The old man called Grandma was not a real granny, but a male old man in his sixties. Grandma was a homonym for some form of address, but to the people of the Central Plains, it sounded like “Grandma”.
The old man sat cross-legged on the uneven bed as if he was in meditation. Behind him was a wall with several cracks.
“Ah Wei, are you sure it’s her?” The old man’s voice seemed to come from ancient times. It was old, distant, and mysterious.
Ah Wei was the man who had gone to open the door and met Yu Wan once. Other than him, there were two other young men in the room.
Ah Wei clenched his leather-gloved fists and said firmly, “That face is exactly the same as the portrait! Besides, I’ve seen her in the crowd when I was young! I’m definitely not mistaken!”
A young man with a small scar under his right eye said, “It’s been eighteen years. How can she not have changed at all?”
“This…” Ah Wei was stunned and fell into a daze.
Another tall young man said, “Maybe she used some kind of beauty retention technique?”
The old man said, “No matter what, keep a close eye on her. No one can refuse the King’s marriage. We have to bring her back to the clan and hand her over to the King personally so that he can deal with her!”
Ah Wei said seriously, “That’s right. She will pay a painful price for her actions back then!”
… .
In the afternoon, Shangguan Yan entered the village. Due to Yu Wan’s reminder, Ah Wei moved the carriage to the backyard. Therefore, when Shangguan Yan passed by the Zhao family’s house, she did not notice that the new residents inside were the group of people she had met on the way.
The coachman asked for the location of Yu Wan’s house at the village entrance and drove the carriage to Yu Wan’s door.
Shangguan Yan alighted from the carriage.
Shangguan Yan was so beautiful and well-dressed. She attracted everyone’s attention the moment she appeared.
The women were stunned. Why was there such a beautiful person?
Not to mention the men, the craftsmen who were preparing to wrap up at the construction site were all petrified. They could not even blink.
“Ah—”
It was Miao Niang’s man who fell from the two-meter-tall wall.
Shangguan Yan was used to the commotion she caused. After all, no matter where she went, it was always such a “parade”.
Soon, the three little lads also got off the carriage.
This time, everyone was shocked again. Were they seeing things? These, these, these were triplets?
At their age, they had never heard of anyone who had three children. It’s either they couldn’t be born, or the parents wouldn’t be able to support them even if they were born. They had never seen such three strong little fellows in their lives!
This was the first time Shangguan Yan’s limelight was stolen by three little lads.
The little munchkins had the same hair bun and were tied with the same blue hairband. They were wearing the same blue shirt and white pants. There was a belt that shone with golden light at their waists. They were like three noble young masters. They were really too cute!
Until… everyone saw the tiger shoes on their feet—
Uh… Are you sure it’s a tiger head and not a cat head? Why is it so ugly…
The three of them slipped into the house in their ugly shoes. They were extremely familiar with the place.
Little Bruiser was practicing his calligraphy when he heard the commotion outside the window. He pushed open the window and said, “Wow! Little brothers! You’re here!”
Little Bruiser hurriedly put down his pen and ran out. He opened his arms to welcome the little brothers who had also ran towards him. In the end, the little brothers ran past him mercilessly.
Little Bruiser, who had been tricked by his sister and ignored by his little brothers: “…” He could not be more depressed.
Yu Wan was in the kitchen pouring the water from the bucket into the water jar. As she was pouring, she suddenly felt three chubby little things bump into her and hug her thigh!
That soft little body and hot little hands made Yu Wan’s heart tremble.
Yu Wan turned around and saw three cute little munchkins. She could not help but smile. She turned around, squatted down, and rubbed their heads. “Why are you here?”
The three of them showed Yu Wan the small shoes on their feet.
Yu Wan smiled gently. “You’re wearing it. Does it fit?”
The little munchkins, who had three layers of shoe pads inside their shoes, nodded.
The three of them had forgotten about Shangguan Yan in the central room. They kept rubbing on her legs, hugging and kissing her. It was only when Yu Wan heard the commotion in the central room that she brought the three little fellows out.
