No Love

Qiao'er was ordered to serve the candidates for Qianshan Madam, and she was accompanied by a woman named Sanyue.

Because of her outstanding appearance among this group of girls, A Miao was sent to Lixiang Pavilion alone.

"Girl, have some tea."

Du Liuniang walked in with a tea tray and looked at the woman curled up in the corner with a look of pity on her face.

"Once you come here, you can never leave. It's best not to go out. If you go out, you will become the wife of the mountain master."

Du Liuniang put the tea tray on the table. She knew that the girl couldn't eat anything at the moment.

This was not the first time she had seen a girl like this, nor would it be the last.

"Auntie, please let me go. I am not from Qianshanling County. I am here to escape famine."

A Miao cried and said,

"I don't want to be the mountain master's wife. I didn't poison her. I was wrongly accused. Auntie, please save me."

Du Liuniang looked at the person with tear marks on her face, walked over, squatted down, hugged A Miao, and said in a sobbing voice: "Girl, I know. I know everything."

"Auntie, please save me."

Ah Miao threw herself into her arms, crying and shaking all over. She was very scared and helpless, she had no one to turn to, and she had no one to turn to for help.

She finally got a lifeline.

"Child, Auntie will save you."

Du Liuniang also had tears in her eyes. She looked at A Miao kindly and patted her back gently.

"Before I save you, you have to eat well and live well. Only if you are alive can I save you."

"Yes. A Miao is here to kowtow to the aunt."

A Miao left Du Liuniang's arms and kowtowed to her three times sincerely.

"Qiao'er, Sanyue, come in and serve the young lady." Du Liuniang called.

"coming."

Du Liuniang smiled and nodded, then ordered,

"Help the girl wash up."

Qiao'er, Sanyue nodded cautiously and then helped A Miao into the bathroom of Lixiang Pavilion.

……

The next morning, as soon as A Miao opened her eyes, she was met with a bright face.

"You're awake. My name is Situ Huiling. I just moved in."

Situ Huiling smiled and said,

"Nice to meet you. From now on, you and I will be roommates."

A Miao looked at her warily.

"You can be wary of anyone, but you can trust me."

Situ Huiling smiled brightly, and you couldn't tell at all that she was an imprisoned candidate "wife".

There were footsteps on the stairs and Situ Huiling stopped talking.

Qiao'er, Sanyue brought their breakfast: two bowls of brown rice porridge, a steamed bun (a layer of white bread wrapped in a layer of black flour), and a dish of stir-fried pork with pickled vegetables.

This is the best meal A Miao has ever seen.

But she had no appetite at all.

Situ Huiling, however, ate with gusto.

"You really don't want to eat?"

After finishing her meal, Situ Huiling looked at A Miao and said in confusion,

"not hungry?"

A Miao shook her head, then nodded.

Qiaoer, March

Put away the dishes.

A moment later, Du Liuniang came.

She sent Situ Huiling away and talked to A Miao for a while. She comforted her again and told her that she would take her out later.

A Miao nodded in response.

After Du Liu left, Situ Huiling looked at A Miao, who sat silently by the side without saying a word.

Du Liuniang did not appear again until lunch time.

The one who came here again was Qian Shiqi, who brought them the bride's wedding dress.

When Qian Shiqi was about to leave, A Miao chased after him and asked weakly:

"Brother, where is that lady?"

Qian Shiqi glanced at A Miao, shook his head and said, "Girl, don't judge people by appearances. As the saying goes, it's hard to paint the bones of a tiger even if you can only paint its skin. You dare to believe her after just meeting her once? You are so naive."

Qian Shiqi said this and left.

Situ Huiling looked at the confused A Miao and smiled, she laughed so hard that tears came out.

"No, you don't think she will save you, do you? You are so naive. Let me tell you, if you follow her out, you will end up living a life worse than death. How stupid."

A Miao remained silent and returned to the corner to stay quietly.

……

"Master, I know you have a kind heart, but there are so many poor people, will you come here out of pity?"

Du Liuniang, dressed in gorgeous clothes, sat in the county master's living room, looking at the hookah and saying,

"You know there's only one way for them to get up the mountain. Why bother? Leave it to me, at least she's still alive."

The county master sat in the main seat with a livid face, and it was obvious that he was very angry, but he could do nothing about it.

"I'll give you two days to think about it."

Du Liuniang stood up, tapped her water pipe, and walked out swaying from side to side!

