CHAPTER 123: CHAPTER 123: DONG LIAN

"Don’t think I didn’t see you buying things for others." The woman grabbed Shen Qinglan and said, "Take us into town quickly, and find us a place to stay while you’re at it."

Crazy!

Shen Qinglan cursed silently in her heart and shook off the woman’s hand. Who knew the woman would fall to the ground, and started shouting loudly, "Oh my gosh, murder!"

People around quickly gathered, and three people came rushing up, clumsily helping the woman up.

"Who are you? Why are you pushing people around like that? Look at what you’ve done to her! Hurry up and give us money."

The oldest of the three pointed at Shen Qinglan and cursed viciously.

Is this a scam?

Shen Qinglan raised her eyebrows and looked at them calmly.

"His father, this is Dong Yao’s daughter." The woman said, "Dong Yao and Dong Zhong must be in town, make her take us in."

"Oh, so it’s my niece." The man suddenly changed his fierce attitude, put on a fake smile and said, "It’s like a flood washing through the Dragon King’s temple."

Shen Qinglan didn’t speak.

The man continued to smile, "I am your uncle. Today I saw you helping the government people distribute grains, and since you know them, go tell them to let us in the town."

Someone shouted, "Miss, take us with you too!"

Recently, they have all been staying outside, the chilly nights make sleep uneasy, and none want to continue staying out.

Shen Qinglan didn’t look at Liang Kun but addressed the others, "Staying here at least you can have hot meals. If you go in the town, what can you eat? Where will you stay?"

"How could there be no place to stay?" Someone shouted, "We can stay at an inn!"

"Stay at an inn?" Shen Qinglan sneered, "Now an inn costs one silver a day, how many days do you plan to stay?"

"How could it be? You must be bluffing us!" Someone said incredulously.

"If you don’t believe, you can ask the soldiers guarding the gate." Shen Qinglan told them, "Not just the inn costs one silver a day, even a bowl of noodles costs fifty coins, and rice is over one hundred coins per pound, flour almost two hundred coins per pound. Are you sure you want to go in?"

"This... this is daylight robbery!" The crowd was shocked.

"So?" Shen Qinglan coldly asked, "Do you still want to go into town?"

Some didn’t believe and went to ask a worker helping out from Shengxiang Restaurant, and after getting confirmation, came running back saying, "I just asked, and they all said it’s true!"

Upon hearing this, everyone turned around and silently returned to their posts.

"How can you survive inside with such high prices?" Liang Kun scoffed lightly, "You look young, but your bluffing skills are quite something."

Shen Qinglan ignored him, turned and wanted to leave, but the woman broke away from her two sons and nimbly darted forward, directly blocking Shen Qinglan’s path.

"You can leave, but take us with you too, or you won’t be going back."

Shen Qinglan raised her cold eyes, "Move aside!"

"Hey, little girl, that’s not fair." Liang Kun said, "We’re all your family, you’re inside eating well and staying warm, while we starve and freeze outside. Do you have any conscience left?"

"I don’t know you."

Having said that, Shen Qinglan directly bypassed the woman and left with large strides.

"Hurry, follow her!"

Liang Kun said, and followed quickly.

Shen Qinglan ignored them, greeted Old Tang and went through the town gate early.

But Liang Kun and the others following her were directly stopped by the government people.

"Hey, what are you doing? Let me tell you, that person just now is my niece. Make way!"

The government man furrowed his brow, raised a knife and said coldly, "Continue to make trouble and we’ll kill you without mercy."

Liang Kun’s family heard this, shuddered and quickly retreated a few steps.

The woman glared viciously at Shen Qinglan’s departing figure, thinking tomorrow, no matter what, she will make her bring their family into town.

Returning to Shen Mansion, Shen Qinglan went to find Dong Yao and asked about Liang Kun.

Dong Yao, having heard this, instantly turned black in semblance.

She held Shen Qinglan’s hand and said, "These are not good people, you mustn’t pay attention to them."

As if she recalled something, Dong Yao’s eyes reddened slightly, then angrily said, "If it weren’t for the Niu woman, your aunt wouldn’t have gone missing."

"Aunt?" Shen Qinglan frowned, "What aunt?"

Dong Yao lightly tapped the corner of her eye with her sleeve and chokingly said, "Originally, you had an aunt called Dong Lian, seven years younger than your mother."

"At that time during the busy farming season, your great-grandmother’s feet were hurting and she couldn’t work in the fields, so your grandma had your mother and uncle busy with the farm work while she and your grandpa took your aunt back to their old home to help."

"That year, Niu had just entered the family not even a month."

Fearing Shen Qinglan didn’t know who Niu was, Dong Yao explained, "Niu is Liang Kun’s wife."

Shen Qinglan nodded, indicating for her to continue.

Dong Yao sighed lightly and said, "At that time, your aunt was only five. The Liang family all went to the fields, leaving only Niu alone at home."

Speaking to this point, Dong Yao pressed her sleeve against the corner of her eye, and after a moment continued, "Your grandma thought she was good and entrusted her to look after your aunt, but who knew... who knew she’d go gambling with people in the village, leaving your aunt alone at home. When your grandpa and grandma came back, your aunt was already missing!"

At this point, Dong Yao couldn’t help but sob, "At that time, the whole village searched everywhere, even the river and nearby wells, searched for several days, but couldn’t find a trace of your aunt."

"Your grandpa worried and didn’t sleep for several nights, your grandma cried till her eyes swelled red, eventually fell ill, and it was from then she started having health problems."

"At that time, the Liang family were all helping to search, except, Liang Kun and Niu were still eating and drinking, without the slightest remorse. Your great-grandmother said something to them, and they actually said your aunt was just a worthless girl, gone is gone, nothing to worry about."

At this point, Dong Yao was already in tears.

She said tearfully, "Mother still remembers your aunt’s small figure, always chasing after me, shouting for help to catch butterflies."

"I even promised her, that when she comes back from grandma’s, I’d have your uncle make a butterfly net, so I could take her to catch them. But... after she left, she never returned!"

"Before grandma passed, she kept reminding us to look out for your aunt, saying maybe one day she’d return home by herself!"

Seeing Dong Yao already overwhelmed with grief, Shen Qinglan could only complexly wipe her tears.

It was her first time hearing Dong Yao talk about Dong Lian, her first time knowing she had an aunt!

If she’d known earlier, she wouldn’t have let Niu and Liang Kun go so easily!

Dong Yao calmed down after a while and said, "Anyway, when you see them in the future, be sure to keep away."

This family quarrels with all neighbors; someone’s land being good and close to theirs makes them say it’s theirs.

Their eldest son, once, because his parents couldn’t argue anymore, took a knife to threaten them; your great-uncle was infuriated to death by them."

Shen Qinglan was stunned, she’d seen many troublesome people, but this kind was indeed the first.