latelenovela Chapter 896 The Scholar Who Abandoned His Husband and Children 6
Chapter 896 The Scholar Who Abandoned His Husband and Children 6
If the authorities are alerted, those of them who were among the last to leave will definitely be questioned, which would be too troublesome.
Zheng Zhuo suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest, but he assumed it was just from being too nervous and having a slight stitch when he turned around, so he didn't pay much attention to it.
The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, the kitchen brought hot water for washing up, breakfast, and dry rations for the journey. Scholars who came to stay here usually left early the next day so they could cross Tiger Crouching Mountain before dark.
The person who brought Xiao Yun hot water and food was Zheng's second son, who was also Zheng Yujin's younger brother. He was quite surprised when he saw her appearance and almost blurted out: "Sister, what are you doing here?"
Xiao Yun changed his voice first and said, "Thank you for your trouble, young man." The other party then paused and swallowed back the words he was about to say.
Then he said, "Please enjoy your meal," put down his things, and hurriedly ran away.
While washing up, Xiao Yun also sent her consciousness out and watched as he ran to the kitchen and quietly told his father about meeting her. Then his father took him to the backyard.
At this moment, Zheng Zhuo also got up and went to Zheng Yujin's room to take a look. Because of the talisman, he did not find that the person lying on the bed was her daughter, nor did he find that the person was dead. He just closed the window that was originally half open and went out.
When the father and son ran over to tell Zheng Zhuo about it, Zheng Zhuo simply told them not to get involved, to keep an eye on their younger son, and that he would talk to them in detail after the group left.
Although the father and son were somewhat confused and didn't quite understand what was going on, they didn't dare to say anything more.
Xiao Yun searched through the original owner's memories after his death. The three of them quickly learned the truth and then helped Zheng Zhuo to complete the charade. So they were not innocent either, since they were also among the beneficiaries later on.
After thinking for a moment, Xiao Yun decided to cut off their reproductive function as an atonement for their sins in the previous life.
Since the original owner of this body asked her to avenge her, killing the mother and son and wiping out their family line should be enough. The father and his two sons would most likely never come to her again.
After finishing breakfast, Xiao Yun took the bundle of dry rations and went out. Li Gui had already hitched up the carriage and was waiting there.
Just then, the two other candidates came out of the house. The three of them greeted each other, but didn't chat much or exchange names. After all, they were in competition, and it was good enough if they didn't trip each other up.
Whether out of guilt or fear of being exposed, Zheng Zhuo didn't make eye contact with her when he came over to say goodbye. He only accepted the payment for their accommodation and meals, said "May your future be bright," and watched them leave.
The three cars left the yard and headed towards the main road. Xiao Yun took out an interstellar inflatable sofa and put it under his buttocks, which made him much more comfortable.
While counting the money she had collected from the Zheng family, she thought that the Zheng family's fees were not expensive. A night's lodging and two meals only cost 150 coins, which was for both her and Li Gui. That meant 75 coins per person, which was relatively cheap for the conditions.
It's at least cheaper than an inn. The inn where I stayed before was much worse, and it cost 100 coins per person per night. Of course, if you stay at a regular farmhouse, 10 or 20 coins will be enough, but food will be extra.
Xiao Yun opened the box where Zheng Yujin kept her secret stash of money. The box was made of fine sandalwood, and it felt quite heavy. The carving was also quite exquisite.
Inside were several dozen taels of silver and a few pieces of gold jewelry. There was also a hidden compartment underneath, which, when opened, revealed two 100-tael silver notes. This was no small sum.
You should know that two taels of silver a year is enough for a family of three.
The purchasing power of silver and copper coins in this world is similar to that of the 1990s. One coin is equivalent to one dollar, and one tael of silver is equivalent to one thousand dollars.
With a living allowance of 2,000 yuan a year, the consumption level is not high. The main reason is that productivity is relatively low, and there are many things that you can't buy even if you want to.
Because their carriage arrived later and was parked outside, it went ahead when they left, and the two carriages returned to the main road one after the other.
Xiao Yun thought they would quickly distance themselves and shake off the other party, but she didn't expect the oxcart to be so fast, following behind at a similar speed.
Although I don't really want to talk to them, if things continue like this, I guess we'll end up walking together once we get into the mountains.
It's not impossible for people going to the capital for the imperial examination to travel together, but they must be sure that the other person won't cause trouble. So, he used his divine sense to scan the back and found out that the two people were cousins. Although they didn't look very alike, they were cousins of the same grandmother.
The one driving the carriage was their third aunt, an elder who was going with them to take care of them. That was good, as it prevented any bias from arising because one of their biological mothers was with them.
This oxcart belongs to their family. Because their grandmother is still alive, they haven't separated their households yet, and the two of them happened to be traveling to the capital together.
