Chapter 20: Chapter 20: Love for the People as for One’s Own Children; the Compassion of a Bodhisattva!

With her abilities, protecting a person like Zhao Xiyan would be a breeze.

Once they reached Longnan Ridge, who would care whether he lived or died with a divorce paper in hand?

It’s just a pity to lose such a good voice.

But she suddenly remembered that there seemed to be recording equipment in her space.

It looked like she needed to start preparing early.

Besides, in this vast world, was he the only one with a pleasant voice?

Zhao Xiyan had long noticed Qi Yue keeping her arms crossed, hiding away to one side as if watching a farce, and he couldn’t help but feel a tightening in his heart as he watched this large group of people.

Seeing Zhao Yongzhe’s face filled with an unwillingness to bear, his heart turned cold.

It seemed his father hadn’t suffered enough!

“Dad!”

Zhao Yongzhe turned around, following his son’s gaze, he met Qi Yue’s seemingly amused face, causing a shock to his own heart.

This daughter-in-law, indeed a General’s daughter, was born with an intimidating aura.

Maybe he was too old, but for a moment, he could hardly bear it.

“Dad, you can’t agree to them. They’re no longer our kin!”

Zhao Shuanghua and Zhao Shuangyue stepped forward to speak out.

“Dad, you didn’t see, when you fainted earlier, they left us to die without lifting a finger to help!”

Zhao Shuangyun also stood up, puffing up with anger.

“Exactly, uncle, Shuangxue and I knelt on the ground begging them to save our elder brother, but they ignored us and even said they had cut ties with us long ago!”

Zhao Shuangxue, standing nearby, also nodded vehemently, recounting the nefarious actions of Zhao Yongxin and his son.

Shen Yu had always been a delicate beauty, and even now, her face was filled with indignation.

“Husband, from the day we cut ties, our family no longer had such relatives!”

Zhao Yongzhe was silent for a long time before finally heaving a sigh.

“I know. It’s just that after so many years, I’ve grown accustomed to tolerating their mistakes, accustomed to being the head of the Zhao Family…ah…”

His words made the people of the Zhao Family somewhat anxious.

Shen Yu and Zhao Shuangyun and others looked expectantly at Qi Yue.

They all hoped Qi Yue would stand up and speak, driving these leeches away.

But Qi Yue seemed uninvolved, which made Zhao Shuanghua and the others even more anxious.

Chen Suyun, however, tugged at her lips in a smile.

She looked at Qi Yue with satisfaction, feeling as though she had turned the tables and become the mistress of the house.

What was a General’s daughter worth?

Once married into our Zhao Family, she was a member of the Zhao Family.

No matter how powerful she was, once she returned to the Zhao Family, she would still be at their beck and call!

Chen Suyun sashayed forward, shoving her two sons ahead.

“Xiyan, what are you dilly-dallying for? Quick, get the carriage. Zhiyan, support your uncle properly, we’re heading to the inn’s room!”

Chen Suyun happily made the arrangements as if she were the lady of the house!

“Hold on!” Zhao Yongzhe suddenly shouted, “When did I ever agree to let you come back to the Zhao Family?”

Chen Suyun’s smiling face stiffened.

“Big brother, didn’t you say you’re accustomed to being the head of the Zhao Family? We are also part of the Zhao Family!”

“Shut up!” Zhao Yongzhe’s short mustache bristled with his extreme anger!

“The day we broke ties, Zhao Yongxin’s name was already removed from the Zhao Family genealogy!”

“Additionally, I have an announcement to make. From this moment onwards, the Zhao Family matters are to be handled by my daughter-in-law Qi Yue. All decisions shall be made by her!”

“What?” Zhao Yongxin’s eyes bulged, “Big brother, you can’t do this? You can’t abandon me!”

The Zhao Family’s second branch was yelling and crying, but Zhao Yongzhe paid them no attention, even closing his eyes!

