Started as a mute girl? I prospered in the lean years

Wu Li thought that since he was a gentleman, he would definitely not do such a thing as having an affair without a matchmaker.

But as she listened to Shen Huaixu's words, her thoughts kept wandering, as if she had returned to that day, the day when she offered herself to him. When she said that, the smile on the man's lips froze for a moment, and something flashed in his eyes.

She knew that as a witch she could not give him a worldly marriage, and she always felt guilty about it. The better he treated her, the more guilty she felt. As her guilt grew, she was also moved by his actions, and she said such words in a fit of anger.

Unfortunately, she was so embarrassed at the time that she didn't think about her lover's situation.

Now that she has experienced the low point, thinking back on it again, she suddenly realized.

That was clearly disgust.

If you act for a long time, your true colors will eventually show up, but she was too stupid to see through it at the time.

Maybe it was because she had vomited blood and had a close call with death, but after she figured it out, her face remained calm.

"Sometimes, what you say sounds a lot like Wei Nishang. At the time, I only half understood it, but when I think about it carefully, I can understand it."

Shen Huaixu handed her the cooled porridge. "Knowing yourself and your enemy will ensure victory in a hundred battles. I have fought with her for so long, and I have always been able to learn something from her that I can use. I have also collected a lot of strange books from her, which has greatly increased my knowledge."

Wu Li raised the corner of his mouth slightly, took the porridge, tasted it and held it in his mouth. Although he had no appetite, he swallowed it slowly. "I like talking to you, and you are very direct. People don't want to face it but have to think about what you say."

The carriage gradually slowed down, Shen Huaixu stood up and pulled the curtain, "Don't flatter me, even if you praise me to the sky, I won't support a person who is looking for death all day long in vain."

"No." Wu Li said with a smile, but tears fell into the bowl like beads, "I won't commit suicide, I want to live..."

Shen Huaixu gave a faint smile and jumped off the carriage.

Wu Li had a strong desire to survive. Even if he had no appetite, he would eat something to fill his stomach. After two or three days, he would be able to get off the carriage and walk around on his own.

It was already dark when the group arrived at the county town where Jiang Erlang was the county magistrate. Shen Huaixu did not rush to the county government office to find Jiang Erlang, but asked Xiaoman to find an inn to stay in first.

After a long journey, she wanted to take a comfortable bath.

Wu Li's complexion has improved a lot. From a distance, he still looks thin, but his eyes and eyebrows are full of vitality, as if the tender buds of early spring are breaking through the ground after experiencing the frost.

After a simple wash, she found Shen Huaixu, knelt down and said word by word: "The county lady said that my life is yours, so Wu Li will swear to be loyal to the county lady until death and will never betray her."

Shen Huaixu smiled with satisfaction and helped her up. "You really didn't let me down. The past is the past. Those who bullied you will not have a good end. Your survival will make them heartbroken and in great pain."

Wu family, Wu family. Wu Li kept repeating in her mind, while lowering her eyes with sinister intent, and that person... There were many people who bullied her and were still alive and well.

She couldn't sleep until she heard the news of the Wu family's downfall from Shen Huaixu.

"By the way," Shen Huaixu said, "How about you teach me witchcraft and I teach you how to perform laparotomy?"

Wu Li's dark mood instantly dissipated, and he opened his eyes wide, "Caesarean section?"

She suddenly thought, "I remember now, you can perform caesarean section to save people. But witchcraft... is not suitable for the county lady. Whatever the county lady wants to do, just let Wu Li do it. Whatever you want to know, Wu Li will answer one by one."

After hearing what she said, Shen Huaixu had no choice but to give up. She was just curious. Then his smile became cunning, "Do you want to take revenge on your lover?"

Wu Li was stunned. These days, Wu Li tried her best not to think about that person. When Shen Huaixu mentioned it, the flame of revenge instantly burned fiercely, burning her heart from time to time.