Surprisingly, Little Bruiser actually chatted with Shangguan Yan. “…I’m really not bragging. My stinky tofu is selling very well. Every morning, there are carriages from the city coming over to fetch goods. They’re all sold to nobles! Of course, there’s no noble as beautiful as Madam!”
Shangguan Yan was overjoyed by the praise. Children did not know how to lie. He must be telling the truth. She also felt that she was the most beautiful woman in the world.
Yu Wan was speechless. Who did this little fellow take after? No one in her family could say something like that! Madam was the most beautiful? Good, good, good. Let’s see if you still dare to say that when Mom comes back!
Little Bruiser bowed like a gentleman. “Then, Madam, this little one will go practice my calligraphy. I won’t disturb you anymore.”
This little one…
Yu Wan pinched her fingers. She really wanted to lift this little thing up and beat him up!
Shangguan Yan naturally had to prepare some candy when she brought the children out. Little Bruiser’s mouth was so sweet that Shangguan Yan was happy and stuffed a large handful of exquisite and delicious candy into his hands.
In the end, Little Bruiser, who had earned candy, returned to his room to practice calligraphy in satisfaction.
There was a little maidservant beside Shangguan Yan. Yu Wan had passed by her when she was in the Magistrate Prefecture. She had a baby face and was always fierce, but her facial features were exquisite and she did not look scary at all.
The maidservant raised her chin and said, “It’s my master who wants to eat your stinky tofu! Quickly take out two jars of stinky tofu! We’ll quickly buy it back!”
Shangguan Yan hesitated.
Yu Wan glanced at Shangguan Yan and said with a smile, “I wonder if the stinky tofu has been marinated for the past two days. Do you want to try it first and buy it back when you’re satisfied?”
“Ah? This…” The maidservant did not want to try it.
Shangguan Yan coughed lightly and said seriously, “You’re right. We have to try it. What if you sell us the bad ones!”
The maidservant thought about it and nodded solemnly. “Alright, fry a plate of stinky tofu each!”
Yu Wan smiled and went to fry the stinky tofu.
Yu Wan fried a total of three plates. One plate of White Stinky Tofu which had no stuffing. There were two plates Black Stinky Tofu. They were respectively put in fermented bean paste and mixed radish cubes. Her radish cubes were spicy with a hint of sweetness and were very refreshing.
Shangguan Yan would not be able to finish it in a short time. Yu Wan thought that the wild peppers and fruits in the back of the mountain were ripe, so she picked some back for Shangguan Yan to bring back. There was nothing much for the villagers to eat. Only these wild vegetables could let the people in the city taste it.
“Princess Consort, take your time eating. I’m going to the back of the mountain. I’ll be back soon.” With that, Yu Wan picked up the shovel and basket and left.
The three little lads followed her.
“Little Masters, the back of the mountain is dangerous. You can’t go!” The maidservant pulled the little munchkins back.
The little munchkins looked at Yu Wan pitifully, as if they were about to cry.
Yu Wan’s heart softened and she said to the little maidservant, “I’m not going to the distant back mountain. I don’t even need to go past that small hill. Look, it’s over there.”
The maidservant stood in the small bamboo forest in the backyard and looked in the direction Yu Wan was pointing. It was indeed not far. Moreover, there had been many people going up the mountain to dig bamboo shoots and pick wild chives recently, so they had already walked a path.
However, the little maidservant was still a little worried. She wanted to follow, but she had to stay by her Madam’s side. After thinking for a while, she said, “Then I’ll stay here and watch over you! You’re not allowed to leave without me seeing you!”
“Okay.” Yu Wan smiled and nodded. Although this little maidservant was fierce, she was loyal to protect her master. Actually, Yu Wan did want to go to a deeper place, but since she had brought the children, she could only go around the foot of the mountain.
When the little munchkins saw that Yu Wan had a basket on her back, they also wanted a small basket. There were no more baskets. Yu Wan found a few pieces of clean cotton cloth, crossed them, and tied them around the necks of the three of them to make a simple small bag.
