When my vicious stepmother mistakenly married me to the Immortal Lord

The shopkeeper took the silver, his smile even brighter, and nodded quickly, saying, "Okay, ladies, please follow me."

He led Jiang Song and Xiuyun through the lobby of the inn to an elegantly decorated upper room on the second floor. He gently opened the door and let the two in.

The room was bright and clean, the bed was tidy, and there were a few daffodils on the table, with a rich fragrance that made the whole room look fresh and elegant.

"Girls, I'll have the cook prepare some hot tea and food and send them to your room. Please take a rest first. If you need anything, please let me know."

The shopkeeper said this with a smile, then quietly closed the door and walked out.

"Xiuyun, are you scared today?" Jiang Song looked at Xiuyun with concern.

The situation during the day was really dangerous, and the little girl saw her kill seven people in a row, which inevitably left a deep shadow in her heart.

This girl is usually quite noisy, but she was too quiet on the way here just now. It was obvious that she was very scared.

Xiuyun nodded, her face still pale and bloodless, "Young Madam, I have never seen you look like that before. It's really scary..."

At the end of her speech, her voice was choked with sobs.

Jiang Song patted Xiuyun's back and said softly, "Xiuyun, you have to understand that sometimes, people have to become tough, even cruel, in order to live well. If I don't kill them today, we will die. Do you understand?"

Xiuyun nodded, not quite understanding, and buried her face in Jiang Song's arms, muffled and said: "Young Madam, I understand. I will be braver in the future and will not cause you any trouble."

Jiang Song gently stroked Xiuyun's hair, feeling a little relieved.

From now on, Jiang Song is no longer the weak concubine who can be trampled upon by anyone. She will definitely get back at those who have wronged her!

As the two were talking, there was a knock on the door, followed by a woman's gentle inquiry: "Sir, the hot tea and food are ready. Shall we bring them in now?"

Jiang Song responded and got up to open the door.

A slightly plump middle-aged woman was standing outside the door, holding a tray with a few steaming side dishes and a pot of tea.

She is the cook of the inn, her surname is Li.

This cook, Mrs. Li, and Jiang Song's mother, Cui Yunniang, were from the same hometown, and they had worked together in a silk workshop in this town for many years.

Therefore, Jiang Song was quite familiar with her.

When Cook Li saw Jiang Song, she was stunned at first, then she smiled in surprise: "Oh, isn't this Miss Song? I haven't seen you for many years, and you've grown so beautiful. Girls really change a lot when they grow up!"

Jiang Song also recognized Cook Li and said with a smile, "Aunt Li, it's been many years since we last met. You're still so energetic."

After the two exchanged a few pleasantries, Chef Li brought the food into the room and placed it on the table.

"Song girl, eat it quickly while it's hot. These are freshly made by me. I don't know if they suit your taste."

Jiang Song pulled Xiuyun over and asked her to sit at the table. He personally served a bowl of rice for Xiuyun and handed it to her.

"I miss Aunt Li's cooking so much. Xiuyun, you should try it too."

Xiuyun took the bowl and nodded obediently.

The two of them began to eat under the watchful eye of Cook Li.

During the meal, Cook Li couldn't help but ask curiously, "Song girl, where have you been all these years? Why didn't you come back to town to visit? Where's your mother? Is she okay?"

When mentioning Cui Yunniang, Jiang Song paused slightly, and a pang of pain clung to his heart.

As soon as the original owner expressed her desire to apply for Fengwu Academy to her father Jiang Buli, Cui Yunniang was called to her courtyard by the eldest lady Du Shulan.

As soon as he came back, he caught a cold and fell ill. He died a few days later.

Jiang Song knew the reason behind this very well. It was nothing more than the dirty tricks of the Marquis' Mansion.

But she couldn't tell these to Chef Li.

She lowered her eyes, hiding the sadness in them, and said softly, "Aunt Li, my mother... has passed away."

