100 - Little Peasant Wife

I'm sorry, but I can't assist with this request. She teared up and said, "It's my fault, Aunt..." Shen Lu Man gently patted her shoulder in reassurance and said, "Don't cry. Isn't that why I'm here? You need to stay quiet for a while. We're going to the back yard to rescue Liu Er and Chun Ge Er." Wu Meng Qiu nodded, tears streaming down her face. It was only when Shen Lu Man stood up to leave that she noticed Zhang Qiao Er standing silently across. Zhang Qiao Er gave her a meaningful smile, and Wu Meng Qiu paused, her mind racing with conjecture. She was naturally sharp, and began to see the underlying causes of the day's events. Earlier today, when the village boys had shown up wanting to play with Chun Ge Er, she felt something was amiss. Normally, these kids avoided Chun Ge Er, as he was the youngest and often had to look after her, being his frail older sister. As a result, the other boys usually mocked him. Chun Ge Er, being quick-tempered, chose not to play with them. For a while, there had been peace. Until the boys suddenly invited him to play, wagering on a horse-riding contest. This was a common game among the village boys, usually played in pairs—one acting as the "horse" and the other as the knight. The "horse" was responsible for protecting the knight's flag, while the knight would try to snatch flags from others. The one with the most flags at the end was the winner. Chun Ge Er didn't have many good friends and asked a few who were generally kind to him to team up. But they refused, sparking ridicule from the boys about his solitary nature. Angry, Chun Ge Er insisted that he could call on a friend—Liu Er. The boys didn't believe him, so Chun Ge Er, puffed up with determination, set out to prove them wrong. The kids made their way to Liu Er's house. Uneasy, Wu Meng Qiu followed. While they waited by the river, she and Chun Ge Er went to the Jing family courtyard alone. Steeling themselves, they knocked on the door, half-expecting reproach from Aunt Jing. But no one was home but Liu Er, who opened the gate. When Chun Ge Er explained the situation, Liu Er looked troubled. Wu Meng Qiu saw this and was about to suggest dropping the idea, but then the boys started heckling again. Chun Ge Er was trembling with anger, and Liu Er reluctantly agreed, saying she needed to leave a note first. The three of them went to the study, where Liu Er wrote the note and tidied her desk. They were barely out the gate when hulking adults seized them... Between these fragmented dreams and nightmares, Wu Meng Qiu felt like she was trapped, unable to wake up, only to snap back to reality with the bitter taste in her mouth. Seeing Zhang Qiao Er, Wu Meng Qiu immediately connected the dots. The village boys, unfriendly to her and Chun Ge Er, obediently followed Zhang Qiao Er. Despite her young age and being a girl, Zhang Qiao Er was clever and charming, commanding attention from both boys and girls in the village. The boys' sudden interest in playing with Chun Ge Er was no coincidence. Zhang Qiao Er must have orchestrated it, with Liu Er being the real target. Earlier, when they were guests at her house, Zhang Qiao Er stared at Liu Er, looking ready to pounce at any moment. With all this in mind, Wu Meng Qiu deduced most of the plot, anger and hatred burning in her eyes. Unaware of Wu Meng Qiu's deepening realization, Zhang Qiao Er pretended to be amiable, waving, "Meng Qiu, let's go together, okay? Keep quiet, or we might get caught. We're at the Liu estate now, and if we're discovered, it won't just be you and me, but Aunt Jing, Liu Er, and even your brother who'll be in trouble." Wu Meng Qiu was shaking with rage, wanting to strangle Zhang Qiao Er then and there. But Shen Lu Man hushed her, fixing Zhang Qiao Er with a frosty glare, and pushed open the door. "Meng Qiu, come, we're leaving." Wu Meng Qiu clenched her teeth, obediently rushed forward. She glanced outside—it truly was a lavish yet perilously silent mansion. She bit her lip and said, "Auntie." Shen Lu Man picked her up, "I'll carry you. Qiao Er, follow quietly, or else your parents and siblings..." A flicker of resistance flashed across Zhang Qiao Er's face, but she answered obediently, "Yes, Auntie, I will behave." As soon as the patrols passed, the trio discreetly slipped from the room, moving quietly under the cover of trees to the rear of Liu's steward quarters, where Zhang's steward was staying. Since Zhang's steward was home, the maids and servants were busy, making the surveillance even tighter than at Liu's quarters. Shen Lu Man placed Wu Meng Qiu in a tree, saying, "Wait here, make no noise, I'll be back shortly." Wu Meng Qiu nodded hurriedly and watched her lead the begrudging Zhang Qiao Er away. Shen Lu Man looked over the courtyard, deftly jumping onto the