Chapter 229: Panic Spreads in Stone Mountain
Ming Ye said nothing and simply continued to stare at Yu Luo, as if he couldn’t bear to take his eyes off her face.
Yu Luo, however, was completely focused on the account books and didn’t notice the boy’s intense gaze. If she had, she might have thought he had lost his mind just like that man.
Five days later, the heavy rain deliberately caused by the system finally stopped.
When Yu Luo opened her eyes, she no longer heard the sound of rain outside. The moment she pushed open her window, warm spring sunlight flooded into the room. The air still carried the freshness of post-rain, and the golden sun illuminated the sky.
Unexpectedly, a few magpies had perched on the branches outside her window, chirping non-stop.
The courtyard, once soaked by endless rain, was now brimming with vitality. The trees planted by the system had sprouted tender new leaves.
Seeing the now-dried stone paths in the courtyard, Yu Luo almost felt as if she had returned to the capital.
When she arrived at the main courtyard, she found it empty. Moving to the front courtyard, she was greeted by the cheerful sounds of laughter and chatter.
Luo Yi and the others were clearing the mud that had been washed onto the stone paths, while Ye Jiamei directed Yu Haojie to scatter seeds in the flower beds.
After the rain, it was as if the barren land had been completely rejuvenated, no longer the lifeless wasteland it once was.
“Father, Mother,” Yu Luo greeted as she approached.
She was curious about where her mother had gotten flower seeds from, but upon getting closer, she realized something was off—those weren’t flower seeds at all!
The oil paper packets they were scattering contained vegetable seeds from her storage.
“Xiao Luo, doesn’t our courtyard feel like spring now? These vegetable seeds will sprout in just three days!”
“Why are you planting them here? The backyard has a huge vegetable garden, several acres in size. Isn’t that enough for us to eat?”
“These are baby bok choy. Your mother insisted. The backyard is still muddy from the rain, and she doesn’t want to step in the dirt. She said it’s better to plant them in the empty flower beds first so we can have fresh greens in a couple of weeks.”
Yu Haojie, ever the obedient husband, simply did as he was told. He never argued over trivial matters.
Hearing this, Yu Luo chuckled.
Even though they had endured filth and hardship during their exile, now that they had settled into a comfortable life, her mother’s delicate nature was making a comeback.
“Fine, plant them if you want. Once we harvest these greens, I’ll find some flower seeds to replace them.”
After saying this, Yu Luo turned to Zhang Hu and Tao Ming, calling them aside.
“Now that the rain has stopped, I’m planning to visit Stone Mountain. You both have brothers stationed at the stone houses there, right? Do you want to check on them?”
“I won’t go,” Zhang Hu replied immediately. “I’ll stay here and keep an eye on him.”
The man, still bound by iron chains, had finally been able to step outside now that the weather had cleared. He was following Ye Jiamei closely, circling around the flower beds like a child.
“Qingluan, take me with you!”
Yu Luo had assumed that with her mother around, the man wouldn’t cling to her, but even as she and Zhang Hu lowered their voices to talk, he had overheard them.
As he ran toward her, completely disregarding the iron chains on his feet, Yu Luo found herself amused and slightly helpless.
She had thought about removing the chains—after all, the man had been fairly quiet and docile—but there was always a chance of the unexpected.
“Qingluan, take me! Take me!”
“Be good. We’ll be back soon. Stay home and protect Second Sister and my father, okay?”
Yu Luo spoke softly, coaxing him.
However, before the man could respond, Yu Haojie put down the bag of seeds and approached them.
“I was planning to go as well. Now that the weather has cleared, there’s work to be assigned.”
“Alright, let’s go together.”
“I want to go too,” Ye Jiamei added, eager to witness Yu Luo’s plan to dig up Old Madam Chen’s grave. However, she hesitated slightly, worried that the man following her around might insist on coming as well.
By now, Ye Jiamei was beginning to suspect that this man really was her younger brother. Otherwise, why did he forget everything but still call her “Second Sister” so persistently?
He could have called her “Big Sister” or “Third Sister,” but no—he only ever called her “Second Sister.”
“Second Sister is going? I’ll go protect Second Sister!”
As soon as Ye Jiamei spoke, the man immediately perked up, looking at her with serious determination.
Yu Luo turned to her mother with a helpless shrug. “Looks like you’ll have to stay home this time. I’ll take Zhang Xiaoliang, Tao Ming, and Luo Yi through Luo Wu with me. Also, since the backyard is ready for planting, you can oversee the others while they sow the seeds.”
Ye Jiamei: …
The moment they stepped out of the house, the air felt entirely different.
Gone was the scorching dryness that had once plagued the wasteland. Now, the air carried the refreshing scent of damp earth.
With Zhang Xiaoliang using his lightness technique to carry Yu Haojie, the group, armed with hoes, made their way toward Stone Mountain.
Meanwhile, over in Stone Mountain, unrest had begun to spread among the residents.
Ever since Yu Luo’s family moved out, the remaining families had grown increasingly uneasy.
And after hearing that Yu Luo’s family had allegedly killed Old Madam Chen, their fear turned into full-blown panic.
If Yu Luo’s family had truly killed Old Madam Chen, then it meant they had completely severed ties with Yu Zhengqing.
Combined with the rumors from the Yu family’s third branch about Ye Jiamei’s brother helping them build a mansion and stockpiling supplies, the remaining residents felt utterly abandoned.
“See? You can never really trust people. We thought we had a chance at survival here, but Yu Haojie’s family turned out to be heartless! They just up and left, living in luxury while we’re still stuck in this cave! And after all the work we did for them—looks like we’ll never see our wages.”
Inside the second branch’s cave, Liu Lan fumed as she stared at the now-clear sky outside. Turning back to her sullen family members, she vented her frustration in an hour-long tirade without pausing for breath.
“Exactly! They made big promises, but now they have everything they need—why would they bother with us anymore? They’ve got supplies, a new home, and don’t need to clear land anymore. Why would they pay us? The next time I see Yu Haojie, I’ll make sure he regrets it!”
As soon as Liu Lan finished speaking, Yu Liang, who had been sulking in the corner, jumped in.
Even though he had contributed nothing to the land-clearing efforts, his son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren had worked for those wages. Now, realizing he wouldn’t see a single coin, his initial jealousy turned into bitter resentment.
“I still believe they’re not that kind of people,” Zhang Fen, Yu Shanhe’s wife, interjected hesitantly. “Even if they don’t need us to clear land anymore, we can still grow food ourselves.”
Hearing this, Liu Lan immediately turned on her with a glare.
“Looks like you’ve been completely bewitched by that family! Even now, you’re still defending them? What did Ye Jiamei give you in return?!”
