who had shouted was Liu Qianqian, Cheng Siwen’s neighbor.
Just as her name suggested, Liu Qianqian had a slender figure like a willow branch.
She had a melon-seed-shaped face and features that could barely be called pretty. Her skin was yellowish and dotted with freckles, making her rather plain-looking.
At that moment, she stared at Su Qingli with wide eyes as if she had seen a ghost.
Su Qingli looked down at her from the bull’s back with an amused, mocking smile.
“If I’m not here, where should I be?”
“You weren’t supposed to—”
Liu Qianqian stopped halfway through her sentence.
She suddenly covered her mouth, her face filled with panic, and hurried toward Cheng Siwen’s house.
Su Qingli sneered.
It seemed Liu Qianqian couldn’t escape responsibility for the kidnapping either.
Perfect.
She would deal with both of them today.
She lightly patted the bull’s back and slowly followed.
Inside the Cheng family’s courtyard, there was an elegant and peaceful scene.
Several scholars sat beneath an old locust tree, with coarse tea and fruit laid out on the table.
Each of them wore plain-colored long robes, swaying their heads as they recited poetry and classical texts.
From time to time, they quoted ancient classics, constantly saying things like “Confucius said” and “The sages said.”
They addressed each other as “Brother Li” and “Brother Cheng.”
Their words were full of scholarly refinement, and the atmosphere was peaceful and leisurely.
That was when Liu Qianqian suddenly rushed into the courtyard, shattering the tranquility.
“Something terrible has happened! Brother Wen, Su Qingli, she—”
Before she could finish, she met Cheng Siwen’s suddenly sharp gaze.
Liu Qianqian’s heart jumped.
Only then did she realize that Cheng Siwen had guests.
She swallowed the rest of her words and could only stare anxiously at Cheng Siwen.
The three scholars had clearly heard her call him “Brother Wen.”
Their faces immediately became suggestive as they looked toward Cheng Siwen.
“Brother Cheng, who is this?”
Cheng Siwen cared deeply about his reputation.
Every month, he liked to organize poetry gatherings and scholarly discussions, just to satisfy his vanity and enjoy being praised by others.
Now that Liu Qianqian had caused such a scene, he felt completely humiliated.
Suppressing his anger, he cupped his hands and said,
“Please forgive this interruption. She is the younger sister of a neighbor. Perhaps she has something urgent to discuss with me. I’ll go ask her about it and be right back.”
Liu Qianqian felt somewhat displeased that he had only referred to her as his “neighbor’s younger sister.”
But she knew this was not the time to make a fuss.
She quickly pulled Cheng Siwen aside and whispered,
“Brother Wen, Su Qingli is here!”
“Su Qingli?!”
Cheng Siwen was startled.
His brows immediately knitted together.
“Wasn’t she supposed to be…?”
He stopped himself before finishing the sentence.
“How could those two idiots fail to handle even one woman properly?”
Liu Qianqian’s voice trembled.
“Brother Wen, do you think Su Qingli knows something?”
“She?”
Cheng Siwen’s expression was full of disdain.
“With how stupid she is, how could she possibly figure anything out? She probably suffered some grievance and came here to cry to me. I’ll just coax her a little and send her away. Why are you panicking?”
“But… but she came riding a bull!”
Liu Qianqian’s voice was dry, and she looked uneasy.
“Riding what? A bull?”
Cheng Siwen was stunned.
It sounded like a joke to him.
“That woman wouldn’t surprise me even if she rode here on a pig. Go back quickly. Don’t let her see you here. It would be difficult for me to explain…”
Before he could finish—
Bang!
A tremendous crash rang out.
A wooden door was smashed clean off its hinges by a bull.
Thud!
It landed right beside Cheng Siwen’s feet.
Wood splinters flew everywhere, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Cheng Siwen’s heart pounded violently as he hurriedly turned around.
There stood Su Qingli, sitting upright on the bull’s back and riding into the courtyard with imposing confidence.
The bull was massive and muscular, its horns sharp and powerful, hot vapor puffing from its nostrils.
Just looking at it made everyone uneasy.
The scholars immediately jumped to their feet, staring at the scene in fear.
Su Qingli slowly swept her gaze around the courtyard, her eyes filled with mockery.
Didn’t Cheng Siwen always claim that his family was so poor they could barely afford to eat?
Then why was there a table full of fruit and cold dishes?
Why were they even enjoying tea around a brazier like wealthy households?
And what about his supposedly seriously ill mother?
Why was she wearing brand-new clothes and looking so healthy that she seemed capable of plowing two miles of land?
So while her family had been thrown into complete chaos, the Cheng family had been enjoying a peaceful, comfortable life?
The clothes they wore, the food they ate—every single thing had been paid for with money squeezed out of her family!
Fine.
Very fine indeed.
“Su Qingli, did you come looking for me?”
Cheng Siwen raised his voice.
He quickly walked over and lowered his voice, scolding her.
“Can’t you see I’m busy? What are you making a fuss about here? Go home!”
Su Qingli sneered inwardly.
Then she deliberately raised her voice.
“Cheng Siwen, didn’t you borrow sixty taels of silver from me and tell me to come collect it today?”
The moment she said this, the three scholars immediately sucked in a breath.
Cheng Siwen never lacked food or clothing at the academy.
He even frequently invited them to his house as guests.
Who would have thought that all of it had been funded with borrowed money?
And he had borrowed so much at once!
Sixty taels!
An ordinary farming family might not be able to save sixty taels in their entire lifetime!
Good heavens!
How dare he?
Everyone looked toward Cheng Siwen as whispers spread throughout the courtyard.
“What nonsense are you talking about? When did I ever borrow money from you?”
Cheng Siwen’s face instantly turned bright red.
He wished he could rush over and cover Su Qingli’s mouth.