Forced to be a concubine? I turned around and married the scumbag's father.

As the two were talking, they turned to go somewhere else, when suddenly they heard someone crying as they came out from behind them.

The two turned around.

"Golden Sunflower?"

Jin Kui paused, and seeing that it was Gu Hua and Zhou Zhilan, she quickly wiped away her tears and curtsied, saying, "This servant greets Second Miss and Miss Zhou."

Gu Hua stepped forward and took her hand with concern: "What's wrong with you?"

Jin Kui gasped in pain.

Gu Hua looked down and noticed bruises on her wrist. She quickly pushed up her sleeve and saw that her entire arm was covered with blood clots of varying depths.

Zhou Zhilan was also taken aback.

"Did the son-in-law do this?"

Jin Kui quickly withdrew her hand and lowered her sleeve, "No, I hurt myself."

Gu Hua knew that if Mu An wanted to hit someone, he wouldn't just twist a hidden spot; it must have been Gu Wanru who did it.

She always appeared kind on the outside but was vicious on the inside. She always put on a virtuous and dignified demeanor, but in reality, she was just as cruel as Aunt Pei.

Previously, with Yinzhi serving her and Gu Hua acting as a punching bag for Gu Wanru to vent her anger, Jin Kui, no matter how slow-witted, would not be blamed.

Now that she and Yinzhi are gone, Jin Kui is the only one left to vent her anger on.

Gu Hua: "What business do you have with the young master?"

Jin Kui lowered her head and said, "The eldest young lady asked me to go and discuss something with the young master."

Gu Hua glanced at Zui Moxuan: "The young master is in a bad mood, I'm afraid he won't go."

Therefore, Jin Kui was scolded and exposed.

She was being beaten whether she found a son-in-law or not. Jin Kui couldn't stop her tears and looked completely helpless.

Gu Hua understood Jin Kui's current state of mind perfectly, just like she had in her previous life.

They were bullied every day, trapped inside four walls, never seeing the light of day, with absolutely no way out.

Gu Hua patted her hand: "If you have any difficulties, just come to me. We've been serving our elder sister together for over a month now, and I feel sorry for you too."

Jin Kui's eyes welled up with tears, and she choked back sobs: "Second Miss, this servant used to..."

Gu Hua said gently, "Let's not talk about the past. Everyone has their difficulties."

Jin Kui was surprised that Gu Hua didn't hold it against her for not helping her in the past. Thinking about her future, she was overcome with grief.

Gu Hua glanced at Zhou Zhilan; the two were of one mind.

"I have something to do, you guys talk first."

Zhou Zhilan made an excuse and left.

"Come on, let's have a cup of tea. What's wrong? I'll help you figure something out."

Jin Kui was at her wit's end; if she couldn't get her son-in-law to come, the eldest daughter certainly wouldn't let her off easily.

She is different from Gu Hua.

When Gu Hua was alive, the eldest daughter wanted her to maintain her favor, so she would bully people in secret, while still maintaining the gentle image of the young mistress.

But now that things have come to a head, the young woman no longer cares about pretending. Especially after the miscarriage, her temper has become even more volatile. When she hits someone, she doesn't care about anything and just starts hitting them. But she can't dodge.

Jin Kui followed Gu Hua into the Elegant Pavilion.

Donghua and Dongqing diligently served tea, water, and snacks, treating Gu Hua as a proper mistress, which made Jin Kui sigh inwardly.

Gu Hua pulled Jin Kui to sit down.

Jin Kui dared not, but Gu Hua forced her to sit on the soft couch.

“You’re from the Gu family, so you’re family with me. Feel at home here, no need for formalities.”

Gu Hua smiled and handed her a pastry: "This is the best pastry in the Duke's mansion. It's so crispy and crunchy. You should try it."

Donghua had met Jin Kui and knew that she never helped the girl when she was bullied, so she wasn't a good person either.

Although I didn't give her a hard time, I couldn't help but tease her.

"This is no ordinary dessert. It contains matsutake mushrooms and ham, delicacies from the mountains of southern Xinjiang. These ingredients are priceless and can only be made in this season of the year. Only the old lady and Miss Hua in the manor get to eat it."

Jin Kui was about to put the pastry in her mouth and take a bite when she heard this and quickly took it away in fright.

"Eat quickly, it's alright," Gu Hua said kindly.

Donghua raised an eyebrow: "You've already taken it all, are you expecting us girls to eat it?"

Gu Hua glared at Dong Hua: "Alright. Sister Jin Kui used to take good care of me too."

Donghua immediately put on a bright, smiling face: "Oh, is that so? Then Sister Jinkui must eat a lot. Sister Jinkui, please wait here, I'll go to the kitchen right away and get a few more delicious snacks."

After saying that, he grabbed Dongqing and ran away.

Jin Kui was stunned, only knowing that Dong Hua was loyal to Gu Hua.

Gu Hua smiled, pursing her lips.

Donghua may seem carefree, but she's very perceptive. She knows that Donghua wouldn't be trying to win over Jin Kui for no reason, or that she was deliberately helping her.

