Chapter 121: Chapter 121: Stating the Facts

"Let’s follow them and see if there’s anything we can do to help."

Qiuxi was surprised. Seeing Liang Wan’s impassive face, devoid of any emotion, she felt a little uncertain.

The carriage kept its distance. Liang Wan instructed them to follow discreetly, not wanting to alert Yao Jinse.

When Yao Jinse finally wound her way into an alley, Liang Wan had the carriage pull over and followed her alone.

’If there was one person she couldn’t figure out in this new life, it was Yao Jinse.’

Yao Jinse walked with a hurried yet cautious pace, glancing over her shoulder from time to time. Such extreme wariness only made her look more suspicious.

She stopped before a small, unremarkable door and knocked three times, then another three. Someone quickly opened it, peered out to check the surroundings, and shut it again once they confirmed no one was there.

The person was a stranger; Liang Wan didn’t recognize them.

She had no intention of following any further; going in alone was too dangerous. After memorizing the location, she turned and headed back.

Seeing Liang Wan return, Qiuxi hurried to meet her, her gaze still flickering toward the mouth of the alley. "Is the young mistress visiting relatives?"

"Perhaps," Liang Wan said, an idea sparking in her mind. "Where is the place Sister found for them to live?"

She had never taken the initiative to ask about their situation. This was the first time. Qiuxi was surprised. "You’re willing to go see the First Madam?"

Liang Wan asked, "If you were in their shoes, would you want to see me?"

Qiuxi froze. ’It was true that her mistress had deliberately engineered their downfall. And while her mistress hadn’t directly killed the young master, she wasn’t blameless. Then there was the Family Head...’

’They had treated her mistress with malice in the past, but they had certainly been punished for it now.’

Qiuxi thought for a moment before saying, "A while ago, your sister helped them a great deal. But the Marquis Wen Mansion has always treated people according to their station. With the Liang Family in its current state, her repeated efforts and expenses have made them very unhappy. Otherwise, the young mistress wouldn’t have been desperate enough to come to you for help."

Liang Wan fell silent.

Qiuxi hesitated, but couldn’t stop herself from advising, "Regardless of the Second Madam’s actions, at least the First Madam and the young mistress are innocent. Besides, the First Madam is your birth mother. As her child, how can you ignore whether she lives or dies?

"I was thinking, perhaps these difficult times are actually a good opportunity for you and the First Madam to resolve your past conflicts?"

Liang Wan paused for a moment, then looked at her. "To Southwest Street."

A weight lifted from Qiuxi’s heart, and she quickly agreed.

The ox cart changed its route and headed for Southwest Street. Though it was called a street, it was really just a crowded corner on the city’s southwest side.

Liang Wan stood at the doorway. Passersby couldn’t help but stare, sizing her up curiously. There were no wealthy, influential families in this neighborhood.

The door opened. It was Mrs. He.

Mrs. He’s breath hitched audibly. From inside, someone could be heard coughing and muttering complaints.

"What are you doing here?!" Mrs. He averted her gaze, refusing to look at her.

Qiuxi hoisted a large sack from the cart, filled with the rice, grain, and other food she had just purchased. Seeing the two women at a standoff in the doorway, she hurried forward to mediate.

"First Madam, my mistress heard you were ill and came especially to see you!" She patted the sack on her shoulder. "She had me prepare all of this for you."

As she spoke, Qiuxi shouldered the large sack and started walking inside. The person in the room sensed something was amiss and lifted the door curtain to step out.

Upon seeing Liang Wan, Mrs. Zhang froze for a long moment. Then, snapping out of it, she rolled up her sleeves and lunged at her.

"You bitch, how dare you show your face here! I want to flay you alive, pull out your tendons, and eat your flesh—"

The moment she saw this, Qiuxi dropped the sack and moved to block Mrs. Zhang. "Second Madam, what are you doing? The very food and drink you’re surviving on, wasn’t it a gift from my mistress?"

Mrs. Zhang was instantly cornered, her eyes blazing with fury:

"You wretched girl! Do you think you’re so special just because you’ve brought us a few things? If our mansion hadn’t taken you in, you would have starved to death on the street! How dare you speak to me in that tone now!"