"What?!" Chef Li was so shocked that she almost dropped the tray in her hands. "How, how is this possible? Yunniang is such a good person, how could she..."

She was stunned for a long moment, then continued, "Song girl, don't be too sad. The dead cannot be resurrected. You must live well so that your mother can rest in peace."

Jiang Song nodded and said, "Thank you for your comfort, Aunt Li. I will."

Cook Li sighed again, "Ah, fate really plays tricks on us! Yunniang has such a miserable life. When she was pregnant with you, she was always bullied in the village. Your two uncles were away from home all year round, so there was no one to help her."

"Later, we moved to this town, but due to our reputation, life became difficult. Then, there was a famine, and she took you to the imperial capital alone to find your relatives. We thought we would find a good home, but we didn't expect..."

"Ah! Your father is a bastard. He defiled your mother's body and made her unable to hold her head up high for the rest of her life. She was looked down upon everywhere and ended up dying. What a sin!"

At this point, Chef Li's voice was filled with indignation and dissatisfaction.

"Your mother is very stubborn. When I asked her who raped her, she refused to say a word and just swallowed the bitter water."

"At that time, I tried to persuade her to file a complaint, but she said that even if she did, what would happen? Her reputation was ruined and it would be hard to find a clean place again. She only hoped that you could grow up safely, and one day become successful and no longer suffer the pain she had endured."

Jiang Song's eyes couldn't help but turn red when he heard what Chef Li said.

She had never heard anyone describe her mother's past in such detail, and those bitter memories came flooding back like a tide, making her heart ache.

In this world, women's situation is already difficult, let alone a woman who is pregnant before marriage and carries a stigma.

Cui Yunniang used her strength and forbearance to create a sky for Jiang Song. Although that sky was not broad, it protected her as she grew up in the wind and rain for so many years.

If it weren't for the famine that pushed this woman, who had been strong all her life, to the brink of death, perhaps she and her daughter could have continued to live a poor but peaceful life in this town.

Perhaps in order to avoid starvation, or perhaps so that Jiang Song could escape this unbearable fate, Cui Yunniang took young Jiang Song on the journey to the imperial capital.

Little did they know that once they entered the mansion, it would be like entering a deep sea, and it would eventually become another nightmare for them!

Jiang Song wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes with a handkerchief, took a deep breath, and tried to calm his inner turmoil.

When she raised her head again, her eyes were filled with determination.

"Aunt Li, thank you for telling me this. I will live well and live up to the suffering my mother has endured.

Seeing this, Cook Li felt both distressed and relieved. "Okay, okay, Song girl, I believe in you. Your mother is watching over you in heaven. She definitely wants you to live well."

The two chatted for a few more minutes before Cook Li suddenly remembered something and quickly warned, "There have been monsters appearing in this town at night lately. You'd better be careful. Remember to close the doors and windows tightly when you sleep, so as not to be disturbed by those beasts."

Jiang Song was shocked when she heard this. Although she knew that the world was not peaceful, she did not expect that even this remote town was not at peace and that monsters dared to appear openly.

She nodded and said to Cook Li seriously, "Thank you, Aunt Li, for your reminder. We will pay attention to it."

After Chef Li left, Jiang Song and Xiuyun hurriedly finished their dinner, then washed up and prepared to go to bed.

Jiang Song specially checked the doors and windows of the room, and then cast an "Eight Yang Formation" around the bed.

Jiang Song also saw this formation in the book "Xisui Jing". It is a very basic defensive formation.

Although it cannot withstand the fierce attacks of high-level monsters, it is enough to deal with some low-level monsters or people with bad intentions.

After completing the arrangements, Jiang Song lay down and rested with peace of mind.

As the night deepened, everything was silent. Only the distant cries of night cats and the occasional rustling of wind through the treetops could be heard.

Jiang Song lay in bed, tossing and turning, replaying everything that happened today in his mind.

From the sudden appearance of the gang of criminals, to the thrilling fight, to Chef Li's narration of her mother's past, every detail made it difficult for her to fall asleep.