She got pregnant after the swap marriage, and the scumbag's family regretted it so much they cr

Reminded by Lu Ruyi, Li quickly remembered that the carriage had indeed stopped once before they left the city.

At that time, she was preoccupied with Lu Ruyi's affairs and thought it was just a checkpoint at the city gate, paying no attention to the commotion outside.

Afterwards, Lu Chengde slapped her and then questioned Yuzhu. Li Shi had no time to care what Lu Chengde was doing after getting off the carriage.

“You’re right. We should have encountered the Prince’s carriage on our way out of the city. I just don’t know what your father heard, because his expression was all wrong when he came back.”

Lu Ruyi pouted and clapped her hands: "That must be it! Father must have seen the Prince's carriage. I knew Yuzhu wouldn't let it slip!"

Mother! What are we going to do? What about the Li family…”

After all, the Li family was her maternal family, so Li wasn't worried.

What worried her was Lu Chengde's attitude. So many years had passed; did she really have to let that man's daughter slip out of her grasp? She was truly unwilling to accept it!

However, Madam Li did not want her daughter to know about these things: "You don't need to worry about the Li family. Fortunately, your uncle still relies on the Lu family for his business, so he won't say anything."

Lu Ruyi couldn't agree with that. Having experienced what happened in her previous life, she had absolutely no trust in the Li family anymore.

But her mother was different; she knew nothing of the Li family's dirty secrets. She couldn't very well remind her, since she herself didn't know how to explain where she had learned these things.

As time went by, it dragged on until the time of her marriage. Lu Ruyi only hinted at it indirectly, and Li Shi didn't take it seriously at all.

"Mother, how are things going with what I mentioned to you before?"

Li was already annoyed by Lu Chengde's change in attitude, so she didn't bother to think about what Lu Ruyi was talking about. She could only give a perfunctory reply: "Yes, yes, this matter can't be rushed."

Lu Ruyi thought about it for a moment. There were still more than three months before the disaster, so there was no need to rush. She didn't dwell on it any longer.

She leaned against Li's chest and said, "Mother, when you get back, please urge Father to send my dowry over as soon as possible!"

Li slapped Lu Ruyi on the back: "How can you rush something like this! Not to mention that it takes time to procure the items, you also have to register them, make a list, and send them to the government for stamping. It's not that simple!"

She quickly realized something was wrong. She knew Lu Ruyi's personality all too well; she had never worried about money before.

Li pulled Lu Ruyi out of her arms, stared at her face and asked, "Tell me honestly, did someone say something to you?"

Lu Ruyi blushed and tried to snuggle into Li's arms again: "Mother~ no one said anything. It's just that Lu Huan moved all the things away, and Zhou... Grandma said a few unpleasant things..."

Li glanced outside a few times, making sure that Yuzhu and Cuizhu were guarding the door and no one would approach, before whispering to Lu Ruyi, "Don't be silly! Zhou is just short-sighted and has her eyes on those things!"

As he spoke, he took a purse from his waist and stuffed it into Lu Ruyi's hand: "There are some silver notes, gold beads and loose silver in here. Keep it safe."

If Zhou asks you for money, don't give it to her. Don't forget, you still have Lu Huan ahead of you; if anything happens in the future, just push her forward.”

"Mother! I am the rightful daughter-in-law of the Gao family! That Gao Yan she married is nothing but a servant, what kind of member of the Gao family is he!"

Although Lu Ruyi's tone was harsh, her actions betrayed her true intentions; she grabbed the purse and stuffed it into her sleeve.

Madam Li couldn't help but tap Lu Ruyi's forehead again: "How could I have given birth to such an infuriating girl! Would your mother harm you?"

You won't harm me, but your judgment of people isn't always accurate! Didn't you hastily send me to the Li family in my past life, leaving me to be tormented by them?

Thinking this, Lu Ruyi pouted where Li Shi couldn't see.

Seeing that Lu Ruyi didn't seem to care at all, Li regretted not having explained things clearly to her beforehand: "A woman's dowry must never fall into the hands of her husband's family, otherwise she will definitely not be treated well, do you understand?"

Lu Ruyi almost wanted to ask why her mother had given Lu Huan's dowry list to Zhou Shi in her previous life.

She quickly realized what was happening, and a smile spread across her face. Her mother truly loved her the most.

She wrapped her arms around Li's waist and said coquettishly, "I'll remember, Mother!"

"Alright, let's not talk about that now. Tell me everything that happened today, from beginning to end, without omitting a single word!"

Over there, the Li mother and daughter were discussing their strategy. At the same time, in front of the Gao family's gate, Bizhu and Ziyao also stepped down from their carriage.

Bizhu took a handful of copper coins from her purse and handed them to the driver: "Brother Yongzi, thank you for your hard work!"

Lei Yong handed the two bundles to Zi Yao before accepting Bi Zhu's reward money, bowing and scraping: "Thank you for the reward, Sister Bi Zhu! If you sisters have no further instructions, I'll head back now!"

Zi Yao was about to say something when Bi Zhu blocked her way, saying with a smile, "Go back quickly! Be careful on the road!"

After everyone had gone some distance, Ziyao asked, "I'm afraid Li Shi is still inside. Why did you stop me from reminding Lei Yong?"

Bizhu snatched her bundle from her hands and glared at her irritably: "I was just blocking you, I didn't cover your mouth, you can shout all you want!"

Before Ziyao could answer, Bizhu turned and walked into the Gao family courtyard, sweetly asking the aunt who was standing by watching the commotion, "Auntie, I am Miss Lu's maid. Do you know how to get to the backyard?"

The middle-aged woman sized up Bizhu and Ziyao several times, then smiled, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth: "Young Yan is truly blessed! He's gotten a wife for nothing, and two beautiful maids too. Tsk tsk tsk, what a life..."

Bizhu's expression remained unchanged, but the color drained from Ziyao's face.

She looked around. The Gao family's courtyard wasn't large to begin with, and there were many farm tools piled up in the corners. The exterior walls of the houses were also somewhat yellowed. Compared to the ordinary servants' courtyard in the Lu family, it wasn't much better.

The six tables were filled with villagers. The meat and vegetables on the tables had been snatched up, and a lot of soup and vegetable leaves had been spilled, making the already somewhat dilapidated round tables look even more worn.

Like Bizhu, Ziyao was once a servant in the Cheng family. Later, when she went to serve Lu Huan at the Lu family, she lived in a side room in her courtyard and had never seen such a scene before.

Zi Yao couldn't help but frown.

Seeing that the aunt hadn't gotten to the point, Bizhu looked at the aunt sitting and resting next to her.

Zhu was hired by the Gao family to help with cooking, and she and Zhou were distant sisters-in-law. She was right there when the clan head's wife led people to tidy up the west wing, and she saw everything clearly.

She gestured for Bizhu to come closer, and secretly winked at the west wing: "See those two guards standing over there? Those are guards from the Prince of Yan's mansion! Your young lady is in the room next door!"

"Thank you, Auntie!" Bizhu seemed not to notice the oily sheen on Zhu's hands. She squeezed Zhu's hand and secretly slipped a few copper coins into it.

Zhu felt a hardening in her palm, secretly squeezed it, and found it contained five copper coins. Her face immediately lit up with a smile.

I can easily earn five coins just by giving someone directions. If this kind of good fortune happens a few more times, wouldn't I be able to buy my son plenty of meat to eat!

She glanced sideways at the person next to her. They were all wives from Gaojia Village, so who was more noble than whom? They looked down on this one and didn't want to do that one. How could the difference be so great!