Chapter 25: Killed by the Legitimate Heirs
“Why? Then I’ll tell you why right now! Because when you were wealthy, you never considered us as part of your family. Now that you’ve fallen, I have even less reason to associate with you. Even if you return to the capital someday and restore the glory of the marquis’ estate, we won’t want any part of it.”
As soon as Yu Luo finished speaking, she gave Yu Xiaoxuan, who was still suffering from internal injuries, a fierce shove. Caught off guard, he staggered and was thrown back two meters.
Yu Luo had used all her strength, and since Yu Xiaoxuan’s internal injuries had yet to heal, she managed to push him away.
She then ruthlessly grabbed the blankets from Yu Yingying’s arms with one swift motion!
Before the two siblings could react, Yu Haojie and Ye Jiamai had already rushed to Yu Luo’s side, glaring coldly at the brother and sister.
If they dared to take another step forward, they might end up with two more broken ribs.
In the eyes of Yu Luo’s family, the so-called Yu family members were nothing but enemies. Where was this talk of family coming from?
The reason the three of them had transmigrated in the first place was because the original owners of their bodies had died from a cold due to having no money for treatment.
The marquis’ estate clearly had a doctor, yet when the original Yu Haojie went to beg the steward and Old Madam Chen, he was turned away without even a single prescription. The family of three had died miserably from the cold.
It wasn’t really the cold that had killed them—it was the indifference of Old Madam Chen and the oppression of those legitimate heirs. They made life in the marquis’ estate unbearable for the original trio, leading to their untimely deaths.
“Crack! Crack!”
The sound of a whip cracking through the night reverberated across the mountains, landing squarely on Yu Yingying and Yu Xiaoxuan. The pain shocked them back to their senses, making Yu Yingying wail and rush back to the legitimate heirs in tears.
“Are you all bored to death? Do you think I’m just decoration? Let me be clear: if anyone tries to steal from others again, it won’t be as simple as taking a whip next time!”
Wu Dahai appeared once more, clearly biased towards Yu Luo’s family. His whip lashed across the brother and sister, tearing fresh holes in their thin prison clothes and cotton jackets.
It wasn’t really that painful, especially with the cotton jackets, but Wu Dahai’s fierce demeanor left a lasting fear in Yu Yingying’s heart.
“Thank you, Commander Wu, for standing up for us. While we were being chased by the wild boar, we saw a lot of wolf carcasses over there. I wonder if there will be more wolves showing up tonight?”
“You saw them too?”
Eager to divert attention, Ye Jiamai nodded repeatedly. “Yes, and we even noticed that many of the wolves had short arrows—just like the ones we saw during the bandit attack. I wonder if there’s someone secretly helping us?”
Whipped once again, Yu Yingying, who had been crying in Chang Huilan’s arms, suddenly regained her courage upon hearing the conversation and shouted a threat at Wu Dahai.
“It must be my eldest sister! She’s the Second Prince’s concubine. Even if the Yu family has fallen, my sister still has some influence. Go ahead and keep whipping me, Wu Dahai! When you return to the capital, watch out for my sister’s revenge!”
No one in the Yu family had expected Yu Yingying to spout such nonsense. Chang Huilan was so startled that she quickly covered her mouth in terror.
“My dear ancestor, please stop talking nonsense! Do you know our current status? Just keep quiet, will you?”
Yu Zhengqing’s face turned pale. He was helpless against such an oblivious daughter.
Even if his eldest daughter was still the Second Prince’s concubine, given the current state of the Yu family, her days in the prince’s residence were probably getting harder by the day.
“Hah! You all can’t even protect yourselves right now. Save your breath and pray for some good fortune. There’s no need for Yu Second Miss to worry about me.”
Wu Dahai’s sinister eyes glared coldly at the Yu family members, his tone indifferent as if he didn’t take Yu Yingying’s threats seriously at all.
However, Yu Zhengqing, who was good at reading people, frowned. He knew that this time, they had really offended Wu Dahai.
Just as he was about to say something to smooth things over, Wu Dahai had already turned away, his eyes fixed on the wild boar they had brought back.
“We can’t handle this wild boar here on the mountain; the smell of blood might attract other beasts. Everyone, go to sleep now. We can’t stay here long. Rest until the third watch, then we move!”
“What…”
Hearing they had to leave by the third watch, Yu Yingying, who had just been released from Chang Huilan’s grasp, raised her voice in protest.
Fortunately, this time, Chang Huilan was quick enough to cover her mouth again before she could say anything more offensive.
“Shut up! Commander Wu is right. Since there are wolves and wild boars on this mountain, there might be even fiercer beasts like tigers. If you keep spouting nonsense, don’t blame me for giving you a beating!”
Seeing his daughter being so senseless, Yu Zhengqing no longer showed any affection, glaring at her sternly.
At the very least, he had to show Wu Dahai where he stood.
The quarrel was watched quietly by the members of the second and third branches of the Yu family. No one dared to say a word.
The children, exhausted, had already fallen asleep in their parents’ arms. Those who hadn’t slept could only bite their lips and try to remain invisible.
Knowing they’d have to continue on the road by the third watch, Yu Luo’s family didn’t want to waste time. They quickly laid out their bedding again, huddled close to the fire, and rested.
Perhaps it was because the wolves had been scared off by Yu Luo’s crossbow, or maybe the officers on night duty had cleared the danger, but they managed to sleep soundly.
In a daze, Yu Luo was shaken awake by her mother. Stretching lazily, she didn’t fully wake up until the system’s voice echoed in her mind, reminding her it was time to hit the road.
The officers on duty had already taken advantage of the time to tie the wild boar’s carcass to a large log.
As the group set out again, a few officers handed the boar over to the men from the second branch to carry.
Yu Shanhai, the eldest, and Yu Shanhai, the second, both used to farm work, were forced to carry the 200-plus-pound boar without complaint, continuing on their weary path.
The journey was relatively peaceful, with no other beasts appearing. Occasionally, wild chickens or rabbits crossed their path, but with the huge wild boar to deal with, the officers weren’t interested in hunting. All they wanted was to get off the mountain quickly.
In winter, dawn came late. By the time the sky turned gray at the fifth watch, they had already been on the road for two hours.
Descending the mountain was even more treacherous than climbing it, with uneven paths and slippery slopes.
Finally, by the fourth watch, they could see the foot of the mountain.