The little munchkins, who had obtained the bag, were very happy. They jumped and followed Yu Wan to the back of the mountain.
The three of the, had never entered the mountains before and were filled with curiosity about everything. When they saw the flowers and plants by the side of the road, they had to pick some for Yu Wan to see. Yu Wan would tell them that this was foxtail grass, this was ditch polypogon, this was purple flowers, this was plantain…
The thing that the little munchkins picked the most was sawgrass. It was a kind of tender green grass in the shape of an umbrella flower. It was also called Pig Calamity. Its tender seedlings could be used to cook, but it was said that pigs would get sick when they ate it, so they got this name.
It was unknown if they were interested in this name, but the little munchkins patiently picked it and let Yu Wan say it.
Yu Wan shouted “Pig Calamity” all the way.
The four of them quickly arrived at the place where the wild mountain peppers grew. These wild mountain peppers were different from any peppers Yu Wan had eaten in her previous life. Their appearance was similar to the peppers in her previous life. They were sharp and long, but they were not red. At first, Yu Wan thought that it was because they were not ripe, but after observing for a while, she realized that they were all green, but the taste was still hotter than the morning peppers.
When the little munchkins saw her picking it, they also reached out to pick it.
Yu Wan hurriedly stopped them. “This is chili. It’s very spicy. Don’t pick it.”
The little munchkins understood and obediently stopped picking. They squatted on the ground and played with the flowers.
Suddenly, a small frog the size of a fingernail jumped out of the wild flowers. The three of them had never seen such a jumping thing. They were so frightened that they turned around and ran, throwing themselves into Yu Wan’s arms!
Yu Wan’s first reaction was that there was a snake. When she walked over to take a look, she almost couldn’t straighten her back from laughing.
It was a frog that had just turned from a tadpole. It was small and the size of a bean. She did not expect the three little fellows to be so frightened.
In their previous life, the three demon kings, who were fearless and killed people like flies, were actually frightened by a small frog. They hid in Yu Wan’s arms and refused to come out for a long time.
Yu Wan temporarily gave up on picking wild peppers and brought them to pick the nearby lantern fruits. The lantern fruits were already ripe, and some had even fallen into the mud and rotted. Yu Wan felt that it was a pity.
Yu Wan plucked three large and red lantern fruits and fed them to the little munchkins. They had once eaten it before, and knew that it was sour, so they instinctively resisted. However, because it was Yu Wan who fed them, they still mustered their courage and ate them. In the end, they realized that the taste was different from last time. It was sweet and delicious!
The little munchkins hummed excitedly.
Yu Wan plucked a few more for them. The little munchkins learned it and began to pluck them themselves.
Yu Wan saw that they had already forgotten about the little frog’s trauma and smiled knowingly. She walked to the side to pick the wild pepper. When Yu Wan finished picking the wild pepper, their small pockets were all heavy.
However, Yu Wan noticed that other than the few she fed them at the beginning, they did not eat any of the ones she plucked. Could it be that they were only picking for fun?
When they returned to the backyard, Yu Wan fetched three basins of water to wash their fruits. She wanted to put them in one basin, but they insisted on washing their own fruits and refused to mix them with others.
After washing it, the three of them brought the wild fruits to Yu Wan.
Yu Wan was stunned. So it wasn’t that they didn’t want to eat, but they wanted to keep it for her?
Yu Wan’s heart warmed. “I’ll only eat one.”
The little munchkins placed the wild fruits back into the basin and flipped them around. Each of them picked the largest one and fed it to Yu Wan.
Shangguan Yan walked over. “I want one too.”
The little munchkins tossed and turned in the basin. They each picked the smallest one and handed it to Shangguan Yan.
Shangguan Yan : “…”
… .
Shangguan Yan ate until she was full. She touched her round stomach and said, “I want both kinds of stinky tofu. Two jars each. Xingzhu, pay the money!”
The maidservant lowered her head to take out her money.
Yu Wan said, “No need. These are for you.”