In order to prevent her expression from being too ferocious and being seen by Shen Huaixu, she lowered her head and said, "I do, but I can't go back to Nanxia."

If she goes back, the Wu family will definitely not let her go.

Shen Huaixu then remembered, "There is something I forgot to tell you. Apart from you, there should be no one left in the Wu family. All nine clans will be implicated. And you, Wu Li, are now just a dead person in Nanxia Country, so there is no need to worry."

Wu Li was stunned and forgot to speak.

She knew the Wu family very well, and when she heard that the Wu family was selling official positions and titles, she did not hold out any hope.

She clearly remembered that there was a student from another place who limped to Xiangyi City with one leg. When all the ministers were attending the court, he beat the drum to report to the emperor. In broad daylight, in front of everyone, he knelt on the ground and loudly recounted how he was replaced in the imperial examination and how he was killed on the way to Beijing. Every word he said was like the cry of blood from a cuckoo.

What happened to the man in the end? The witch family used money to bribe him, and the man died in prison.

Wu Li believes that she is not suitable to be a witch. She can hardly take care of herself, but she still can't bear to see such things. The most terrifying thing is that as a witch, she has become a backer who indulges the Wu family's unscrupulous behavior.

She remembered that when she was a child, there was a grandmother who took care of her and treated her very well. At that time, she was on the road to becoming a medicine man. She was in agony every day and could not sleep well. Her grandmother wiped the sweat from her forehead. She heard her grandmother say with pity: "Being too beautiful has become a disaster. It's a sin..."

Yes, she was of average talent and naively thought that she stood out because of her hard work and patience. It was not until the day she came of age that she realized it was because of her face.

“The entire clan will be punished together?” Her voice gradually rose. “Good death, good death…”

To her, the Wu family was like a gigantic beast with fangs that could eat people alive. One of its sharp claws was pressing on her, making her unable to live in peace. Now, after only a few days, the beast fell to the ground with a loud bang, which made her feel empty.

Wu Li stood there for a long while, and finally wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes, smiling happily, "The county lady has helped me a lot, I am afraid I will never be able to repay her in this lifetime, so leave her to me. I will not be satisfied until I get the answers clearly."

"It's up to you then." Shen Huaixu was still thinking about taking a nice bath, so he said, "If you have nothing else to do, leave."

Wu Li: "Could the county lady give me a name? The Wu family no longer exists, and Wu Li should no longer be called Wu Li."

Shen Huaixu did not refuse. He pondered for a moment, walked to the window and looked up at the moon in the sky. "How about chasing the moon? I hope you will not forget to pursue the brightest place in the dark night."

She turned to look at Wu Li, a faint smile in her eyes, "As for your surname, just follow mine, Shen Zhuyue."

Wu Li smiled with tears in her eyes, "Shen Zhuyue thanks the county lady."

***

The next day, Shen Huaixu brought Xiaoman to the county government office when the court was in session, but unexpectedly did not see Jiang Erlang. Instead, the county magistrate was sitting in the court.

After asking, I learned that Jiang Sanlang left the county town yesterday and went to the provincial capital.

When Shen Huaixu heard the news, he thought it was such an unfortunate timing.

"Do you know when my second brother will return?"

“The man just said he didn’t know.”

Shen Huaixu looked at the man sitting in the hall and said, "Then let's ask this county magistrate. It's a good opportunity to see if my second brother's colleagues are easy to get along with."

When the gavel was struck, the bailiffs on both sides shouted "Adjourn the court", and Xiaoman stepped forward to stop them.

"How dare you! Who dares to block the way of the county magistrate?!"

The county lady's badge was right in front of the man's eyes, and the man who was shouting lost his arrogance immediately. He took the badge and came before the county magistrate. The county magistrate took a closer look and knelt in front of Xiaoman in fear, "I didn't know that the county lady Mingyi had come..."

Xiaoman stepped aside, revealing Shen Huaixu behind him, "You're kneeling to the wrong person."