"Ah—Don't come any closer!"
As Li Yue Shu took two steps forward, Shen Wang suddenly let out a piercing scream, his expression as if he had seen a ghost.
Before he finished speaking, he abandoned his mother and fled, as if pursued by an evil spirit.
Shen Mu was stunned for a long time. When she finally reacted, she didn't dare to linger any longer and quickly followed her son.
Li Yue Shu raised an eyebrow. She hadn't expected them to be so afraid of her.
But if they were so scared, why had they repeatedly sought trouble with her?
Li Yue Shu couldn't comprehend the thought processes of this mother and son.
She turned to look at Shen Can, a slight smile playing on her lips. "Well done. I'll increase your wages later."
Shen Can's eyes lit up. "Thank you, Madam!"
Her monthly wages were already substantial, and with the increase, she became even more efficient in her work.
...
Shen Wang and his mother ran for who knows how long. They only stopped, panting, when they could no longer run. Shen Wang, in particular, collapsed onto the ground.
It was too terrifying... that venomous woman was too terrifying!
Would she come again in the middle of the night, just like last time…
Shen Wang shivered and couldn't help but glare fiercely at Shen Mu. "It's all your fault for giving me such a terrible idea! Didn't you say Shen Can could be manipulated by you at will? What's going on now?"
Shen Mu was still catching her breath. Hearing this, her expression froze.
She hadn't expected Shen Can to change so much. When she had sold her to the Li family, Shen Can hadn't been this stubborn.
"I didn't expect it to turn out like this either..." Shen Mu shrunk her neck. "What do we do now?"
Shen Wang frowned, unsure of what to do next.
He only had this one son, Cheng Cai. If anything happened to him…
Shen Mu, slumped on the ground, wailed, "My poor grandson! He's the last male heir of the Shen family! Oh, Heaven, are you going to make my Shen family extinct!"
At these words, Shen Wang's expression instantly turned cold.
The word "extinct" pricked him like a needle.
"Shut up!" Shen Wang glared at Shen Mu fiercely. His angry, sharp voice made Shen Mu swallow her wails.
Shen Wang's face was grim. He gritted his teeth and said, "If you hadn't spoiled him to the point of lawlessness, that scoundrel wouldn't have dared to poison anyone!"
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. With a cold snort, he turned and left.
Shen Mu stared blankly for a while, then dejectedly got up from the ground. "It wasn't just me who raised him this way..."
Although she grumbled this under her breath, Shen Mu quickly followed him, not daring to say another word.
Her eldest son was her only reliance now. She was counting on him to support her in her old age!
...
Unbeknownst to them, Shen Cheng Cai, whom they were just talking about, was hiding in a barren mountain.
Since escaping, he had been hiding here, surviving on wild fruits.
He dared not go back, nor did he know where to go.
If he went back, that venomous woman Li Yue Shu would surely send him to the county office again, and his life would be ruined!
Shen Cheng Cai clutched his knees tightly, huddled under a large tree, trembling. His dark skin was covered in dirt, making him more pathetic than a street beggar.
Although the weather had started to warm up recently, the nights were still cool. If he hadn't had a strong constitution since childhood, he would have succumbed long ago.
But if this continued, he would only die…
No, he was not even ten years old. He had his whole life ahead of him. He couldn't die!
Shen Cheng Cai's gaze was firm, and his face was filled with unwillingness.
He was determined to repay the suffering he had endured a thousandfold to that woman. He…
He would go to Chongzhou!
Yes, Chongzhou was full of opportunities. With his talent, he was sure to make a name for himself there!
Shen Cheng Cai seemed to have found hope. His stomach no longer felt hungry, and he nimbly got to his feet.
...
Li Yue Shu was completely unaware of these matters. She had a never-ending list of things to do every day.
Today was the day they had agreed to perform surgery on Liu Lan Lan's husband.
Everyone went to the apothecary early in the morning. Li Yue Shu, however, was busy with matters concerning the pharmaceutical factory.
It wasn't until the afternoon that she, along with Shen Wei, prepared to head to the apothecary.
Rumble—
The sound of wheels turning echoed, becoming quite noticeable in the surrounding quiet.
However, it was too quiet…
Li Yue Shu glanced around, her hand gripping the reins tighter.
"Shen Wei, get into the carriage first. Don't come out unless I tell you to. No matter what sounds you hear, don't move."
Li Yue Shu was driving the carriage, and Shen Wei was accompanying her, so they were naturally sitting outside.
A hint of a mysterious light flashed in Shen Wei's eyes, but his expression remained calm. "Okay, I'll listen to A Shu."
With that, he obediently entered the carriage.
The carriage continued to travel slowly along the road. The surroundings were so quiet that it seemed as if there was nothing there.
Just then, a whooshing sound cut through the air.
"Whoosh—"
Li Yue Shu's gaze sharpened. Instinctively, she raised the hand holding the whip.
"Clang!"
After a faint sound, a flying dagger was embedded fiercely in the ground beside the carriage wheel, only half of it exposed.
"Whoa—"
Li Yue Shu quickly stopped the carriage. She looked at the broken whip in her hand, her eyes filled with a strange expression.
The next moment, as she looked up, she saw more than a dozen masked men armed with weapons surrounding her.
Li Yue Shu's heart sank.
With so many of them, if she were alone, she could have found a way to escape. She could have simply hidden in her space. But Shen Wei was in the carriage.
Li Yue Shu jumped down from the carriage, her expression calm and composed. "Esteemed sirs, we are a married couple…"
Before she could finish, the more than a dozen masked men drew their swords and charged at her.
Li Yue Shu was startled and instinctively dodged.
But what surprised her was that the masked men only feinted and went directly for the carriage behind her.
Li Yue Shu's heart leaped into her throat, and a hint of panic appeared on her face. "Shen Wei!"
She didn't have time to think. She threw out all the silver needles in her hand.
"Shu shu shu!"
After a few faint sounds, almost all the silver needles were blocked by the masked men's swords.
Because of Li Yue Shu's actions, several masked men who were about to slash at the carriage were forced to withdraw their swords, but a few still moved quickly.
"Bang!"
With a loud crash, the intact carriage suddenly sagged by half, revealing the situation inside.
Shen Wei was sitting on the innermost side of the carriage, looking at the people outside with a bewildered expression, seemingly unaware of what was happening.
As the masked men were about to strike, Li Yue Shu rushed forward, her silver needles flying out like a storm of falling flowers.
These masked men were clearly skilled, dodging the silver needles instantly.
But Li Yue Shu was determined this time, and the speed of her needles was even faster than before.
After a few faint sounds, three tall masked men fell to the ground, unconscious.
Seeing this, all the masked men were shocked and looked at Li Yue Shu with vigilance.
As the masked men dodged, Li Yue Shu took the opportunity to reach the front of the carriage, shielding the broken carriage behind her.
She coldly eyed the masked men in front of her. "Who sent you?"
In fact, she already had someone in mind: the Second Prince—Qin Ye Cheng.