The situation took a sudden turn, leaving Qi Yue taken aback as well.

She really hadn’t expected this—the old Zhao had played his cards well.

He had actually trapped her.

“Fine, considering he looks like his dad, let’s leave it at that for now.”

“At the very least, we must escort them to the Place of Exile!”

When the crowd heard that Zhao Yongzhe actually handed over the authority of the household to Qi Yue, they all started discussing.

“The Zhao Family is really lucky, to have married such an outstanding daughter-in-law like the Miss Qi.”

“Now, they have a house to live in and food to eat.”

Some busybodies started to tease Qi Fengzhang.

“Qi Lao Er, Qi Yue is from your family. Aren’t you going to ask for some benefits?”

“Exactly, I heard that your woman was the matchmaker for this marriage. You’ve really lost out big time!”

“No kidding, enjoying the goodness of the relay station’s housing should include you, especially since Qi Yue is calling the shots now!”

The instigation from the crowd made Qi Fengzhang forget the scene where he had been kicked flying before, as he grabbed his son, Qi Yuanhao, and rushed forward.

“Scram, scram, scram! What are you worth? I am Qi Yue’s family!”

The Qi family members seemed to be generally strong, as Qi Fengzhang and Qi Yuanhao pushed the people from the Zhao Family’s second branch aside with each of their hands.

“Niece, let your brother pull the cart! He’s strong and can keep it steady!”

Watching Qi Fengzhang’s shameless smiling face, Qi Yue could hardly stand it for even a second.

“Get lost!! Even if I needed someone, it wouldn’t be you.”

Hearing this, the busybodies felt like they had a chance and surged forward.

“Miss Qi, pick me, I’m strong, and I can pull the cart steadily!”

“Choose me, I’m tall!”

“Pick me, I’ve trained in martial arts, I’m strong!”

Qi Yue laughed.

Her round face shook as she laughed, looking somewhat fierce.

“Pulling the cart, is it? Where were you earlier? I didn’t see any of you lending a hand along the way, did I?”

The crowd looked at each other, and for some reason, they felt they still had a chance, so they immediately started making claims.

“Miss Qi, I’m an old acquaintance of the General, for the sake of your father, you should take care of us.”

“Exactly, Miss Qi, the General loved his people like his own children; you should learn from him.”

“Miss Qi, can’t you see? We’re not just wanting to pull the cart, we want you to help us. After all, we’re old friends – can you really watch us starve without doing anything?”

“Miss Qi, when the General was here, he loved his people like his children, with a heart as compassionate as a Bodhisattva!”

“…”

Qi Yue’s face grew colder and colder.

She hadn’t expected that, even in this world, she would still be subjected to moral blackmail.

Initially, she had thought about telling Guan Yidao after arriving at the relay station with the Zhao Family to exchange everyone’s steamed bread for kinds without sand.

But now it seemed unnecessary.

The bit of kindness in her heart shattered in an instant and disappeared without a trace.

She looked coldly at Qian Faliang.

“You damn dog, if you are useless, don’t blame me for burying you!”

“Yes, master.”

Qian Faliang rolled his beady eyes, flicked the whip in his hand, and started beating the crowd blocking the way without mercy.

Amidst screams and howls, a path cleared in the horse shed.

As she left the horse shed, Qi Yue saw a woman taking shelter from the rain.

The woman’s face had thinned to that of an eucalyptus leaf, with hollow eye sockets, yet her eyes were black and luminous.

She was looking up at the sky, her expression one of hope, as if pleading for the rain to stop soon.

What stood out most was her swollen belly, bulging prominently.

The roof of the horse shed was short, and although she tried her best to take shelter, half of her body was still exposed to the rain.

A gust of wind blew, sending a shower of rain onto her shoulder, and she quickly covered her stomach with her hand, bowing her head nervously.

Qi Yue couldn’t help but stop in her tracks.

“Who is she?”