“Marquis Guanjun dealt with those scoundrels?” Madam Xie lay on her sickbed, and upon hearing the maid’s report, her spirits immediately improved considerably as she asked excitedly.

Xie Shengxiao held Madam Xie’s hand: “Mother, please rest assured. The matter is truly resolved. Fifth Master Jiang of the Jinlin Guards personally said that whoever troubles our family in the future will be going against him.”

Madam Xie sat up, clasped her hands together, and murmured: “Thank heavens, it’s truly thanks to the protection of all the deities.”

Xie Shengxiao raised her eyebrows: “What does this have to do with various deities?”

Madam Xie glared at Xie Shengxiao: “You wretched girl, you’re still angry with me now. At such an age and still not married, who knows when you’ll cause trouble again. I’ll be angered to death by you sooner or later!”

Xie Shengxiao looked Madam Xie up and down: “Mother, has your illness recovered?”

Madam Xie glanced at her sideways: “If you cause less trouble, how would I worry myself sick?”

Xie Shengxiao nodded: “It seems you’ve truly recovered, so I can rest easy.”

“Hmm?” Madam Xie looked at her daughter.

Xie Shengxiao smiled: “These past days, while Mother was ill, I felt very ashamed.”

“Good that you know how to feel ashamed. Alright, Mother’s body feels much more comfortable now. You don’t need to stay here and keep me company. Go back to your room and do some embroidery. If you could embroider a handkerchief, Mother could live to be a hundred.”

Xie Shengxiao rolled her eyes and walked away.

“This girl!” Madam Xie felt a wave of frustration.

Uncle Xie was enthusiastically keeping Shao Mingyuan for dinner, but they had only eaten half the meal when a maid in duck egg blue vest came running over, her face pale with alarm: “Master, something terrible has happened! Madam has fainted!”

Uncle Xie suddenly stood up, then, as if remembering something, slowly sat back down with a dark expression: “Is it that girl of yours being mischievous again?”

The maid stomped her feet anxiously: “No, Master! The young miss has run away from home and left a letter for Madam. Madam fainted from shock after reading it.”

Upon hearing that his daughter had run away from home, Uncle Xie’s face darkened as he said urgently: “Where’s the letter?”

The maid hurriedly handed it to him: “Master, the letter!”

Uncle Xie took it and quickly scanned it, becoming so angry his hands shook as he repeated: “This rebellious child, this rebellious child! She’s trying to kill her mother!”

Qiao Zhao quietly kicked Shao Mingyuan.

Shao Mingyuan coughed lightly: “Uncle, where has your daughter gone?”

Uncle Xie, having served in the military in his early years, still maintained the forthright nature of a military officer. Now, confused with anger over his daughter, he directly handed the letter to Shao Mingyuan to read. It said:

“Why shouldn’t men carry Wu hooks to reclaim fifty provinces? Women are no less than men—I swear not to rest until the Japanese pirates are eliminated!”

“She ran off to kill Japanese pirates!” Uncle Xie slapped his thigh hard. “It’s truly—”

He paused, then continued: “It’s truly a pity she wasn’t born a son!”

Shao Mingyuan inexplicably wanted to laugh.

Just as Uncle Xie finished speaking, the door curtain lifted, and a woman rushed in like a whirlwind.

Uncle Xie’s face changed dramatically upon seeing her, and he said in a trembling voice: “Madam—”

Madam Xie reached out and grabbed Uncle Xie’s ear, shouting: “A pity she wasn’t born a son? If she were a son, would you have sent her off long ago? She’s a perfectly good young lady who thinks about killing Japanese pirates all day—it’s because you set a bad example from above, and you still pretend to be confused in front of me!”

“Madam, we have guests present,” Uncle Xie’s old face turned the color of pig liver.

“No matter who’s here, you can’t make our daughter disappear on me. That rebellious girl—one trouble barely resolved, and she’s adding new chaos. She just can’t stand to see me well!”

