After Transmigration, I Picked Up A Husband and Daughter
Chapter 180: Not Returning Home Overnight

Chapter 180: Chapter 180: Not Returning Home Overnight

Jiang Ziling never questioned, all he could do was silently accept and try his best to become a solid support for Su Yu, rather than an additional burden.

So, he gently lifted the already sleepy Xixi, stepped into the cozy bedroom, and carefully placed her on the soft bed with motions as tender as if he were handling a precious piece of art.

Once the child was settled, Su Yu finally enjoyed a moment of tranquility. She walked into the bathroom, letting the hot water wash away the day’s fatigue and dirt, as if the warm water also took away some of the heavy burden in her heart.

After bathing, she didn’t relax at all, immediately throwing herself into preparations for tomorrow’s visit to the Young Master Tutor’s Mansion. She selected and organized each gift, ensuring they would accurately convey her intentions and sincerity.

The night deepened, and fine rain filled the view outside the window, quiet and lingering, as if the sky was also sharing its unknown secrets.

Su Yu slightly raised her eyebrows, feeling a subtle sense of pleasure—Lady Zhao, that wicked old woman, was finally going to taste some bitterness. Perhaps it was true what they said about divine justice and retribution being inescapable.

At that moment, Lady Zhao was in a wretched state, cursing Su Yu’s ancestors, yet feeling fortunate to have found a broken-down shack as a temporary shelter. Although crude, it was sufficient for her to retain the last bit of body heat against the cold rain and not fall ill out in the wilderness.

Meanwhile, Su Yu was busy until the sky began to brighten with the first glimmers of dawn, finally stopping her work and collapsing on the table into a deep sleep.

In her dreams, she perhaps saw those carefully prepared Heart Protecting Pills, Beauty Care Pills, Detoxification Powder, and strengthening powder—the treasures imbued with her painstaking efforts.

She had already planned that these precious medicines would be divided into two groups: one part would be sent to the politically influential Young Master Tutor’s Mansion, and the other entrusted to Master Liao of Hundred Herbs Hall, hoping he would deliver these rare treasures into the hands of higher-class nobles.

Hundred Herbs Hall, a place dedicated to collecting exotic flowers and herbs for nobles—Su Yu was well aware that the treasures she held were not only unique but also remarkably effective, undoubtedly coveted by those powerful figures.

As long as she could win their favor and rise to fame, wealth would naturally roll in, and prosperity would come uninvited.

Thinking of this, Su Yu couldn’t help but draw a confident smile at the corner of her mouth—how could she miss such a precious opportunity?

Just awakening from a hazy sleep, Su Yu slowly opened her eyes to see Jiang Ziling’s tender figure, carefully tucking the quilt around her.

Jiang Ziling’s brows were slightly furrowed, his eyes full of deep pity for her, and those bloodshot eyes caused his heart to tighten, arousing a surge of affection.

Su Yu stretched her lazy body, feeling as though she had only closed her eyes for a moment, yet the world outside the window was already bathed in the dim light of dawn, causing her to wonder to herself how time could pass so silently.

Cold water gently patted her cheeks, the cool sensation penetrating the skin and instantly dispelling the lingering drowsiness, revitalizing her spirit.

Jiang Ziling knew that today she would embark on a long journey and had risen early to knead dough, his meticulous and delicate method perfect for preparing her travel provisions—the fragrant scent of chive and egg pancakes.

Su Yu quietly watched, feeling a warm current rise within her as Jiang Ziling appeared to have mastered this culinary skill, allowing her to worry less about these trivial domestic tasks in the future.

Stepping out of the room, the crisp morning air mingled with the fragrance of the soil. Su Yu headed to Xie Xinghua’s chamber, gently knocking on the door, "Sister-in-law, it’s time to get up and pack, our journey waits for no one."

As for taking Da Ya with them, Xie Xinghua was positively responsive. After all, without her, the nagging worries and unease about her family might follow her like a shadow.

However, Xie Xinghua couldn’t help but feel anxious, concerned that Lady Zhao might harm the vulnerable members of Ziling’s family while she was away, especially her defenseless husband.

The night had passed; had Lady Zhao quietly returned home? If she disappeared for good, it would save a great deal of trouble.

Xie Xinghua thought to herself, the kind of dark thoughts she harbored now would have filled her with guilt in the past, but at this moment, her hatred for the old woman was almost enough to prompt her to take action herself.

Just then, Jiang Xunzhong’s voice broke the silence. He asked Su Yu with confusion, "What about Ziling’s family’s matriarch? Didn’t she leave with you last night? Why hasn’t she returned yet?"

Jiang Xunzhong had thought that Lady Zhao would come back later on her own, but as the day was already well advanced and she was still nowhere to be seen, his anxiety was palpable.

Upon hearing this, the corners of Su Yu’s mouth curled into a mocking smile, "Matriarch? I certainly do not have such a mother-in-law."

Jiang Xunzhong was at a loss for words, but he persisted, "Chang Xi’s mother, Lady Zhao, do you know where she is?"

Su Yu fabricated a response carelessly, "Who knows? With her kind of misconduct, she might have run off with some paramour again."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Xunzhong’s face turned dark with surging anger.

"You..."

Despite his anger surging like tidal waves, Jiang Xunzhong strove to contain himself.

"She left with you, and only the two of you returned. You owe me an explanation, no matter what."

Su Yu interrupted him impatiently, "Such a heartless and ungrateful person doesn’t deserve a lift from me. If she wants to come back, she can crawl back on her own!"

"What? You..."

Jiang Xunzhong was livid with a face ashen with disbelief, struggling to comprehend that Xie Xinghua and Su Yu could behave in such a manner.

Seeing his face mixed with sorrow and anger, Su Yu let out a cold laugh, "What are you pretending to be the good guy for? She didn’t come home all night, and you slept soundly without even getting up to look for her."

Jiang Xunzhong was about to argue that he had in fact been restless all night when suddenly, the noise from outside interrupted his train of thought.

Turning to look, he saw Lady Zhao, in a disheveled state covered with mud, limping into the courtyard, as if a new storm was about to unfold.

Jiang Xunzhong stared at Lady Zhao, ragged and haggard, but after confirming that she was safe and sound, a huge weight was slightly lifted from his heart.

However, the thought of Da Ya still lost out there clenched his heart again, and he quickened his pace toward Lady Zhao, his voice filled with urgency and unease, "Where is Da Ya? Where did you sell her to? Why didn’t she come back with you?"

Lady Zhao, dragging her exhausted body, with a face weathered by hardship filled with fatigue, had thought of home as a shelter from the storm, but she had not expected that it would be her husband’s interrogation that greeted her.

Disappointment, grievance, and fury intertwined in her chest, spreading like a wildfire, "Da Ya, Da Ya, just a lowly maid, she’s been sold and that’s that. How can anyone bother about where she ends up? It’s best if she disappears from our world forever!"

With that, Lady Zhao summoned all the strength she had left into a shove, abruptly knocking Jiang Xunzhong off-balance, nearly causing him to fall to the ground.

"Move out of the way!"