Shen Wei became even more solicitous towards Li Yue Shu after realizing he had misunderstood her. He would even offer to help her in the kitchen, regardless of how busy she was. Li Yue Shu, assuming he was simply vying for Shen Can's attention, played along and chatted with him, not wanting to make him feel ignored.
While everyone was busy, an exquisite and luxurious carriage slowly approached the village entrance. Two lanterns hung from the front corners of the carriage, each bearing a prominent "Li" character. The coachman respectfully addressed the carriage, "Steward Li, we have arrived at the village. I will find someone to ask for directions." A cold "Hmm" came from within the carriage.
The coachman quickly dismounted and stopped a passerby. "Excuse me, do you have a woman named Li Yue Shu in your village? Where does she live?" The man the coachman stopped was Shen Cheng Cai, who was on his way home. He looked at the person before him, dressed far better than himself, a flicker of envy in his eyes. He cautiously asked, "What do you want with her?" Shen Cheng Cai knew he had to be careful with anything related to Li Yue Shu, as she had managed to escape danger even when taken to the county yamen.
The coachman, clearly disdainful of Shen Cheng Cai's worn-out clothes, replied, "We are from the Li Mansion. We have some business with her. You just need to show us the way." He then took out a few copper coins and tossed them over. "This is for your trouble." Shen Cheng Cai instinctively caught them, his eyes widening in shock as he felt the weight of the real coins in his hand. He had worked his fingers to the bone copying books for others all night and earned only a handful of coppers. The people from the Li Mansion were truly generous!
The villagers were all aware of the past conflict between Li Yue Shu and the Li Mansion, stemming from Li Yue Shu's arrest on behalf of Shen Can. Although Shen Cheng Cai was young, he understood that the Li Mansion's visit to Li Yue Shu could only mean trouble. He quickly pocketed the coins, his dark, square face beaming with a fawning smile. "You're here to settle scores with that poisonous woman, aren't you? I'm telling you, that poisonous woman should have been dealt with long ago!"
The coachman blinked, "Do you have a grudge against her?" Shen Cheng Cai, only seven or eight years old and indulged at home, lacked worldly experience. He naturally failed to notice the coachman's unusual expression. He nodded vigorously, his face filled with anger as he spoke of Li Yue Shu. "Even though she's my third aunt, she tricked my third uncle and my grandmother into separating the family. And she was afraid I would overshadow her son, so she forced me to be expelled from the academy, preventing me from ever achieving fame and bringing honor to our ancestors."
Having served in a large household for most of his life, the coachman could easily discern the child's intentions. He curled his lips dismissively and waved his hand impatiently, "Enough nonsense. Hurry up and lead the way." With that, he turned and returned to the carriage. Shen Cheng Cai gazed at the exquisite carriage, envy filling his eyes. Truly, this was the Li Mansion; this carriage was infinitely more refined than that poisonous woman Li Yue Shu's!
Wait a minute, if Li Yue Shu was dealt with by the Li Mansion, wouldn't her household possessions revert to the Shen family? Thinking this, Shen Cheng Cai quickened his pace, almost running as he led the Li Mansion's carriage. However, when he could see Li Yue Shu's house, he stopped. He merely pointed the way to the coachman. If Li Yue Shu found out he had led them here, she might cause trouble for him. He decided it was best not to go any further.
The coachman didn't seem to mind and drove the carriage forward. Shen Cheng Cai, hiding in the distance, watched as the coachman dismounted and knocked on the door. A thought struck him, and he quickly turned and ran. He had to deliver this news to his grandmother. Knowing his father and grandmother, they would definitely come to seize any potential benefits!
"Knock, knock, knock!" The coachman knocked a few times, and seeing no one open the door, he began to knock harder. "Coming, coming, stop knocking!" Mother Mo rushed out, panting, and opened the door. Seeing a completely unfamiliar face, she asked with a hint of confusion, "Who are you looking for?" The coachman tried to peer inside, but Mother Mo immediately blocked his view, her face full of vigilance. The coachman, growing impatient, asked, "Does Li Yue Shu live here?" Mother Mo didn't recognize the person before her, but she could sense a lack of goodwill. "Do you have business with her?" Hearing this, the coachman knew he had found the right place. He arrogantly raised his chin and declared, "Steward Li of our Li Mansion has personally come. He has business with Li Yue Shu. Hurry up and call her out!"
Upon hearing it was someone from the Li Mansion, Mother Mo's expression changed. "What Li Mansion people? I don't know them! You've come to the wrong place!" Saying this, she shut the door without waiting for the coachman's reaction. Mother Mo quickly locked the door and rushed back inside. When the house was built, Li Yue Shu had specifically designed something similar to a fireplace. With the cold weather, everyone was huddled inside for warmth, chatting casually. When Mother Mo hurried in, everyone looked at her. "Madam, someone from the Li Mansion, Steward Li, has come looking for you." Mother Mo frowned. "They seem to have ill intentions and want you to go out to meet them. Should you perhaps avoid them?"
Shen Can, who was playing with Wei Ling by the fireplace, suddenly looked up, a knot of nervousness forming in his heart. Not far from her, Shen Wei's gaze shifted, a glint of an eerie dark light flashing in his eyes. The Li Mansion people were here again? Chai Yang was always meticulous in his work; the Li Mansion shouldn't have dared to show up again. Li Yue Shu was also somewhat surprised. Given the Prefect's attitude last time, this matter should have been settled. What was the Li Mansion's intention in coming here now? After a moment of thought, Li Yue Shu gently waved her hand. "It's fine. Just keep the door closed and pretend you didn't hear anything."
Mother Mo was taken aback. Seeing Li Yue Shu so calm, her slightly uneasy heart settled. She returned to Mo Lian's side and sat down, as if she hadn't left at all. The coachman at the door, assuming she was fetching someone, waited patiently. However, by the time his hands were red from the cold, the heavy door remained shut. He knocked again, impatiently. "Where are they? Hurry and open the door so we can come in. We have important business!" He wouldn't have accompanied them to such a poor and remote place if it weren't for the opportunity to curry favor with Steward Li. These uncultured and ill-mannered village women didn't even know to let them in first. But no matter how he knocked, the firmly shut door showed no signs of opening. Instead, his increasingly agitated shouts attracted the attention of many villagers.
The village wasn't large, and with little farm work in winter, any commotion quickly spread. Many people came out to watch the spectacle, including the Shen family members, who were lurking at the back of the crowd. After the previous incident, Mother Shen harbored a deep-seated fear of Li Yue Shu, feeling a pain in her arm every time she saw her. Because of this, her dissatisfaction and resentment towards Li Yue Shu only grew stronger. Regardless of whether they could gain any benefits today, as long as she saw Li Yue Shu suffer a setback, she would buy two catties of meat to celebrate at home!
As more and more villagers gathered, even the village elder was alerted. The coachman became anxious. Just as he was about to force his way in, there was a stir from the person who had been sitting inside the carriage.