The next day, while the Lu family was still sleeping, they heard someone pounding on the door with loud bangs.

Lu Changsong’s wife opened the door with sleepy eyes and was stunned – Nanny Yuan and her children?

Nanny Yuan was disheveled, haggard, with black circles around her eyes, carrying a bundle on her back. She jumped in terror and hugged Lu Changsong’s wife’s legs: “Second Young Madam, save us! Save us! Save us!”

Nanny Yuan’s children, about ten years old, all jumped in after her and hugged Lu Changsong’s wife’s legs, continuously begging her to save their lives.

Lu Changsong’s wife knew about Nanny Yuan taking Old Madam Lu’s gold and silver valuables and fleeing. How had she returned, and why did she look even worse off than the people in this small courtyard?

Everyone in the courtyard was awakened and surrounded Nanny Yuan with questions. Nanny Yuan could only repeat the words “save us” over and over. As soon as Old Madam Lu came out, she slapped Nanny Yuan dizzy.

Through the intermittent descriptions from Nanny Yuan’s pair of children, everyone finally understood what had happened.

After they stole the items and fled, they planned to leave the capital and escape far away.

Who would have thought that after staying at an inn that night, when they woke up the next day, they discovered that almost all their valuable items had vanished without a trace. Not only that, but a pair of embroidered shoes had been left beside Nanny Yuan’s pillow.

Nanny Yuan immediately panicked. She recognized these shoes – they were the pair Qin Yaoyao was wearing when she died!

Using their remaining bit of silver to pay the inn fees, she took her children and changed direction, fleeing toward their hometown in panic.

After all, in their hometown, she still had two mu of poor farmland – at least they could eat.

Now penniless, going anywhere else would be a dead end, wouldn’t it?

From here to her hometown required three days of walking.

That night, unable to afford an inn, they made do under a farmer’s eaves for the night.

Who would have thought that when Nanny Yuan woke up the next day, she saw those embroidered shoes again!

Nanny Yuan screamed like a ghost, nearly collapsing!

She continued toward her hometown with her children. That night, she couldn’t sleep at all and didn’t dare to, keeping her eyes wide open until dawn.

As a result, just as dawn broke and things became visible, she saw those embroidered shoes again!

She had clearly stayed awake all night, aware of even a mosquito flying by. If these shoes weren’t delivered by a ghost, who else could it be?

Nanny Yuan thought it over and decided to return.

Strangely, as she walked back, she never saw those embroidered shoes again.

She speculated that she had done the right thing.

Qin Yaoyao wouldn’t let her leave the capital – she had to stay in the capital.

After reaching the capital, she originally didn’t want to find the Lu family, thinking that with her children grown up, the family could find somewhere to do odd jobs, survive first, and make plans later.

Who would have thought that the next morning, Nanny Yuan saw those embroidered shoes again.

Nanny Yuan’s soul nearly left her body. Could it be that Qin Yaoyao’s ghost had other intentions? Did she want her to return to the Lu family?

Thinking this, Nanny Yuan hurried to find the Lu family.

When she reached the Lu mansion, she found that the Lu family had moved away. The sight of that mansion made her feel afraid. It was other officials’ servants who recognized her and told her the Lu family had moved here.

“Third Miss, it’s the First Young Madam who has returned to claim lives! Third Miss, we were wrong, we truly did wrong! We shouldn’t have burned the First Young Madam to death. She died with grievances and has returned to collect her debt!”

Nanny Yuan hugged Qin Feifei’s legs, tears and snot flowing freely, repeating these same few sentences over and over.

Lu Changju and Lu Changsong’s wife both stared intensely at Qin Feifei.

Last night, when Old Madam Lu spoke that way, they thought she was speaking carelessly because she currently detested Qin Feifei, deliberately tormenting her.

Now, with Nanny Yuan’s confused mind still repeating these things, the matter wasn’t so simple.

Old Madam Lu spat in Qin Feifei’s face. “Whore! You’ve stirred up a perfectly good family until there’s no peace. Why don’t you just die? Divorce! Changxuan, you must divorce your wife!”

Qin Feifei was locked up by Old Madam Lu, who then had Lu Changsong’s wife go to the Qin mansion to deliver a message.

Lu Changxuan paid no attention to any of this. After yawning repeatedly and walking out the door, he kept rubbing his eyes and nose.

Lu Changsong’s wife went to the Qin mansion and didn’t see Madam Dong until lunchtime.

When Madam Dong heard her say that Qin Feifei had set fire and burned Qin Yaoyao to death, she quickly had someone fetch Qin Yongtao home.

After Qin Yongtao returned, he said to Lu Changsong’s wife: “The Qin mansion will absolutely not acknowledge matters without evidence. The Lu family may divorce her, but first return Feifei’s dowry. If you’re calling black white and trying to extort money, we’ll see each other in court.”

Qin Yongtao’s tone was firm – he wasn’t afraid of the Lu family filing complaints.

After Lu Changsong’s wife returned and relayed the message, Old Madam Lu flew into a rage, rolling up her sleeves and cursing while searching everywhere for weapons, saying she would go to the Qin mansion for an explanation.

Suddenly, the main gate was crashed open and two neighbors rushed in. “Madam Lu, Madam Lu, quickly go look in front – your eldest master is fighting with people and is nearly dead!”

Everyone in the courtyard was shocked and couldn’t believe it.

But neighbors who had only known them for a few days had no reason to lie. Lu Changsong supported Old Madam Lu, and following the neighbors’ lead, they went to the main road in front.

From far away they could see someone lying motionless on the ground, covered in blood.

Old Madam Lu recognized those clothes – they were what Lu Changxuan had been wearing when he went out.

Old Madam Lu rushed over for a look and indeed it was Lu Changxuan, his face bruised and swollen, badly beaten.

But it appeared there was no danger to his life. After Old Madam Lu cursed for a long time, a trembling old physician came over, checked Lu Changxuan’s nose and mouth, shook his head, and said: “His aunt, is this your son? Your son is addicted to opium. I’m afraid he went out looking for opium, had no money to buy it, stole someone’s things, and got beaten for it! We’ve heard of such things before.”

Immediately, the watching neighbors all agreed. “Yes, yes, yes, just now those two men threw him on the ground and seemed to say exactly that – that he lost money gambling and even stole money.”

Old Madam Lu was stunned. “Opium? What is opium?”

The old physician said: “Does your son often yawn, have a runny nose, and tearing eyes?”

“Yes, yes.”

“That’s opium addiction! Sigh, once addicted to this stuff, even mountains of gold and silver can be squandered away. How could a perfectly good young man not learn properly and smoke this?”

“Yes, indeed.”

Everyone discussed and shook their heads before leaving.

Lu Changsong carried Lu Changxuan home on his back. Old Madam Lu released the starving and dizzy Qin Feifei and made her tend to Lu Changxuan.

When Qin Feifei saw Lu Changxuan’s condition, she trembled all over in fright and didn’t dare get close, much less tend to him.

Old Madam Lu viciously pushed and shoved her, adding several slaps, nearly beating Qin Feifei until she looked like Lu Changxuan – unrecognizable.