Jin Kui was very embarrassed.

"Eat up, they're avoiding you so you can eat without worry."

Jin Kui felt a pang of sadness, and began to eat slowly, her eyes silently scanning the room.

Neither Gu Wanru nor she had come in.

The courtyard was not as large as the Jinxiu Pavilion, but everything was exquisite, made of the finest materials, and all were in very good condition.

She clicked her tongue inwardly, amazed at how much attention she received. Could it be that the Second Miss had truly become the Duke's woman?

However, the Duke did not marry her, nor did he even take her as a concubine.

Why are the people in the Duke's mansion treating a woman who doesn't even have a formal title so well?

Jin Kui was completely baffled.

"Sister Jin Kui has suffered a lot these days."

Jin Kui snapped out of her daze, her mouth full of snacks, unable to speak.

“With me gone, my sister has no one to vent her anger on. And with Sister Yinzhi gone too, there’s no one to shield you anymore. So naturally, you’re the only one suffering. You must have endured a lot of grievances.”

Gu Hua's words struck a chord with Jin Kui.

Tears welled up again uncontrollably.

Gu Hua sighed, poured her a cup of tea, and handed it to her.

"Sister Yinzhi is so pitiful. She was so loyal to her elder sister, yet she ended up like this. It's heartbreaking."

"Yinzhi...is she really dead?" Jin Kui couldn't help but cry.

"The executioners that day were the Duke's guards, all of them ruthless. Although Sister Yinzhi was a servant, she was pampered and spoiled, and had never done any heavy work. How could such a delicate body withstand the iron whip? I didn't dare to look at it at the time; I could only imagine that she was covered in blood."

Jin Kui covered her face with her hands and burst into tears.

Gu Hua continued, "I saw that she was still breathing when she was dragged away, and her eyes were filled with despair as she looked at her elder sister. If her elder sister had stepped in to protect her, the Duke would have definitely given his daughter-in-law face."

"As for servants, though their lives are lowly, they are still lives. The Duke's mansion has always been kind to its servants and rarely resorts to torture. If someone makes a mistake, they will be punished, but it doesn't have to cost them their lives."

Gu Hua's words resonated deeply with Jin Kui.

In the past few days, the sorrow and resentment in her heart have become increasingly intense.

Yinzhi was more loyal to the eldest daughter than anyone else. Even though she was forced to become the young master's concubine and the young master deliberately spoiled her and made the eldest daughter jealous, she would secretly run to Jinxiu Pavilion whenever she had the chance and serve the eldest daughter wholeheartedly.

The eldest daughter would get angry whenever she saw her, and would either hit or scold her, but Yinzhi never complained. She would always tell her that she was the one who had wronged the eldest daughter, and would also tell her to take good care of the eldest daughter.

Was Ke Yinzhi's death worthwhile?

Jin Kui grew increasingly resentful and fearful as she thought about it.

Suddenly, she stood up, knelt down before Gu Hua, and kowtowed while crying.

"Second Miss, please save me. If this continues, I'll surely be beaten to death by the Eldest Miss. It doesn't matter if I die, but my mother and younger brother will also be doomed."

Gu Hua hurriedly helped her up: "Get up quickly, I'm still calling you 'sister,' don't be so polite to me."

Jin Kui refused to get up, clinging tightly to Gu Hua's sleeve as if grasping at a lifeline.

"Second Miss, I have wronged you before. I turned a blind eye when you were suffering. I deserve to die, I..."

Gu Hua almost fell over when she was being pulled by her.

"What could you do then? Get up first."

“I have a lot of troubles to tell. My mother is seriously ill, my younger brother is only five years old, my father died young, and my family is poor. My monthly salary is not enough. I rely entirely on Aunt Pei to get medicine on credit from the Pei family pharmacy every month, otherwise my mother would not survive.”

Jin Kui tearfully recounted her entire ordeal.

Gu Hua was her only lifeline.

Gu Hua's heart sank.

It turns out that Aunt Pei knew everyone's weaknesses.

"Let's work together to figure out a solution."

Jin Kui stood up with tears in her eyes, looking at Gu Hua as if she were a benevolent bodhisattva.

Gu Hua pulled out a handkerchief to wipe away her tears: "Sister Jin Kui, you're eighteen now, right? You need to start thinking about yourself properly. Tell me what difficulties you're facing right now, and we'll figure something out together."

Jin Kui shuddered.

I'm eighteen now.

Fortunately, she was of average appearance, otherwise...

Jin Kui no longer concealed anything and revealed the conversation she had overheard between Granny Chen and Gu Wanru.

"I know the young lady wants the young master to do this, but she won't tell the truth, and I can't say it directly either. The young master definitely won't go to see the young lady. I'll definitely get a beating when I get back."

Jin Kui started crying again as she spoke.

Gu Hua pondered for a moment.

Sure enough, the news about the winter clothing order for the military was something that happened in the last few days, as far as she remembered.