The horse carriage was gone. The horse driver was gone. Most importantly, their things were all gone. There goes her land, her ox, her house, and her dream of opening a prost.i.tution home! Lin Shan wanted to die.
Seeing the devastated look on Lin Shan’s face, the weak Xiao Lu tried to comfort her on the side: “Master… don’t be upset… I always carry our treasure with me…he didn’t take it away…”
What? Lin Shan’s eyes lit up. Treasure? Xiao Lu took out a heavy sack from behind her b.u.t.t. She looked extremely proud: “Master, look….”
Woah! It’s so heavy! Lin Shan’s hope started to flare up. Such a heavy sack, there must be at least a hundred taels! I guess my prost.i.tution home is still happening! And my ox plus land. Woo hoo!
Lin Shan was filled with excitement as she opened the sack. But the moment she saw what was inside, her face froze.
Xiao Lu’s “treasure” was wrapped very securely in the sack. It was the Heaven stone that the Emperor had bestowed her. On it were the words “Peace and Prosperity”. The four golden words were s.h.i.+ning at her.
At that moment, Lin Shan had an urge to crash her head against the stone. Xiao Lu, oh Xiao Lu! Why did you hide this s.h.i.+tty rock so well? You are playing me, aren’t you? Lin Shan was about to explode on Xiao Lu, but when she looked up, Xiao Lu had already lost consciousness. Funny enough, she had a triumph smile on her face.
Lin Shan: “…..”
Lin Shan went from being the newly rich, to a person with only a s.h.i.+tty rock. In addition, she had a sick patient to take care of. What a tragedy. Just when Lin Shan felt like her life couldn’t get any worse, Xiao Lu started having a fever.
Currently, Lin Shan didn’t have time to regret. As she felt Xiao Lu’s forehead getting hotter and hotter, she decided she had no choice but to return back to the Capital. Finding Lian Feng will have to wait.
Just like that, they returned after leaving for half a day. The difference was, they left wealthy and returned empty.
They were fortunate enough to have found an ox cart that happened to be going back to the Capital. Hence, under the rhythm of the ox’s snorting, Lin Shan once again returned back to the place she had planned to leave behind forever.
By now, Xiao Lu’s fever was so high that her life might be at risk. But Lin Shan had no money on her. She had to make a difficult choice.
Either she returns to the Palace or go find her parents.
But neither choices were good for her. If she returns to the Palace, she might never have the chance to escape again. If she goes back home, Du Hao might create trouble for her family.
Lin Shan was very conflicted. At this time, the semi conscious Xiao Lu suddenly pulled her sleeve: “Master… I… I’m f-fine…let’s not return…. w-we still need to find Lian Superior….” Xiao Lu had no strength left in her voice. Lin Shan’s eyes immediately watered.
This servant had been with her from the moment she had arrived into this world. Although Xiao Lu could be impulsive at times, she was definitely super loyal towards her. To be honest, she didn’t treat Xiao Lu that great. At least, in comparison, Xiao Lu treated her much better.
Thinking of this, Lin Shan felt a layer of remorse. She had already lost Lian Feng. She didn’t want to lose Xiao Lu as well.
Lin Shan grabbed onto Xiao Lu’s hand and firmly stated: “No. We are returning to the Palace. I’m going to make sure you’re cured!”
Hearing this, Xiao Lu panicked: “Master. Y-you can’t go back! If you go back… you won’t be able to come back out!” Since Xiao Lu was anxious, the volume of her voice increased, “Actually… I have a relative in the Capital…”
Relative? Lin Shan’s eyes lit up: “What relative?”
Xiao Lu thought about it for awhile: “Based on the family hierarchy…it should be….my second uncle from my mother’s side’s son’s aunt….”
Lin Shan: “…..”
It turned out that Xiao Lu wasn’t speaking gibberish. After pa.s.sing by many alleys, they finally arrived at a small alley where they found a nearly eighty years old granny that lived by herself. The old lady had not seen Xiao Lu for years and was extremely emotional. She had tears running down her face as she embraced Xiao Lu. She refused to let go regardless of what was being said: “Cui Hua, your Great Aunt misses you so much. How did you become so thin? Don’t worry, I will find a physician for you!”
It turned out that Xiao Lu’s original name was Cui Hua. Lin Shan was surprised. At this moment, the old lady had already returned with a physician. The physician took Xiao Lu’s pulse and said that her fever was not too severe. However, Xiao Lu’s body was weak. Therefore, they would have to take extra care in order to ensure she heals properly.
The physician’s words caused Lin Shan to breathe a sigh of relief. At the same time, she realized that Xiao Lu was only an ordinary girl. If Xiao Lu were to run around with her, it will be very hard on her health.
After pondering for a day, Lin Shan decided to make a huge decision before Xiao Lu woke up. Honestly, deep down, she wasn’t sure whether she would be able to find Lian Feng. Under the circ.u.mstances, she shouldn’t drag down anyone else with her. Not to mention, Xiao Lu was one of the closest people to her. Thus, she decided to leave on her own.
Lin Shan decided to secretly leave in the middle of the night. Before she left, she placed the remaining bit of money she had on her as well as the Heaven stone for Xiao Lu and her Great Aunt. She knew what she gave was nothing, but at this moment, it was all she had.
After exiting the alleys, Lin Shan looked up at the starry sky. Underneath the low constructions around her, she suddenly felt like the sky was wider, the moon was bigger, and the stars were prettier. At that moment, she had an urge to recite poetry from her head:
“The cool wind is excited.
The autumn moon has no boundaries.
Causes me to miss my man.
A day feels like years.
Although my beauty
may not hide the moon and shame the flowers,
nor captivate the birds and beasts,
but I,
I have a big heart
and I,
experience joy and sorrow with my man!”
According to the golden scientific laws of going back in time, at this moment, usually the protagonist would meet a beauty after reciting a poem. Although Lin Shan wasn’t in the mood to think of love, she couldn’t help but turn extremely curious. She wanted to know whether the golden scientific law was true. Thus, after reciting her poem, she carefully looked around her surroundings.
Who knew if it was a coincidence or the golden law taking effect, after looking around, Lin Shan actually noticed a shadow approaching her.
It was a man that walked like the wind. He was wearing a bamboo hat as he glided in his worn out clothes. He had a smoking pipe in one hand; he drew out the smoke, but blew out loneliness. (Lin Shan is just being super dramatic right now)
Lin Shan kept looking. Slowly, she realized the man looked very familiar. When he got closer, the person suddenly reacted as if he saw a ghost and turned and ran the other direction.
It was then Lin Shan realized, s.h.i.+t! It’s the old man that stole our stuff!
At that moment, she felt the adrenaline running through her body. She loudly hollered: “Stop!” Then, she ran after him. She ran after him like Ultraman running after a monster. Her potential was fully aroused.
Lin Shan chased the old man through the busy streets. She chased him for two full streets. Finally, she caught him.
The old man couldn’t outrun her. He was out of breath as he begged for mercy: “I’m wrong. I’m wrong…. please big boss, let me go ah…..”
Obviously, Lin Shan wouldn’t let him go so easily. She grabbed onto his collar and demanded: “Where is my money?”
“Gone ah……”
“What are you talking about? I had so much money. How can it all be gone? Tell me now or I’m going to bring you to the court!”
The old man nearly fell down when he heard the word “court”. He cried as his snots and tears rolled down: “It’s true. Gone ah… money is there ah! There!”
Lin Shan looked at where the old man was pointing. She finally understood why the old man was still a scammer in his late seventies or early eighties. He was a gambler!
In front of her, she saw the word “casino”. The money she took so long to rack in had floated away like the cloud.