Uncle Xie couldn’t help but defend his daughter: “That’s not right, Madam. Shengxiao must have left only after seeing the trouble resolved. Wasn’t she staying by your sickbed without leaving for a moment before? She left only after seeing that our family had no more troubles and your illness had recovered.”

“So you’re saying she had good reason to leave at this time?” Madam Xie glared at him.

The old fool meant what she thought he meant, right?

“No reason, no reason…”

“Then quickly send someone to find our daughter!”

Uncle Xie shook the letter Xie Shengxiao had left: “Madam, look here—there’s a small boat drawn on this letter. This means Shengxiao left by boat. That girl must have already boarded by now—there’s no way to chase her.”

Madam Xie looked at Shao Mingyuan with a pale face.

Shao Mingyuan consoled her with a serious expression: “Madam, please don’t worry too much. Your daughter’s martial arts are quite good—even three to five grown men couldn’t get close to her.”

Madam Xie covered her face and wept loudly: “She’s a young lady—why would three to five grown men need to get close to her?”

Shao Mingyuan coughed awkwardly and glanced at Qiao Zhao from the corner of his eye.

Were they leaving or not? He wanted to go home!

“Stop crying. The Marquis means our daughter’s martial arts are good, so nothing will happen to her.”

Madam Xie kept her hands covering her face: “The Marquis also has good martial arts, but didn’t the Qiao family’s eldest daughter still fall into Tartar hands?”

Shao Mingyuan: “…” Enough! Speaking such divisive words in front of his wife, whom he hadn’t yet won back, he was truly getting angry!

“Madam, what are you saying?” Uncle Xie was greatly embarrassed.

His wife, who hadn’t minded his disabled hand when she married him, was forthright and generous—good in every way except that when her temper flared, she dared say anything.

“What? Do you think I can’t speak properly? You hurry up and find our daughter for me—after that, you can divorce me if you want!”

Madam Xie forcefully pushed Uncle Xie toward the door.

Uncle Xie, red-faced and flustered, said to Shao Mingyuan: “Marquis, you see this situation—”

Shao Mingyuan smiled without changing expression: “Uncle, since you have matters to attend to, this junior won’t disturb you further—”

Miss Qiao gently kicked him from behind.

Shao Mingyuan didn’t react.

Uncle Xie saw them out, and Shao Mingyuan looked up at the blue sky and white clouds, breathing a gentle sigh of relief.

As the two walked back, Qiao Zhao said in a low voice: “Why didn’t you offer to help?”

The young general was momentarily stunned: “A girl running away from home—I should help with that too?”

Qiao Zhao paused, frowning: “But she’s going south to kill Japanese pirates. The south is so chaotic—”

“Don’t worry. I tested Miss Xie’s martial arts skills in the garden. She should have no problem dealing with several grown men.”

Qiao Zhao was still somewhat worried: “After all, nothing is absolute.”

Shao Mingyuan laughed and sighed: “Heaven has unforeseen storms—even sitting at home, one might be killed by falling roof tiles.”

His eyes were deep and clear as he looked at the girl before him, asking softly: “Zhaozhao, do you want to bring Miss Xie back?”

Contrary to his expectations, Qiao Zhao shook her head: “No. I originally thought you could send someone to protect her, but thinking about it now, you only brought Ye Luo on this trip—you simply don’t have the manpower. You’re right—people face unexpected misfortunes, but that doesn’t mean we should give up on what we want to do because of it. Being a woman who doesn’t yield to men has always been Shengxiao’s dream.”

Qiao Zhao looked toward the south.

She didn’t know whether Xie Shengxiao had already boarded a ship bound for the south at this moment, but she knew her friend’s heart must be joyful right now.

In this lifetime, if one could live a very long time but without happiness, what would be the point? Better to follow one’s heart and not waste this life.

Xie Shengxiao, let’s both do our best. See you in the south.