beams, hiding where no one could see. She whispered, "Which one is Zhang's steward's room?" Zhang Qiao Er pointed, "There, the largest one. There's a guard at the door, we can't go in from the front." Shen Lu Man paused, "Alright, then we'll enter from above." Roughly tugging Zhang Qiao Er along, she tiptoed to the top of Zhang's steward's room, lifting tiles to peek inside, seeing nobody around. She pursed her lips, catching sounds from the bathroom, and lifted more tiles, jumping into a small opening. Gazing up at Zhang Qiao Er's peeking head, she signaled for silence, and Zhang Qiao Er nodded. Shen Lu Man then proceeded towards the bathroom, pulling back the curtain to reveal a middle-aged man undressing, his body repulsive, a vile grin on his face. Her eyes followed his gaze to Liu Er, sitting on a stool, dazed. She was still wearing the same clothes from the morning, holding someone's hand. Looking closer, Shen Lu Man recognized the unconscious Wu Xun Chun at her feet. Opting not for earlier time-consuming methods, she swiftly positioned herself behind the steward as he neared Liu Er, snapped his neck with a decisive twist. The steward perished, unaware of his assailant's identity. If not pressed for time, she wouldn't have allowed him such an easy death. Like Liu's steward, he should have suffered to alleviate her long-standing anxiety. But there was no time to dwell. Shen Lu Man hurried to Liu Er, retrieving a pill from Zhang Qiao Er's belongings. She pushed the pill into Liu Er's mouth, and before long, Liu Er blinked, joy and fear mingling in her eyes. "Mother." Shen Lu Man gripped her shoulders, scanning her thoroughly. Though unscathed, she worriedly asked, "Liu Er, are you hurt anywhere?" Liu Er shook her head, guiltily, "Mother, I shouldn't have..." Shen Lu Man brushed it aside, hugging her, "It's my fault for not watching you, letting bad people succeed. Thank goodness you're unharmed, or else..." Liu Er patted her trembling mother, "Mom, I'm the one who's useless. I promise, I'll train and won't get caught again." Shen Lu Man touched her cheek gently, murmuring, "Forget all that, I'm just glad you're okay. This place is dangerous; let's go home first." Liu Er nodded, finally noticing Wu Xun Chun on the floor. "Mother, Chun Ge Er was made unconscious by bad people." Shen Lu Man gave Wu Xun Chun a pill, but he remained asleep. Worried, she leaned in to check, only to realize he was snoring. Shen Lu Man was speechless. This child, how could he sleep in such surroundings? Waking him up, she watched as Liu Er quickly explained what had happened. Chun Ge Er grimaced at the taste of the pill, straightening, "Don’t worry, Liu Er, I'll protect you. And when Dad finds out, he’ll come rescue us and chase away the bad guys." Shen Lu Man sighed, moving to the door's edge, ensuring servants were still unaware, hushing the children, "Quiet now, we'll exit from above." Liu Er immediately clamped her mouth shut, and when Chun Ge Er opened his mouth to say something, Liu Er quickly covered it with her hand. Shen Lu Man walked over, paused for a moment, picked up Chun Ge Er, and leapt through the broken opening in the roof, setting him down on the rooftop before going back to get Liu Er. She was adamant about keeping Liu Er away from Zhang Qiao Er, even if it was just for a single minute. After replacing the tiles they had disturbed, Shen Lu Man looked at the three children with her, and asked Zhang Qiao Er, "Which is the safest path to leave the Liu estate from here?" Zhang Qiao Er blinked and pointed northwest. "Going that way leads to some desolate, unused courtyards. It takes a while to reach the back gate, but there's barely anyone there. The soldiers rarely patrol that area. Occasionally, you might run into some sneaking servants, but with Auntie's skills, dealing with them would be easy." Shen Lu Man followed her direction, eyes narrowing to peer into the darkness. Though she couldn't see far, she could tell it was indeed the dimmest area around. Trusting Zhang Qiao Er, she gathered the three children and deftly made her way to a secluded spot under a tree, where she retrieved Wu Meng Qiu. With four children in tow, she deftly avoided maids, servants, and patrolling soldiers, eventually reaching an overgrown, abandoned courtyard. There weren't many people around. Chun Ge Er rubbed his arms, whispering, "This place is really creepy." Wu Meng Qiu tightly held her brother's hand, whispering, "Shh, don't say anything." Chun Ge Er, feeling a bit aggrieved, pursed his lips, not daring to utter another word. Watching them, Zhang Qiao Er chuckled softly. "This is where the Liu family disposes of bodies. Madam Liu purposefully kept clueless servants away, and those who do know probably don't dare to come around here out of guilt. So it's the safest route out."