Shangguan Yan had helped her resolve such a big problem in the palace. Even if Yan Jiuchao had asked her to do so, she had to accept her favor. Moreover, she was Yan Jiuchao’s biological mother.
“That won’t do. I, Shangguan Yan, never eat other people’s food for free!”
“How is this the same? I haven’t thanked the Princess Consort for what happened last time. I’ll feel bad if you don’t accept it.”
One wanted to give it to her, and the other did not accept it. The two of them fought for a long time. The little maidservant took the money bag and did not know whether to give it or not.
The little munchkins walked over, stood on their tiptoes, grabbed her purse, and placed it in Yu Wan’s hand.
Shangguan Yan, who was hurt again: “…”
They were too biased!
… .
It was getting late, and it was time for Shangguan Yan to return to the Capital. Although she was not worried about the closure of the city gate with her status, she had secretly left the manor today without bringing any guards. It was probably not safe to walk at night.
However, no one expected the sky to suddenly darken. Dark clouds gathered above their heads, as if a storm was about to arrive at any time.
The distance from Lotus Flower Village to the Capital was not far, but it was not close either. If they left now, it was very likely that they would be caught in this heavy rain. That would be troublesome.
“Princess Consort, why don’t you stay here tonight?”
The maidservant snorted. “You make it sound good, but if you let our madam stay, where will she stay?! Will she stay in your house? It’s so dilapidated! It’s too unfair to our madam!”
Crack!
Fifteen minutes later, Yu Wan pried open the back door of the house next door.
… .
The storm was about to arrive, and everyone in the village hid in their houses. They prayed that the rain would not be too heavy. They had already endured a terrifying earthquake and could not withstand any other natural disasters.
The only one who was excited was the Zhao family.
In the main room of the Zhao family, the four of them sat around a table. Lightning and thunder began to flash outside the room, but the four of them could not hide the excitement and joy in their eyes.
Only with lightning could they better hide their movements. Tonight was the best time to attack.
Ah Wei volunteered, “Grandma, let me go! I promise to capture her!”
The old man shook his head. “It’s not that easy to catch her. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have escaped from so many experts back then.”
“Then we’ll go together!” said Ah Wei.
The old man shook his head again. “That will easily alert the enemy. You can defeat her, but you might not be able to catch her. What if she’s unwilling to fight you, what if she runs away?” That woman was very cunning!
The three of them were silent.
Ah Wei suddenly had an idea. “Grandma, we’ll use this!”
The old man looked at Ah Wei.
Ah Wei stood up and took out a translucent jade box from his bag. There was a mosquito-sized thing inside.
The old man’s eyes paused. “This is… the Hundred Gu King?”
Ah Wei nodded. “That’s right! It’s the Hundred Gu King! I’ll poison her. As long as she’s poisoned, she won’t be able to escape from us!”
The Hundred Gu King was achieved by putting a hundred poisonous creatures and placed them in the pot. For forty-nine days, they were not fed, they could only continuously eat away at their opponents. The one who survived in the end was the King of Hundred Gu.
Even their king did not dare to rashly try this kind of Gu King. She was just a bride who had run away, so he was not afraid at all!
The old man felt that it was feasible. “Go. Remember to be careful.”
Ah Wei’s Qinggong was very good. When he flashed into the Yu residence, he did not make any noise. He had observed Yu Wan during the day and knew that she lived in the room on the west side. He flashed into the room.
On the soft bed, Yu Wan and Little Bruiser were sleeping soundly.
Ah Wei put on his silver silk gloves and opened the jade box. He whispered to the Hundred Gu King inside, “Go, powerful King of Hundred Gu!”
The Hundred Gu King did not move.
Huh? Ah Wei blinked and read it even more piously. “Go, powerful and sacred King of Hundred Gu!”
The Hundred Gu King still did not move.
“Go, the powerful, holy, and fearless King of Hundred Gu!”
“Go, the powerful, holy, fearless, and invincible King of Hundred Gu!”
“Go… go to hell!” Ah Ju impatiently grabbed the Gu worm in the box and threw it at Yu Wan!
