These days, Xiao Jingnan had been extremely busy and elusive. Every day, he only taught one accounting class in the academy and then disappeared.
Lu Ping quietly told Li Wanming that Feng Xiao had gotten news about the Ghost - Crying Path, so Xiao Jingnan often had to go to the General's Mansion to discuss matters with Feng Xiao.
Li Wanming knew this was a major issue, so she didn't bother him.
Anyway, with her two elder sisters by her side, she felt at ease and happy. She was glad to spend her days chatting and having fun with her sisters after class, having no time to care about other things.
In the golden autumn of October, the sky was high and the air was crisp, the best season of the year.
Every day, she brewed wine, made tea, practiced calligraphy, and trained in martial arts, living freely and care - free, as if she had returned to Min Province.
Li Wanming and her students had improved two more types of wine, which were well - received in the capital.
Some of her students had completed their phased courses and could go out to work. The tuition fees that the academy had advanced were slowly being recovered, and everything was moving in a positive direction.
However, when life was going too smoothly, there would always be someone causing trouble.
For example, the Li family...
One noon, just as Li Wanming had finished her wine - brewing class, Qinglan came to find her and said that someone from the Li family had come to call her home.
"The Li family... Did my grandmother send for me?"
Li Wanming frowned slightly, sensing something amiss.
Li Rusong and Yuan Jinqiu were often away from home. If the Li family sent for her, it could only be her grandmother, Mrs. Li.
But Mrs. Li had never liked her. Since she got married almost two years ago, Mrs. Li had never sent anyone to see her. Why would she suddenly send someone now?
A bad premonition welled up in Li Wanming's heart.
The young servant sent by the Li family couldn't explain clearly after talking for a long time. He only said that something big had happened and Mrs. Li wanted her to go back quickly. He also said that Mrs. He had been crying in Mrs. Li's room for half a day this morning...
Mrs. He?
It must be something related to the Sun family again.
Li Wanming felt annoyed and even more curious.
Wasn't Mrs. He showing off and drinking the first - pot of congee in the City God Temple two months ago? Why did she go to the Li family to cry after disappearing for a while?
There had been no news of any trouble in the Sun family recently.
Why on earth did Mrs. He send for her?
Her eldest sister, Li Wanxin, walked out and saw the anxious servant sweating profusely. She couldn't help but feel worried. "Little sister, since grandmother sent someone to invite you specifically, something big must have happened at home. I'll go back with you to take a look..."
Her second sister, Li Wanmo, immediately said, "Eldest sister, you stay at the academy. I'll accompany little sister back!"
She wasn't worried about trouble in the Li family, but afraid that Li Wanming would be bullied if she went back alone.
Li Wanming paused for a moment and then asked the servant, "Did grandmother send someone to the military camp in the suburbs of the capital to call my father and mother?"
"No, the old lady only sent me to call the third young lady."
Li Wanming lowered her head, and her doubts deepened.
Not calling her father and mother, but only her...
It meant that Mrs. Li thought that Li Rusong and Yuan Jinqiu couldn't solve this matter, and only she could.
What kind of matter could she handle better than Li Rusong and Yuan Jinqiu?
If she really thought about it, it was only her husband's family, which had an indirect connection with Princess Chengping and the Cheng family of Langya...
Thinking of this, Li Wanming's heart sank.
It must be a huge matter that required the help of Princess Chengping and the Cheng family of Langya...
What on earth had Mrs. Li and Mrs. He, these two muddle - headed and immoral old ladies in their sixties, done to cause such a big problem?
She composed herself and said to Wanxin and Wanmo, "Eldest sister, second sister, grandmother sent for me. I'll go back alone."
"You wait for my news at the academy. I'll send Qinglan back to report if there's anything. It won't be too late for you to help then."
Li Wanming didn't dare to let her two sisters go back rashly. After all, they had just escaped from the clutches of the Chen and He families. If anything happened to alarm those two families and they were caught back, it would be extremely difficult for them to get out again.
Wanmo instantly understood her meaning and said to Wanxin, "Eldest sister, little sister has made quite a name for herself in the capital this year. She's much more knowledgeable than us who have been confined to the inner courtyard all year. Let's just listen to her."
Although Wanxin was very anxious, she had to agree when she heard what her second sister said.
She had always been indecisive. She could only exhort Li Wanming, "Little sister, be careful. If anything happens, quickly send Miss Qinglan back to tell us."
Li Wanming nodded and then rushed to the Li family with Qinglan.
As soon as she entered the main gate of the Li family, she heard Mrs. He's heart - rending cries coming from Mrs. Li's courtyard.
"They... are inhumane..."
"They've bullied us so much..."
"They're so dirty - minded..."
"They're just... sluts!"
Li Wanming frowned slightly. She told Qinglan to wait for her at the door and slowly walked into the courtyard alone.
Although she had been mentally prepared, the scene in front of her still surprised her a little.
In the main hall, Mrs. He, with her hair disheveled, was hugging Mrs. Li and crying with snot and tears.
There was a large bruise on her forehead, and her cheeks were swollen so much that her small eyes were squeezed into narrow slits. The corner of her mouth was broken, with dark red dried blood.
Her clothes were covered in dust. The originally bright ginger - yellow brocade had gotten mud on it from somewhere and looked dirty. One of her sleeves had been torn off, revealing the equally dirty lining. She looked both pitiful and ridiculous.
Had Mrs. He... been beaten?
Li Wanming widened her eyes.
Wow, no way?
Who dared to beat the grandmother of the young mistress of the family of the vice - minister of the Ministry of Personnel, a noble lady in the capital who could drink the first - pot of congee in the City God Temple!
Li Wanming quickly composed herself and suppressed the urge to smile.
Mrs. Li, who was being grabbed by Mrs. He in a mess and could hardly sit still on her crutches, suddenly saw Li Wanming come in and immediately shouted, "Here comes the third girl... Here comes the third girl! You... go and talk to her quickly. Let her stand up for you!"
When Mrs. He turned her head and saw her, she immediately let out a loud cry and stretched out her hands, trying to pounce on her. "My dear granddaughter..."
Li Wanming was so scared that she stepped back repeatedly. "Stay there! Just talk here. Don't come over!"
— She was really afraid that Mrs. He's tears and snot would smear on her.
Mrs. He missed her target and then sat down on the ground, beating her thighs and wailing loudly.
"Why is my life so hard..."
"Damn Guo Ziyan! I married my granddaughter to you, but you beat me for a woman outside..."
"The whole family is so dirty - minded. They'll go to the oil pan in the underworld after they die!"
She cried and talked, scolded and shouted, and from time to time gritted her teeth and cursed.
It took Li Wanming a while to gradually understand what had happened.
It turned out that Sun Miaoqing had made an appointment to have tea and enjoy the scenery by the lake today. Unexpectedly, she met Guo Ziyan getting off a pleasure boat with a strange woman.
Guo Ziyan had a smile on his lips and was carefully leading the woman ashore. His expression was extremely gentle, and his eyes were full of that woman.
Sun Miaoqing's eyes instantly turned red.
Since she married into the Guo family a year ago, Guo Ziyan had been very cold to her.
She had thought that he might have a woman outside, and she had tried her best to convince herself: it was normal for a man to have concubines and fool around.
However, at the moment when she saw Guo Ziyan's look, she still couldn't contain her jealousy - he had never looked at her like that.
As if possessed, Sun Miaoqing slowly walked out.