"Seventeen, burn the chair she sat on!"

The county master said angrily.

……

Three days later, Lin Qi buried Lin Amu. Everything that could be exchanged for money was sold at home.

He is truly alone now.

He Lao Ba took away all his money.

His uncles forced him to sell all his land.

All he had left was the empty house, and the things in the house had been emptied.

He had nowhere to go. He stumbled all the way to the county town, and after asking around, he found the county magistrate's office.

Qian Shiqi brought him in.

The county lord looked at the young man in front of him, who was dark and thin, like a beggar.

"Master, Lord, please release A Miao."

Lin Qi knelt on the ground, he did not dare to look up at the county master, he knew his request was too much. No one dared to let go of the wife that the Qianshan leader wanted to marry.

The county lord is no exception!

He just had no other choice. Miao was his only relative.

He doesn't want to lose her.

"Mr. County, as long as you release A Miao, I will do whatever you want me to do!"

"Are you willing to do anything?"

The county lord narrowed his eyes.

Qian Shiqi sighed.

"I'm willing to do anything!"

Lin Qi knelt there and repeated,

"I will go up the mountain of knives and into the cauldron of oil. If I, Lin Qi, blink or frown, I will die a miserable death!"

The county master thought for a moment and said indifferently, "It's harder than these."

Lin Qi was stunned. "Master, do you agree?"

The county lord nodded, and then shook his head.

Lin Qi was stunned: Should I agree or not?

Qian Shiqi came over, stared at Lin Qi and said, "You are from Qianshanling County, you must know that releasing A Miao is against the Lord of Qianshan.

Lin Qi was stunned: he only wanted to save A Miao and didn't want to go against the Lord of Qianshan Mountain.

The Lord of Qianshan Mountain is a god. He dare not go against him.

"Of course, if you give up now, the county master won't be embarrassed."

Qian Shiqi said,

"You can go home now. Just pretend you were never here. Let's go."

The county lord's eyes, which had just shown a glimmer of hope, dimmed in an instant.

Lin Qi lowered his head, then raised it again, "Master, is this the only way?"

The county lord nodded.

Qian Shiqi continued, "If there is a choice, the county master will not be embarrassed!"

"I listen to the county master."

Lin Qi kowtowed in response!

……

In the evening, Du Liuniang came to visit and was chased for two streets by the dog released by Qian Shiqi from the county government!

"Master, do you really count on this Lin Qi?"

Qian Shiqi was worried because he knew that his master had made up his mind and he could not change it.

He also knew that the master did not believe in mountain gods!

The county master nodded, "He will do his best for his only family affection. I risk my life for my duty. Seventeen, you don't have to go. Stay and take care of the wife and children. If I..."

"Master, what are you talking about?"

Qian Shiqi smiled and stretched himself.

"I haven't stretched my muscles for a long time. How can I miss out on seventeen cents for such a good opportunity?"

"Alas, my poor wife has to run her life alone again."

The county master looked towards the courtyard with reluctance. The lanterns in the county government office were very dim. In order to reduce expenses, the lanterns were depreciated the least.

"Seventeen, Master, please do me a favor..."

"Master, please don't. You have the seal and status. If you can't defeat the mountain god, I am even less qualified."

Qian Shiqi smiled, and the servile look on his face disappeared, and a bandit look appeared.

"Master, before Qian Shiqi met you, he was a murderer and robber. If the elders were to tell you about it, he was lacking in virtue! If he lacked in virtue, he could make up for it by doing great deeds. Master, Shiqi doesn't want to go to hell, so he shamelessly begs you for the second time: Please leave this opportunity to me!"

The county lord looked at Qian Shiqi's face full of banditry and understood that he was determined to die.

"Seventeen, this matter concerns the life and property of the master. There can be no mistakes. Tonight, you go to the government office and deliver this to the master."

The county lord took out a letter he had written in advance and handed it to Qian Shiqi.

Qian Shiqi hesitated for a moment, but finally took it and turned away.

A trace of loneliness flashed across the county master's eyes, and he left the living room and went straight to the backyard.

The light was on in the room, and under the dim oil lamp sat a lady in simple clothes, mending a hole in the county master's clothes.

"lady."

The county master pushed open the door, his eyes widened when he saw this scene, and he called out softly.

"Master, as a woman, I can't stop you from doing what you are determined to do. This is all I can do."

"Madam, I have something to ask of you."