The family had produced two scholars who both passed the imperial examinations, so the family's financial situation must have been quite good. Moreover, Xiao Yun found that the oxcart was also very comfortable, with hidden compartments for storing valuables and a small charcoal stove for heating, which was much more convenient than the public horse-drawn carriage.
Li Gui glanced at the oxcart following closely behind, then leaned close to the cotton curtain and said to Xiao Yun, "Scholar Xiao, I see that the oxcart behind us is quite close. They're all going to the capital and it's on the same route. Why don't we travel together? It'll be safer with more people when we pass Tiger Crouching Mountain."
Xiao Yun didn't answer directly, but asked, "Can't we get over Tiger Crouching Mountain before dark?"
Li Gui: "If there are no unexpected events, we should be able to get through. The official road is built in a depression in Tiger Crouching Mountain. We don't need to climb to the top of the mountain. We can cross it at the halfway point, which saves a lot of time."
However, even without stopping, it would take more than four hours. Furthermore, besides tigers, there are leopards and wild boars on the mountain; some have even reported encountering iron-eating beasts. Therefore, everyone tries to avoid lingering in the mountains, and lunch is usually just some dry rations.
Xiao Yun wasn't surprised that there were tigers, leopards, and wild boars in these mountains. The central region of Fengming Kingdom was somewhat similar to Henan Province in China, so it was normal to have these animals.
Hearing that there were also iron-eating beasts piqued my interest. Little Erhei has grown up and is no longer easy to handle. If I were to encounter one, I could take one of its cubs into my space and make it Little Erhei's child bride, hehe.
Of course, a leopard would also work. She hadn't forgotten about Xiao Bao, who also grew up in the space. Although his cultivation level couldn't compare to Bai Qiu and the others, since they were already cultivating before entering the space, he had now reached the Nascent Soul stage.
In order not to fall too far behind, these planes have been in seclusion for cultivation. If we happen to meet him in time, we can find him a companion so that he won't be all alone while everyone else is in pairs.
Of course, we'll have to wait until we get into the mountains to see all that. While she's in this body, her divine sense is still restricted, only able to explore within a radius of ten miles. If she wants to explore further, she'll have to leave the body.
Once on the official road, she had already scouted ahead. Although Zhengjia Village was said to be very close to Tiger Crouching Mountain, it was actually more than five miles away before entering the mountain forest.
There are no people living at the actual foot of the mountain. Knowing that there are many wild animals on the mountain, why would anyone live so close by? Wouldn't that be asking for trouble? It's not like there are no other places to choose from.
Xiao Yun calculated the distance based on the time Li Gui gave him. The carriage could travel about 30 li per hour, that was under the condition that the road was relatively easy to travel. If it was a mountain road, he would estimate 20 li per hour. So, in eight hours, it could travel 160 li. Even if you take away the climbing up and down the mountain, it was still quite a large mountain.
Just as Xiao Yun and her group were heading into the mountains, at the Zheng family's place, Zheng Zhuo was instructing her husband and sons on how to publicly announce that "Zheng Yujin" had caught a cold.
After all, everyone in the village is from the same clan, and they are all relatives and friends. If someone is sick, someone will come to visit. Of course, you can't just believe whatever they say; you will definitely have to call a doctor to take a look.
Yesterday, Zheng Zhuo deliberately didn't cover him with a blanket and even opened the window halfway. It's winter now, and without a blanket, even if there's a brazier in the room, he could still get quite cold.
Whenever someone has a fever, they call a doctor and say that the person has taken some sedatives and is unconscious, which makes sense since the doctor probably can't tell anything by taking their pulse.
After that, they would make the person "sick" for a few days. At this time, a cold could be fatal. They would then say that the person had been sick for a long time and had passed away.
Zheng Zhuo's husband and two sons had never done anything like this before, and their expressions were filled with panic and fear. Zheng Zhuo could only tell them a series of benefits they could receive in the future.
The three of them felt a chill instead of excitement. They didn't know if they could get any benefits, but they knew that once their identities were exposed, they would be doomed.
But things have changed now, and my daughter is gone. It's too late to say anything now. I can only listen to my wife/mother, try my best to adjust my mindset, and not give myself away.
Then the four of them went to Zheng Yujin's room to see if she had started to have a fever. If she did, they could call a doctor to come and take a look.
When they went in, they found the person on the bed was pale and had no chest movement. They rushed over to check on him, thinking he couldn't have died like that.
When they finally saw the person, they were stunned. This...this is Yu Jin!?
They knew they could recognize their own daughter; the couple immediately knew she was their biological daughter and there was no substitution involved.
Even Zheng's second son, who had met Xiao Yun before, recognized her. He had thought the person looked a lot like his sister before, but he hadn't mistaken her for someone else. He was a little puzzled when his mother told him that she had been replaced.