Chapter 24: You Must Face Reality
“When have you ever needed to confront Mother for their sake? Look, you’ve upset Mother again,” Chang Huilan sighed, glancing at the scowling Old Madam Chen, and spoke to Yu Zhengqing.
Yu Zhengqing frowned, looking at the women of his family, not knowing how to teach them to be a bit smarter.
“Grandmother, don’t be angry. I think they won’t come back. We might as well take their blankets so we can sleep warmly tonight. It’s a pity about their thick cotton-padded jackets and those three pairs of cotton shoes. Luckily, the leather boots must be in their basket. Wait here, I’ll go get them all,” Yu Yingying said, getting up from the ground, and casting a disdainful glance at Yu Yaomei, who was standing not far away.
“What are you standing there for? Hurry up and help me carry the stuff! Or are you waiting for the second and third branches to take them first?”
Hearing this, Yu Yaomei scrambled to her feet, ignoring her fatigue, and hurried to please Yu Yingying.
“Second Sister, I’ll go! I’ll go right away, just wait!”
Seeing Yu Yaomei’s fawning attitude, Yu Yingying sneered and sat back down, not intending to help at all.
“Hey! It looks like there are torches over there!”
Just as Wu Dahai was brooding over whether he had been too lenient with Yu Luo’s family, an officer’s surprised shout startled everyone into looking into the distance.
The torches that Yu Luo made had already been extinguished and stored in her system. The current light was just from burning sticks, dim and faint.
Seeing those faint lights approaching, Wu Dahai finally let out a sigh of relief. “Go check it out, see if it’s them coming back.”
Naturally, Wu Dahai didn’t want to believe he had misjudged them, nor did he want any accidents on the escort route. At this moment, he was genuinely relieved.
Hearing the officers’ discussion, Yu Yaomei, who was just about to take Yu Luo’s blankets, dropped everything and bolted.
Seeing Yu Yaomei returning empty-handed, Yu Yingying was furious.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Second Sister, they seem to be back.”
“So what if they’re back? Aren’t they still part of the Yu family? We’re just taking the blankets for Grandfather and Grandmother. What are you scared of? Go get them!”
Hearing Yu Yingying’s words, Yu Yaomei couldn’t help but recall the scene of Yu Haojie sending her two brothers flying with a slap. She shivered but, under Yu Yingying’s pressure, reluctantly turned around.
“Ah! There are bugs here!”
Just as Yu Yaomei was about to grit her teeth and go, Lady Lan suddenly screamed, picked up Yu Xiaoyun, and ran!
“Yaomei, hurry up and check if there are bugs over there. I think I got bitten just now!”
Hearing her aunt’s voice, Yu Yaomei felt relieved. She immediately ran towards their campfire, completely ignoring Yu Yingying’s orders.
Seeing Lady Lan ruining her plans, Yu Yingying was fuming.
Looking at the approaching lights in the distance, she quickly ran to Yu Luo’s campfire, snatched up their blankets, and sprinted back!
“Wild boar! Look, they actually brought back a wild boar!”
Amidst the crowd, a child from the second or third branch of the Yu family screamed in surprise at the sight of Yu Haojie dragging a wild boar.
Wu Dahai, watching the limping family of three approach, finally let out a breath of relief.
“Commander Wu, we’re sorry. We were chased by a wild boar and got separated. My daughter accidentally fell down the slope, and my husband went to rescue her. That’s why we were delayed,” Ye Jiamai quickly explained with a smile before Wu Dahai could get angry.
Wu Dahai’s expression remained cold as he glanced at their torn clothes, disheveled hair, and the faint scratches on Yu Luo’s face. His gaze finally settled on the wild boar carcass that several officers were examining with excitement.
“As long as you’re safe. I sent people to look for you because I heard wolves howling and was worried something might have happened.”
Whatever Wu Dahai was truly thinking didn’t matter. What mattered was his current attitude towards them.
Yu Luo couldn’t help but secretly give her father a mental thumbs-up. Her father’s plan was indeed thoughtful. A single wild boar not only dispelled all of Wu Dahai’s dissatisfaction but also earned them favor with the officers. The rest of the journey would likely be a lot smoother.
“What are you doing? Put our stuff down!”
Yu Luo turned around to see Yu Yingying sneaking away with their blankets, trying to slip away while they were surrounded by the officers.
With an angry shout, Yu Luo broke through the circle of officers and charged towards Yu Yingying!
But she was too exhausted. Before she could catch up, Yu Xiaoxuan rushed over to help his twin sister.
The twins, always thick as thieves, shared a deep bond and often acted in unison. Despite his internal injuries, Yu Xiaoxuan couldn’t bear to see his sister get caught. Ignoring the pain in his chest, he swiftly stepped in front of Yu Yingying, blocking Yu Luo’s path.
“Disaster star! Why are you being so fierce? I was just taking your blankets for Grandfather and Grandmother. As a younger generation, what’s there for you to fuss about?”
With Yu Xiaoxuan backing her, Yu Yingying stood behind him with the blankets, poking her head out to self-righteously rebuke Yu Luo.
“Hah! You already have blankets. Why take ours? If you want to show filial piety, use your own stuff. Don’t act generous with our belongings!”
“What do you mean by yours and ours? We’re all one family and haven’t split up. Back at the Marquis’s estate, you never spoke like this. Now that we’re exiled, you start drawing lines between us? How shameless can you get, Yu Luo!”
It seemed that after being beaten, Yu Yingying’s mind had gotten a bit sharper. With one statement, she painted Yu Luo as a heartless person who didn’t even care about her own family.
Yu Luo was so angry she almost laughed.
“Now you’re talking about family? When you were living comfortably as legitimate heirs and we were living in the servants’ quarters, eating slop, why didn’t you talk about family then? Yu Yingying, how shameless can you be?”
Seeing the mocking look in Yu Luo’s eyes, Yu Xiaoxuan’s face turned pale with rage.
His still youthful face was filled with coldness.
“Yu Luo, do you really have to hold onto the past like this? The Yu family has fallen. The only way we can survive in the barren lands is by sticking together. My father, my brothers, and I can all fight. We can protect everyone. You need to face reality while you still can.”
Yu Zhengqing, who had been about to intervene, stopped in his tracks upon hearing his son’s words.
Having Yu Xiaoxuan say these harsh truths was much more effective than if he had said them himself. Perhaps Yu Haojie’s family would actually listen.
