Transmigrated Leftover Woman in Rural Style

When they returned from the fields, Grandma Yu was chatting with the old lady in the main room. Xiao Gang and Xiao Jun proudly brought the rabbit inside, making the two elders laugh heartily. Li Xiaonuan went to the kitchen and saw Su Shi pouring the brewed medicine into a bowl, so she went over and asked, "My father's medicine?"

After Su waited for Li Xiaonuan to sit down, she poured her a bowl of water before saying, "This is your grandmother's medicine. I noticed she wasn't feeling well this morning, so I asked the doctor to come and take a look at her."

After drinking some water, Li Xiaonuan felt much better. She then asked, "Is my grandma alright?"

Mrs. Su shook her head and said, "It's nothing, just a lack of rest and a slight increase in liver fire. A couple of doses of medicine will do the trick."

Following Madam Su into the main room, Li Xiaonuan was called to sit down next to Granny Yu. After the old lady drank her medicine, Granny Yu asked, "Xiaonuan, you mentioned you were going to build a house and bought a lot of materials. I urgently need some now, could you lend me some?"

Li Xiaonuan asked with a smile, "Grandma, you want to borrow these materials for Brother Liu Fei, right? I just saw Brother Liu Fei in the field. Please feel free to take them. We still have some time to build our house, so we have time to find the materials."

The old lady smiled and said to Granny Yu, "Sister, I told you, Xiao Nuan would definitely agree. Just send someone to move your things. Your nephew's house is uninhabitable if it's not repaired. And he doesn't want to live in your house."

Grandma Yu sighed, "That's right. This child has a stubborn temper. I could tell when he went to find his mother without a care in the world. Thankfully, by God's grace, he came back safe and sound. Our branch of the family can finally have a descendant."

Granny Yu was childless her entire life, which was her greatest sorrow. Originally, her branch of the family had Zhou Liulang's family to support them. Unexpectedly, that unexpected turn of events occurred, and in the end, even their only male heir left, his fate unknown.

Over the years, those clansmen with ulterior motives have all been eyeing Granny Yu's branch of the family. There have been four or five who wanted to adopt their children under Granny Yu's name. But Granny Yu refused to budge, thus offending many clansmen.

Now that the men of their branch have returned, those who were hoping to take advantage of them have no hope left. They had intended to invite Granny Yu to stay for lunch, but she said Liu Fei would be coming over for lunch, so she left.

After lunch, Li Xiaonuan planned to go back to her room for a nap, but was called to the old lady's room. She knew that the old lady wanted to ask about the Li family from a hundred years ago, so she obediently followed her in.

Inside the room, the old lady leaned against the bed, while Li Xiaonuan sat in a chair in front of it. The old lady's eyes were half-closed, and she did look rather unwell. But Li Xiaonuan believed that the old lady wasn't that fragile. Someone who could keep a secret for so long couldn't possibly be as unreasonable as she had seemed before.

After a silence lasting about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the old lady finally spoke: "You mentioned the Li family last night, did you find out something?"

Li Xiaonuan frankly admitted: "I heard someone talk about the Li family a hundred years ago. It just so happens that we also have the surname Li, so I guessed it."

Upon hearing this, the old lady didn't react much, but instead asked, "Would you like to know about our connection with the Li family?"

Li Xiaonuan nodded and said, "If you want to talk, I will listen."

The old lady adjusted her posture, let out a long sigh, and said, "Our ancestors were servants of the Li family and were given the surname Li. Twenty years before the Li family's incident, our family was assigned to find a place to live in seclusion in the mountains."

"Coincidentally, there was also a group of people with the surname Li who originally lived in the mountains at that time. They were a minority group, and our ancestors went through a lot of trouble to integrate into that group. Fortunately, our ancestors were eventually accepted by that group. However, no one can find out the reason why our ancestors were accepted."

"Don't doubt it, not even the current royal family can. It's an agreement between our ancestors and that people, and no one has known that secret for over a hundred years. The only reason I know this is because, as the eldest daughter-in-law of the family, I have to know."

Li Xiaonuan found it unbelievable; this was completely beyond her comprehension. She had originally thought they were the branch of the Li family that had secluded themselves in the mountains, but she never imagined they were actually someone else's servants.

"Grandma, our household registration doesn't say we were slaves. Could it be that our ancestors were freed from slavery?"

"Yes, they were released from their registered status. Back then, the Li clan chief invited a reclusive master to divine the future. After that, our ancestors were released from their registered status and assigned this task. Only after the events in the capital did our ancestors realize the clan chief's intentions. After preserving the last bloodline of the Li clan, our ancestors were finally truly free." The old lady spoke calmly, as if telling a story unrelated to herself.

There was something that puzzled Li Xiaonuan: "Grandma, have the descendants of the Li family always lived deep in the mountains? Didn't they escape during that famine?"

"They escaped, but returned after the disaster. The tragic end of the Li family terrified them, and they forbade their descendants to get involved in officialdom," the old lady said calmly.

"So, our family really has no more ties with the Li family, right?" Li Xiaonuan asked uncertainly.

The old woman pulled the thin blanket over her chest and replied, "Yes, there's nothing between us anymore. I'm only telling you this so you know the truth and won't be threatened. Alright, I've said everything I need to say. You can go now, let me rest for a while."

Li Xiaonuan left the old lady's room, closing the door behind her. Stepping into the courtyard and letting the bright sunlight shine on her, she instantly felt much brighter. Without Li Shi's restraints, Li Xiaonuan decided to take a gamble, on Prince Jing's character.

Based on what Li Xiaonuan had learned about Prince Jing these past few days, she felt that he wouldn't hold a grudge against her clan because of her. Prince Jing seemed like a kind person; the idea of ​​disregarding human life wouldn't exist in his vocabulary.

Now, Li Xiaonuan only has two choices.

First, she became a pawn in Prince Jing's exploration, sharing all the knowledge she possessed.

Second, they risked the lives of their entire clan, remaining silent and defying the emperor's authority.

Undoubtedly, Li Xiaonuan could only choose the first option. For her family, she would not hesitate to become a pawn in someone else's game, or even die.

Having already foreseen the future, Li Xiaonuan was so insistent on maintaining harmony within her family. After all, once she was no longer of use, she would surely become cannon fodder. Her only hope was that Prince Jing was a gentleman who kept his promises and wouldn't harm her own people.

The next time she sees Prince Jing, she will explain everything. For now, she'll enjoy as many days as she can. She should savor the care from her family and cherish this rare warmth and tranquility.

As the old saying goes: Don't talk about people during the day, and don't talk about ghosts at night.

The next morning, Wei Yu's servant and a young attendant from Prince Jing's side arrived at the Li family residence. Li Xiaonuan followed behind them and boarded the carriage that would determine her fate.

Before leaving, the whole family stood outside the door to see her off. The old lady was alright, but Madam Su had already started wiping away tears. Seeing the deep worry and reluctance in everyone's eyes, Li Xiaonuan gritted her teeth and got into the car, preferring to stay out of sight, out of mind.