She and Qiuxi struggled and shoved each other in the courtyard.

Liang Wan watched her dispassionately. ’Having lost her husband, both her children, and the support of wealth and status, she was now no different from a raving lunatic on the street.’

"Leave. Don’t ever come back. The bond between us as mother and daughter was severed long ago!"

Unlike Mrs. Zhang’s frantic screaming, Mrs. He was as calm and heartless as an ice sculpture.

"I never gave birth to a daughter like you!"

Liang Wan’s gaze swept across the courtyard. It was a tiny, pocket-sized space, but it was square and kept tidy. For people who had been destitute, it was more than enough.

Liang Wan nodded. "The First Madam is right. I just wonder, are you enjoying the money I earned by sleeping in another man’s bed every night?"

All the blood seemed to drain from Mrs. He’s body in an instant. Her lips trembled, but she couldn’t utter a single word.

Liang Wan lowered her gaze and smiled faintly. With a final glance at Qiuxi, still wrestling with Mrs. Zhang, she turned and left.

She didn’t expect to turn around and come face-to-face with Yao Jinse.

"S-Sister-in-law?" she asked, her eyes wide with shock.

Liang Wan glanced at her pregnant belly, said nothing, and got straight into the carriage without waiting for Qiuxi.

’Qiuxi had said it wasn’t a long journey, but the distance was still enough for a short nap.’

Back at the Grandmaster’s Mansion, Liang Wan changed her clothes and sat hunched over her desk, writing, while Gu Yu ground ink beside her.

’She wrote and revised, but wasn’t satisfied with any arrangement. ’This much hoarding will inevitably attract attention...’’

"Liang Ji."

Liang Wan set down her brush and looked up. It was Qiuxi. The corner of her mouth was bruised and her hair was in disarray.

Wringing the corner of her tunic, she walked to the desk and knelt.

Liang Wan sighed and dismissed the others.

She lowered her eyes, pondering for a moment before speaking. "There are some things I originally didn’t want to tell you, but your nature is too dangerous. You’re easily exploited by those with ulterior motives."

’Once upon a time, she had been just as foolish as Qiuxi. Repaying evil with kindness, forgiving people whenever possible...’

Liang Wan looked up. "That half-day I was missing... I didn’t get separated from Chun’er. I was trying to escape."

Qiuxi was stunned.

"’Cui Hao said he would help me escape to the countryside to lie low, but he was actually colluding with Chun’er to kidnap me. If I hadn’t gotten away, do you know what would have happened to me?"

"..."

"I would have been thrown out of the family, utterly humiliated, and left to die."

Qiuxi stared at her, dumbfounded.

Liang Wan didn’t elaborate. She just said, "But look at Chun’er. When she faces me, has she ever shown a hint of guilt? She even has the gall to shamelessly beg me for help again and again!"

"I-I didn’t know—" Qiuxi stammered, tears welling in her eyes as she shook her head.

"And as for Mrs. Zhang and my mother... you meant well, and I went along with you. But what was the result? Often, the only person moved by your actions is yourself."

’Qiuxi’s reaction was understandable.’

Liang Wan asked, "Are you willing to leave the Grandmaster’s Mansion?"

The color drained from Qiuxi’s face. She froze for a moment, then lowered her head. "I am willing to accept my punishment."

With that, she kowtowed three times.

Liang Wan knew she had misunderstood. "There is an important matter I need you to handle."

Qiuxi’s head shot up, her eyes wide with astonishment.

Liang Wan said, "You are loyal, honest, and kind by nature, but you’re too soft-hearted. Rather than being cooped up in this mansion, it would be better for you to go out and see the world. It will benefit you in the long run. Besides, I need someone as meticulous as you for this particular task."

Qiuxi said, "I thought you were—"

Liang Wan smiled. "Going to kick you out?"

’She hadn’t forgotten how knowledgeable Qiuxi was when selecting all that rice, grain, and food!’

"Making you walk all the way back here on your own was your punishment!"

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