The county lord bowed,

"Madam, please take our child out safely for the sake of our relationship as husband and wife."

The lady slowly closed her eyes, her hands tightly grasping her clothes. She knew that this day had come.

Her husband still took that path.

Although she was mentally prepared, the arrival of this day still made her feel heartbroken.

Tears flowed silently, and the only sound in the room was the night wind blowing.

"Mom, Dad,"

A pair of little children came over led by March.

March's eyes were red and swollen, and it was obvious that she had been crying for a long time.

"Come on, dear, let daddy hug you again."

The county master had a smile on his face. He turned around, bent down, and picked up the two children in each hand.

He kissed his daughter, then kissed his son, and then sent them to his wife.

He took out a bronze seal and gave it to his son, and then took out a green jade token and gave it to his daughter.

The two children clearly felt that the atmosphere was wrong and were keenly aware of the sadness emanating from their parents.

Standing there silently, watching them quietly.

The lady loosened her hands, slowly folded the clothes, put away the needle and thread, raised her hands, and a breeze slowly gathered. The seal melted into her son's body, and the jade token melted into her daughter's body.

The county master breathed a sigh of relief and bowed, "Thank you, Madam, for your help."

Tears flowed silently in the lady's eyes. She turned around, threw herself into the arms of the county master, and cried.

The two children were infected by the crying and couldn't help crying loudly.

There were no more tears left in Sanyue's eyes; she had cried too much.

"Madam, sir, if you don't leave now, you won't be able to leave."

March urged.

"Where?"

The lady raised her head and looked at the county master with tearful eyes.

"Go to Jiuzhou Spirit Realm."

The county lord wiped away the tears from her face, and new tears flowed out. He felt sorry for his wife.

However, what he was about to do was too dangerous, and they could not stay.

"The exam for the Heaven and Earth Star Dragon and Tiger Ranking is going on there. Take the children to participate in the exam. Remember, no matter how difficult it is, you must enter the exam room in the Nine Provinces Spirit Realm. Only when you get there will you have a chance."

The lady nodded, turned back to the inner room, and soon changed into men's clothes.

He glanced at the county master, then stumbled out, dragging his children in each hand.

Sanyue followed them out of the back door. A carriage had been prepared. Madam carried the child to the carriage, turned her head to look at the high blue brick wall of the county government office, wiped her tears, and said to Sanyue:

"March, where's Qiao'er?"

"Qiao'er said: She won't leave."

March cried and said, "Ma'am, I'm sorry, March won't leave either."

March cried and ran back, shut the back door tightly, leaned against the door, looked at the sparse stars in the sky and said,

"Madam, if one day you come back, remember to burn incense and paper money for us during every festival. Qiao'er and I are tired of being poor, so burn more paper money for us..."

The lady sat at the handlebars, nodded, said nothing, and drove slowly away.

.

In Xiangli Pavilion, Situ Huiling finished her meal, drank tea, and stood in front of the window looking at the stars in the night sky, with an ambiguous smile on her bright face.

Here, the smile is glaring.

A Miao curled up in the corner as usual, as if she would be safer this way.

Tonight, Situ Huiling did not tease her.

There were footsteps coming from the stairs, and after a while, He Xintong came staggering over. He glanced around and found A Miao in the corner.

"Sister Miao."

She ran towards A Miao crying, and the moment A Miao saw her, he instinctively avoided her.

She came up empty-handed.

"Sister Miao, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to implicate you."

He Xintong was unwilling to give up and continued,

"I'm just thirsty and want a bowl of water. I didn't think of asking you to accompany me."

Seeing her crying like a tearful person, A Miao didn't say anything, but walked towards Situ Huiling who was standing in front of the window.

"Sister A Miao, Brother Lin Qi is here at the county government office."

He Xintong's eyes were cold and the flame of jealousy was burning in her chest. On what basis could a wild woman who had fled from famine escape the fate of becoming Madam Qianshan?

Why does Brother Lin Qi want to marry her?

She is just a wild girl, she deserves to be a wandering ghost!

She will not be able to accept Brother Lin Qi's love!

This is Xiangli Pavilion, the best house among the candidates for Madam Qianshan this time!

That Du Liuniang once told her that women who lived here might be able to avoid becoming Madam Qianshan!

You can even become a beauty supported by a priest in the government office!

If the priest you serve is happy, you can become a god.

Why should you get this opportunity and not me?

"Brother Lin Qi came to see you. He even begged the county magistrate to let you go home!"