Reborn as a Happy Wife in a Rural Family
Chapter 194: The Fate of Li Huan’er

Chapter 194: Chapter 194: The Fate of Li Huan’er

Ms. Su’s expression softened slightly. She sighed. Her Li’er had actually ended up in the countryside and even married a farmer. No matter how she thought about it, her heart ached. Then there was that detestable Ms. Wu, who was supposed to bring Li’er back to Capital City. How had she ended up in some remote southwestern place? Even birds wouldn’t lay eggs there; how could people survive? Her poor Li’er.

"How did Li Huan’er find out about Li’er?" Ms. Su suddenly wondered, asking Gu Xicheng and his son.

Gu Xicheng looked at Gu Qingping; he had no idea about this matter either and was also pondering how Li Huan’er could have known. Li Huan’er was only a few years old when she came to the Gu Mansion and had remained there ever since, only occasionally returning to her own home. She had never even left Capital City. Where could she have gotten this information? And to even hire an assassin! Could it be that Ms. Wu and Li Huan’er were in secret correspondence, deliberately hiding Li’er’s situation, and that Ms. Wu had sent Li Huan’er to the Gu Mansion to replace Li’er? The thought of this possibility made Gu Xicheng’s blood boil. He, a dignified Senior Grand Secretary, had been played by two women!

Gu Qingping had also pondered this issue; it was something he still couldn’t understand. He had wanted to ask his sister about it that time, but she had been swiftly sent away before he had the chance.

He said, "Father, Mother, I don’t know either. I had hoped for a chance to ask Ms. Wu about it back then, but the opportunity never arose. However, we can ask her this time."

"Good!" Ms. Su declared. "We must ask Ms. Wu why she didn’t bring your sister back! As for Li Huan’er, subject her to harsh interrogation. We must find out the truth and not let that wretch off easily. She’s been feigning innocence in my presence for ten years without a single flaw!"

Ms. Su was now filled with a mixture of hatred, vexation, and regret. How could I have felt sympathy for that lowly servant? I was blind and foolish! I even allowed her to live like a young lady in the mansion for ten years while my own daughter suffered untold hardships in that godforsaken place. At this thought, Ms. Su wished she could tear Li Huan’er limb from limb.

"There, there, my dear, don’t be angry. Lie down and rest. I’ll stay here with you," Gu Xicheng said, gently helping her lie down.

Gu Qingping, seeing the situation, tactfully bowed to Gu Xicheng and Ms. Su before excusing himself.

「The next day,」 Gu Xicheng attended the morning court session early.

After Gu Qingping visited Ms. Su in Li’er’s courtyard, he ordered the old maidservants to bring Li Huan’er in.

In just one night, the once radiant Li Huan’er had become utterly haggard. Her eyes were vacant, and she slumped to the ground.

Ms. Su, seated in the main chair, clenched her fists, glaring daggers at Li Huan’er. Gu Qingping stood beside her, constantly trying to soothe her. "Mother, please don’t be angry. It’s not worth ruining your health over this vile servant."

"Alright." Ms. Su took a deep breath, struggling to remain calm. She questioned, "Li Huan’er, why did you hire assassins to murder my Li’er? And how did you know she was in Qinghe Village?"

"Qinghe Village?" Li Huan’er, who had initially resolved to say nothing, showed a flicker of life in her dull eyes upon hearing the name. She slowly raised her head, looking at Ms. Su and her son.

How do they know about that place? she wondered. As long as I stubbornly refuse to reveal Gu Qingli’s whereabouts, the Gu Mansion won’t kill me. I might even find a way to escape. But now... that possibility is gone.

"That’s right," Gu Qingping sneered. "Did you think we wouldn’t find out about Qinghe Village? Did you think you could escape? We just want to know why you hired assassins. Was Ms. Wu in contact with you?" Seeing this master of feigned innocence finally drop her act, he felt a surge of satisfaction. For years, she had put on a ’good girl’ charade to win Mother’s favor. Watching Mother treat her like her own daughter, knowing all that affection should have belonged to his sister, had been agonizing.

"Heh..." Li Huan’er said defiantly. "So I hired assassins. The murder wasn’t successful, was it? Kill me, torture me, do as you please. I won’t say a thing."

"Mother Rong," Ms. Su called, her patience worn thin. "Pry her mouth open for me! I don’t have the temper to waste on her."

"Yes, Madam," Mother Rong replied. She beckoned to two stout serving women, who seized Li Huan’er and dragged her towards the woodshed. Every prominent household in the Capital City had its methods for dealing with people.

In less than an hour, Mother Rong returned. She had long seen through Li Huan’er’s impure motives and disliked her intensely. Clearly not a legitimate young lady of the Gu Mansion, Li Huan’er had still put on airs, bossing around the servants as if she were someone important. So, when it came to dealing with Li Huan’er, Mother Rong had shown no mercy.

"Mother Rong, what did you find out?" Ms. Su asked.

Mother Rong curtsied. "Madam, Young Master, Li Huan’er confessed. She said... she said she had a dream when she was seven years old. In the dream... and that’s why she decided to kill the Young Lady and take her place in the Gu Mansion."

"This..." Ms. Su and Gu Qingping were dumbfounded. That’s too preposterous! All because of a dream?

"Mother, what should we do about this?" Gu Qingping asked. He had initially considered sparing her life, but based on this alone, Li Huan’er could not be allowed to live. However, he still had to ask for his mother’s decision.

It took Ms. Su a long moment to recover from this ’truth’. While talk of prophetic dreams was often dismissed, if this particular story got out, Li’er would undoubtedly be implicated. What if people started spouting nonsense about demons and spirits in connection to Li’er? What then? Therefore, Li Huan’er could not be allowed to live.

She said to Mother Rong, "Mother Rong, you handle this. Arrange for her to die suddenly. Then, send some silver to her father."

"Yes, Madam. Your old servant will see to it at once," Mother Rong replied. As Ms. Su’s dowry servant, Mother Rong was her most trusted confidante; letting her handle this was the most prudent course of action.

Once the matter was settled, Gu Qingping said, "Mother, regarding fetching Sister, let’s do it after the New Year. It’s only two days away."

Ms. Su nodded. "Very well. Travel is difficult during the New Year. I heard the Seventh Prince nearly lost his skin returning from Qiyang County."

Ms. Su’s agreement pleased Gu Qingping. He hadn’t wanted to fetch Gu Qingli anyway—not because the journey was arduous, but because Gu Qingli had made it clear to him that she wouldn’t return yet. His earlier talk of fetching her had been solely to ease his mother’s mind.

「That night,」 Li Huan’er’s father received two hundred taels in silver notes from the Gu Mansion, along with the news of Li Huan’er’s sudden death.

Li’s father felt no affection for his daughter, Li Huan’er. Even at a young age, she had been overly ambitious, always seeking to attach herself to wealth and status. Her life or death meant little to him. Besides, the Gu Mansion had even sent two hundred taels of silver—that alone made it all worthwhile. Selling a child might only fetch a dozen taels, and he had hardly raised her anyway; the Gu Mansion had provided for her all along. Moreover, the girl had enjoyed a comfortable life in the Gu Mansion and had never given a thought to him, her own father.

「At the Snow Maiden Clan,」 Gu Qingli received the poisonous flowers and other herbs from the young woman and Ah Li the next day.

Gu Qingli accepted the items but did not immediately release Xue Mei and her son.

The young woman asked Gu Qingli hesitantly, "Madam, is... is my husband alright? Could we perhaps..."